Overview

Vents d’Ouest is a French comics publishing house founded in 1981. Since 1991, it has been part of the Glénat group while retaining its own editorial identity and catalog.

The publisher has developed around a particularly broad approach to comics. Humor, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, children’s comics, crime stories and graphic novels can all coexist under the same label.

This diversity has allowed Vents d’Ouest to publish both major popular series and more personal works. Its history is notably associated with Joe Bar Team by Bar2, Peter Pan by Régis Loisel, Pacush Blues by Ptiluc, as well as the work of Christophe Chabouté and Pascal Rabaté.

The catalog later expanded with series such as Le Grand Mort, Les Quatre de Baker Street, Le Voyage Extraordinaire, Azimut and Marie-Lune, while preserving a heritage collection that includes Les Pieds Nickelés and Bibi Fricotin.

More than forty years after its creation, Vents d’Ouest remains an active Glénat label and continues to bring together heritage works, genre series, children’s creations and creator-driven comics.

History

1981 — Founding of Vents d’Ouest

Vents d’Ouest was founded in 1981.

The publishing house gradually developed a comics catalog that was not limited to a single genre. Humor quickly became an important part of its identity, but it coexisted with adventure, fantasy and other imaginative worlds.

Among the creators associated with this early period was Ptiluc, whose Pacush Blues became one of the publisher’s historical series.

At the same time, Vents d’Ouest built a heritage catalog by reissuing classics of French comics, including Les Pieds Nickelés illustrated by René Pellos.

1990 — Two emblematic series

The year 1990 saw the arrival of two works that would strongly shape the identity of Vents d’Ouest.

Joe Bar Team, created by Bar2 from strips originally published in Moto Journal, brought motorcycle culture and the excesses of a group of riders into humorous comics. The series became one of the label’s lasting successes.

The same year saw the release of Londres, the first volume of Peter Pan by Régis Loisel. The author freely reinterpreted the universe created by J. M. Barrie by imagining Peter’s origins before his arrival in Neverland.

Developed across six albums, the work became one of Loisel’s major series and one of the most prestigious titles in the Vents d’Ouest catalog.

1991 — Vents d’Ouest joins Glénat

In 1991, Vents d’Ouest and its catalog joined Glénat.

The label nevertheless retained its name and editorial identity within the group. This integration allowed it to continue developing its catalog while becoming part of a larger publishing structure.

Glénat therefore inherited already established series such as Joe Bar Team and Peter Pan, as well as a heritage catalog and a group of creators who would continue to enrich Vents d’Ouest over the following decades.

Vents d’Ouest continued to develop by cultivating several different approaches to comics.

On one side, the publisher maintained a strong tradition of accessible and popular series, particularly in humor and adventure. On the other, it welcomed creators whose albums took a more personal approach.

Christophe Chabouté and Pascal Rabaté in particular became important names associated with the catalog. Their work helped broaden the image of Vents d’Ouest beyond genre comics alone.

This diversity allowed the label to combine humor, supernatural stories, crime fiction, graphic novels and more intimate creations without abandoning the series that had built its reputation.

New generations of series

Over the years, new creators and new series renewed the catalog.

Le Grand Mort, written by Régis Loisel and Jean-Blaise Djian, developed a large-scale fantasy story unfolding between several worlds. Les Quatre de Baker Street revisited the Sherlock Holmes universe through a group of young investigators. Le Voyage Extraordinaire combined adventure and speculative fiction within an alternative Europe.

Series such as Azimut, Marie-Lune and Les Sortilèges de Zora also illustrate Vents d’Ouest’s ability to reach different audiences, from graphic novels to children’s comics, adventure and fantasy.

The label therefore continues to publish new projects while maintaining an important part of its historical catalog.

What sets it apart

A deliberately eclectic catalog

Vents d’Ouest stands out first of all for the diversity of its publications.

The publisher has never limited itself to humor, fantasy or creator-driven comics. These different approaches coexist within the same catalog and can appeal to very different readerships.

This flexibility explains how a motorcycle comedy such as Joe Bar Team, a dark reinterpretation of Peter Pan, a graphic novel or a children’s series can all sit side by side.

Series that became reference works

Several titles published by Vents d’Ouest moved beyond the context of their original release to establish a lasting place in French-language comics.

Joe Bar Team is one of the clearest examples in humor, while Régis Loisel’s Peter Pan became a major work of fantasy comics.

The catalog therefore relies in part on strongly identifiable series that have remained relevant enough to continue being reissued decades after their creation.

A balance between heritage and renewal

Vents d’Ouest also maintains an important historical catalog.

Alongside original creations are heritage series such as Les Pieds Nickelés and Bibi Fricotin, connecting the label to a much older history of French comics.

This heritage dimension does not prevent the publication of new creators and series. On the contrary, the catalog is built around the coexistence of several generations.

An identity preserved within Glénat

Since joining Glénat in 1991, Vents d’Ouest has continued to exist as a distinct editorial identity.

The label benefits from the environment of a major publishing group while retaining a clearly identifiable catalog built around its own creators, historical series and new publications.

This continuity explains why the Vents d’Ouest name is still used more than four decades after the publishing house was founded.

Good to know

  • Vents d’Ouest was founded in France in 1981.
  • The publishing house joined the Glénat group in 1991 and has continued to operate as an editorial label ever since.
  • Joe Bar Team by Bar2 and Peter Pan by Régis Loisel both began publication at Vents d’Ouest in 1990.
  • The historical catalog includes works by Ptiluc, Régis Loisel, Christophe Chabouté, Pascal Rabaté and Cabu.
  • Emblematic series include Joe Bar Team, Peter Pan, Le Grand Mort, Les Quatre de Baker Street, Le Voyage Extraordinaire, Azimut and Marie-Lune.
  • Vents d’Ouest also maintains a heritage catalog including Les Pieds Nickelés and Bibi Fricotin.
  • Its catalog covers humor, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, children’s comics and graphic novels.
  • In 2026, Vents d’Ouest remains an active Glénat label and continues to publish new albums.