Latest Episode, #486

April 22nd, 2006 | Uncategorized

Jeez, I finished this almost two weeks ago, and forgot to post it. I’m used to washing my hands of a strip once I’ve emailed it off to the newspapers, so it’s hard to remember that now I still have to put it online. Here’s the large print version for people without bionic eyesight. Episode 487 will go up on May 3.

Okay, what do people think of this possible revenue scenario: for a modest subscription fee, I email you the strips as soon as they’re done. That means you’d see them when they’re still fresh, and the current events they touch on are not yet yesterday’s news. Then I’d delay posting them online for a month or so–that way people who can’t afford to pay could still read them eventually, and people who pay could have steaming hot episodes delivered right to their in-box. What do you think of that? What about a dollar an episode? Is that reasonable? It’s a biweekly strip. so that’s two bucks a month.

Hey, and what about this? The email version could be like HBO. I could leave all the swear words in, and perhaps even have occasional frontal nudity. Instead of the #@&*’s and artful drapery that I employ in the newspaper version.

DTWOF 486

121 Responses to “Latest Episode, #486”

  1. Tres's aunt says:

    What a superb idea~capitalism at its best! Everyone has access eventually. I’d gladly pay $1/episode and would be glad to pay for a whole year in advance. I think the market would bear at least double that price, so make sure you’re charging enough in the beginning to make it worth your while. People get cranky when prices are raised~and if you wind up rolling in cash, you could always lower the price of subscription.

  2. Anonymous says:

    alison,

    i would totally pay $24 a year for naked swearing cartoon lesbians, your work is fabulous! 🙂

    xoxo,
    mo
    nyc

  3. Anonymous says:

    Excellent.l Fine. I’m in.

  4. Josh says:

    Count me in!

    jf

  5. Pixie says:

    I’d pay for less artful draping & actual swearing!

    – a longtime fan

  6. meg says:

    Of *course* I’m a big fan, etc etc, but that’s a bit high for me in light of the fact that I always buy the books when they come out.

    I’m not complaining — I’ll read on the web later — just giving another perspective.

    I hope you don’t expurgate too much for the web version; everybody needs a little full-frontal in her life!

  7. Anonymous says:

    As part of our continuing public service…

    If you are one of the unfortunate folks whose browser won’t let you
    properly view the large image, try clicking:
    HERE

    (This should work on any browser.)

    N

  8. Susan says:

    I’m all about supporting the arts/artists! Count me in!

  9. asrai says:

    definitely would be willing to pay…i buy the books anyway too, but $24 a year is only US 46c a week, which as far as i’m concerned is definitely worth it, and certainly not an exorbitant amount of money.

    is it possible to have an option where you pay it in one go in advance? because i (and i presume other international peoples) get charged a fee by paypal/credit-card each time we convert money into u.s. dollars. so its better to do it all at once and only get charged once….

  10. Carol says:

    Great idea. What a bargain! Let me know where to send the check.

  11. Anne says:

    Add me to the “happy to pony up $24 a year” club! Especially for unexpurgated-ness. 🙂 (I’ll just have to force myself not to read it at work, if it arrives during the day…)

  12. kris dresen says:

    $24 dollars for a year’s worth of DTWOF? Absolutely. Considering the years and years of enjoyment I’ve received from reading your strip it seems like it’s not quite enough.

  13. catamorphism says:

    Just another vote for “hell yeah, I’d pay for that.”

  14. Anonymous says:

    Woohoo! Nudity and expletives!! Can’t wait. DO you take PayPal only, or can we mail you checks??

    Elizabeth A.

  15. Maryann Connolly says:

    I’m in – but I am in total agreement with Tre’s aunt – the market would bear double. Think about this. Women are notorious for undervaluing themselves and their work. DTWOF is worth way more than $1/episode. How about a sliding scale STARTING at $1/episode? Can I be a sustaining contributor?

    PS
    I thought your video ‘ode to spring and the thrush was lovely. A mini meditation for my urban-bound soul.

    XO MBC

  16. Anonymous says:

    we would totally pay $24/yr (or a bit more), as long as the ink was fresh on the email.

    – a. and m. in brooklyn

  17. Anonymous says:

    I’ll pay $24! gladly! but I am too dumb to figure out how to do it… Do I click on the paypal thingy?

