The Comics Cultural Impact Collective, founded by comic creators including Rhiannon Griffiths MBE, Karrie Fransman and former Comics Laureate Hannah Berry have shared a report they will be delivering to the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), proposing a £1.5 million fund for comics.
The report – available to download here from the Comics Cultural Impact Collective website – recommends a UK Comics Fund, in the model of the government-supported Games Fund, aiming to create robust opportunities for comics makers and businesses, and unleashing the potential of comics as a valuable component of the UK’s creative industry.
CCIC say the UK Comics Fund is projected to generate millions in revenue, create up to 300 jobs a year, and deliver £3 – £5 return for every £1 invested. By funding this sector, they say, Britain not only backs its creators, but unlocks a scalable pipeline of IP, exports, and innovation.
The Comics Cultural Impact Collective – founded by Hannah Berry, Karrie Fransman, Rhiannon Griffiths MBE, Sara Kenney, Zara Slattery, Myfanwy Tristram, an independent collective of professionals from the UK comics community – have consulted extensively with grassroots and professional comics artists; agents and publishers; festivals and booksellers.
The team, who have previously conducted a number of surveys of the comic creator community, worked with the National Literacy Trust, and created several very useful documents, such as an Accessibility Guide Zine and Comic Fairs, are committed to working from the bottom up, feeding the needs and views of the people who make up the UK comics sector into their plans, and protecting their rights.
The report has gained support from a wide range of comics organisations and individuals, including Charlie Adlard, Dave Gibbons, Posy Simmonds, Steve Bell, Emma Vieceli, Isabel Greenberg, Lizzy Stewart, Paul B. Rainey, DC Thomson (publishers of BEANO and Commando), the Cartoon Museum, DACS, the Society of Authors, the National Literacy Trust, the Royal Society of Literature, Thought Bubble Festival, The Wellcome Trust Collections and the Association of Illustrators.
CCIC are encouraging further creators, organisations and anyone who works with or around comics to add their names, which they can do via this form.
“This fund is about levelling the playing field,” says Hannah Berry, ex Comics Laureate and CCIC co-Director. “Comics already punch above their weight culturally, and it’s time they did so economically. With the right groundwork, we can turn a hugely talented but under-resourced community into a sustainable, revenue-generating industry. It’s a chance to build up UK creator originated works, boost exports, and create real jobs.
“Most importantly, it shows that Britain values — and supports — its creators.”
Rhiannon Griffths MBE, founder of Comics Youth and also a CCIC co-Director, added, “The UK Comics Fund is a smart, strategic investment: it creates jobs, builds IP, and unlocks the economic potential of an underfunded but high-impact sector.
“But more than that, it sends a powerful message. Comics have always been a space for working-class, marginalised and young voices — this fund turns that energy into opportunity, sustainability and growth. It’s not just good economics — it’s cultural justice.”
In Comparison: the Proposed Comic Fund, and the Game Fund
Although the pitch is laudable, the aims attracting wide support from comic publishers and individual comic creators, there are concerns from some that it lacks the structure and detail evident in the Games Fund, run by UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, a community interest, not for profit company established to help develop the UK games development sector, particularly at the early stage, which also runs the Tranzfuser project.
UK Games Talent and Finance CIC support the whole spectrum of start up games developers; from talented graduates to more experienced SMEs. Earlier this year, it was announced the UK Games Fund is to be funded for 2025/6 at a level that eclipses all previous annual grants. In January, the government announced a £60 million package of support to drive growth, including £40 million investment for start-up video game studios, British music and film exports and creative businesses outside of London.
Gathering Support
Organisations supporting the Comics Fund project so far include Afroflux, the Authors’ Licensing and Collectors Society, the Association of Illustrators, The bks Literary Agency, British Cartoonists’ Association, The Cartoon Museum, Cartoon County, CHIP Collective, COMICA Festival, Comics Youth CIC, Convention Collective, DACS, First Graphic Novel Prize, Graphic Medicine International Collective, Graphic Novel Reading Room, Gosh Comics, Hay Festival Global, inQ! Queer Comic Fair, LDComics, the National Literacy Trust, PositiveNegatives, Professional Cartoonists Organisation, The Reading Agency, Royal Society of Literature, Society of Authors, Thought Bubble Festival, Wellcome Trust Collections
Publishers and industry partners supporting the Comics Fund project so far include Avery Hill Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), DC Thomson (publishers of BEANO), Bog Eyed Books, Breakdown Press, Comic Printing UK, David Fickling Books (publishers of The Phoenix), Dekko Comics, Faber & Faber, Forbidden Planet International, Hachette Children’s Group, Knockabout Comics, Little, Brown Book Group, Markosia, Myriad Editions, Page 45, The Phoenix, Quindrie Press, Scholastic, SelfMadeHero, Soaring Penguin Press, Third Bear Press, VIZ, Waterstones Booksellers, Wowbagger Productions and Yo Comics!
