Comics Cultural Impact Collective (CCIC)

Today we joined publishers across the UK in clearing our front pages for a shared appeal to Government - asking ministers not to sell out creative industries to tech giants. That's exactly the impact the Government's plan to expect people and organisations to actively opt out from their work being used by AI tools. It's the polar opposite of what copyright legislation is supposed to do. Turning over our front pages - and giving our calls a strong showing online too - isn't something we do lightly. Our front pages mean a lot to our readers, and we shouldn't expect them to be as close to the detail on an issue like this as we are. For editors across Reach, this made it really important we took the time to set out why we did what we did - and ask for their support. You can read more about the Make It Fair campaign here: https://lnkd.in/e3UJU8Rm

Calling all budding graphic novel writers and artists! This is the last week to send in entries for the Culture Comics Graphic Novel Competition! @opal22artsanded partnered with the Stephen Lawrence Research centre are open for submissions of original graphic stories from students nationwide aged 12-18. Closing date 2 March! Details and prizes here https://ow.ly/SmJj50V2Pj3 - so let's go!

You have just four days to respond to the government's consultation on copyright and AI. Most of us arty types might take one look at the official-looking form and immediately close the tab in fear; but this is a really important issue that will change what it means to be an artist, now and for future generations, so it really is worth responding to. Luckily, help is at hand in the form of 'cheat sheets' from DACS (https://lnkd.in/exkqv9D9) and ALCS (https://lnkd.in/eVptDXX5). You don't need to fill in every question, and these orgs have suggested how to approach the pertinent ones. Share this post with your networks now, and let's make sure we don't look back and think 'we could have prevented this utter sh*t show if only the artists had raised their voices'. Here's the actual consultation: https://lnkd.in/ent9CMCy

Lovely job here for someone who's interested in graphic novels.

National Graphic Novel competition for ages 12-18!! Let's go! :) https://lnkd.in/gzzXzB6e #comics #graphicnovel #graphicnovels #manga #diversevoices #schools

Happy to say that the First Graphic Novel Award 2025 is now open! If you are a debut graphic novelist, aged 18 to 80 and beyond, then the Cartoon Museum, SelfMadeHero and First Graphic Novel Award would LOVE to hear from you! We need a 15–20 page extract of your narrative work in progress – non-fiction, reportage, fiction in any genre, with words or without, in black and white or in colour. Closing date is 22nd April. The winner will be offered a contract by SelfMadeHero to complete their work for publication and a ￡500 cash prize sponsored by The bks Agency. Longlisted entrants will receive feedback from a panel of judges: SelfMadeHero publisher Emma Hayley, contemporary artist Janette Parris, and graphic novelists Shazleen Khan, Karrie Fransman and Oscar Zarate. They will also be reviewed by literary agent James Spackman and Waterstones bookseller Nessa Urquhart. This award is for comics creators, resident in the UK, who do not have an agent and have not had a full-length graphic work commercially published. You may be a single creator, or a team, or collaborating with someone who has a story to tell.? If you teach, sell books, read comics, feel free to spread the word to your students, customers, readers, group members and all those with half-started graphic novels hidden below the bed. For full details, please visit https://lnkd.in/efCpUmk5

And THIS is why we ae pushing for a better environment for comics artists in this country: https://lnkd.in/eW9em3kq We must fight so that the value of our arts is understood by all - not least the government.

Get your pages ready for early next year, comics makers!

The aim is to communicate access. The goal is more inclusivity!

We’ll be at Thought Bubble - come by our table and have a chat!