    Jessica

  18. Soli says:

    I’d gladly pay!

  19. roughmagic says:

    $24, such a deal! Count me in.

  20. lms says:

    I agree $24, would be a great deal. Count me in too. How do we pay?

  21. Anonymous says:

    Count me in.. I think it’s a wonderful idea, and I’d gladly fork over the $24 for a subscription.

    (As others have posted, I’d definitely make sure you’re not selling yourself short at $1 a strip, though.)

  22. Anonymous says:

    Set up the mass list and give me the email address to send my Paypal payment.

  23. Lex says:

    Yes to the subscription for me as well. Great idea

  24. Anonymous says:

    oh my lord – full frontal nudity and cussing delivered fresh and hot to my inbox? for $24 a year? that sounds like heaven….
    corey jo

  25. Anonymous says:

    I think this is a great solution – my partner and I would both subscribe…we’ll keep watching for news.

    Thanks!

  26. Anonymous says:

    $1/strip sounds high to me. $24/year sounds great, on the other hand. (Yeah, I’m talking psychology, not abstract actual value. 😉 But I do note that most of the commenters seem to have excitedly jumped on the $24 number, not on the $1 one. ;-))

    And the e-mail first, post later sounds great to me.

    Count me in, as long as I can pay by Paypal.

    (And thanks for my favorite comic strip, btw!)

  27. last_boy says:

    Yes! I’d pay! And may I add that I think this is one of the funniest strips you’ve posted recently? I love how the expressions on Ginger’s and the college girl’s faces match up when asked for commitments.

  28. chicklet says:

    Count me in… I do think $24 seems really cheap for all the amazing work and time you put into your art. But count me in!

  29. Anonymous says:

    $1 a strip ? Absolutely! 🙂

  30. cole says:

    I would happily pay, and also sign, in whatever fluid required, an agreement to to forward it on to non-subscribers.

    This from someone who usually resists the cries of NPR.

  31. cole says:

    I mean, NOT to forward it..

  32. Jaibe says:

    Not to be complicated, but I’d rather have some kind of (secure?) web access than email — I’d be less tempted to forward them to everyone I know :-).

    There is a potential do-it-yourself sliding scale here too, since obviously undergraduates & artists could band together & share access to the comics between a few people while people with good jobs can pay the whole thing.

    I don’t know about the going rate suggestion above either — Salon is only $30 a year & they’ve done a lot of research on what they can charge / how not to go bankrupt.

    I agree it should be easy to renew rather than a bi-weekly charge chore, though on the other hand pay pal won’t let me pay anything significant anymore because I haven’t trusted them enough to give them all my bank details so I’m not seen as “verified” or something, even though they have my damned credit card numbers.

  33. shadocat says:

    Great idea! Just tell me how to sign up.

    P.S. Thank you for the “large print” version.

  34. qepxa says:

    I’d pay $24/year in a heartbeat. Just tell me where to sign up…

  35. Robin B. says:

    I agree that this is a great way to support an artist and to keep the strip available to all. Three cheers for lesbian inventiveness! And as soon as you have the system up and running, you can count on my check.

  36. Anonymous says:

    i can’t believe a few people are saying they find a dollar steep for a dtwof episode. what would that buy you in the world? 1 candy bar? 2 local phone calls? a coffee? (actually only the middle one where i live).

    think how much more joy you get from (and how much more work goes into) a dtwof episode than any of those things. alison is kind enough to be trying to get a solution so those of us who don’t get the newspapers they’re printed in can get the strip…she doesn’t have to do that, it could have just ceased to be avialable online…

    you saw her little video of the number of digital pictures it takes to produce each strip…imagine how long it takes her to produce one?

    value this amazing feminist artist. and raise your fees alison if it doesn’t at least cover the $300 you are loosing per strip from planetout (which was a paltry amount for them to be paying you anyway…)!!

  37. karnerblue says:

    I’m in for sure, and anxiously await the post in which you tell us how to sign up and fork over some cash.

