working to make the UK the
best place in the world to create, publish and sell
comics and graphic novels.
Comic Book UK represents the interests of all parts of the UK comic industry.
Comic and graphic novel publishers.
Professional comic creators.
Comic enterprises – including retailers, event organisers and online platforms.
Comic Book UK ensures that the UK comic industry is recognised and supported as a vital part of the UK’s creative industries.
Our goal is to make UK comics a £500 million industry.
This means:
Multiple comic and graphic novel publishers growing revenue in an expanding domestic market, selling into all global markets and licensing properties into other media.
International comic companies investing in UK operations.
The UK comic industry
The UK comic industry has a unique set of advantages.
A rich heritage of comic titles and properties that enjoy high levels of global recognition.
A multi-generational pool of creative talent in high-demand by comic readers and publishers around the world.
A growing and diverse publishing ecosystem that covers everything from licensed titles to IP-led periodicals and creator-driven graphic novels.
A thriving community of comic readers and emerging creators.
We are building on these foundations to make the UK a global comics superpower.
How Comic Book UK works
Representation
We give the UK comic industry a collective voice among policymakers, making sure that the needs of the industry are understood and acted on at the highest levels across Westminster and Whitehall.
In effect, Comic Book UK is the chief lobbyist of the UK comic industry. Our immediate priority is to make the case for three specific policies that would benefit the industry:
1
An extension to comics publishers of the corporation tax relief already enjoyed by other parts of the creative industries.
2
Government investment into a targeted ‘start up and scale up fund’ that comic companies could apply for to support their early development and growth.
3
Export support for UK comic publishers, including comic companies being given places on international trade delegations and a lowering of barriers faced in exporting comics and graphic novels to international buyers.
1
An extension to comics publishers of the corporation tax relief already enjoyed by other parts of the creative industries.
2
Government investment into a targeted ‘start up and scale up fund’ that comic companies could apply for to support their early development and growth.
3
Export support for UK comic publishers, including comic companies being given places on international trade delegations and a lowering of barriers faced in exporting comics and graphic novels to international buyers.
Promotion
We provide the industry with a professional corporate communications function, securing coverage for UK comics across mainstream on and offline media and building the industry’s profile among strategically important stakeholders.
This makes us the PR and stakeholder relations arm of the UK comic industry. Our priorities are to:
1
Secure regular coverage of the UK comic industry in national and international mainstream media.
2
Engage directly on the industry’s behalf with the national and international business and investor communities.
3
Develop and run targeted campaigns that raise the profile of UK publishers, comics, comic retailers and creators in domestic and international markets.
1
Secure regular coverage of the UK comic industry in national and international mainstream media.
2
Engage directly on the industry’s behalf with the national and international business and investor communities.
3
Develop and run targeted campaigns that raise the profile of UK publishers, comics, comic retailers and creators in domestic and international markets.
Development
We help drive growth in the UK comic industry with practical support for businesses to get off the ground, become sustainable and get set for growth.
In doing so we act as the industry’s development agency. Our priorities in this function are to:
1
Enhance the business-critical knowledge base of the industry through providing spaces for knowledge-sharing; opportunities for knowledge-exchange with other industries; and, carrying out research to provide evidenced market insight and intelligence.
2
Work with leading UK business schools to provide UK comic businesses of all types and sizes with access to business planning and development support.
3
Develop a structured graduate development programme that will grow the pool of professionally-ready comic creators and other business professionals ready to build careers in UK comics.
1
Enhance the business-critical knowledge base of the industry through providing spaces for knowledge-sharing; opportunities for knowledge-exchange with other industries; and, carrying out research to provide evidenced market insight and intelligence.
2
Work with leading UK business schools to provide UK comic businesses of all types and sizes with access to business planning and development support.
3
Develop a structured graduate development programme that will grow the pool of professionally-ready comic creators and other business professionals ready to build careers in UK comics.
News and Insights
The latest Comic Book UK news and industry insights. Please send all media enquiries to info@comicbookuk.com
LICAF announced as Comic Book UK’s first strategic partner
Comic Book UK has announced that it will work in partnership with LICAF - the UK’s comic...
Membership
Comic Book UK members collectively reflect the competitive advantage that the UK has in the multi-billion dollar global comics market.
They include publishers of some of the world’s most celebrated characters, award-winning graphic novel specialists taking new creative voices to global audiences, multimedia drama producers investing in comics to nurture new properties, and innovative startups developing online platforms to engage new readers.
Comic Book UK benefits the entire UK comic industry. Get in touch to talk about how you can play a part.
Join us
Businesses in every part of the UK comic industry are invited to join Comic Book UK and benefit from the representation, promotion and development support that we provide.
Member benefits include:
- Opportunities to help inform the strategic direction of the organisation and shape our campaign aims.
- Professional representation among national policymakers, the creative industries and wider business/investor community.
- Profile raising opportunities, including speaker slots at national events and participation in PR campaigns.
- Marketing and PR support – including inclusion in mainstream media-targeting PR and marketing campaigns and bespoke PR support to promote partner-led initiatives.
- Research and intelligence on policy developments, market dynamics and macro-economic factors.
- Invitations to networking events throughout the year.
- Brand enhancement within the international comics industry and comics community through affiliation with a purpose–driven social enterprise.
Membership is open to UK-registered businesses that have a significant proportion of their business activity based around comics/graphic novels. This includes (but is not exclusive to):
- Comic/graphic novel publishers
- Creative studios
- On and offline comic/graphic novel retailers
- Events organisers
- Online platforms and services
Membership is not currently available to individual freelancers, employees or students.
Support us
We know that a wide variety of businesses and organisations outside of the comic industry share our vision of growth for UK comics. We offer bespoke sponsorship packages in relation to specific Comic Book UK initiatives and events.
To find out more about membership and sponsorship opportunities please get in touch on info@comicbookuk.com
