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.
Alle inhoud die ik maak voor Pepper&Carrot is op de website of op mijn blog, gratis(libre) en beschikbaar voor iedereen. Ik respecteer iedereen gelijk: met of zonder geld. Alle kleinigheidjes die ik maak voor mijn patronen komen ook op de site. Pepper&Carrot zal je nooit vragen om ergens voor te betalen of om een abonnement af te sluiten voor inhoud.
Ik wil mensen de rechten geven om mijn werk te kunnen delen, gebruiken, bewerken en zelfs gebruiken om geld te verdienen. Alle pagina's, kunstwerken en inhoud zijn gemaakt met gratis(libre) open-bron software op GNU/Linux. Alle bronbestanden staan op deze website (bronnen en licentie knoppen). Commercieel gebruik, vertalingen, fan kunst, prints, films, video spellen, en delen worden aangemoedigd. Je hoeft alleen de benodigde naamsvermelding te geven aan de auteurs (artiest, verbeteraars, vertalers die bijgedragen hebben aan het werk die je wilt gebruiken), de link te delen naar de licentie en laten weten of je veranderingen hebt aangebracht. Je mag dit doen op welke fatsoenlijke manier maar niet op een manier dat suggereert dat de auteurs jouw of jouw gebruik steunen. Meer informatie hierover kun je hier lezen:
Creative Commons Naamsvermelding 4.0 Internatioinale licentie.
Pepper&Carrot is een komedie/humor strip geschikt voor iedereen en elke leeftijd. Geen volwassen inhoud en geen geweld. Gratis(libre) en open bron, Pepper&Carrot is trots om een voorbeeld te zijn van hoe tof libre cultuur kan zijn. Ik focus veel op kwaliteit omdat gratis(libre) en open bron niet slecht of amateuristisch betekent. In tegendeel.
Zonder tussenpersoon tussen de artiest en de lezers, betalen jullie minder en ik krijg meer voordeel. Jullie steunen mij direct. Geen uitgever, distributeur, marketing team of mode politie kunnen mij dwingen om Pepper&Carrot te laten passen in hun visie van 'de markt'. Waarom zou een enkel succes niet kunnen 'sneeuwballen' naar de hele industrie in crisis? We zullen zien…
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