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.
Vsa vsebina, ki jo ustvarim v povezavi s Papriko in Korenčkom, je na tej spletni strani ali mojem blogu, brezplačno in na voljo vsem. Vse vas enako spoštujem, z ali brez denarja. Vse dodatne dobrine, ki jih pripravim za svoje sponzorje, so prav tako objavljene tukaj. Projekt Paprika in Korenček za dostop do nove vsebine ne bo nikoli zahteval plačila ali sklenitve naročnine.
Ljudem želim dati pravico deljenja, uporabe, grajenja in celo služenja na temeljih dela, ki sem ga ustvaril. Vse strani, umetniško delo in vsebina so bili ustvarjeni s prosto, odprtokodno programsko opremo na GNU/Linux in vse izvorne datoteke so na tej spletni strani (pod menijem Viri in Licenca). Komercialna raba, prevodi, umetnine oboževalcev, tisk, filmi, video igre, deljenje vsebine in ponovne objave so več kot dobrodošli. Potrebno je le pravilno navesti zasluge avtorjev (umetnikov, popravljavcev in prevajalcev, vpletenih v umetniško delo, ki ga želite uporabiti), priskrbeti povezavo do licence ter navesti morebitne spremembe. To lahko storite na katerikoli razumen način, vendar ne na način, ki namiguje, da avtorji podpirajo vas ali vašo uporabo. Več informacij na to temo lahko preberete tukaj:
Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna licenca.
Paprika in Korenček je zabaven strip, primeren za bralce vseh starosti. Brez vsebin za odrasle, brez nasilja, prost in odprtokoden. Paprika in Korenček sta zgleden primer, kako prima je lahko kultura odprtih del. Zelo skrbim za kakovost svojega dela, zato prosto in odprtokodno ne pomeni slabo ali amatersko. Ravno nasprotno.
Ker ni posrednika med umetnikom in občinstvom, vi plačate manj in jaz prejmem več. Tako me neposredno podprete. Nobena založba, distributer, tržni oddelek ali modni inšpektor me ne more prisiliti, da prilagodim Papriko in Korenčka glede na njihovo idejo o 'stanju trga'. Si lahko predstavljate, da sam samcat uspešen primer sproži učinek 'snežene kepe' in pahne vso industrijo v krizo? Zakaj pa ne? Samo čas bo pokazal svoje …
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