Lakes International Comic Arts Festival partners with Comic Book UK

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is delighted to announce that it will work in partnership with Comic Book UK, a new comic trade association, to promote the social value of comics and create opportunities for people from all backgrounds to engage in comic arts.

As the only comics organisation in Arts Council England’s (ACE) National Portfolio of regularly funded organisations, LICAF creates opportunities for people from all backgrounds to engage in comic arts.

LICAF runs a programme of year-round projects that promote the positive role of comics in society and the wealth of innovative talent involved in the UK comics industry.

The centrepiece of LICAF’s programme is the annual International Comic Art Festival. Held each year in Browness-on-Windermere, returning 26th – 28th September 2025, the Festival brings together thousands of comic fans with comic creator guests from within the UK and overseas to celebrate comic arts. Running since 2012, the Festival is one of the most significant annual events on the global comics calendar, alongside the Angouleme Festival in France and the San Diego Comic Con.

“For over a decade LICAF has supported people from right across the UK to engage with comics art, work that will be supercharged thanks to our new partnership with Comic Book UK,” says Julie Tait, LICAF Director. “The programmes we run together will open up new opportunities for people from all backgrounds to develop careers in comics and showcase the outstanding and diverse work being produced by UK comic creators.”

Comic Book UK will work together with LICAF to develop a new programme of initiatives that further build recognition of comics’ social and economic value and inspire new generations of talent to build careers in the UK comic industry.

• More about The Lakes International Comic Art Festival at comicartfestival.com | Comics Can Change the World

Comic Book UK - Background

The publishing companies behind iconic characters Dennis the Menace, Roy of the Rovers and Judge Dredd are among the founding members of Comic Book UK, a new trade association launching to drive growth in the UK’s comics industry.

Alongside Beano and Commando publisher DC Thomson and 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine publisher Rebellion Entertainment, Comic Book UK’s founding members include award-winning graphic novel publisher Avery Hill Publishing and The Phoenix Comic – publisher of the global smash hit Bunny vs Monkey by Jamie Smart.

The group also includes B7 Media – a drama production house that has launched a comic imprint to nurture new properties, as well as Fable developed by Envision Entertainment, a start up aiming to become the western world’s leading player in the multi-billion dollar webtoon market.

Membership is not currently available to individual freelancers, employees or students, but publishers can find out how to join the association here.

Comic Book UK’s founding partners reflect the competitive advantage that the UK has in the multi-billion dollar global comics market. UK companies publish some of the world’s most recognisable and celebrated characters in titles enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of readers every week and graphic novels read by millions more each year.

These characters – and the creators behind them – are fuelling the global entertainment industry, with films, TV programmes and video games based on comic-originated properties generating billions of dollars of revenue every year. Some of the world’s most valuable intellectual property has been developed in UK comics and by UK comic creators.

“Comics are one of the jewels in the crown of the UK’s creative industries and there is enormous untapped potential for further growth,” says Mark Fuller, Comic Book UK Chief Executive. “We have the creative talent and business-base to become a global comics superpower, with UK companies growing and expanding their reach into new territories alongside inward investment from the huge North American, Asian Pacific and European comic industries.

“Comic Book UK will provide the cross-industry representation and support needed to unlock this potential.”

Comic Book UK has an ambitious set of plans to drive industry growth.

Priorities over its first year include: carrying out research and analysis to develop clear evidence of the industry’s economic value to the UK, potential investor returns and recommendations on how best to unlock its full growth potential; advising on policy measures that will help de-risk growth initiatives by UK comic companies and promote the UK as an attractive territory for international comics companies to invest in; and playing a constructive role in debates around regulation of generative AI, ensuring that the value of UK comic companies’ intellectual property is maintained within a regime that supports innovation.

Further members of Comic Book UK will be announced over the coming months, including a range of independent UK comic publishers with high-growth potential.

“Our industry benefits from a diverse range of publishers, innovative start-ups, some of the world’s most celebrated creators and a thriving grassroots community,” Mark adds. “Comic Book UK has a hugely ambitious agenda and every part of the UK comic industry has a part to play in it. We look forward to shining a light on the incredible national asset that the UK comics industry is as our work moves forward.”

Comic Book UK’s launch welcomed by government

The UK’s Creative Industries Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, has welcomed the news of Comic Book UK’s launch as an advocate for Britain’s comic industry.

“With an edgy history from Punch to 2000AD, British comics and cartooning entertain millions globally as part of our £11 billion publishing sector, rightly earning their place and undeniable influence among the best of the UK’s creative industries,” he said.

“It is only right that comics have their own advocate to help champion and unlock more investment in this innovative sector. I look forward to working with Comic Book UK as we develop our plan to boost our growth-driving industries even further.”

Comic Book UK looks forward to continuing a constructive dialogue with the UK Government on behalf of the industry to develop policies that unlock opportunities for growth across every part of UK comics.

• More about The Lakes International Comic Art Festival at comicartfestival.com | Comics Can Change the World

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