INTERVIEW—Cinebook: Bringing the Franco-Belgian Ninth Art to the English-Speaking World
- Emily Horton
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
For nearly twenty years, Cinebook has established itself as the leading English-language publisher of Franco-Belgian comics. What have been the main challenges in introducing this “ninth art” to Anglo-Saxon audiences long dominated by American superheroes and Japanese manga?
Cinebook: American superheroes and Japanese manga still dominate the Anglo-Saxon market. But indeed, we have succeeded in establishing our brand—and that was our main challenge. Cinebook had to be clearly identified as the publisher whose ambition is to bring the very best of Franco-Belgian comics to markets where they were previously absent. We wanted to be recognized as a publisher of classic, mainstream graphic novels that respect the cultural and publishing norms of these markets.
Your catalog includes legendary creators such as René Goscinny, Jean Van Hamme, and Edgar P. Jacobs, alongside contemporary voices like Sylvain Runberg. How do you balance heritage series with modern creations? Is it important for you to maintain a dialogue between memory and innovation?
Cinebook: Yes, absolutely. We publish the great names of Franco-Belgian comics—Lucky Luke, Blake & Mortimer, Spirou, Gaston Lagaffe (known in English as Gomer Goof), Valerian & Laureline, XIII, Yakari, Boule et Bill for younger readers, and many more. With over 100 series in our catalog, it’s impossible to list them all.At the same time, discovering and supporting new talent is essential to us. In some series, we alternate albums by the original creators with new works by contemporary authors. Spirou is a good example, where we publish titles by Franquin alongside those by Tome & Janry, and more recently by Yoann and Vehlmann.
You have played a key role in expanding the international visibility of European comics. Have you observed cultural differences in how these works are received across English-speaking countries—such as the U.S., the U.K., or Canada?
Cinebook: Not significantly, although science-fiction titles tend to perform particularly well in the United States. In some cases, readers “adopt” certain series as their own: Blake & Mortimer in the U.K., or Trent in Canada. Lucky Luke, however, enjoys remarkable success everywhere.
The film adaptation of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets helped bring renewed attention to the visual and narrative richness of French comics. Do you believe collaborations between comic creators and the film or television industries represent the future of the ninth art?
Cinebook: The release of Luc Besson’s VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS in 2017—adapted from Valerian & Laureline, a series we publish—played a major role in spotlighting Franco-Belgian comics and significantly raised Cinebook’s profile. For that occasion, we published special editions featuring film imagery and interviews with Luc Besson, as well as creators Jean-Claude Mézières and Pierre Christin.This is not an isolated case: Largo Winch, XIII, and Ducobu have all been adapted for screen, and a Blake & Mortimeradaptation is scheduled for early 2027. Cinema has clearly discovered that comics are a goldmine of storytelling. Now that Franco-Belgian comics are available in English, Anglo-Saxon producers are showing growing interest. We are frequently approached regarding adaptation rights.
One of Cinebook’s strengths is its all-ages catalog, ranging from Yakari to XIII. How do you adapt your editorial and marketing strategies to such a diverse readership while maintaining brand coherence?
Cinebook: That is precisely our brand identity. We are known as a publisher of mainstream comics with universal appeal. We adapt to the standards of our markets, and when certain titles are not suitable for very young readers, they are clearly labeled with age recommendations (12+, 15+). Even then, our series remain accessible and broad in scope—there is no separate “adult” category in our catalog.
Finally, what’s next for Cinebook? Are you planning to expand your digital presence, explore new markets, or strengthen cultural partnerships?
Cinebook: We intend to expand our digital offerings and further develop our collection of omnibus editions. Currently, Lucky Luke, Valerian, and Blake & Mortimer are available in integral editions—the latter, released earlier this year, is an original Cinebook creation. Each omnibus brings together several volumes and includes additional pages exploring the authors and the origins of the series.
Highlights: Recent and Upcoming Releases
Blake & Mortimer – Signed: Olrik https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Signed-Olrik/Yves-Sente/Blake-Mortimer/9781800441682
New Series: The Bank (Diptych, Volumes 1 & 2) https://www.simonandschuster.com/series/The-Bank
