The Pepper&Carrot project is entirely supported by the generosity of patrons from around the world. By contributing financially, each patron plays a vital role in enabling the creation of new content, and in return, they have the option to receive a special credit at the end of future episodes. Thanks to this system, Pepper&Carrot can stay independent and never have to resort to advertising or any marketing pollution.
我制作的所有有关《小辣椒与萝卜头》的内容都在这个网站或我的博客上免费提供给大家。我平等地尊重你们所有人：不管有没有钱。我为我的赞助人制作的所有好东西也都张贴在这里。《小辣椒与萝卜头》永远不会要求你支付任何费用，也不会要求你通过订阅来获得新内容。
我想让人们有权利分享、使用、构建甚至利用我创作的作品赚钱。所有的网页、艺术作品和内容都是用 GNU/Linux 上的免费（自由）开源软件制作的，所有的源文件都在这个网站上（来源和许可证按钮）。我们鼓励商业用途、翻译、粉丝艺术、印刷品、电影、视频游戏、分享和转载。你只需要给作者（参与你想使用的艺术作品的艺术家、校正者、翻译者）适当的引用，提供一个许可证的链接，并说明是否做了修改。你可以用任何合理的方式这样做，但你不能以任何方式暗示作者认可你或你的作品。更多信息见此处：
创意共享-署名 4.0 国际版本许可证。
《小辣椒与萝卜头》是一部适合每个人、每个年龄段的喜剧/幽默网络漫画。没有成人或暴力内容。自由（免费）且开源，小辣椒和萝卜头是一个值得骄傲的例子：因为它恰恰说明自由文化可以有多么出色。我非常注重质量，因为自由和开源并不意味着糟糕或业余。
由于没有中间商赚差价，你支付的费用更少，我受益更多。你能直接赞助我。没有出版商、经销商、营销团队或时髦警察可以强迫我改变《小辣椒与萝卜头》以适应他们对“市场”的看法。为什么单一的成功不能触发整个行业的雪崩呢？我们走着瞧……
As I look back on the lines I wrote on the homepage ten years ago − "A free(libre) and open-source webcomic supported directly by its patrons to change the comic book industry!" − I'm struck by how much the industry has changed. Was Pepper&Carrot a catalyst for some of these shifts? The internet was a vastly different place back then. Webcomics relied on a single business model: selling merchandise and accepting one-time donations via PayPal. The concept of recurring patronage was still in its infancy.
I'm proud to say that Pepper&Carrot was one of the first webcomics to join the Patreon initiative, pioneered by YouTubers who sought to revolutionize the way artists were supported. Today, patronage platforms are the norm, and it's rare to find an artist without one.
However, not all of my innovations have taken off. My decision to use only free, libre, and open-source software licenses, and to create the entire comic using these tools, remains a rare approach. Many artists have opted for a more traditional model, where they create copyrighted materials and rely on patronage to support their work. While this model often provides "free access" to content, I believe it's a flawed system because it doesn't guarantee it.
In my model, readers don't just fund the creation of content – they also gain guaranteed, irrevocable access to it, along with the right to reuse and modify it, even commercially. This approach ensures that the work remains free and open, rather than being locked behind paywalls or proprietary licenses. In short, what is funded by the audience should belong to the audience.
As I look around at the current state of the industry, I'm more convinced than ever that my approach was the right one. Proprietary software is increasingly plagued by privacy issues, and features (eg. Blockchain/NFTs/AI) that nobody wants except investissors. Meanwhile, artists are struggling with copyright issues, being owned by publishers, platforms, and facing restrictions on where they can publish their work.
That's why my philosophy remains unchanged. I still believe that using Creative Commons licenses and free, libre, and open-source software is the key to true freedom and creativity. My tagline − "A free(libre) and open-source webcomic supported directly by its patrons to change the comic book industry!" − remains a guiding principle for me, even if it's still a minority view.
I know that I'm just a drop in the ocean, but I'm committed to continuing to push for a more open, more free, and more creative industry. I'm proud to be part of a movement that's slowly but surely making progress, and I'm grateful to my patrons for supporting me on this journey.
− David Revoy