The US arm of Humanoids, the celebrated French comic book publisher, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This legal move signals the complete liquidation of the company’s assets and the end of its operations in America, a sad conclusion for a publisher that brought iconic European science fiction comics to a new audience.
The company has officially renamed itself the HC Wind Down Corporation, a name that leaves no doubt about its intentions. Unlike a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which allows a business to restructure and continue operating, as is currently the case with distributor Diamond Comics, Chapter 7 is a final step. The process, overseen by Judge Thomas M. Horan, involves selling all assets to pay creditors. The initial filing indicates there may be no property available for this purpose.
Humanoids has been a pillar of the science fiction and fantasy comic world for half a century. It was founded in Paris in 1974 by a group of visionary artists, including Mœbius (Jean Giraud), Jean-Pierre Dionnet, and Philippe Druillet. Their primary goal was to publish the magazine Métal Hurlant (“Screaming Metal”), a revolutionary anthology of adult-oriented sci-fi comics that would later directly inspire the creation of the popular US magazine Heavy Metal.
The publisher’s modern era was defined by owner Fabrice Giger, who acquired the company in 1988. Giger later moved the headquarters from Paris to Los Angeles, an ambitious strategy aimed at securing Hollywood film and television deals for its extensive catalogue of intellectual property. This effort saw a high-profile partnership with Primer Entertainment, which in 2021 announced that director Taika Waititi was set to adapt the legendary graphic novel The Incal, created by Mœbius and Alejandro Jodorowsky. However, updates on the highly anticipated film have been absent for some time.
This collapse of the American branch follows significant financial turmoil for its parent companies. The French side of Humanoids was placed into “judicial liquidation” earlier this year, and its Luxembourg-based owner, Humanoids Holding Sarl, is listed as the majority shareholder in the US bankruptcy filing. The knock-on effects of the Diamond Comics bankruptcy reportedly exacerbated the publisher’s recent struggles.
A meeting of creditors has been scheduled for the 7th of November, but for the 51-year-old brand’s American presence, the story appears to be over.