  38. wendy says:

    i’m totally in…but have you run this by your characters yet? i’m sure mo would have plenty of valuable input to offer….

    thanks,
    aeriewest

  39. emily says:

    even a poor college student like me will pay $24 a year for DTWOF. does it feel weird to know that i grew up reading your strip? i’d be glad to pay because i’ve always read library copies of your books, and i always feel a bit torn between my desire to support your work and the fact that that’s what libraries are for. anyway, count me in.

  40. Deja Black says:

    Me too, me too! I want to give you money. 🙂 I have spent years reading and enjoying DTWOF, and would gladly pony up for fresh, uncensored strips in my inbox. Yay!

  41. mackerelhead says:

    I would prefer $1.50 a month. I pay James Kochalka $1.95 a month, but that’s for 30 strips of four panels each… hmm… that’s 120 panels a month… your strips have around 10 panels… that’s 20 panels a month… so he costs 1.6 cents per panel, while yours would cost a dime each… a Kochalka panel costs less… But there are about 122 words in #486, and 195 words in the last week of Kochalka, so that’s… .8 cents per word for you, and one cent per word for Kochalka, so your words are a better bargain… He has three real regular characters, at 65 cents each per month, and you have, what, 11 or 12, so at 16 cents a month you’re way ahead… He has mostly two genders and one sexuality, while I count five genders and four sexualities for your strip… you’re ahead again… well I think your business plan is sound.

    When I go to the bookstore buy books, I get to thoughtfully put off my purchases, but I’m way too compulsive to put off seeing your strips till the books come out, so you’ll get more money out of me this way. And we’ll get the strips more promptly than we ever have, and no more compulsively looking to see if a new strip has arrived!

  42. Anonymous says:

    DTWOF is the only consistent depiction of authentic lesbian life that I know of. Definitely worth $24 a year.

    Those who don’t want to or can’t pay that much can read it online later or in Lesbian Connection. Those who think $1 is too little can send more.

    I was taken with how young and fresh-faced Cynthia and Ashley look.

    Ellen

  43. Josh Jasper says:

    Sure. Even upfront.

  44. Anonymous says:

    Been a fan for years. I’d be pleased to pay the fee.

  45. Anonymous says:

    Yes I love your work and think it well worth paying for. If you go ahead with this please could you make some arrangement for those of us whose dosh isn’t dollars?
    Sam, England

  46. Anonymous says:

    I would pay 24- gladly in one shot on Paypal. I really enjoy the Republican as real character in Cynthia.

  47. Anonymous says:

    Count me in. I will definitely subscribe.

    mark

  48. Nell says:

    i’ll pay gladly!

  49. true indigo says:

    The work and care that has always been put into DTWOF make it something I have no problem paying for. Sign me up.

  50. Stephanie says:

    I would totally pay for the newest strip! 🙂

  51. coraline says:

    …coming over from the DTWOF livejurnal community — i’d gladly pay to support more DTWOF. direct email would just be a bonus 🙂

  52. Anonymous says:

    Two questions about details in the current strip (#486)

    1] Can anyone tell exactly what is on the cover of
    “The New Yorker” that Samia is reading?
    Is this an allusion to a real cover?

    2] In the first panel where Cynthia and Ashley
    are seen out in the woods, a tower is seen
    in the background.
    Is this a picture of something specific?
    (It sure looks familiar.)

  53. Anonymous says:

    Yes, I would subscribe.

  54. Sarah says:

    I would absolutely buy your strips — i was wondering when you’d move to paid content, and I think the compromise you’ve worked out is excellent. I’ve been reading your stuff since before I came out, and I’m glad to have the chance to give something back (in addition to buying the books, of course).

    On a related topic: if you decide to bring back the mugs, i can promise to buy several. My lois mug disappeared in a move four years ago, and I still miss her.

  55. Anonymous says:

    I would pay and want to add to some others’ suggestions:

    Make it a secure site so that people can’t forward the email. Otherwise, you lose the point of the subscription/delay.

    I would pay $24. But I would suggest that you have space for people to make additional donations ($50, $100 and fill in the blank) and also list a low-income/student rate of $15 a year. Most people would still go for the $24 but you would also get more people paying, period.

    Yay for full frontal and full disclosure!

  56. Anonymous says:

    I would pay and want to add to some others’ suggestions:

    Make it a secure site so that people can’t forward the email. Otherwise, you lose the point of the subscription/delay.

