Asterix writer denies re-launched series promotes Scottish independence

Asterix writer Jean-Yves Ferri has reportedly denied that the re-launched series of the comic after eight years is aimed to promote the campaign for Scottish independence.

Asterix's latest series 'Asterix chez les Pictes (Asterix and the Picts)', features malt whisky, bagpipes and the Loch Ness monster, which refer to the early Celts who inhabited ancient Scotland.

According to Sky News, the Yes Scotland group, which wants the country to break away from the rest of the UK, said that the comic was an 'endorsement' of its campaign.

However, Ferri said that it was not at all about the referendum for Scottish independence.

The report said that the latest Asterix comic, the 35th installment in the series, has been published in Gaelic and, for the first time, in Scots.

Around five million copies of the comic have been printed, including two million for France, where Asterix and Obelix are so popular that commemorative coins have been produced to mark the release.

Asterix comics have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 110 languages and dialects, the report added.