Levi's July fireside chat!

I know technically I'm a day early to July, but the intent is to keep this one going for a little bit. And July is my favorite month of the year cause it's my birthday month. : D Plus I make da rules here.

Anyhow, yeah. Big thing is done, big thing is doing really, really well. Like I said, I have a lot more to say about thing, so be prepared for a bigger rant then normal from me. I'll also answer a lot of questions I got about it and some preemptively to try and get ahead of some stuff! And as always, feel free to leave comments and suggestions for girls you like even outside of the whole comic thing. So, here we go;

In the first 24 hours, this comic brought in over 60 new subs and the most engagement I’ve ever seen on a release. That’s insane. Thank you. <3

"Are you going to make more?"

I wasn't sure about this at first, I wanted to see the reaction to it before I made that decision. I was really worried the thing would just flop and I just tanked a huge time investment. I wasn't gonna be like YOU GUYS SUCK I QUIT but I definitely would have just thought it wasn't worth the time investment. That being said, feedback has been extremely positive on it. Overwhelming at times even. That night I was sitting in my chair with a bottle of tequila after I posted it as it couldn't hurt me anymore, at the very least, but more then that people seemed to like it. So, yeah I want to make more.

"How many?!"

And there's the rub. When I say it took me a month and half to make that, I'm not exaggerating. And not only did it take me that long, but it was late nights and no hobby time at all. Well, outside of this whole thing which I consider a fun hobby. :D I worked, exercise, ate, and plinked away at the comic. If you're going by simple math, I have time to make about 7-8 a year.

but it's not that simple. If I am literally always in crunch time working on a comic, I WILL burn out. Now of course having done this once, I go into the next with efficiency and experience and it shouldn't be nearly as frustrating or time-consuming, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a lot of work. I still need to post my mostly weekly packs for you guys, that isn't changing.

So in my head, giving myself about 2 months per seems about what I can handle. Mentally, physically, SPIRITUALLY LOL. That means, and I just want to be honest and temper expectations, I can make about 5-6 a year on top of the other things I make. That number could change as I continue to learn and grow along with the process of making them. But that's what I'm comfortable stating I can make at this time. And even that 6 looks a little daunting to me haha.

"What will the next one be about?"

I am planning to alternate them the same way I do the weeklies. Soooo, we just had a fanart pack, which means the next one is for the OC girls. : ) I haven't 100% decided EXACTLY what it's going to be yet, as I want to outline and pro-type some ideas first before I make any decisions. A benefit there, is I don't have to do that alone, as all the girls other than Levi have their own writers I can talk to for ideas.

"So the next fanart one would be....."

Knee-jerk reaction says Morrigan and Albedo as that was the second most popular yuri couple on this here patreon. I also think it would be a very different story from Yor and Marin which, creatively, would be very fun for me. That being said, Yor and Marin is a powerhouse when it comes to popularity and mass appeal, which was a gift from all of you voting in that first poll. xP I would want to continue that tradition and will have polls involved in deciding what comes next in some way. Be it setting, characters, and other things I can think of.

'Why Yor and Marin as the first?"

This is going to sound stupid, but I'm just as attached to them as you all are. Both of their previous packs were HUGE boosts in subs for me. Not just monetarily, but confidence wise. When I did that first fanart yuri poll I was....confused, as them as the selection. But as time went on I saw it as a challenge to make it make sense. The first two packs were very light on narrative and just about sex. So I thought to myself, ok but what if this was actually a thing. Rather than just the cariactures of what we take these girls to be sometimes in the fanart domain. Twisting them up, exaggerating proportions, taking away agency in favor of gaze.

I'm not saying any of those things are wrong, I do all of them, it's fun. : D But in my heart I am always a writer first. This patreon does not exist at all without me creating things FOR our roleplay with my friends. So, I wanted to use all that experience to see if I could make it work. And honestly that was the most challenging part for me. Again this is going to sound silly. But it was important to me that Yor Forger talked and sounded and made decisions LIKE Yor Forger. Same with Marin Kitagawa. They very obviously, in their own respective mangas and animes, don't exist within the same space. But what if they did, and what if they were in love.

Yor needed to be calm, dominant, repressed, dangerous. Marin needed to be loud, fun, emotionally visual, vulnerable. The amount of times I changed dialogue because "This doesn't sound like her...." IS WAY TOO DAMN HIGH. I had both their wikis pulled up constantly and a notebook of how I thought they should sound interacting with each other. If nothing else, this proved to me that writing emotionally resonant, character-driven erotica can work. I want to chase that a little more.

I digress. I did it because I saw it as a challenge to overcome. And I'm pretty happy with what I did. : )

"Will Yor and Marin get another one?"

Definitely. When? I don't know. But their story is not finished. xP

So here is where I ask you questions.

Would you rather see more long comics like this, or shorter stories more frequently?

What’s a theme you’d love to see tackled in a future story?

Which existing pair (or OC) would you want to see explored next? Or is there a pair you think works for this type of format I am glossing over for shame? xP

Would a “making of” comic post interest anyone?

Be honest , was the slow burn worth the wait? Or do you prefer jumping into the spicy stuff faster?

Did the balance of romance and sex feel right to you?

What KIND of polls on future comic direction (theme, character, setting)?

Lastly, I want to stress that I will continue making weekly packs as always, with one break a month. We just making some comics occasionally now. : )

Thanks again for making this one of the best creative experiences I’ve ever had. I’m excited to see where we go next!

Levi out!