    I would pay $24. But I would suggest that you have space for people to make additional donations ($50, $100 and fill in the blank) and also list a low-income/student rate of $15 a year. Most people would still go for the $24 but you would also get more people paying, period.

    Yay for full frontal and full disclosure!

  57. Like everyone else, I would love to pay $24 a year. And if you decide it’s worth your while to get back into merchandise, I’d buy that too. My “Does Anal Retentive have a hyphen?” t-shirt is getting to be pretty ragged.

  58. Anonymous says:

    The New Yorker recently (17 April, p. 30-37) had an article about the administration’s approach to Iran, the clandestine things they are doing or probably going on in Iran right now, calling it preparatory to military action, not intelligence-gathering. Scary article, scary quotes from officials. It’s also currently online.

    The cover of the New Yorker seemed to me to involve a nuclear cloud and the magazine’s mascot.

    I’m unemployed. It’ll be interesting to see if I buy a subscription, considering I can just wait. But then again, those uncensored panels call to me.. 🙂

    Don’t forget that this all causes more work for the artist, especially if the subscriptions are not automated, having to expire them manually.

    An Anonymous Suzanne

  59. Anonymous says:

    STEAMING HOT STEAMING HOT! YES YES YES! Sign me up!! Let us know where and when!

    Not so anonymous Lauren Zito

  60. Anonymous says:

    I’d gladly pay $2 a month
    for DTWOF.

  61. Anonymous says:

    Hell fuzzy yes! Sign me up! And I’d like to cough up some extra gelt for the other end of the sliding scale (spent too much time there, myself.)

    All I ask is that you accept a check, or M.O. (sorry), or plastic, or anything but PayPal (– well, in addition to PayPal….)

    Let no expletive be undeleted! Let no strip be expurgated! Let Thomas Bowdler spin in his grave!

    Cheers ~ ~

    ladiesbane at yahoo

  62. CarryFairie says:

    I would ABSOLUTELY pay for fresh strips delivered to my mailbox!

    And I vote for the shop to open back up too! I’d love a anal retentive tshirt!!!

    I’ve been reading your strip since before I came out and it gave me something to cling to until I could be honest with myself. Now it’s wonderful in a different, but no less fabulous, way!

  63. ensie says:

    I would pay whatever you need to make the subscription happen. I’ve red DTWOF since the day I came out and don’t plan to stop now!

    PS – Anytime your fire up the DTWOF Store again I would LOVE to purchase plenty o’ stuff. I nearly bought out the store in a panic when it went out of business, and miss my Soltice Greetings cards and mugs!

  64. Leanne says:

    Oh, Alison, I am so there!! I would be happy to pay for a year upfront of DTWOF in my email inbox biweekly. It would be the first time in my life that I don’t read your comics a year later or so. Do let us know if it is going to be happening. And hey, you are an inspiration to all of us. I have been putting liliane up daily and now oops, once every two or three days, and getting NO revenue out of it. You could start a trend of people actually PAYING to read comics!! 😀 anyways, just dropping by to say hi! Sorry I didn’t see ya (ie APE) this year. And glad to see you are in that Italian anthology too! cheers! Leanne

  65. Anonymous says:

    So, for $24 a year, I can have unexpurgated DTWOF in my email? A bargain at twice the price. I LOVE IT.

  66. Anonymous says:

    Anonymous Suzanne, thanks for pointing that out: the cover of the NYer is a little drawing of Eustace Tilly peering through his monacle at a mushroom cloud.
    Can I send a check to get the subscription? Or will you take barter — what if I baked a sponge cake in the shape of Mo? That’d be good for a couple episodes, yes?
    –MC

  67. Duncan says:

    Me too! $24 a year would be a bargain!

  68. eesh0130 says:

    I’m definitely for it! I’ll gladly subscribe!

  69. Anonymous says:

    while my loyalty to DTWOF is solid, I can’t match the exuberance of most ab fans. I’m w/anon who suggested a student subscription and options for paying MORE. it’s in keeping w/your original idea of a sliding scale AND provides a practical outlet for the devotion that’s so lavish on the blog.

    I was kinda put out by the thought that the e-mailed version will be more explicit than the published . . . but I guess you’ve been censoring the strip just to get it published. are you doing 2 strips already? if not, is that a task you want to take on?

