A group of UK publishers have formed Comic Book UK, a new trade association formed to drive growth in the UK industry. The group includes some of the UK’s largest comic publishers, with the notable absence of Titan Comics:
- Rebellion Entertainment (2000 AD, etc.)
- DC Thompson (Beano)
- Avery Hill Publishing (graphic novels)
- The Phoenix Comic (weekly kids magazine)
- B7 Comics (division of audio drama production company)
- Fable (mobile comics platform)
The organization says it will represent the interests of all parts of the UK comic industry, including creators, retailers, event organizers, and online platforms, in addition to publishers.
Activities will include:
- Lobbying for government support of the comics industry including tax relief, government investment into a comic industry growth fund, and export support for comics.
- Promotion via public relations (Mark Fuller, the organization’s chief executive, is a public relations professional), engaging with business communities, and targeted campaigns in domestic and international markets.
- Research and knowledge-exchange around the comics business, working with business schools for company planning and development support, and development of a graduate development program for comics creators and other professionals.
The new organization has announced an alliance with event organizer Lakes International Comic Art Festival, the only comic-related organization funded by Arts Council England’s National Portfolio, to develop a new set of initiatives to promote comics.
The U.S. has been without a comic publishers trade association since 2011, when the Comic Magazine Association of America disbanded after ending its support of the Comics Code Authority (see “CBLDF Acquires Comics Code Seal“). The periodical side of the comics business, which the CMAA had been formed to support, had long been shrinking as a percentage of the pie, as graphic novels grew to become the preferred format. In addition to the Comics Code labelling program, begun as a response to the 50s comics censorship wave, the CMAA had also supported rack programs for mass outlets, which had shrunk to a tiny fraction of the distribution for comics.
Source: ICV2
