The results of the UK Comics Creators Survey initiated by Comics Laureate and comic creator Hannah Berry have just been published. While many findings were positive, it has exposed low levels of income – and the impact the Coronavirus Pandemic has had on creators, many suddenly finding themselves without work and seeking other income sources, perhaps leaving the industry altogether.
Launched earlier this year as a research project into everyone making comics in Britain today, the UK Comics Creators Survey aimed to “snapshot” the industry – and use the results to help support it.
The survey, which offers a rare and fascinating snapshot of comic creators and creation in the UK, was built by the Audience Agency and financed using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the British Council and the University of Dundee.
Over 600 creators from all walks of life – both full-time and part-time comic creators – responded to the survey, which was open to all UK-based makers of comics or cartoons for public consumption aged 16 or over.
The majority of respondents were aged under 40, suggesting that interest in being part of the comics industry in the UK, once dominated by weekly comics for both girls and boys, remains strong. However, the ways to make a living as a comic creator have changed dramatically since that was the case in the 1990s, moving toward independent Publishing, graphic novels and crowdfunded projects, despite the continued publication of Beano, 2000AD and a few other “traditional format” titles launched since, such as The Phoenix, for the news stand.
Responses indicate that among the many responders, the average overall income from sources directly or indirectly related to comics production in 2018/19, was just £10,299 – and 66% of respondents made less than £5,000 from their comics production in 2018/19.
The survey also revealed 87% of creators rely on income from at least one other source outside of comics,and of those who said comics was their primary occupation, only 62% said it was their main source of income.
Just 10% of responders earned between £20,000 and £50,000, and 5% made over £50,000.
However, enthusiasm for “The Ninth Art” remains undiminished in most, despite the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the economy as well as health.
“It’s a hell of a way to make a living,” one respondents noted, “but a great storytelling medium.”
Hannah is planning a follow-up Q&A with the Audience Agency who can discuss the implications of the findings and answer any questions or listen to any feedback, and this will be open to anyone who wants to join in. This is likely to take place virtually at end of August or beginning of September. Sign up to Hannah Berry’s mailing list for full details.
“The ecosystem here in the UK is unique,” notes Hannah Berry in her foreword to the report on the UK comic industry, a description, she argues, that could today be best described as “nebulous” and “more of a collective endeavour, willed into being by the enthusiasm of its participants.”
“We don’t have the production and retail infrastructures of the US,” she observes. “We don’t have the social and cultural acceptance of France; we don’t have the nation-wide readership of Japan.
“What we do have is a flourishing scene that has regrown of its own accord in the last couple of decades, following almost no conventions and with very little precedent, shaping itself around its own interests and blazing its own artistic trail. The sense of community and belonging that has grown from this – as you’ll see in this report – is a dizzying, Disney level of heart-warming.
“The downside of the blazed trail, unfortunately, is that this glorious medium seems forever on the brink of being taken seriously while never quite making it. Always the bridesmaid, never the celebrated art form.
“Despite its growing audience and increased sales figures, the scrappy, rough-and-ready frontier of comics is not a reliable source of income,” Hannah continues. “There is barely enough of an industry for more than a handful of creators to sustain a career in comics alone.
“Much as we love comics, having an actual career in it is like pulling teeth. Specifically, it’s like pulling teeth and then standing behind a tooth convention table, smiling gummily at passing tooth fairies in the hope they’ll give you money for them.”
Like many respondents, Hannah remains committed to the comics form, arguing it is, “hands down the most exciting and accessible storytelling medium.”
Her hope is that the results of the first UK Comics Creators Survey bring a stronger sense of identity to the British comics community, learn more about those working within it: who they are, how they’re doing, what obstacles they’re facing – and what they need to be able to continue making comics.
“If there’s one thing this survey has shown unequivocally it’s how much the community loved comics but wishes things were better,” says Hannah. “This report is the most accurate snapshot of the UK comics scene to date, and with it we can finally start a discussion about the steps we need to take to support ourselves, each other, and our fledgling industry.”
"It is fantastic to have this data," notes Professor Chris Murray of the Univeristy of Dundee, who is also Director of the Scottish Centre for Comics Studies. "What it tells us is that the comics industry in the UK is full of enthusiastic creators who put a huge amount of labour and love into creating comics, but struggle to make a living from this work.
"The costs to creators in terms of their well-being can also be high, and the Covid-19 has certainly exacerbated those pressures. But what the report also points to is an opportunity to identify and respond to these pressures and the possibility of creating a network of communication and collaboration across the industry, allowing creators to share experiences and learn from one another in the spirit of creating a more collegial, diverse and sustainable industry for all.
"This survey is a very important step towards that. I am hugely grateful to Hannah Berry for leading on this, and to everyone who participated."
Hannah Berry’s work as Comics Laureate is supported and co-ordinated by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival and Lancaster University.
The Comics Laureate champions the role of comics in improving literacy in schools, libraries and education. Hannah Berry, who took over the role from Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard, is an award-winning graphic novelist, comics creator, writer and illustrator.
The findings from the survey, made freely available online, complement other research such as the Fair Pay for Artists Project instigated by Thought Bubble Festival, which was also funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
UK COMICS CREATORS SURVEY – IN SUMMARY
Who took part in the research?
• Participation was open to all UK-based makers of comics or cartoons for public consumption aged 16 or over
• The survey was live between April 18th and May 19th, 2020 and generated a sample of 623 respondents
• A higher proportion of respondents (60%) identified as male compared to the 2011 UK population census profile (49%)
• The respondent profile is younger (68% under 44) than that found in the 2011 UK population base (47% under 44)
• The results indicate that comic creators are less likely to identify as heterosexual (69%) compared to the ONS 2018 UK population baseline (95%)
• A slightly lower proportion of respondents identified as being from a Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic background (10%) compared to the 2011 UK population base (13%)
• A slightly higher proportion of respondents identified as being D/deaf or disabled (21%) than is found in the 2011 UK population base (18%)
• Respondents largely self-identified as either Middle class (50%) or Working class (31%)
How do they feel about comics and the comics industry?
• The respondents expressed an overwhelming love for comics, but high levels of frustration regarding the comics industry
“Love comics the medium, love comics the community, not as fond of comics the industry”
What sort of work are they producing, and who for?
• Most respondents are involved in Writing (85%) and Art (79%)
• The most common formats are One-shot/Single issue comics (56%) and Graphic Novels (52%)
• Science Fiction was the most prominent genre
• 67% of respondents said their work regularly features socio-political topics and/or traditionally underrepresented people or groups
• 90% of respondents said that their work is primarily aimed at an adult audience
Do they make a living from creating comics?
• The average overall income from sources directly or indirectly related to comics production in 2018/19, was £10,299
• 66% of respondents made less than £5,000 from their comics production in 2018/19
• 10% earned between £20,000 and £50,000, and 5% made over £50,000
• The average total income in 2018/19, from any source, was £24,223
What challenges do they face?
• ‘Lack of financial income, or expectation of it in future’ and ‘Lack of time to create’ are the main challenges respondents face in their comic production life
What support do they need and what changes would they like to see?
• ‘Effective Selling’, ‘Pricing for your work’, and ‘Legal rights in creative industries’ were identified as the areas where respondents would find training and development most useful
• Respondents most frequently identified greater financial security, more time to produce, and better regulation and transparency within the comics industry as the things they would like to change in their comics production life
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted on comic creators?
• The key areas where the pandemic has affected comics creators are the time spent on production, increased
financial insecurity, and negative mental health impacts.
“Every problem has become magnified…”