    I’m feeling kinda Mo-ish here. will sign off now and let the bubbles resume.

    mlk

  70. Amananta says:

    I totally would pay to read your strip! I’ve been a fan for over a decade!

  71. Kate Kelly says:

    Look, you’re an artist and you really shouldn’t undervalue what you do but you also want to look at your market. You can always do what Netflix did (after a year or so, they lowered their prices all around).

    I still cannot get over that you were only getting $300/strip–it’s good you are done with them–that was highway robbery for what you do.

  72. A different Anonymous says:

    Count me in, and a buck a strip is exactly the nice round number I would have suggested. (Though the sliding-scale going up sounds like a smart idea — I’d stick with $25, being a grad student, but you don’t want to make it difficult for people to pay more!)

  73. Anonymous says:

    Count me in too. $2/month is a modest sum for biweekly sustenance. Thank you for being here over all these years–PMD, Amherst MA

  74. nyc reb says:

    totally would pay $25, count me in. and do keep publishing the books too!

  75. Anonymous says:

    I agree with the idea of an online subscription — also with Anon’s suggestion of a low-income/student rate.

    In addition, I’m wondering if it’s possible to offer a small discount (for online subscribers only) on the books when they come out? That would make it feel a bit less like paying twice for each strip.

    Not meaning to begrudge payment — your work is AMAZING — just writing as a poor grad student…

  76. Anonymous says:

    I’d absolutely pay $24 / year for DTWOF. I also agree with above posters who request the opportunity to pay/contribute more. 10 years ago when I had less resources $24 would have been a good limit for me, It might have replaced a few movie night, but it would have been totally worth it and reasonable. Now that I’ve got a bit more I really want to support your work, and it is worth far more to me than $1 per strip.

    Also, I would like to thank poster number 7, who gave a link to a larger size format that works on my browser (Mozilla). I hope you will consider e-mailing the strips in whatever format that is, rather than the ones they are now posted on. I’d love to be more helpful by specifying what kind of format I’m requesting, but I’m not to technical and have no idea 🙂

    Lastly, with all the cries for DTWOF swag (yes! yes!) have you considered the Cafe Press route? It’s actually incredibly easy to use, even for a techno-schlub like me, and it’s free or cheap, depending. Also, you never have to order giant batches of stuff and pay for them in advance. The t-shirts just get made as ordered, and you never have do a thing. You just sit back and let the cash roll in. I hate to be so capitalistic, but I highly recommend it. Also, I want DTWOF stuff!

    – Jen from CA

  77. Anonymous says:

    Jen from CA, and anyone else with this issue in Mozilla, in the blog entry itself, AB put a text link “large print version“. That should work in Mozilla. At least it did for me.

    I usually use Firefox and it works there, too. I just have to click the image — the cursor even shows a plus sign indicating that the image can be enlarged. That click brings instantaneous results.

    In fact, clicking the comic also works, in both Mozilla and Firefox. But you have to log into flickr to get at the larger size. Once logged in, click “all sizes,” and wait a bit.

    In flickr alone, the image has been viewed 1119 times so far! I am greatly impressed! I hope they all subscribe (cynical chuckle).. :-/

    An Anonymous Suzanne

  78. Anonymous says:

    thank you, Jen (from CA) for offering practical ideas about marketing DTWOF fun stuff. I understand reluctance to take on something cumbersome to keep the fans happy . . . but would love DTWOF merchandise. hadn’t found the strip when ab was marketing her wares.

    mlk

  79. Anonymous says:

    a stray thought here . . .

    I like the use of #@&*’s in comic strips and wish there were a spoken equivalent. I guess saying “BAD WORD” or something like that isn’t as satisfying as saying the bad word itself, but it might make the world a more peaceful place.

    mlk

  80. Anonymous says:

    Sign me up, but 24 bucks might be too low — you don’t have to be Mo, just draw her.

  81. Anonymous says:

    Alison,
    You are too, too funny and therefore, yes, of course, I like the $24. a year idea and the sliding fee suggestions that others made. The thought of fresh hot unedited dtwof arriving twice a month in my very own mailbox makes me swoon!!
    I’m in.
    Susan

  82. beth says:

    For all of you having issues with the size of the strip, I think it stems from whether or not you have a flickr account. When I’m logged in to flickr, I see the buttons with different sizes above the strip, but when I’m not logged in the options just aren’t there. It’s a free account if you want the options…

    BTW, I’d probably pay $24/yr. That’s about what a magazine would run me. I wouldn’t pay $48 or $2/strip ’cause I’m one of the many grad students out here.

