Empire: World History

S24E7 - 308. Asterix and Obelix, Babar The Elephant, & Colonial Cartoons

Published: November 18, 2025

Duration: 47:27

How did a story made up by a mother for her sick children turn into Babar The Elephant? Why did two immigrants to France create such a patriotically French cartoon in Asterix and Obelix? How should we feel about racist depictions of people of colour in beloved children’s cartoons today?

Listen as William and Anita explore the controversial debates about two of the most beloved cartoons from twentieth-century France: Asterix the Gaul, and Babar The Elephant.

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