Comics publisher Delcourt bought by Editis

The second French publishing group, now owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky (CMI), is acquiring the flagship comic book and manga business. The Competition Authority validated the acquisition on December 20.

Lhe big maneuvers in publishing know no respite from the confectioners. Editis was sidelined during the year of the acquisition of Humensis (Puf, Editions de l’Observatoire, Belin, etc.). The disappointment was short-lived since the second largest French publishing group, owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, announced this summer that it was in exclusive negotiations to acquire Delcourt. The Competition Authority gave the green light on December 20. A great operation which will allow Editis to strengthen itself in the comics and manga sector where it has until now only occupied a modest place.

Quite the opposite of Delcourt, which in less than forty years has become one of the three major players in the sector alongside Glénat and Dargaud (Médias Participations). Its founder Guy Delcourt, a former editor-in-chief of the magazine Pilotoften had good intuitions. He is one of the first to have successfully published major titles in modern American comics, both in comics and graphic novels. Appear in particular at his home The Watchmen (Alan Moore / Dave Gibbons), The Dark Knight Returns (Frank Miller), Hellboy (Mike Mignolia), or the series Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. But also the graphic novels of Charles Burns (Black Hole), the Chris Ware (Jimmy Corrigan) and Daniel Clowes (Patience), the latter two having received the grand prize at the Angoulême Festival.

Franco-Belgian success

Franco-Belgian comics also occupy a good place in a catalog which has a total of around 10,000 titles. Among them great successes like the series Dungeons piloted by Lewis Trondheim and Joann Sfar, but also Legendary by Patrick Sobral and obviously Lanfeust of Troy, launched by Christophe Arleston at Éditions Soleil bought by Delcourt. Finally, the group has also been well established for almost twenty years in manga thanks to the acquisition of Tonkam.

Six years ago, Guy Delcourt sold 49% of his group’s capital to Florac, the investment fund of the Marie-Jeanne Meyer family. According to our information, this fund wanted to sell this stake and, depending on the buyer, Guy Delcourt himself was open to selling all or part of his stake while continuing to manage the group for a few more years. The managers of Editis will have found the arguments to convince him. No doubt at a high price. “This ambitious acquisition is a new step in Editis’ strengthening strategy”commented the president of the publishing group, Denis Olivennes, quoted in the press release.