chaztheweasel
patreon
!!!URGENT!!! PLEASE READ AND SHARE
🕑 Added 2021-06-25 20:00:27 +0000 UTCHey, Patreon. I don't know how else to say this, so here goes:
We don't have any money.
With upcoming bills, including rent due at the end of this month, once my wife gets her paycheck next Friday, we will still be... quite broke. My severance from my former employer has been completely spent, used to pay for our rent, utilities, loans and credit card payments for the last four months. Since losing my job back in February, I've attempted to request unemployment insurance multiple times over, and never got a response. This means I haven't received a single unemployment payment across the last four months, despite having been approved for it.
I can no longer afford to be picky. I'm going to have to apply for a job wherever I can. Previously I had applied at my own bank, hoping my experience handling cash, dealing with clientele, and good speaking voice would make me a shoe-in. But I haven't been contacted yet, and it's been nearly three weeks since I first applied. As much as I didn't want to go back to retail, I may not have a choice. I'll be applying at Target next, and if that falls through, I may have to resort to factory work.
Next week, I plan to open limited commission slots. I'm still workshopping the details, but I'll have concrete pricing, rules, and total number of slots laid out plainly when I make an official announcement here, on Twitter, and on deviantART. Please bear in mind: they aren't going to be cheap. They can't be. I literally would not be able to afford it if they were. Once I accept these commissions, all other projects must be put on hold. As much as I want to pursue more Mamabito comic projects, among other things, I can't put my commissioners on the backburner. I made that mistake once many years ago, and won't be doing it again.
In the coming month, I intend to reduce the number of Patreon tiers, from four down to two. The Works-in-Progress tier is my most regularly-updated, and the Not Safe for Weasels tier is by far my most popular, so they will be sticking around. Oodles of Doodles and Coloring Book, meanwhile, will be removed, for two reasons:
1. Oodles of Doodles often contained sketches that were later repurposed as WIP's. This wasn't fair to the Works-in-Progress tier, who were already paying $5 a month to get all that and more. I strongly urge existing Oodles of Doodles members to consider upgrading their pledge, so they can continue to get access to full-size pieces and downloads, as well as access to all WIP's.
2. The Coloring Book tier, my most infrequently updated tier, wasn't receiving unique line art frequently enough to justify it, and any completed line art was already being shared with the Works-in-Progress tier just below it. However, this means current Coloring Book members will get a reduction in cost, retaining the same benefits of the Works-in-Progress tier!
I realize, of course, that this makes the gap between Works-in-Progress and Not Safe For Weasels that much more substantial, at almost twice the cost. I disagree with this pricing, and have decided to reduce the pledge of the Not Safe For Weasels tier to $8. This $1 difference will harm me at first, but I'd like to think that it will incentivize current and future patrons to feel more comfortable about upgrading their pledge. I'm hoping this change will bring more patrons to my page, and, ideally, they'll stick around.
Now, here's where I gotta be up front and ask for your help.
My wife won't be receiving her paycheck until after our rent is due. If the landlord opts to take our check to the bank and cash it before that money arrives, we won't have the money to afford it, and it could result in an overdraft charge, or much worse: potential eviction. We can't risk this, and we'll need a buffer for after the check clears so we can continue to have money to eat on. That's where YOU come in:
If you aren't yet a patron: please consider pledging any amount you feel comfortable. In the coming month, I want to be able to entice and entertain as many people as I can, whether it be through full-size downloads of all of my finished drawings, regular WIP updates for whatever I'm working on, as well as exclusive NSFW content. A lot of people have requested wanting to see Mamabito's more sensual side, for example... And that already exists!! She's had a whole host of excursions with Papabito, and there's more in development as we speak... But know that NSFW content, including Mamabito comics and drawings, will ALWAYS be Patreon-exclusive! You won't find this content anywhere else!
As for my existing patrons: please consider making a one-time pledge for a higher amount. In the past, I've seen people make custom pledge amounts of $20 or more, and I am immensely grateful to those individuals for supporting me so generously. I don't expect anyone to upgrade their contribution and stay that way, but as long as we can get a comfortable buffer at the start of next month, it will allow me to continue doing what I do. And I really want to continue doing that.
**EDIT:** I forgot to mention! My wife is currently accepting portrait commissions! Here's the link to her announcement! She advertised to Dragon Age fans in her tweet, but she'll happily draw your original and fan characters for you, no matter where they hail from! If you're interested, please reach out to her on Twitter!
To everyone who's reached the bottom of this page: thank you for reading. If you aren't able to contribute, I fully and completely understand. I would still encourage you to spread this post with whoever you can. It may not seem like much, but spreading the word truly helps me more than you know.
I'm sorry it has to come to this. It never should have gotten this bad. But I'm trying my best to stay optimistic. Things will get better. I couldn't do what I do without you guys. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart. Take care!