  83. Dyke Grrl says:

    I would also very happily pay $1/strip (although I’d prefer to pay in yearly installments).

    And have you considered Cafe Press for selling stuff? I haven’t used it myself, but it looks like it would be way easy to upload your stuff, and then they handle the rest, and you get the money. I don’t know if it’s worth it, but I’ve got very fond memories of the years I had a Dykes to Watch Out for Calendar, and I still remember my former housemate’s DTWOF poster (“Where’s Mo?”) So it’s worth thinking about–you’ve definitely got a market.

  84. Anonymous says:

    Cafepress is OK — I have bought some items there, and while I can only vouch for the quality of the notebooks and coffee mugs, and can’t tell you if the thongs and baby Ts are any good, they seem pretty straightforward. I have a DTWO4 mousepad that I got at a yard sale. It’s cool.
    –MC

  85. Hayley says:

    I’m in…extemely fair.

  86. David says:

    Two bucks a month? Geez Alison, your work is worth more than that, especially with full frontal and swear words.

    So, yeah, in a heartbeat. I think you’re selling yourself short. Are there any other great artists/social commentators that do that? Yup, I guess there are….

  87. Anonymous says:

    Absolutely, I’d love to get it sent to me or get a notification as soon as it is available, and I’d pay way more than $24 per year–I think I currently pay around $24 per year for Scientific American, but I’d pay $50 per year for DTWOF to ensure you have a good retirement.

  88. Anonymous says:

    I’m a college student who eats out of cans nightly, and I’m considering paying for this. It sounds like a winner.

    Brighid

  89. Farah says:

    I’m in. Add me to your mailing list.

    farah dot sf at gmail dot com

  90. Farah says:

    This post has been removed by the author.

  91. Syd says:

    $24 a year? Way too expensive! What a rip-off!!

    Just kidding. I think this plan sounds gr8; thanks for asking us what we think.

    Looking forward to yr new book, too.

  92. Anonymous says:

    $24 a year? $#&@ yes!! Gladly!

    Just tell me where to send the first year’s check.

    And thank you, thank you, thank you for DTWOF!

  93. Nalo says:

    Done. Sign me up!

  94. Quaint Irene says:

    I’d be happy to shell out $24 pa for the security of getting regualr fixes of DTWOF. Bring it on, with all the optional extras!

  95. Anonymous says:

    It’s like a dream come true! For $24 a year I can have my naked swearing DTWOF back! I’m in!

  96. Anonymous says:

    I’d be happy to shell out $24 (or more) for a year of DTWOF.

    I think that pay-now, free-later is good — casual readers can get sucked in, and subscribers don’t have to keep the comics around to have back-issues.

  97. Anonymous says:

    I echo everyone who would pay $24 (or more) a year. That sounds fantastic.

    And if the swag ever comes back… I would love a Lois coffee mug.

    Signed, college student with part-time minimum wage job.

  98. Anonymous says:

    $1 a strip is too inexpensive it is less than a coffee, we think you should charge $2 per strip and an annual in advance subscription of $45. you deserve it!!

    Anne

  99. cpd says:

    oh hell yes. I’d pay for no more checking, checking, checking to see if a new strip has been posted… I like the idea of an honor-system sliding-scale fee. I’m not rich, but I can definitely afford & am willing to pay more than $24/year.

  100. kate mckinnon says:

    Well, Alison, I see a lot of support for the CafePress mugs shirts and assorted swag. I’ll bet you have plenty of work that you could upload to their store and let us all get down to the business of ordering it.

    $24 a year sounds reasonable, especially if you leave the door open for additional contributions. And especially if we get nudity and vulgarity, what could be more of a value than that?

    After all, anyone who doesn’t want to subscribe can catch the strip on your site with some time delay. The subscription option is just a way to open up a channel for us to flow money to you.

  101. Christine says:

    Yes, I’m so in on this! Yay.

