Comics -Why The Frebch Ain't Panicking!

My thanks to Sebchoq for this link. It is a very important article showing that the French can seemingly do what the home of comics (that used to be the UK) is incapable of doing. Increasing sales, titles and expanding.  There is no doubt that France is now the capital of European comics.

 

I have waited a few days to see whether I could get official permission from Actua BD to reproduce this article in English but my emails are returning as “undeliverable”.

 

So, my apologies but no infringement intended. The article was written by and is (c) Didier Pasamonik of Actua BD Agency -as are the photographs.

 

The original website (translated) can be found here:

 

http://translate.google.fr/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=fr&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.actuabd.com%2FFrancfort-2011-les-editeurs&act=url

Is this a sign of recovery? French publishers of comics do not frown at this year’s International Book Fair in Frankfurt. On the contrary, despite the effects of the crisis, they benefit from a backlash from the manga around the world and, paradoxically, the wave of US comics to the movies. Journal of detail.

“In the kitchen with Alain Passard” (Gallimard) Blain will be brought to Korea, Japan and the United States.

This year, unlike the previous two years who felt depressed, it felt a certain excitement in the stands of international publishers. The business seems to take over and the prospect of competition with the e-book no longer afraid.
The worldwide success of Graphic Novels benefits comics
What is striking is the conquest of the libraries in general comics. In recent years, thanks to Graphic Novels, it strengthens and expands globally. The mutation of Franco-Belgian comics in book format in compact blocks of several albums made by most publishers hexagonal bearing fruit: the transfers are increasing and very diverse in genres.
The trend is for fiction books and focused, “” In the Kitchen with Alain Passard “Christophe Blain (Gallimard) or” The Best enemies, a history of relations between the U.S. and the Middle East “by Jean-Pierre Filiu and David B (Futuropolis) or The Book of Roger de Florent Silloray (Sarbacane) are a good example of great documentary interest, “says Sylvain Coissard, officer Gallimard, Sarbacane and Futuropolis who managed to sell the Cockpit Package Collection in Japan, “because it is a highly focused,” he said.

Sylvain Coissard agent, Gallimard, Futuropolis, or Sarbacane Package: “The trend is the comic documentary”

“The market’s Graphic Novel is both better established and yet more fragile due to a large number of titles appearing each year. But the people we are building catalogs sign is the long-term “notes Juliette Mathieu Delcourt. She adds, “Marc-Antoine Mathieu had a very great success last year in Germany, Spain and Korea. At the Fair, English and Japanese publishers were struck by his latest album “Three seconds,” and we hope this will allow us to publish in these two territories. Guy Delisle, all creators who talk about the company to today or aimed at comic book fans today walk abroad without a doubt. ”

Juliette Mathieu (Delcourt) with the Danish editor Carsten Sondergaard.

Jerome Baron, in charge at Media-Participations Dupuis says the same thing: “The historical evidence bear:” The Photographer “(Dupuis),” Marzi “(Dupuis),” A Chinese Life “(Kana),” Nietzsche “(Lombard),” Freud “(Dargaud), Italy years of lead, Stalin’s death, all these issues fairly diversified with rich graphics allow us to approach publishers who may not have the BD and may decide to launch it. “Nietzsche” for example, authored by Michel Onfray (drawing Maximilian Le Roy, at Lombard) already published abroad was a great opportunity. “The Little Book of Rock” by Hervé Bourhis or “Planet of the wise” are subjects of Jul both educational and fun, with a design that works very well. ”

Jerome Baron (Dupuis): “It was a nice offer, a nice line-up, a beautiful catalog that affects all types ranging from the album youth graphic novel.”

Some news comes further strengthen the presence of comics in general bookstore, such as the release of Millennium Dupuis: “We got a great announcement confirms Jerome Baron. While DC Comics has provided as the only one the rights to adapt the novel into comics, it’s not quite correct, since the deal with the Swedish Agency was signed to a distribution Manga, Comics, Graphic Novel. This announcement has generated considerable interest and questions also from our publishers because communication was not very well rehearsed between publishers and agents. We made ​​a mailing from Wednesday, October 12 in the morning, just before the Frankfurt Book Fair, in the day, we had fifteen requests for information. We had a visit from a lot of comic book publishers, but also novels that have expressed interest. I think it will be a great project to work, next year we’ll have fun. ”

Sophie Castille, head of human Media-Participations (Dargaud, Dupuis, Le Lombard, Kana …). : For the demonstration, the iPad is needed …

The same strategy applies Glénat license with “The Little Prince” by Saint-Exupery developed BD: it is already optioned in many countries.


The format “comic” finally finds its legitimacy
Paradoxically, the opening of libraries worldwide general benefit to the traditional Franco-Belgian comics: in fact, the comic genre as compared to comics and manga is now finding its legitimacy: “The traditional publishers have been a lot of renewals team is hopeful. The market is tight and I did not feel that long-term contacts are increasing, so it’s a fragile situation. The real hope, visible in the European markets is that the general bookstore began selling more and more comics whatever the final format and content “we are told by Delcourt.

