UK Comics Creator Survey 2025: Help Shape the Future of Comics
The UK Comics Creator Survey 2025 is now live - and your voice matters! Whether you're an experienced professional, a student just beginning, or an independent creator paving your own way, this nationwide survey is your opportunity to influence the future of UK comics. By participating in the UK Comics Creator Survey 2025, you'll help gather vital data on income, working conditions, and creative challenges. It's quick, anonymous, and designed to amplify the voices of those who make comics happen.
The UK comics scene is a fast-growing, grassroots creative industry. It has been fueled more recently by the explosion in readership of comics and graphic novels. According to research from The Reading Agency and the National Literacy Trust, 27% of adults and 40% of young people read comics at least once a month. Sales of graphic novels have also tripled between 2019 and 2024, according to Waterstones. It's an exciting time to be alive and making comics!
Unfortunately, the history of this industry is notoriously marked by the exploitation of creators. To make sure that this period of growth is sustainable, we need to ensure that the needs of its creators are met. Which means, first of all, working out what those needs *are*.
What Is the UK Comics Creator Survey 2025?
The UK Comics Creator Survey 2025 will launch on Thursday, 5th September. It is a nationwide, anonymous online survey that aims to provide the most up-to-date snapshot of who is making comics in the UK today. It will also explore how they are doing, the obstacles they face, and what they need to thrive.
It is open to anyone over 16 who is based in the UK. It is intended for those who make comics or intend to make comics for public audiences. This includes established professionals, emerging creators, and students.
The data will be analysed by The Audience Agency. They will also conduct qualitative interviews to explore subjects in more depth. The final report will be published in early December.
Key Questions and Topics Covered
The 2025 survey will build on the findings of the last survey in 2020, which found that:
- The average income was £10,299, with 66% earning less than £5,000.
- Only 13% of creators earn a living through comics alone.
- 1/10 creators who view comics as their career are only able to make comics in their spare time.
- Creators identify as 60% male, 33% female, and 6% non-binary.
- 1/3 of comics creators are working class.
- The main challenges were cited as 'Lack of financial income, or expectation of it in the future' (55%) and' Lack of time to create' (51%).
The 2025 survey will ask many of the same questions as the 2020 survey. This ensures comparability. It will also give an idea of where the community might be heading.
There will be additional questions to quantify the impact of AI, the cost of living crisis and Brexit on livelihoods.
Why the UK Comics Creator Survey 2025 Matters
It has never been harder to make a living as a creator in the UK. This is exponentially more so in an industry that has very little established infrastructure. The findings from the UKCCS25 survey will be used to advocate for creators and make the case for better support and funding.
Specifically, the findings will:
- Help organisations like the SoA, AOI and CCIC to advocate for creators, ensuring their views can be represented in policy and campaign work.
- Improve levels of funding by delivering relevant data that can be used in funding bids and campaigns.
- Increase support by identifying issues in order to lay the groundwork for interventions.
- Empower the comics community with insights that will ensure activities are representative, equitable and sustainable.
- Break down silos by giving arts, literature and funding organisations the information necessary to include comics in their programming.
- Make the case for the formation of a backbone organisation, ensuring the comics community can work collaboratively towards shared goals.
Who's Behind the UKCCS25 Initiative?
- The survey is the work of Hannah Berry, following on from the 2020 survey conducted while in post as Comics Laureate (hannahberry.co.uk)
- The project is in partnership with the Comics Cultural Impact Collective (CCIC): a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising the profile of comics and supporting creators.
- The Society of Authors: the trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators.
- The Association of Illustrators: the professional body championing illustrators and the illustration industry.
The UKCCS25 is funded using public funding from Arts Council England. It also receives a Knowledge Exchange Small Grant from Arts University Bournemouth.
Where to Find More Info and Stay Updated
More info, including the full findings from the 2020 survey, can be found on the website - UKComicsCreators.org.uk.
In order to be kept notified of the launch of the survey and the subsequent report, you can sign up to the CCIC mailing list - thecomicsculturalimpactcollective.org/Join-Us
