Delcourt
A French publishing house specializing in Franco-Belgian comics, American and British comics, and manga.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Delcourt is a French publishing house focused on comics and manga. It was established in 1986 when Guy Delcourt, then chief editor of the comics magazine Pilote, brought together the publishing activities associated with Pilote and Charlie Mensuel. The new company was initially named Guy Delcourt Productions and later became known simply as Delcourt. The publisher operates across several major areas of sequential art. Its Franco-Belgian comics program includes science fiction, fantasy, adventure, historical works, humor, crime, and literary graphic storytelling. The catalogue has included series such as Aquablue, De Cape et de Crocs, Donjon, Les Légendaires, Okko, Sillage, Elves, Dwarves, and The Chronicles of the Dragon Knights. Many of these properties are developed as continuing album series, reflecting the traditional French-language comics market in which individual volumes are commonly published in hardcover or softcover album format. Delcourt also publishes French editions of comics originating in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other English-language markets. Its international catalogue has included The Walking Dead, Hellboy and B.P.R.D., Invincible, Spawn, Star Wars, From Hell, Black Hole, The Goon, Fathom, Girls, V for Vendetta, and other titles. These editions have helped position the company as both a creator-facing French comics publisher and a licensee and distributor of internationally recognized graphic properties. Rights arrangements have changed over time for some titles, with certain series formerly associated with Delcourt later appearing under other French publishers. Manga forms a further major part of the business, particularly through the Delcourt/Akata label. Its manga catalogue has included Japanese works such as Fruits Basket, Nana, Beck, Baki, Dororo, Princess Jellyfish, Lovely Complex, Switch Girl!!, Yakitate!! Japan, Ping Pong, Gokinjo, and The Yamada Family. The label has also published works spanning romance, drama, action, horror, slice-of-life, sports, and literary manga. The breadth of the catalogue indicates a strategy of serving both established manga readerships and readers interested in less mainstream or more auteur-oriented Japanese comics. Delcourt is described in the supplied reference material as the third-largest publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, behind Média-Participations and Glénat, and as producing approximately 480 comics per year. These figures are presented as reference information rather than current audited financial or production disclosures. The company is best understood as a specialist cultural publisher whose business depends on a combination of original French-language series, licensed international comics, and manga translation and publication. No current ownership structure, headquarters, financial information, or named present-day executive is established by the available material.
History
Delcourt emerged from the French comics press in 1986. Guy Delcourt was serving as chief editor of Pilote when the publishing venture was formed through the combination of Charlie Mensuel and Pilote-related activities. The company initially operated under the name Guy Delcourt Productions, directly associating the founder's identity with the new publishing house. It subsequently adopted the shorter Delcourt name. From its early years, the publisher developed a programme of French-language comics albums rather than limiting itself to a single genre. Its catalogue has covered science fiction, fantasy, historical adventure, crime, humor, and more literary forms of graphic storytelling. Series such as Aquablue, which has been published by Delcourt since 1988, and later properties including De Cape et de Crocs, Donjon, Sillage, Okko, and Les Légendaires illustrate the company's reliance on recurring series and recognizable creative universes. The catalogue also includes works associated with the publisher's Série B line, which has featured science-fiction, thriller, and adventure-oriented material. Delcourt expanded its role in the French comics market by publishing French-language editions of comics from the United States and the United Kingdom. Its international programme has included titles and franchises such as The Walking Dead, Invincible, Hellboy, Spawn, Star Wars, From Hell, Black Hole, The Goon, Fathom, and V for Vendetta. The presence of licensed works broadened the company's reach beyond the traditional Franco-Belgian album field. However, publication rights are title-specific and have not always remained with Delcourt; the reference material records several properties as former Delcourt publications or as titles that later moved to another French publisher. Manga became another important area through the Delcourt/Akata label. The manga list includes both commercially prominent series and specialized works across romance, drama, action, horror, sports, historical storytelling, and everyday life. Examples include Fruits Basket, Nana, Beck, Baki, Dororo, Princess Jellyfish, Lovely Complex, Switch Girl!!, Ping Pong, Yakitate!! Japan, and The Yamada Family. This catalogue gave Delcourt a presence in the French manga market while complementing its European and English-language comics programmes. The publisher is identified in the supplied reference material as the third-largest publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, after Média-Participations and Glénat, and as producing about 480 comics annually. The available material does not provide a reliable current corporate ownership profile, financial statements, headquarters location, or list of current executives. Accordingly, Delcourt's documented history is strongest in relation to its founding, editorial expansion, and catalogue rather than its present corporate structure.
- 2022
Trese French edition
[1]Trese is listed among Delcourt's French-language manga or comics publications from 2022.
- 2007
The Walking Dead and Invincible French editions
[1]The reference material records Delcourt French editions of The Walking Dead from 2007 and Invincible from 2005 onward.
- 2004
Les Légendaires joins the catalogue
[1]Les Légendaires is listed as a Delcourt series from 2004, adding a prominent fantasy-adventure property to the publisher's French-language catalogue.
- 1999
International comics licensing expands
[1]The catalogue records Delcourt editions or publication involvement for titles including Star Wars, The Goon, and related international comics during this period.
- 1998
Donjon and Sillage become catalogue series
[1]Donjon and Sillage are listed as Delcourt series from 1998, reinforcing the publisher's science-fiction and fantasy portfolio.
- 1995
De Cape et de Crocs and Carmen McCallum begin publication
[1]The reference catalogue records De Cape et de Crocs and Carmen McCallum among series published by Delcourt from 1995.
- 1988
Aquablue enters the catalogue
[1]Aquablue is identified as a Delcourt series from 1988 onward, becoming part of the publisher's science-fiction comics catalogue.
- 1986
Publishing house founded
[1]Guy Delcourt founded the company through the fusion of Charlie Mensuel and Pilote-related magazine activities. It initially operated as Guy Delcourt Productions.
Products and positioning
A major French specialist comics publisher with a broad catalogue spanning original Franco-Belgian series, translated English-language comics, and Japanese manga. Delcourt combines long-running genre franchises with literary, independent, and creator-led works.
Original French-language comics · 1986
Franco-Belgian comics
Delcourt's core programme consists of French-language comics albums across science fiction, fantasy, adventure, historical fiction, crime, humor, and literary storytelling. Notable catalogue examples include Aquablue, De Cape et de Crocs, Donjon, Les Légendaires, Okko, Elves, Dwarves, and Sillage. The programme includes both continuing series and standalone or limited works.
Licensed translated comics · 1990
American and British comics
Delcourt has published French editions of comics originating in the United States and the United Kingdom. The listed catalogue includes The Walking Dead, Invincible, Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Spawn, Star Wars, From Hell, Black Hole, The Goon, Fathom, Girls, and V for Vendetta. Rights and publisher relationships vary by title and period.
Manga
Delcourt/Akata
The Delcourt/Akata programme publishes French translations of Japanese manga across romance, drama, action, horror, sports, historical, and slice-of-life categories. Listed works include Fruits Basket, Nana, Beck, Baki, Dororo, Princess Jellyfish, Lovely Complex, Switch Girl!!, Ping Pong, Yakitate!! Japan, and The Yamada Family.
Genre comics imprint
Série B
Série B is associated with Delcourt's genre-oriented publishing activity. Its listed series include Arcanes, Carmen McCallum, Nash, Tao Bang, Travis, and other science-fiction, thriller, and adventure titles.
Sources1 sources
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