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Comics Cultural Impact Collective gears up to reshape and reinvigorate public perception of comics

By John Freeman on January 7, 2024 • ( 1 )

The Comics Cultural Impact Collective espouses the belief “A Rising Tide Raises All Boats”

The Comics Cultural Impact Collective, formed by an enthusiastic, independent group of professionals within the UK comics community have announced their first online discussion on Tuesday 16th January 2024, that aims to find ways to shake up public perception of comics in Britain.

“Comics are great. We know it, you know it… so what’s stopping the average person on the street from picking up a graphic novel?” the team, which includes former Comics Laureate Hannah Berry and Karrie Fransman ask. “Why is it so hard to earn a living out of making them? How can we turn the tide on the great disdain for this splendid medium?”

Waterstones, Lancaster, October 2023 – and not alone in having large graphic novel sections when it comes to the chain, either. But does the high profile of graphic novels in bookshops mask a wider malaise for the comics industry? The Comics Cultural Impact Collective want to find out

The first of those claims might seem odd at a time when many a Waterstones, for example, now has huge sections devoted to manga and other graphic novels, stiff competition, perhaps, for some Local Comic Shops struggling in the aftermath of the pandemic. But there’s no doubt working solely as a comic creator is not without challenge, personal and economic, as companies look toward reducing costs and humans face competition from the use of AI engines trained through wide scale, immoral scraping of art from online sources, British artists such as Dave Gibbons, David Roach and Bryan Talbot among them, by MidJourney alone, according to recently-leaked court papers in the United States.

There seems to be a widespread expectation, too, that comic creators who are being published should give their time freely to promote their work, by some publishers and certainly many event organisers, covering expenses, but not offering the kind of appearance fees those in other creative industries perhaps consider the norm. Public funding of comic projects also seems often scattergun, and increasingly under threat.

For the last six months, the Comics Cultural Impact Collective – espousing the belief “A Rising Tide Raises All Boats” – has been working to raise the profile of comics with a simple methodology. First, gather irrefutable proof of the greatness of comics, then use it to convince those who need convincing.

“We’ve had some wins, but now we need you to help us decide what areas we should focus on next,” appealing directly to comic creators to take part in their first upcoming online meeting on Tuesday 16th January . “We are a community-led organisation, and you are our community.”

If you work in, or with, or around comics in the UK, and/or if you’re part of an organisation from an adjacent field (literature, arts, education, academia etc) and share the CICC’s enthusiasm for the medium, they want to hear from you.

The virtual gathering – free tickets available to book here on EventBrite – will begin with an introduction to CCIC and its values.

This will then break out into, “breakout rooms” to discuss subjects such as what issues need addressing, what barriers are comic creators facing, what opportunities are being missed, and how are the systems broken.

After a short break, there will be feedback discussions in main group, summary and plans for next session.

“The event should take roughly 90 minutes and will be subtitled, with a Miro to add your thoughts,” say the team, “There’s no obligation to speak or have your camera on: interested lurkers welcome.”

At a second meeting on the 27th February CICC will be forming voluntary working groups to focus on specific areas raised in this meeting, but note that there is no requirement for you to be present at both sessions nor an expectation to volunteer.

• CCIC Online Forum: What’s Wrong With Comics? Join the Comics Cultural Impact Collective’s first online discussion forum | 7.00 – 9.00pm Tuesday 16th January 2024 – free tickets available to book here on EventBrite

The Comics Cultural Impact Collective is an independent group of professionals within the UK comics community, working together with the aim of raising awareness of the cultural impact of comics. They welcome partners, both individuals and organisations, from all areas of the comics industry and from adjacent fields (literature, arts, education, academia etc) whose ideals align with their own.

CICC is co-ordinated by writer and musician Nyla Ahmad, award-winning graphic novelist; comics creator, scriptwriter and campaigner Hannah Berry; comic creator Karrie Fransman, creative director at PositiveNegatives.org, an organisation that uses comics to amplify research; Rhiannon Griffiths MBE, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Comics Youth CC, a youth led social enterprise that supports marginalised young people aged 8-25 to improve their wellbeing by making and publishing comics; comics and TV writer/producer/director Sara Kenney; Myfanwy Tristram, who’s drawn comics all her life, and is interested in the power of comics to educate, enrage and create change in the world; and award-winning comics creator, tutor, painter and a newly minted animator Zara Slattery.

NB the event will be recorded for our own internal purposes (for writing it all up, essentially) but will not be shared beyond that. By attending, you acknowledge that you are OK with this

• More about The Comics Cultural Impact Collective

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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.