  102. miriam says:

    well, i hope a free version is stil available SOME time- i DO buy yr books when they come out, and the only reason i use the internet is because it’s FREE. . . . otherwise i’d just go find it in one of the local bostonian papers. . . . . please at least keep putting up the one for free at the end of month, might you? we’re relatively impoverished, and even buyign books is a big deal. . . . how much would it really not be very fun or cool- it’d be pretty GROTESQUE actualy- if EVERYONE started charging money? what about if myspace did it, or hotmail? i like the “hbo” idea, though, as long as it goes up online eventually for us to read. . . . . .(and we DO buy yr books. . . . cause we like yr strip so much, cause in addition to its being very excellent, we get to look at it for free, so we KNOW about it!)

    thanks!

  103. Anonymous says:

    Yep! US$24.00 once a year for DTWOF is a hell of a bargain!

    Not having to put up with the crappy version on PlanetOut, or the smugness that drips from the pages of Bay Windows is so worth it.

    Oh, and Miriam. no offense intended, but…

    I’m getting by, in Boston, on SSI. Not quite US$720 a month.

    If I can afford US$24.00 a year, it does kind of grate to hear someone griping about US$2.00 a month.

  104. Anonymous says:

    Wouldn’t it be great if one of the character’s in dtwof was on SSI? I, too, am on it (spinal cord injury) and only get $650 per month. (Still think $24. is a bargain for my favorite cartoon! The Dykes have gotten me through some tough times — they’re my best imaginary friends/community, except Alison has a better imagination.) Anyway, what happened to Thea — most people with disabilities can’t find jobs easily. The poor in this country are getting VERY poor as the price of everything goes up and into Cheney’s account. I know none of the dykes are rolling in money, but an really impoverished character might make for some great twists and turns. Anyway, the strip keeps getting better and better.

  105. Anonymous says:

    Just another “Heck Yes!!” vote…for subscription concept and for swag.

  106. Dana Harris says:

    It’s well worth $24 a year to save myself the trouble of hitting REFRESH like an obsessive, as I was wont to do when Planet Out was sluggish about posting your strips (as they were also wont to do).

  107. Suzanonymous says:

    Check strip #423 what happened with Thea’s career. (not sure if that’s the most current, I doubt it.)

    An Anonymous Suzanne

  108. Ross says:

    I’m in.

  109. Anonymous says:

    money well spent!

  110. Anonymous says:

    Hey Alison,

    I’ve been a fan since I was in high school and your first book came out and I snuck-bought it at the women’s bookstore in New Haven called the Golden something. Now I read it in the Philly Gay News, but I’d much rather have it online.

    I would definitely pay whatever you charged for the subscription. You should make gift subscriptions available too.

    Sincerely,
    Andrea Lawlor

  111. Anonymous says:

    Hey, I hope it would be $26 per year and not $24!!! Meaning bi-weekly and not twice a month!!!

  112. Hi Alison,
    I live in a small, culture-starved town in regional Queensland, Australia. I order all your books through my local bookstore, and read the strip online, haunting the pages until it arrives. I’d gladly pay US$1/strip to receive it by email. And I’d still buy the books!
    Cheers,
    Mittsy

  113. Carolina says:

    I’m in – love to read them when they’re out, instead of waiting, and waiting for them in other sources!

  114. Robin Wood says:

    Great idea! Count me in! I’ve been a fan for years – even when I was still deeply in denial – and I’d happily pay $1 a strip (or even more) to have them right away. Where do I send the check?

  115. Anonymous says:

    Coming in late (this strip only just hit LJ in syndication, so I just noticed the thread), but I’ll chime in another Yes, Absolutely. $24/year seems entirely reasonable…

  116. dana says:

    absolutely. just name when you want the payment!

  117. Laura Brown says:

    Only 24/year? You’re worth more, Alison. I’d pay double, triple, ten times that (but then I do have a little money to throw around). Yes, a comic-cast of my favorite strip, so I can stop fruitlessly checking the website where I used to find it.

  118. hannahma says:

    Yes! Yes! I want to pay! Ooooh! Where do I sign up?????????

  119. Timoty says:

    cool blog!

  120. PrelKikam says:

    enter text? test, sorry

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  121. Anonymous says:

    kakldklskldks