Category: Announcements

Posted on

Announcing New Memberships on This Website!

Today, I’m announcing that I have built new members-only features on this website, and now folks can sign up to be members!

FIRST, THE WHY

Why make my own members-only features when Patreon and Ko-fi already exist?

Well, I left Patreon (that’s a separate story, though this talk with Jade highlights some core reasons why). And then, between the kerfuffle with Ko-fi (written about in this post) and then Ko-fi getting hacked, I thought to myself, “I need my own site.”

With this new membership system built into this site, I can now keep members-only content AND publicly available works all under one roof – a roof I maintain. Not being reliant on outside platforms, especially ones that could be hacked or capricious, is huge. In our new internet age, it helps to be in charge of your own stuff rather than relying on a middleman platform like Ko-fi or Patreon.

NOW, THE HOW

How does this membership thing work? Where do you go to sign up?

Well, you can sign up on the Join Us page! (There’s also two links in the Menu above: “Memberships” and “Join Us,” both of which lead to the same place.) There are 3 tiers of support available, to work best with your means, each of which are detailed on the “Join Us” page. Payment options include PayPal (which can also connect to Venmo) and Stripe.

Once you pick your tier, you will be billed once a month for the amount you subscribe for. In return, you get:

  • To see the members-only posts here on this website
  • Early access to webcomic updates
  • A members-only email newsletter once a week
  • Plus other rewards detailed in each tier

FOR MY PEEPS WHO ARE SIGNED UP THROUGH KO-FI

If you currently already have a membership through Ko-fi, I have two options for you.

Option 1, you can cancel your membership on Ko-fi, and then sign up again through the Join Us page. This would not involve me unless you come across any issues (in which case, please email me at contact@kelcidcrawford.com).

Option 2, the membership software I use on this website would allow for importing members from one place to another. I have not tried this option yet, but the fact that it exists is huge. This would be some lifting on my end, but not that much since I have contact info from you, my members, already.

Please let me know which option you prefer by emailing me at contact@kelcidcrawford.com! I will accept answers until next Friday, June 12.

FOR MY PEEPS WHO ARE SIGNED UP THROUGH STRIPE

A while ago, I had tried building a membership feature using Stripe and my own determination. This new system is going to be much easier to work with than that.

If you’re still a member through this old system, first of all, wow, that’s dedication! Second, please cancel your membership (you can use this link to do so), and if you want to stay on as a member, sign up through the Join Us page.

QUESTIONS?

If, after all of that, you still have questions or concerns, please leave them in a comment below or email me at contact@kelcidcrawford.com, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. (If enough folks have the same questions, I may do a follow-up post!)

Thank you all so much for your support and understanding.

You. Are. Awesome.

Posted on

So Ko-fi Did a Thing. Here’s What I’m Doing Next

So my Ko-fi page has been marked as NSFW, with no notice or warning. When I appealed the decision, Ko-fi rejected it – also with no reason given.

the ko-fi email saying my appeal to NOT be marked as NSFW was rejected. Notice how bare it is. No reason or explanations given.

I feel that I should not be marked as NSFW, but the powers that be have different ideas.

Why would they mark me as NSFW, when my most recent posts have no sexual content or nudity (sexual or otherwise) on it? There isn’t even any profanity. Violence can’t be the issue, because our culture rarely, if ever, marks swashbuckling violence as NSFW.

My best guesses are:

  • I have a presence on itch.io, including two comics that are clearly marked as for adult readers only. These comics are NOT on Ko-fi because of their content. But apparently having that content on any site – even if it’s not Ko-fi – is enough for the platform to mark me as NSFW. Possibly. Again, Ko-fi gave no clear reasoning, so this is a guess.
  • (In that vein, I feel like censoring me on one platform because of something on another is an unnecessary punishment, censorship overreach, and a pretty clear conflict of interest. Also, bad business practice. If Ko-fi is trying to deter me from posting on itch.io by censoring me on Ko-fi, the only thing it’s making me do is consider migrating to itch.io more fully. More on that in a minute.)
  • I’m out in online spaces as genderqueer/nonbinary, and they’re starting to crack down on people with those identities. Given how much anti-trans backlash there is online and off, I’m not ruling out this possibility. (Even if that backlash is funded by right-wing billionaires with nothing better to do than sow division among us working people. Also, who funds Ko-fi?)

Again, these above points are just speculation. But the silence that Ko-fi has greeted me with, does them no favors.

So, I’m looking to move away from Ko-fi. Here’s how I’m doing it:

  • I’m setting up my memberships on this website. Shout-out to Cartoonists United, because there are members who suggested I do this and have pointed me to resources that are helpful in this regard.
  • I’m no longer selling physical merch online. This phase-out started early because of the current political administration making shipping a MASSIVE PAIN IN THE ASS, domestic or not. Since my shop is now digital-only, I’m migrating my full library to itch.io. My work has been received way better on itch, anyway. So my ko-fi shop will be closing soon as a result.
  • Commissions and how I administrate them are still a work in progress. More updates to come on that front.

Will my Ko-fi page close soon? No.

  • The migration progress is going to take the time it takes.
  • Until then, my Ko-fi page is still up, just marked as NSFW (even if I disagree with it).
  • Once my alternatives are set up, my Ko-fi page will still run as a mirror version as folks transition off the platform. Once my current members are fully off the site, I’m turning memberships and other features off.

Ko-fi is more than welcome to email me at any point to clarify their stance and why they rejected my appeal. They have my contact information. I would love to hear ANYTHING from them besides “no” and no explanation.

I usually sign off my blog posts with “Thanks for reading. You. Are. Awesome.”

But in this situation, nothing is awesome about it. I’m just angry, disappointed, left in the dark, and left to my own devices. Ko-fi has branded me as NSFW in their walled-off internet garden.

So fuck that. I’m building my own damn internet garden.

Posted on

HIATUS

This blog is taking a short hiatus, starting March 1, 2026 and going until April 20, 2026. It’s the busy season.

Between now and then, you can find me at PIE – Pittsburgh Indie Expo on March 15th!

PIE Pittsburgh Indie Expo is on Sunday, March 15, 2026

I’ll be back April 20 with more news.

Thank you for your understanding!

You. Are. Awesome.

Posted on

Read Black Comics! Special is LIVE!

The Co-op Comix Mixtape podcast has a new episode out now – the Read Black Comics! Special!

This episode was put together by Iris Jay, Yuki Clarke, Adam, and me, with member contributions included in the episode, and cover art by Alina Wahab. You can listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts, including Pinecast and YouTube!

If you’d like to subscribe to the RSS feed to never miss an episode, you can do so with this link. New episodes will be posting once a month.

Thanks for tuning in!

You. Are. Awesome.

Posted on

February Rewards for My Club Members

I have the following rewards lined up for my Ko-fi Club members!

For my Art Club folks, you’re getting a Jackie Ormes mini-print! She’s considered the first African American woman cartoonist, and is the creator of Torchy Brown and Patty-Jo ‘n’ Ginger.

black history month jackie ormes cartoon sketch art

And for my Zine Club members, I’m reprinting my Black History Zine!

black history sketchbook cover

This reprint is getting a new format compared to its original print run. I’m very excited to get this back in print!

If you want to get these rewards in your mailbox, be sure to join my club over on Ko-fi.

Broke? Then check out the posts I wrote for Black History Month about Queen Aminatu, Nina Simone, and Richard “Grass” Green! And I have even more Black History sketches for your to peruse.

That’s all for now. Now go learn some cool history!

Thank you for checking in.

You. Are. Awesome.