Yves Schlirf, the Belgian comic book editor, Dargaud executive, and founder of the Kana manga label who introduced major Japanese series like Naruto
to French-speaking audiences, died on Saturday, September 13, 2026, at an unspecified age after a career spanning approximately fifty years, as announced by those companies on Sunday in a joint statement.
The Manga Pioneer Who Built Kana
Working in the comic book industry for roughly half a century, Yves Schlirf left a permanent mark on European publishing by bringing Japanese manga into the francophone mainstream. After taking multiple trips to Japan, he founded the specialized manga publishing house Kana in 1996 as an imprint within Dargaud. That launch changed the landscape for international comics in French-speaking countries, opening the door for massive publishing hits.
Under his direction, Kana released heavyweights of the genre, including Hunter X Hunter, Saint Seiya, Detective Conan, Slam Dunk, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Dargaud and Kana noted in a joint statement that his earlier career as a bookseller in Brussels helped forge an innate sense of the public that kept him deeply aligned with popular reading trends, praising his flair, combined with an insatiable curiosity.
Shaping Franco-Belgian Classics and Blake and Mortimer
Before his ventures into Japanese publishing, Schlirf made substantial contributions to traditional European comic books. According to La Libre, he had also worked for Dupuis. He served as the editor for the hit series XIII, created during the 1980s and written by his friend Jean Van Hamme. His editorial footprint extended across Dargaud Benelux, where he supported top-selling titles such as Pin-Up (Yann and Berthet), Murena (Dufaux and Delaby), Le Scorpion (Desberg and Marini), and La Complainte des landes perdues (Dufaux and Rosinski), alongside additional works noted by La Libre such as Les Vieux Fourneaux, Le Loup en slip, and Undertaker.
His responsibilities also included supervising the series Blake and Mortimer, which had been revived following the 1987 death of its creator, Edgar P. Jacobs, who created it in 1946. Long before stepping into major executive roles at Dargaud, born in Brussels, Schlirf had opened Schlirfbook in 1972, positioning it as one of the first comic book specialty bookstores in the capital.
Unfinished Projects and Publishing Legacy
At the time of his death, Schlirf was actively managing major editorial undertakings. According to the publishers’ announcement, he was preparing an anniversary album for the 80th anniversary of Blake and Mortimer, focusing specifically on secondary characters from the series.
Yves Schlirf preparing still an anniversary album for the 80 years of Blake and Mortimer around secondary characters of the series. Dargaud and Kana, official statement
His career bridged generations of comic storytelling, moving from early independent bookselling to executive leadership as the general manager of Dargaud for Belgium and editorial director of Dargaud Benelux and the Blake and Mortimer editions. Dargaud and Kana credited his success to a unique blend of sharp professional intuition and insatiable curiosity.
