What Editions Delcourt does

Editions Delcourt is a French-language comic book publisher founded in 1986 as part of Groupe Delcourt, a privately held, family-controlled publishing conglomerate that also operates sister imprints Editions Soleil, Editions La Croisée, Editions Marchialy, and Editions Les Avrils. The company is the third-largest comic book publisher in France, with a catalogue exceeding 3,258 bande dessinée titles supplemented by dedicated catalogues for English-language comics, Japanese manga, Korean manhwa/webtoons (under the Kbooks label), and youth literature (Jeunesse). Flagship original French series include Les 5 Terres, Les Sentinelles, and Donjon, while licensed international properties span Hellboy, Invincible, Walking Dead, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Hellsing, Alice in Borderland, and Solo Leveling.

The publisher operates a traditional print-and-digital editorial and distribution model, monetizing primarily through one-time license and retail sale of physical and digital titles into the French bookstore channel. Editions Delcourt reaches the trade through dedicated professional portals (Espace Libraire for booksellers and Espace Presse for journalists) that provide exclusive covers, advance reader copies, and promotional assets, and supplements this with event-driven marketing at France's major comics festivals, including the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême, Japan Expo, Quai des Bulles, and Les 48h BD. Direct-to-consumer marketing is layered in through Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and a YouTube channel featuring video trailers and author interviews.

The customer base consists of distributed end readers of BD, comics, manga, kbooks, and jeunesse across age groups, served through hundreds of independent French bookstores rather than concentrated enterprise accounts. The publisher is extending its IP footprint beyond print via the 2025 Canal+ television adaptation of Les Sentinelles and is broadening its catalogue with higher-margin collector and prestige SKUs. Ownership remains with Groupe Delcourt under founder Guy Delcourt, with Caroline Champenois serving as CFO; the company is privately held with no venture or PE sponsorship disclosed.

Name

Editions Delcourt

Legal name

Editions Delcourt

Website

https://www.editions-delcourt.fr/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Editions Delcourt, founded in 1986 in France, is the third-largest French comic book publisher and part of Groupe Delcourt. It publishes bande dessinée, comics, manga, kbooks, and youth literature, serving French-language readers through bookstores, professional portals, and major French comics festivals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Comic Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA), Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Comic book publishing
• Bandes dessinées
• Manga publishing
• Children's graphic novels
• French-language comics

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Comic Book and Manga Sales: Revenue generated through sale of physical and digital comic books, manga, and youth literature titles published under the Editions Delcourt imprint and sister imprints (Editions Soleil, Editions La Croisée, Editions Marchialy, Editions Les Avrils) under Groupe Delcourt.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Editions Delcourt is a French-language comic book publisher that produces and distributes bandes dessinées, English-language comics, Japanese manga, Korean kbooks (manhwa/webtoons), and youth literature titles under the Editions Delcourt imprint within Groupe Delcourt. The publisher combines original French editorial series with licensed international properties and operates professional bookseller and press portals to support trade distribution.

