August Recap Part 2: Ch-Ch-Changes!

 Hello, everyone!

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last update, and boy, I don’t think I’ll ever be done processing the awesomeness that was the residency. While there, I had a lot of time to reflect on past and present projects I’ve worked on, and how I would like to see my comics evolving in the future. I realized there are some new things I’m eager to try on Patreon, and so I’ve been brainstorming another revamp of the page. It won’t be as massive of the rehaul I did last winter, but I think it will give you all a lot more bang for your buck. 

Why the change?

For five years I’ve created comics without a true idea of where I’d like to take them. This year, I started drawing the “Dogs with Jobs” series on a whim and I’ve felt so happy and inspired since. It’s become obvious to me that I’ve finally found a direction to take my comics (at least for the foreseeable future).

In short, I’ll be reorganizing my Patreon page to reflect this new direction and to help me continue drawing cute dogs and other animals. 

Does this mean you’ll only be drawing dog related comics from now on? Forever???

It’s hard to say, but I know I have enough ideas written down to work on this theme for quite a long time. I may become inspired by something else down the line and my work will change again. For now, I want to give myself permission to pursue this direction wholeheartedly. I hope you understand and are just as excited about this as I am. I believe some truly great things are on the horizon!

What exactly is happening to the Patreon page?

This month I’ll be updating the verbage and style of the page to reflect my new goals. 

This will include a few changes to the current tiers, but nothing major. Here’s currently what I have in mind for the new tier perks:

$1 Tier - Monthly blog update, Comics and doodles delivered directly to your inbox, Patron polls 

$3 Tier - Previous perks, Early access to comics, Monthly bonus comic or wallpaper

$10 Tier - Previous perks, Monthly drawing requests (drawn on air on Twitch)

[NEW] $20 Tier - Previous perks, Comic sponsorship, Patron avatar

For those who are curious, here’s a brief explanation of each perk:

• Blog Updates - Monthly or bi-weekly updates that discuss behind-the-scenes events, personal happenings, and upcoming events or projects
• Inbox Updates - Comic and doodle posts sent directly to patrons’ inbox, so there’s never a chance of missing the latest post
• [NEW] Patron polls - Patrons can vote for the themes and types of projects I work on next
• Early Access - Comics are available before they’re released publicly, which is usually a couple of days to a week early.
• Monthly Bonus Comic or wallpaper - A digitally exclusive comic or wallpaper for patrons 
• Drawing Requests - Patrons can request sketches that will be drawn during a monthly livestream on Twitch
• [NEW] Comic sponsorship - Patrons’ names are listed underneath or after comic posts once per month or on a rotating basis
• [NEW] Patron avatar - Patrons receive a full-color social media avatar of themselves or a character of their choice

Things to note: 

• For the time being, I will no longer be drawing Doodles After Dark for the patron-exclusive series. I’m in a much better place than I was when I began the series and I would like to test out a couple of other mini-series ideas I have. D.A.D may make a comeback in the future, but for now it’s on hiatus.
• The Patron Livedraws are moving from Youtube to Twitch. This keeps the livestream process a lot simpler as Twitch offers a lot more options for streaming. Everyone will be able to tune in to watch, but only $10+ patrons will be able to request something for me to draw.
• I want patrons to have a say in things! That’s why I intend to use Patreon’s polling option regularly to get input from you all on themes or types of projects to pursue next.

Of course, before I settle on anything final, I’d like to hear from you guys: 

• What are some things you’d like to see from me? 
• What are things you’d be interested in receiving as a patron?

The main change I’d like to implement will be to milestone goals, which I haven’t really used before. Ideally, I’d like the milestones to unlock additional content for each patron tier, similar to how stretch goals work on kickstarter. This can be a bit of a risk, since pledges can fluctuate a lot per month, however I’m sticking to the idea that once I reach a certain level of funding, I’m able to focus on and do cooler things, which should reflect in patron perks as well. Here’s a list of milestones I think might be cool (in no particular order):

• Lens (all patrons) - Patreon’s version of Instagram stories/Snapchat. I’ll share updates of what I’m working on, watching, or listening to throughout the week with patrons. 
• Vlog Updates (all patrons) - Upgrading the monthly blogs to vlogs.
• Process Videos ($3+ patrons) - Speed drawing videos documenting an illustration or comic from start to finish
• Sketchbook Tour ($10+ patrons) - An amalgamation of the random things I draw each month. Rejected comics, potential merch designs, and other random doodles
• Discord (all patrons) - Time to revive the discord server! We’ll have weekly discussions, Q+A’s, general shenanigans, plus areas to discuss our own projects and goals.

I’m very interested in getting your input about these milestones.

• Which of these are you most excited about? 
• What’s something you think I should include in the list?

I’m down with the doggos. What happens next?

For the rest of this month I’ll be continuing my normal workload (weekly Webtoon and public comics, managing the online shop, finishing freelance gigs) while also updating the Patreon page. All new tiers and perks will become active in October.

I’m currently working on a very special gift for all October patrons. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while to thank everyone for supporting and funding me and my art. More details about the gift will be revealed first thing in October! (Hint: it has to do with the poll I recently posted)

This month, the patron livedraw will be on Friday Sept 21, starting at 7pm cst on my Twitch channel. Everyone will be able to watch and chat, but only $10+ patrons will be able to request a drawing.

I’ll be posting the first batch of the Finland autobio comics for $3+ patrons this week, plus I’ll be asking them to vote on which new mini-series they’d like next as their monthly bonus comic.

Recently, I asked people what project they’d like to see from me next on my Twitter and Instagram. I’ll be following up with a poll for all patrons to help decide the theme of said project.

A final note

This is a lot to digest, but I want to be upfront with you guys about where I am in terms of my art and this page. I like changing things up regularly, and I hope these changes are just as exciting for you too!

I appreciate everyone’s support thus far and I intend to continue improving moving forward. Thank you.