These comics are better known than Dragon Ball and One Piece and have been a hit in France for over 60 years

News culture These comics are better known than Dragon Ball and One Piece and have been a hit in France for over 60 years

Each year, Luffy and Asterix have a showdown on the French comics market… And in general, in a stalemate, the Magic potion gives a significant advantage !

Asterix and Gaston are stronger than Luffy

The ninth artas comics are often called, thanks continues to be very well represented iconic heroes In France. As far as titles go, it’s that time again Asterix the Gaul, who made it to the top of the sales figures

in 2023 with his latest album L’Iris blanc, which has sold more than 1.6 million copiesthe best start to an album in the series since then GfK analyzes these statistics (2003). THE The second best comic album of this year is “Le Retour de Lagaffe”.which recorded 498,000 sales. One Piece manages to place four volumes in the top 10 of the best-selling comics in France this year.

A declining market, but still at the top of bookstore sales

Franco-Belgian comics and manga remain a mainstay of the literary market in France. In 2023 the The best-selling book in France is “L’Iris Blanc”, second is “Le Retour de Lagaffe” and third is a novel : Watch over Her, the Prix Goncourt by Jean-Baptise Andrea. Comics are asserting their dominant position on the market more than ever. In 2023, the market witnessed significant developments with overall 75 million publications sold or an average of 1.4 million comic copies bought every week in France

. BD generated sales of 877 million dollars. Despite a 11% decline in market for all age groups combinedThis sector remains dynamic. THE Manga sales, which corresponds to more than one in two titles soldalso saw a significant decline of 18% 39.6 million copies sold. note that The children’s comics market recorded an increase of 7% or 17.2 million copies sold, driven by some classics like Asterix, Lucky Luke or Gaston Lagaffe, but also newer series like Mortelle Adèle, Elles or Les Sisters.

Shonen still dominates, but a village of die-hard Gauls…

Despite the general decline in sales in 2023, the comics market has managed to maintain its attractiveness thanks in particular Cult series like Asterix, Lucky Luke and Gaston Lagaffe

. These immortal heroes continue to seduce new generations of readers, even after the death of their creators. The success of “Asterix the Gaul” and “The Return of Lagaffe” testifies to the strength of these icons. At the side of In manga sales, shonen remains dominant with three out of four sales, although the shojo and erotic manga segments have carved out significant space. Analysts also note that the development of formats with the rise of webtoons and other alternative formatshelps maintain the vitality of the comics market in France.

But every now and then it is almost impossible to dethrone the little Gallic hero.