The Ministry of Culture and the Comics Sector Association present the 'White Book of Comics in Spain', the first diagnosis of the sector in Spain

- The study has been prepared by the Spanish Comic Sector Association, with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Cultural Action (AC/E).
- The document analyzes the current situation of the sector and proposes a series of initiatives to continue the positive trend started in recent years.

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The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Culture, Jordi Martí, and the general director of Books, Comics and Reading, María José Gálvez, presented today, together with the president of the Sectorial Association of the Comic, Alejandro Casasola, the 'White Book of Comics in Spain', the largest study that has been carried out on the comic sector in Spain.

This is a document promoted and prepared by the Comic Sector Association with the support of the Ministry of Culture, through the General Directorate of Books, Comics and Reading, and Spanish Cultural Action (AC/E), in which more than 650 professionals from the sector have participated.

The Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has assessed that “this 'white paper will allow us to advance more accurately in public policies for a sector that in the Ministry of Culture we consider key, both in its artistic aspect and in its creative industry aspect. ”. For this reason, in addition to highlighting support measures already underway such as Comic Book Day every March 17 or the promotion of the presence of Spanish comics in international fairs such as the next Guadalajara Book Fair, in which Spain will be guest country, the minister has announced that new actions are being studied aimed at establishing specific aid for comic creators and influencing the creation of new audiences and the training of young readers.

The final document is the result of more than three years of work and aims to identify the strengths, weaknesses and future opportunities of the sector for its consolidation as an industry and cultural and artistic expression.

Among the main data revealed by the Comics White Book, the fact that it is an industry with a unique degree of specialization in the publishing sector stands out, with more than 1,000 Spanish creators, more than 80 publishers, 200 bookstores and 122 events, that generate more than 1,500 specialized jobs.
Furthermore, in Spain more than 4,600 novelties are published annually, which generate an estimated turnover of 130 million euros, which represents approximately 7% of the Spanish publishing market, not counting textbooks.

Comic creator profile
The document also provides information on the profile of Spanish comic creators. Thus, 78% of the creators are men, 20% are women and 2% are non-binary. In turn, 67% are concentrated in the range of 33 to 52 years and 71% have university studies, while 58% have completed some specialized artistic training.

94% of the creators have published in Spanish, 22% in Catalan, 8% in Basque, 8% in Galician and 4% in Valencian.

The report also highlights that only 21% of creators indicate that their entire income comes from their comic-related activity. However, according to this study, Spanish creators have achieved great recognition and international prestige in recent decades, in markets as important as North America and Franco-Belgian.

Regarding translators, the document maintains that 98% of them work on their own and that the most used languages they translate into are Spanish and Catalan. Among the international languages from which it is most translated are English, Japanese and French. 52% of translators consider that their remuneration for comic commissions is bad or very bad. The 'White Book of Comics' also includes analytical sections dedicated to the design of a census of publishers, bookstores and points of sale.

Finally, the study highlights the fundamental role of comics in promoting children's and youth reading and its work as a promoter of other cultural industries such as cinema or video games, which have found a source of inspiration in comics.

Identification of challenges and opportunities
Although the 'White Book of Comics' outlines a sector in continuous growth and transformation, this study also points out the main weaknesses of this branch. Thus, despite the recognition and quality of Spanish creators, works translated from international languages are the majority in the Spanish market, covering more than 85% of published titles. Content originating from the United States, Japan and France predominates.

Gender equality is another of the pending issues along with the flight of talent. The regulation of artificial intelligence, a specific qualification for comic creators, improving the presence of comics in public libraries or the conservation of artistic legacy, among others, are also identified as challenges.