Asterix An Unlikely Scottish Independence Hero
Asterix writer Jean-Yves Ferri has denied using the
comic hero's first new adventure in eight years to promote the campaign
for Scottish independence.
The yellow-moustached Gaul and his rotund sidekick Obelix travel to the country after finding a Pict washed up on the shoreline.
As their journey continues, various Celtic tribes unite into one nation.
The Yes Scotland group, which wants the country to break away from the rest of the UK, said the comic was an "endorsement" of its campaign.
However, Mr Ferri said: "I went to Scotland to show the idea to the Scots. They were happy we thought about them and asked me, 'Why Scotland?'
"They thought it was because of this referendum, when in fact (it was) not at all."
Asterix comics have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 110 languages and dialects.
The new book - the 35th instalment in the series - has been published in Gaelic and, for the first time, in Scots.
The comic, which is illustrated by Didier Conrad, is the first not to be written or drawn by the series' original creators Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.
However, Uderzo, 86, drew Obelix for the front cover, which shows him taking part in the sport of the caber toss.
Some 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.