Tag: ko-fi

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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.

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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.

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January Rewards for My Club Members

Here are the rewards I have for my Club members this month!

To join the Club, sign up over on Ko-fi.

For my Art Club peeps, they’re getting this Valkyrie mini-print!

a woman with tan skin and red-orange hair in a red dress kneels, holding a thin, long sword. She wears a tiara with golden feathers radiating around her ears. She smiles at the viewer.

For my Zine Club members, you’re getting a new CATS sticker!

drag queen anthro cat

This cat’s look is inspired by Alaska Thunderfuck.

Rewards will be sent out very soon (if they haven’t been sent out already!). So if you want these in your mailbox (along with early webcomic updates and other bonus perks), check out my Ko-fi.

That’s all for now. More cat sketches to come next week!

Thanks for checking in.

You. Are. Awesome.

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Holy Banana Pants, I Love StickerApp

Y’ALL.

I need to sing some praises because holy banana pants, I love StickerApp, and here’s why.

holographic sticker of godzilla in booty shorts with a big, goofy smile

For one thing, they printed my Godzilla in Booty shorts holographic sticker. Not only did they print it, they printed it BEAUTIFULLY.

For another thing, I love the little details they put into their packaging. Pictured here is the cardstock cover that came with the stickers.

I’ve ordered from Sticker App TWICE now. While the inside is the same (and always silly), the outside features a new artist each time! This time it was TheCreativePain.

Another thing I appreciate – they bundle the stickers so well for shipping. I got, like, 60 Godzilla stickers and none of them were scuffed, torn, or otherwise damaged.

I got these stickers as part of a collaboration between StickerApp and the Cartoonist Co-op. Since I’m a member of the co-op, StickerApp got members like me a promo code to get $30 worth of stickers for free. So that’s how I got these booty-ful Godzillas this time.

Like I said, I ordered from StickerApp once before – they were my printer of choice in the original Godzilla and King Kong Crowdfundr I ran ages ago. They did a great job then, and I’m glad to see they’re still going great work!

Now, I haven’t tried any stickers besides the holographic ones. That said, StickerApp has the best prices for die-cut holographic stickers, in my opinion. If I ever need to print more, I’m going back to them, 100%.

Here’s a link to find out more about StickerApp, and here’s a link to find out more about the Cartoonist Co-op.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading! Now go print some stickers!

You. Are. Awesome.

P.S. You can get these Godzilla in booty shorts stickers on Ko-fi. USA peeps get free shipping. I will also be bringing these to Handmade Toledo, as well as Street Cat Zine Fest and the Toledo Comic Arts Fest.

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Why I’m Sharing More Free Resources and Downloads

I want to very quickly write why I’m sharing more free resources and downloads.

“But Kelci,” I can hear some people say. “You’re a broke artist. Shouldn’t you charge for more things in your Ko-fi shop?”

I’m not putting resources behind a paywall. Trust me, I’ve been that broke art student just wanting to learn more, but was unable to because it had a price tag imposed by the provider.

When it comes to resource sharing, I would rather provide them for free. Tips are appreciated, but only by folks who have the means to do so. If you are broke, just download them for free. Pay me back later if you feel called to do so, but the resources are there for you.

I also have an aversion to charging for resources, blog posts, etc because for the last decade, we’ve been living with the Online Grifter Economy. And I don’t want to contribute to that, even accidentally.

The Online Grifter Economy has been talked about in varying degrees, from Tom Nicholas’ video about Griftonomics to Folding Ideas’ case study on the Mikkelsen Twins to even an episode of the If Books Could Kill podcast talking about The Four-Hour Workweek. So all I’ll say about it is a rough definition as I would put it – it’s a type of grift where the seller over-promises “life-changing” deliverables and sells advice at a ridiculous mark-up to take advantage of people desperate for change. Doesn’t matter whether the advice they sell is outdated, as long as the grifter makes money on it.

Often the key way to spot these people is if they call themselves “gurus,” or have an almost obsessive focus on “productivity.”

This kind of grift stems from people trying to make a quick buck off the internet, when the original intention of the internet was to have information freely available for everyone for as long as the website could be maintained.

Call it what you will, but I want to see a return of an internet that shares information freely. Not within the walls of social media platforms run by fascists that demand you login first to see the information. Not behind a paywall on Patreon or some “online learning” course.

And definitely not on a “virtual reality” website that demands you use a fake currency (looking at you with a stink-eye, Decentraland).

To that end, I want to work to make this kind of internet a reality. And so I’m keeping my Resources tab updated as much as possible, and I will provide resources on my Ko-fi shop as free downloads. So things like the Master Convention Packing List, the Tabling At Conventions for Beginners’ slideshow, the Small Validations Teachers’ Pack, and the upcoming Promoting Your Work Without Social Media are all going to be free for everyone for as long as the resources are available. If Ko-fi collapses, I’ll find a new host for the resources. (Perhaps they may even move here).

I’m also going to update this blog more often with any new resources I find that I think are worth sharing. Keep your eyes peeled for the first one, which should come out soon.

That’s all for now. Thank you for your support!

You. Are. Awesome.

P.S. Last week I wrote about coordinating a boycott. I’m still working out the details, because effective boycotts need a target, a ‘why’, a call to action, and a goal/deadline. I have most of these figured out except the exact ‘call to action’ details.