Recent research by Roularta Media Group shows : comic books promote reading pleasure for young and old

Recent research by Roularta Media Group shows : comic books promote reading pleasure for young and old

The media group is linking this insight to a benefit for the whole family through a strategic collaboration with Standaard Uitgeverij, Belgium’s largest publisher of comic books.

Photo caption: Subscribers of participating Roularta titles will now enjoy digital access to more than 2,800 comic books.

A large-scale survey¹ by Roularta Media Group (RMG) shows that comic books are more than just nostalgia or children’s literature: they are a powerful tool to spark reading enjoyment across all ages. No less than 80.7% of respondents say comics help encourage people to read. Seven out of ten believe comics are even more effective than traditional books in getting children excited about reading. Remarkably, 94% see comic books as a fully-fledged medium for all age groups.

New digital family offering for subscribers

In collaboration with Standaard Uitgeverij, RMG is launching an initiative that taps into these findings. Through the digital platform Strips.be, subscribers to Roularta titles Knack, Libelle, KW, Trends, Plus Magazine, and Mijn Magazines will now gain access to more than 2,800 comic books – ranging from classics like Suske en Wiske, De Kiekeboes, and Jommeke to more mature series such as XIII, Thorgal, and Largo Winch.

Every subscriber of the listed titles will receive a family account that allows up to five family members to read. This turns reading into an even more shared experience for the entire household.

A strategic move towards a multi-user and multimedia experience

This step is part of the media group's strategy to offer subscribers increasingly multimedia-driven experiences. Through the existing Mijn Magazines app, subscribers can already read several Roularta brands digitally and share content with their families. With the integration of Strips.be, this offer is now significantly expanded.

Xavier Bouckaert, CEO of Roularta Media Group:

“We see it as our mission to make high-quality content widely accessible. The results of our research confirm that comic books are a powerful driver for promoting reading. With this partnership, we want to inspire families to read more in a low-threshold, engaging way.”

Kris Hoflack, CEO of Standaard Uitgeverij:

“Opening up the Strips.be digital comic platform to Roularta subscribers is an important step in giving Dutch-language comics a more prominent place in the everyday lives of families.”

The full offering on Strips.be is available as of today to all active subscribers of the participating Roularta titles.

The study was conducted in May 2025 by Roularta Media Group through an online survey of a sample of 2,161 respondents. The aim was to map reading habits and analyze the role of comic books within them.

Standaard Uitgeverij is an independent publishing house, specializing in books and comic books for a broad audience. Its various publishing imprints and related activities together form the largest Flemish publishing group. Its in-house imprints Manteau and Tzara focus on adult readers, while Salto, Ballon, and Oogappel publish leading children’s books for kids, toddlers, and preschoolers. Standaard Uitgeverij also publishes the Dutch-language comic books of Dupuis, Dargaud, Le Lombard, Glénat, and Casterman. Last year, Standaard Uitgeverij launched the online streaming platform Strips.be, offering a subscription-based model for reading both its own comic publications and those from other publishers.

Roularta Media Group (RMG) is a listed multimedia group with almost 1,200 employees and a total revenue of 320 million euros. In Belgium, RMG is the market leader in magazines in Dutch and French, and the market leader in local media with publications such as De Zondag. In the Netherlands, RMG has the second-largest portfolio of magazine brands. RMG has a hypermodern offset printing works, Roularta Printing, which serves all the major media companies in the Benelux region and the surrounding countries. RMG has powerful digital tools, such as the app ‘Mijn Magazines’, with a digital kiosk, a 24/24 website with input from all the editorial teams and subscriptions that are accessible to the whole family. The sustainability programme Roularta Cares makes RMG a trendsetter in the field of sustainability in the media sector. More information is available at www.roularta.be.

Nele Baeyens
Marketing Director
nele.baeyens@roularta.be