Product overview

Editions Delcourt is France's third-largest comic book publisher, operating as a diversified publishing house with five distinct product lines: Bandes dessinées (French comics), Comics (English-language comics), Mangas (Japanese manga), Kbooks (Korean manhwa/webtoons), and Jeunesse (children's/young adult comics). The company publishes both original French series (Les 5 Terres, Les Sentinelles, Donjon) and licensed international properties (Walking Dead, Hellboy, Invincible, Hellsing, Nana, Solo Leveling, Alice in Borderland). The publisher also maintains professional portals for booksellers and press, offering exclusive content and previews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bandes dessinées (French comics) French-language bande dessinée catalogue covering adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction titles for general readers.
• Comics (English-language) English-language comic book franchises published in French, including Hellboy, Invincible, Walking Dead, Brzrkr, and Umbrella Academy.
• Mangas (Japanese) Japanese manga series published in French, including Nana, Blue Box, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Hellsing, Alice in Borderland, Fruits Basket, Food Wars!, and Vagabond.
• Kbooks (Korean manhwa/webtoons) Korean webtoons and manhwa in French, including Solo Leveling, The Beginning After the End, God of High School, Roses et Champagne, The Reborn Young Lord is an Assassin, and Under the Oak Tree.
• Jeunesse (Children's and young adult comics) Children's and young adult comics, including Les Légendaires, Les Mythics, Les Blagues de Toto, La Rose écarlate, À cheval!, and L'Île au trésor.
• Espace Libraire (Professional bookseller portal) Professional portal for partner booksellers providing exclusive covers, author photos, sample pages, advance previews, and complete album previews for trade use.
• Espace Presse (Press portal) Press portal for media professionals providing high-resolution images and PDF reading copies for article illustration, with contact through Gwladys Bourget for additional assets.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Canal+minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Les Sentinelles, a BD series published by Editions Delcourt, is being adapted into a television series on Canal+ in 2025. This represents a content licensing and adaptation partnership between Delcourt and the French broadcaster.
• Groupe DelcourtcoreOthersGroupe Delcourt is the parent company of Editions Delcourt, founded in 1986. Editions Delcourt is part of a group that includes multiple publishing imprints: Editions Soleil, Editions La Croisée, Editions Marchialy, and Editions Les Avrils. The group is the third-largest comic book publisher in France.
• Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'AngoulêmecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEditions Delcourt is an official partner of the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême, France's most prestigious annual comic book festival.
• Japan ExpocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEditions Delcourt participates in Japan Expo as an official partner, leveraging the event for manga and youth literature titles promotion.
• Quai des BullesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEditions Delcourt is associated with the Quai des Bulles festival, a major comics festival in Saint-Malo.
• Les 48h BDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEditions Delcourt participates in Les 48h BD event, a national comics celebration in France.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dupuis: Dupuis is one of the largest French-language bande dessinée publishers (Asterix, Spirou, Lucky Luke), directly comparable to Editions Delcourt as a major French BD publisher with a long-running series catalogue and similar bookstore distribution model.
• Dargaud: Dargaud is a leading French BD publisher (Astérix, Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer) under Média-Participations, directly comparable to Editions Delcourt as a top-tier French bande dessinée publisher with classic and contemporary series portfolios.
• Glénat: Glénat is a major French BD and manga publisher (Astérix, manga editions including Dragon Ball, Naruto), directly comparable to Editions Delcourt across both BD and manga product lines and as a top-tier French comic publisher.
• Éditions Soleil: Editions Soleil is a sister imprint under Groupe Delcourt focused on BD (Lanfeust de Troy), operating under the same parent and sharing distribution infrastructure — directly comparable as a French BD publisher within the same corporate group.
• Urban Comics: Urban Comics is the French publisher of DC and Marvel superhero comics (Batman, Spider-Man), directly comparable to Editions Delcourt in the French-language comics publishing space with similar licensed international IP portfolio model.
• Kurokawa: Kurokawa is a major French manga publisher under Média-Participations (Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia), directly comparable to Editions Delcourt's Mangas line as a French-language manga publisher competing for similar Japanese licensing rights.
• Panini Comics: Panini is a major European comics and manga publisher with French operations (Panini Manga), directly comparable to Editions Delcourt across comics and manga with overlapping licensed IP portfolios and European distribution.
• Kazé: Kazé is a French anime and manga publisher/distributor, directly comparable to Editions Delcourt's Mangas product line as a French-language manga publisher competing for Japanese licensing rights and reader attention.
• Le Lombard: Le Lombard is a major Belgian-French BD publisher (Tintin, Thorgal) under Média-Participations, directly comparable to Editions Delcourt as a French-language BD publisher with similar genre and adventure series catalogue.

Broad incumbents

• Hachette Livre: Hachette Livre is France's largest publishing group and a BROAD_INCUMBENT, encompassing trade, illustrated, and youth publishing. It is comparable to Editions Delcourt's group structure as a much larger, diversified French trade publisher with broader genre and format coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DelcourtBD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/editionsdelcourt
• Facebookfacebook.com/editionsdelcourt
• Instagraminstagram.com/delcourt.bd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Editions Delcourt