Comics Media supporting the Comics Fund project so far include Bleeding Cool, The Bookseller, Broken Frontier, Comic Scene
Individual creators and others supporting the Comics Fund project so far include Nick Abadzis, graphic novelist, Charlie Adlard, comics artist and former Comics Laureate, Patrice Aggs, writer, artist & graphic novelist, Muna Al Jawad, University of Sussex, Juice Aleem, Director, FluxCon/AfroFlux, John Anderson, Publisher, Soaring Penguin Press, Steven Appleby, graphic novelist, Yomi Ayeni, comics creator & filmmaker, Rachael Ball, graphic novelist, Henny Beaumont, political cartoonist, Steve Bell, political cartoonist, Amy Bellwood, Festival Director, Thought Bubble Festival, Tony Bennett, Managing Director, Knockabout Comics, Angus Cargill, Publishing Director, Faber & Faber, Katriona Chapman, Head of Marketing, Avery Hill Publishing, Kate Charlesworth, graphic novelist, Paul Cornell, comics writer, Gareth Cowlin, Cartoon and Comic Arts, University of Staffordshire, Liz Cross, Managing and Publishing Director, David Fickling Books, Dr Colleen Douglas, comics writer, Graham Dury, cartoonist & Editor, VIZ, Andrew Ettinger, Director of Education, National Literacy Trust, Tom Fickling, Managing Director, The Phoenix, Alex Fitch, Lecturer, University of Brighton/ broadcast journalist, Tony Foster, Editor, Comic Scene, Anna Ganley, Chief Executive, Society of Authors, Dave Gibbons, comics artist and former Comics Laureate, Kieron Gillen, comics writer, Clive Goddard, Chair, Professional Cartoonists Association, Melanie Grant, Collections Development Lead, Wellcome Trust Collections, Paul Gravett, comics historian and author, Chloe Green, Festival Director, Thought Bubble, comics creator and academic, Isabel Greenberg, graphic novelist, David Ziggy Greene, cartoonist & bookseller, Eve Greenwood, Publisher, Quindre Press, Simon Hacking, Publisher, Breakdown Press, Rich Hardiman, Comic Printing UK, Barbara Hayes, Chief Executive, ALCS, Emma Hayley, Managing Director, SelfMadeHero, Debbie Hicks MBE, Creative Director, The Reading Agency, Rachel Hill, Chief Executive, Association of Illustrators, Stephen Holland, former Comics Laureate & Owner, Page 45, Kai Holmström, Dekko Comics, Steven Ingram, Third Bear Press, Nicola Jennings, cartoonist & Chair, The British Cartoonists’ Association, Rich Johnston, Editor, Bleeding Cool, Helen Jones, Director, Yo Comics, Phillip Jones, Editor, The Bookseller, Rob Jones, comics writer/letterer, Martha Julian, Festival Director, Thought Bubble, Cat Laird, CHIP Collective, Sarah Lambert, Head of Fiction, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Ashling Larkin, CHIP Collective, Imogen Mangle, illustrator, Nina Mickwitz, Senior Lecturer, London College of Communication, Hannah Miller, Director, Yo Comics!, Ricky Miller, Publisher, Avery Hill Publishing, Pete Morey, comics creator, Professor Chris Murray, University of Dundee, Kirsten Murray, Editor, Gary Northfield, Publisher, Bog Eyed Books, Lauren O’Farrell, Publicity for Yo Comics! & Director inQ! Queer Comic Fair, Florence Okoye, FluxCon/AfroFlux, Tom Oldham, Publisher, Breakdown Press, Andy Oliver, Editor-in-Chief, Broken Frontier, Josh Palmano, Publisher, Breakdown Press, Corinne Pearlman, Creative Director, Myriad Editions & First Graphic Novel Prize, Luke Pearson, comics creator, Woodrow Phoenix, comics creator/designer, Warren Pleece, graphic novelist, Owen D. Pomery, graphic novelist & illustrator, Gabi Putnoki, Graphic Novel Reading Room, Paul B. Rainey, graphic novelist, Molly Rosenberg, Director, Royal Society of Literature, Kate Rosser-Frost, Head of Communications & Engagement, DACS, Martin Rowson, cartoonist, Professor Roger Sabin, Professor of Popular Culture, Central Saint Martins, Alison Sampson, comics artist, Posy Simmonds, comics artist/graphic novelist, Rachel Smith, comics creator, Lisa Smosarski, Editorial Director, Beano, James Spackman, Literary Agent, The bks Agency, Lizzy Stewart, author & illustrator, Rossie Stone, Dekko Comics, Dr Nicola Streeten, Director, LDComics, Joe Sullivan, Director, The Cartoon Museum, Lucy Sullivan, comics author & artist, Leonard Sultana, An Englishman In San Diego & The Convention Collective, Dr Emma Sutton, historian, Bryan Talbot FRSL, Hon. Litt. D, Hon DA, graphic novelist, Dr Mary Talbot, comics writer, Emma Vieceli, comics writer & artist, Loesja Vigour, Collections Development Librarian, Wellcome Trust Collections and Dr Ian Williams, comics creator & Director, Graphic Medicine International Collective
• CCIC are encouraging further creators, organisations and anyone who works with or around comics to add their names, which they can do via this form.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: downthetubes News
2000AD’s John M. Burns art sale at Book Palace, “Wrath of the Gods” released 
Catch up with “Nathan Never”, an Italian strip that continues to astonish 
Evil is coming for Shaman Kane! 
Comic Creator Spotlight: Artist Germán Erramouspe