YEAR IN REVIEW: 2024

Hello everyone! It's been a while, I'm aware. I hope you all are enjoying the holidays, if you observe any! I've come with a few words of retrospective and outlook towards the future and my plans for next year.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER

Goal-wise, 2024 was not a great year for me. There were several projects I wanted to finish, like Sequence Zero and Patch Game, along with many others. However, I realized too late that I was just a single person and couldn't reach these insurmountable goals I had set for myself.

It really does pain me that I couldn't meet any of the goals I set this year, and it really opened my eyes to how naive I am when it comes to my work and learning how to run a business and build a brand, and I'm sure I haven't made my brand look good in many an eye because of my extravagant expectations and failure to make good on promises.

For those who were looking forward to those other projects, I'm sorry to say that those won't be coming to light any time soon. It was my fault for biting off more than I could chew and creating nothing of substance for an entire year. It was unrealistic to put on myself or you guys, and I sincerely apologize for any disappointment with this news. I aspire to do better, better assess myself and my skills, and look forward to making fewer mistakes.

In limiting my scope In 2025, I am focusing solely on Patreon, Commissions, and Physical Products.

PATREON

As I mentioned before, my Patreon may not have lived up to a majority of the expectations I have set for it. I had big aspirations but ignored my skillset, wracking myself with burnout several times over the course of this year.

I greatly misunderstood my capabilities and took time to reevaluate. In the future, I will significantly limit my scope, and the benefits of my Patreon will portray that.

In 2025, I plan to focus more on image sets (one public image and then the rest are Patreon Exclusive), which some of you may remember me calling "Dakkii Stacks." I want to get at least two stacks done a month, with a good month of having a stack done weekly. I plan for 2 - 3 images in each Stack (this includes Alternate Versions). I feel I can be more consistent with this.

As for the "Old Maid Poll," all the winners will get image sets, as I had scrapped the animation I was working on for Vanilla. I just couldn't deliver on a schedule for something like that. I apologize for that, as well.

While the prices for the individual tiers will stay the same, their benefits will change starting on the first of January. You are free to support me however much you'd like after the fact. Any support will always be appreciated!

The new benefits are below:

TIER I - $1/month
- Access to High-Quality Images!
- Cool Role in Discord Server!

TIER II - $3.50/month
+ ALL PREVIOUS REWARDS, PLUS...
- Access to Exclusive Dakkii Stack Images!
- Sneak Peek Updates to Exclusive Dakkii Comics!
- Cool Role in the Discord Server!

TIER III - $5/month
+ ALL PREVIOUS REWARDS, PLUS...
- Access to Exclusive Dakkii Comics in High Quality!
- Full Page Updates to Exclusive Dakkii Comics!
- Cool Role in the Discord Server!

TIER IV - $10/month
+ ALL PREVIOUS REWARDS, PLUS...
- Access to Timelapses of Artwork!
- Access to Source Files of Artwork!
- Cool Role in the Discord Server!

COMMISSIONS

Commissions have always been a hit or miss for me. Some clients have been waiting for their finished work between my burnouts for months. I have a backlog of commissions I've been slowly getting through. That said, I want to start next year with a clean slate, so if you ordered a commission from me this year and I haven't taken money from you, consider your commission cancelled.

If I HAVE taken money from you, and your commission is still in its first phase (meaning that I've sent you a WIP), I will finish your order in due time. I apologize in advance for those this may affect, but I took on too many orders at once and most likely won't get to all of them in a timely manner.

However, I plan to keep commissions permanently open starting in 2025. You can send in your requests at any time, and if I like your request, I'll contact you. Remember to read the Terms and Conditions on my website when you're making your request.

ORIGINAL CONTENT

I know you all have enjoyed the fan ideas I've had these past years, especially Sequence Zero and The Hare & The Harlequin, which I am still very grateful for, and I enjoyed the work I put into those series. But going into 2025 and beyond, I would like to start focusing on stories told with original characters, something I had initially wanted to do but got caught up in the popularity of Peridot, Jenny, and Pomni. Will there still be fan content? Of course, just not as often compared to my original works.
 
Shifting to Original Content may be a deal breaker for some, but I implore you to give it a chance! I want to show you the cool stuff I had planned and bring it to you in the best quality possible. Thank you for your ongoing support!

MERCHANDISING

I am in the process of opening an online print shop run entirely by me! As some of you may know, I was initially with Waifu Loot, and they were cool, but I ultimately decided that going solo was a better option for me. My focus on original content will also allow me to sell my work without worrying about the threat of a DMCA.

I plan to release Prints and Stickers primarily, but if the shop does well, I plan to expand to Acrylic Standees, Printed Comics, Mousepads, and much more! So if you would like some cool merch for yourself, keep an eye out for when the store launches!

COMICS

Comics are going to get less of a focus going into next year. Comics take too long for me to update regularly and require much more planning. Because of this, comics will be released to Patreon in a finished state. However, certain tiers can get access to a few full-page previews.

I know how long Sequence Zero has been running, and yes - that was also due to burnout. Months would pass without an update, and I apologize to those waiting so long for new pages.

As a result of my new focus on original content in 2025, Sequence Zero will wrap up in the following few pages (4 - 8 pages). I plan to create shorter fan comics that will remain exclusive to Patreon (max 12 pages) for a few months before being released for free.

I have more passion for my original ideas, and I would like to work on expanding said ideas whenever possible; I hope you all will continue to support me through this change in content!

LOOKING FORWARD

This year has been nothing but a massive teachable moment for me. I've made many mistakes and realize that if I'm going to continue my career as an artist, many things have to change.

Am I afraid? Yeah, most people are fearful of change, and I am more so. But this is a necessary shift in priorities that nothing short of this wake-up call would have pointed out to me.

Again, amidst all this change, I hope you continue supporting me throughout next year. Thank you for your time, and happy holidays to those who observe. I'll see you in 2025!