Let's help raise public awareness of UK comics!

One of the halls at Olympia for London Film and Comic Con 2017.

As well as being an engaging way to encourage young or reluctant readers, comics are an important part of British culture and have a rich history dating back to the 19th Century. Modern comics are more diverse than ever, with titles for all ages covering a wide variety of topics, but you won't find those in newsagents because the cost of distribution is too prohibitive for independent publishers (and newsagents today prefer comics based on an existing brand). Therefore publishers have to rely on mail order, comic speciality shops, and conventions for sales. They deserve better.

It would be good therefore to see the BBC respecting the artform with a regular programme covering the past and present to raise public awareness that there's more to comics than superheroes and the Beano. (Not that there's anything wrong with those obviously.) Convention organiser Shane Chebsey has created the petition below, which I've just signed, so let's see if we can get more signatures. 
https://www.change.org/p/bbc-the-bbc-should-have-a-regular-show-covering-the-medium-of-comics-and-graphic-novels

Read Shane Chebsey's thoughts on the matter over at Down the Tubes:
https://downthetubes.net/?p=44790