# What do folks in the UK think of comic books, graphic novels, etc.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791 "2008-01-08T23:09:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/1 "2008-01-08T23:09:18Z")
Now, I know the UK produced Alan Moore. And I remember reading _Beano_ comic books over there when I visited as a kid in the 1980s. But lately, as a professional in the publishing biz, I’ve learned that US graphic novel publishers are running into a wall when they try to sell their products in the UK. It’s as if the market does not exist there, and everyone I talk to is kind of stumped. What’s the scoop? Is there a graphic novel market? Is there a significant comic book market? What about Japanese manga? I see that manga has been making strong inroads in mainland Europe (particularly France and Germany) but have heard nothing about the UK. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/2 "2008-01-08T23:39:22Z")
Unfair as it is for me to speak for the nation, I think the market that would be interested in Graphic Novels is an online generation. We’d rather see them on the internet. Alternatively, it may not be the lack of a market. It may be the old men running the wholesalers who dismiss them as “unknown comics that’ll never sell”. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/3 "2008-01-08T23:40:02Z")
I can’t speak for UK, but the graphic novel culture in Sweden is fairly small. Persepolis has been embraced by the media here and I think it was comparably popular, sells-wise. Other than that, our artistic comics are either very surreal or self-biographic. Manga is huge now, if you look at the 12-16 demographic. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/4 "2008-01-08T23:49:20Z")
To really understand this question, we need some statistics on the consumption rate of UK-produced comics in the UK. If that’s comparable to the consumption rate in the US, the problem is likely one of content. For example, American comics are still pretty badly dominated by the superhero genre. It could be that the UK comics market is not interested in that particular genre, which effectively means it’s not interested in American comics in general. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/5 "2008-01-09T00:18:49Z")
[QUOTE=toadspittle] What’s the scoop? Is there a graphic novel market? Is there a significant comic book market? What about Japanese manga? I see that manga has been making strong inroads in mainland Europe (particularly France and Germany) but have heard nothing about the UK. [/QUOTE] Damn, the Judge Dredd Megazine ran a few features on the UK comic market over the past few decades and its decline, but I’ve sent all my issues back home for storing. The big newsagents and bookshops carry manga and plenty of graphic novels alongside SF novels. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/6 "2008-01-09T00:21:12Z")
There’s also the confusing matter that, in the USA, a huge number of graphic novels/manga are sold in bookstores, completely segregated from periodical comic books. So that market is booming of its own accord. Do UK bookshops (as opposed to newsstands, etc.) stock much comic literature? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/7 "2008-01-09T00:25:26Z")
As good a thread as any to hijack mildly, but do US comic books get shipped to the UK as-is, with the US price & UPC code on them, or do they get printed & distributed differently there? Also, does a mint issue #1 of a UK edition of something have the same value as a mint US edition? As to the OP, nothing much to add but I remember watching _Spaced_ and the main character worked at a comic book store. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/8 "2008-01-09T01:25:03Z")
[QUOTE=toadspittle] There’s also the confusing matter that, in the USA, a huge number of graphic novels/manga are sold in bookstores, completely segregated from periodical comic books. So that market is booming of its own accord. Do UK bookshops (as opposed to newsstands, etc.) stock much comic literature? [/QUOTE] In the smaller places, generally not. In the chains, you might get a small TPB/manga section. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/9 "2008-01-09T11:01:58Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] As good a thread as any to hijack mildly, but do US comic books get shipped to the UK as-is, with the US price & UPC code on them, or do they get printed & distributed differently there? [/QUOTE] I’m not sure, I’m heading down to pick up this week’s 2000AD after work, I’ll check for you. As for the prices for early issues, 2000AD no. 1 is selling on EBay for an inglorious [22 pounds](http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-AD-programme-1-very-rare-ex-condition_W0QQitemZ280188730365QQihZ018QQcategoryZ50182QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) right now, but a Beano no. 1 has gone for a [few](http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=34&s=262&ai=47829&ssd=12/11/2004&arch=y) [thousand](http://www.downthetubes.net/news_archive/2006/02february2006.html). ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-folks-in-the-uk-think-of-comic-books-graphic-novels-etc/432791/10 "2008-01-09T12:54:02Z")
Most comics and graphic novels in the UK are either imported via Diamond (UK) Comic Distribution (ex-Titan Distribution) and sold via specialist shops, or printed/rebranded by [Titan Books](http://www.titanbooks.com/home/uk), who make graphic novels, etc. available to the general book trade either direct or via other wholesalers. Most of their product is the same as you can get in the US apart from maybe their TV tie-in books. There’s not really a lot of UK originated comics and g/ns; a lot of UK talent works for Marvel/DC etc. these days… Grant Morrison, for instance. There are large amounts of manga (translated US editions) listed as available to the general book trade (via a company called Turnaround or from Titan) but I don’t see many except in the specialist comic shops. The standard $10 (?) manga sells for £6.99. In mainstream bookshops any g/ns are probably squeezed onto a couple of shelves, spine out, looking a bit bedraggled, ime. An example of a UK-priced graphic novel distributed as from ‘Diamond Book Distributors/Marvel Comics’ is the upcoming _World War Hulk Front Line_ out on Feb 6th for £10.99 ($16.99 in the US). Hope this was of some use!