The entire team of foreign rights group Glénat (Glénat, West Wind, Drugstore, Thirteen strange ..): Stephen Galli Bonnin and Olivier surrounding their new director Véronique Philibert Philbois, coming from the production company of Luc Besson, Europa Corp.

Assessed the situation particularly in the United States: “We’re starting to get more and more contracts, including youth, we are told at Media-Participations. We put” Mr. and Mrs. Badger Vixen “,” Children Moreover, “” Miss Annie, “” Sir William “in Lerner (Graphic Universe). A player like Fantagraphics Graphic Novel American has done a very nice “Gil Jourdan ‘.”

Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox (Dargaud) reflects the United States.

Draw down in Southern Europe and dynamism of Germany
The financial problems of Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy are reflected in the market of comics: “In old Europe, the traditional markets remain Germany, the Netherlands, even the Spain despite crisis: the prints are down, but it works a lot of sales, publishers are quite dynamic. Some markets are down as Italy, Portugal … and not talking about Greece, “deplores Sylvain Coissard, agent for Gallimard, Futuropolis or packet.


Confirmation of next Media-Participations: “Italy is not doing very well. It shows a reduction prints. The actors are still there, but you can feel a concentration of their market. Spain was marked by two new ones: the acquisition of Spanish Glénat by management and Planeta who lost DC Comics. We see the repositioning of the American publisher at European level: Planeta DeAgostini DC lost in Spain and Italy. In France, Urban Comics (Media-Participations) which took over the license. ”

Lanfeust Troy (Sun) translated in Brazil

This is the German side that things are progressing well, “Germany restarts a little under the leadership of new publishers who have launched new collections and specialize, says Olivier Galli Glénat. The number of titles published in Germany is up for four years. There is a conquest and new audiences: Splitter Verlag relaunched its catalog of heroic fantasy, science fiction and adventure genres rather neglected by the traditional players in this market, Carlsen and Egmont, which has find a new and younger audience. So, Egmont is a little bit in this segment, while Carlsen, although traditional publishers of Tintin, tends to move towards the Graphic Novel. ”


Willy Fadeur Casterman finds a thrill in the Polish market, while England has become a regular partner open to Commonwealth countries, “Cinebook, Titan or Knockabout comics are regular customers for publishers Franco-Belgian” says Edmond Lee of Humanoids.


Dynamism of Asia and emerging countries
“In terms of emerging markets, we continue to work very well with Indonesia. For three years, the turnover is not huge but they republish the great classic series they have known there twenty or thirty years: Boule & Bill, Spirou, Gaston … “notes Jerome Baron.
“Korea is more interested in comics and youth interested in cross-functional projects between youth and education,” we are told Glénat.


“China is a very cyclical market, we are told in Media. In 2002, Lombard and Dargaud it had sold all their children’s series. For two or three years, the collaborations are increasing, not necessarily in publishing. This is an area of development possible on film, video games, licensing, etc.. Everyone looks at this very closely, there are plenty of things to do. But it takes time. There is a fundamental difference in culture from the approach of the book, but it is a matter of culture and relationship that takes time to understand. In terms of publishing, we continue to make new contracts … ”

The head of the rights of Humanoids, Chinese from Hong Kong, confirmed. Added to a problem that particularly affects of censorship in its catalog: all nudity is prohibited.

Edmond Lee, head of the rights of Humanoids

Fantagraphics, the publisher of the American avant-garde graphics published “Gil Jourdan”

Side of Japan, there is a thrill. Sylvain Coissard are sold in Kitchen with Passard for Gallimard, in the Louvre collection Futuropolis, including the Ice Age album by Nicolas de Crecy, who also sold his Bibendum Céleste (Humanoids). “In fact, the crisis and the sluggish market that territories such as Japan stunning tremble a little” analysis Juliette Mathieu also found a renewed interest in Brazil: “Brazil is very dynamic. There was the same phenomenon in many countries: they have had great success with American comics through Marvel films. They therefore re-open their catalogs to the comic and there is a bit our turn. There are really great things that go on there. ”


Edmond Lee agrees: “They have more buying power and larger groups, or as Devir Companhia da Letras”. He pointed out the place occupied by Panini in the wake of takeover of Mauricio de Souza, author of Monica, which the magazine is selling 2 million copies per month. By Casterman, we note also that these are the operations with the press to better penetrate the market.

The Smurfs, Tintin, are back on top of the box office.

Tintin Superstar
The publisher and Moulinsart Tournai, publishers of Tintin, had bananas. Although the license was revived four years, all publishers have repositioned their catalog for the Spielberg film “Tintin is every day in every newspaper in the world, Willy Fadeur enthuses. We have difficulty ensure requests for reprints. It was too much work but there is every reason to be happy! ”

Willy Fadeur Casterman. 2011 was a year Tintin.

The same is happening in the Smurfs are available in many products and whose license is reactivated in the world.

This improvement underlines, if need be, the relationship stronger and stronger between the book and film and other media.


Photos: D. Pasamonik (BD Agency)
(By Didier Pasamonik (BD Agency) )