Cheeseburger-eating surrender monkey

A new McDonald's advert featuring Asterix the Gaul enjoying burger and fries with a Coke has sparked outrage in France.

Purists accuse the cartoon hero of "surrendering" to the American fast food chain, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The Gallic warrior and his larger-than-life chum Obelix, famed for defending a village in Gaul from Roman invaders, are shown revelling in a McDonald's.

The scene is a send-up of the comic book's normal village banquet. Instead of feasting on ale and wild boar, they tuck into Coca Cola and a Big Mac.

"Come as you are", reads the slogan on the bottom of the billboard, which was designed by Euro RSCG, the advertising agency.

Albert Uderzo, who co-founded Asterix with the late René Goscinny, was consulted for the advertising campaign and his studio drew the picture.

But French fans of Asterix voiced their dismay online that the character had "sold out" to consumerism.

"Did the sky fall on their heads?" asked one contributor to Le Poste, while Le Figaro newspaper asked: "After resisting the Romans, have the Americans finally scalped the invincible little Gaul?"

But news website Slate pointed out that Asterix briefly replaced McDonald's clown, Ronald, in a 2001 advertising campaign.

"You really have to live on another planet to think Asterix hasn't already succumbed to the sirens of capitalism, American or not," it said.