Initiated by comics creator Sean Michael Wilson (writer of the upcoming The Many Not the Few from New Internationalist, illustrated by Robert Brown) a new petition on the UK Government and Parliament site asks for signatures in support of comics getting wider arts funding on a par with the kind of support that opera gets. Should it reach 10,000 signatures then it will be eligible for debate in Parliament. You can read the arguments in support of the petition below and follow the link to signing it at the bottom of the page.
The UK has a long tradition of making good comic books. Yet since the 1980s sales of comics have declined drastically. The many talented British creators need more funding support in order to continue creating interesting comic books – we do it for opera so why not for this part of British culture?
Comic books in Britain stretches back into the 19thC, taking in many aspects of our culture. British comic book artists and writers have contributed important aspects, characters and stories to the art form. It’s a key artistic area we have led the way in. Yet nowadays most talented creators scrape by on a pittance and the medium is in danger of dying off. If we can support opera with grants and funding then this arguably even more significant aspect of British culture should be supported too.
