Média-Participations
Encyclopedia
Média-Participations is a French media concern, controlled by a Belgian holding concern, specialized in Franco-Belgian comics
. It has some forty publishers in its portfolio, including Dupuis
, Dargaud
, Le Lombard
and Fleurus.
The company was first called Ampère and focused on the acquisition of a number of struggling Christian publishing houses like Fleurus. In 1986, the group changed its name to Média-Participations and focused more on Franco-Belgian comics, which started when they acquired Le Lombard in 1986 and Dargaud in 1988.
In 2004, Média-Participations acquired Dupuis after a bid on Editis
failed. In 2008, Média-Participations renewed its bid on Editis, now for more than €1 billion.
The publisher is now the third largest publisher of France, and the major European Franco-Belgian comics publisher. Of the 32 million books published a year, 20 million are comics. Magazine sales also reach 30 million copies a year. The group publishes around 600 publications a year, some 13% of the total number of Franco-Belgian comics, but these represent almost a third of the sales of comics in France.
In 2009 it acquired a French computer software company, Anuman Interactive.
Kana
, and the specialized publishers Lucky Comics (for Lucky Luke
) and Blake et Mortimer.
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
. It has some forty publishers in its portfolio, including Dupuis
Dupuis
Éditions Dupuis S.A. is a Belgian publisher of comic books and magazines.Based in Marcinelle near Charleroi, Dupuis was founded in 1922 by Jean Dupuis, and is mostly famous for its comic albums and magazines. It is originally a French language publisher, but publishes many editions both in French...
, Dargaud
Dargaud
Les Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.Initially, Dargaud published novels for women...
, Le Lombard
Le Lombard
Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin magazine was launched. In 1986 the company was acquired by Média-Participations.-Titles:Lombard's more famous series include:*Clifton...
and Fleurus.
History
Média-Participations was created in 1986 by Rémy Montagne, a politician who had been a member of the French Parliament for three decades before starting in the publishing business. After his death in 1991, he was succeeded by his son Vincent.The company was first called Ampère and focused on the acquisition of a number of struggling Christian publishing houses like Fleurus. In 1986, the group changed its name to Média-Participations and focused more on Franco-Belgian comics, which started when they acquired Le Lombard in 1986 and Dargaud in 1988.
In 2004, Média-Participations acquired Dupuis after a bid on Editis
Editis
Editis is the second-largest publishing group in France, created in January 2004 by the regrouping of approximately 60% publishing assets of Vivendi, the other part having been sold to Lagardère Group....
failed. In 2008, Média-Participations renewed its bid on Editis, now for more than €1 billion.
The publisher is now the third largest publisher of France, and the major European Franco-Belgian comics publisher. Of the 32 million books published a year, 20 million are comics. Magazine sales also reach 30 million copies a year. The group publishes around 600 publications a year, some 13% of the total number of Franco-Belgian comics, but these represent almost a third of the sales of comics in France.
In 2009 it acquired a French computer software company, Anuman Interactive.
Comics
Comics and manga are published by six different publishers: the general audience publishers of Franco-Belgian comics Dupuis, Dargaud and Le Lombard, the publisher of mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Kana
Kana
Kana are the syllabic Japanese scripts, as opposed to the logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji and the Roman alphabet known as rōmaji...
, and the specialized publishers Lucky Comics (for Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
) and Blake et Mortimer.
Magazines
- SpirouSpirou (magazine)Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
, published by Dupuis - Famille Chrétienne, published by Edifa
- different magazines by Rustica, including Système D
Books
- Editions Chronique for thematic publications
- Le Ballon for children's books
- Fleurus for a wide variety of books, including many children's books