Demon of the Underground Patreon FAQ (Patreon)

FAQ Last Updated: 3/17/2021

***QUICK LINKS***

CONNECT YOUR PATREON ACCOUNT TO DEMONOFTHEUNDERGROUND.COM
Connect your account to access patrons-only comic pages, Merritt's Story, the Secret Gallery and more right at demonoftheunderground.com, the easiest place to browse.

• **This is a brand new feature, so comic pages and Merritt's Story chapters are still being added gradually.  In the meantime, they can also be read on Patreon.  The Secret Gallery is complete, and is updated regularly.  Monthly Pen Pal letters are posted at the end of the month, and you must be a current member to receive the letter.
  

DOTU SCENE COMPILATIONS
For $2+ patrons, starting with ch4p26.  Reminder that you can SORT posts from oldest to newest or vice versa!

MERRITT'S STORY Table of Contents
Info and links to every chapter

MERRITT'S STORY TAG | MERRITT'S STORY CHAPTER TAG
The "Merritt's Story tag" includes all content related to Merritt's Story (art, info, etc.), while the chapter tag only includes chapters of the books.  Most Merritt's Story art is in the Secret Gallery.

CONNECT YOUR PATREON ACCOUNT TO DISCORD
Patrons get access to patrons-only channels in the DOTU Discord Server.

CONTACT: bob @ bob-artist.com - or send me a private message anytime!

***FAQ***

Q: When do I get charged for my pledge? Do you charge upfront?

As of August 2016,  I have changed to upfront payment, so new patrons will be charged immediately upon pledging, for the current month's patronage.  You will be charged again on the first of the following month, for that month's patronage.  If you're pledging near the end of a month, please be prepared to be charged twice in a short time span.  But remember, you'll receive rewards for every month in which you're charged.

If you increase your pledge, you'll be charged the difference between your old and new pledge amounts immediately, and you'll be charged the higher amount again on the first of the following month.

If you decrease your pledge, you will receive all the higher level monthly rewards for the current month and be charged the lower amount on the first of the following month.

Q: What is your reward schedule? Give me ALL the details!

ENHANCED FEED TIER ($2+)

Rewards are available immediately after your first payment via my Patron Feed, and are continuously updated.  While the comic is on public hiatus, scene compilations will post to all patrons after each full scene is completed.

MERRITT'S STORY is currently between books, with books 1 and 2 completed.  Book 3 will launch later in 2021, with 1-2 chapters per month. Visit the Merritt's Story Table of Contents page for details.

DISCORD ROLES are delivered automatically once you connect your Discord account to Patreon and join DOTU's server.  You can find out more info here!

The bonus VOTING INCENTIVE GALLERY is an archive of old TopWebcomics voting incentives.  It's currently unavailable as of 1/14/2021, but I'll let you know as soon as it's back online.

PEN PAL TIER ($5+)

POGO'S LETTER is sent at the end of the month. Reward dates may fluctuate a few days. Letters are not archived, so you must be a patron for a given month to get that month's letter.  Every other month, the letter is sent by a "guest character" instead of Pogo.  Starting in April, letters will be posted to the "Monthly Letters" archive at demonoftheunderground.com instead of being sent by email.

EARLY ACCESS COMIC PAGES will be posted any time I'm able to complete a page at least 24 hours before its scheduled public release.  There are times I'm working up till the last minute, so early access isn't always available.

DISCORD ROLES are delivered automatically once you connect your Discord account to Patreon and join DOTU's server.  $5 patrons get access to ALL patrons-only channels.  You can find out more info here!

SECRET GALLERY TIER ($10.01+)

OFFSITE GALLERY ACCESS is granted as soon as you connect your Patreon account with demonoftheunderground.com.  I will also send a communal password within 1-2 days of your first successful payment, as a backup option.  I will send you the login and password by private message on Patreon. New content is added periodically as it becomes available, and additional content is posted straight to the Patreon feed.

The MONTHLY ILLUSTRATION is posted at the end of the month. I notify patrons of new offsite gallery posts by private message. Reward dates may fluctuate by a few days.  (reminder: this tier does not get an original sketch in the mail)

SKETCH TIERS ($20, $50, $10 legacy tier)

QUARTERLY SKETCHES are usually sent between the 28th and 31st of the month, along with Pogo's letters. Reward dates may fluctuate by a few days.  Sketches are sent every third month - February, May, August, and November.  A few days before Pogo's letters are sent, I post the original sketches on Patreon for all patrons to see, and Sketch Tier patrons will have a chance to choose the sketch they want on a first come, first served basis. If you do not choose a sketch, I will send you one at random.

Ad Sponsor Tier ($35)

If you are a current patron, I will credit you by name in my author comment on the DOTU website when I post a public page.  If you would like me to host a banner ad for you, please contact me by private message and we'll make arrangements.  See below for ad guidelines.

CUSTOM CARD TIER ($50)

For your original card portrait, I will contact you within 1-3 days after your first successful payment.  Information and instructions for figuring out your rank and sphere are in the email. This is an interactive process, so you and I will email back and forth a little bit. Typically, the art will be finished within 2 months of your payment.  The completion time varies depending on revisions and how long it takes for you to give me your info and approval on the initial sketch.

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Q: My payment was declined, but I can fix it soon. Will I still get my reward?

Access to my patron feed will be restored as soon as your pledge is fixed. You WILL NOT receive email notifications of new posts while your payment is declined, so be sure to fix it soon! (Sorry, this is just the way Patreon works.  If I had the choice, I'd still send out email notices.)

If you're unable to fix your payment method before your next month's payment  date, Patreon will automatically remove you from my list and you won't get any further rewards.

If you are in a limited tier and your declined pledge isn't fixed by the end of the month, I unfortunately have to take you off my reward list to make room for a new patron.  You will need to manually join a different tier.

Q: I have to cancel my pledge, but you haven’t sent out rewards yet for my last pledge. Will I still receive them if I cancel my pledge, or if my next month's payment doesn't go through?

If your payment has been processed, you will receive your monthly scheduled rewards even if you are no longer a patron by the time I send them out. This includes pen pal letters, quarterly original sketches, monthly Secret Gallery art, and custom card portraits.  But you will lose access to any content posted directly to my patron feed as soon as you cancel or your payment fails.  You can regain access by rejoining at any time.

Q: I'm getting Pogo's letters by snail mail, but I'd rather get them by email.

Send me a private message on Patreon or an email (bob @ bob-artist.com) and let me know you want to switch to email delivery.

Q: I didn't get the reward I was promised.

I will *always* make sure everyone gets every reward they're promised.  1. Please make sure you're in the correct reward tier. 2. Please check your spam folder, and also WHITELIST bob @ bob-artist.com, bob.illustration @ gmail.com, and the patreon.com domain.  3. If you get snail mail letters, please allow 2 weeks for delivery. 4. If you still can't find a reward you were expecting, contact me by private message or email, and I'll resend it or replace it.

Q: Is there any way to read Pogo’s old letters from before I became a patron?

Usually, no.  But right now, the 2018 and 2019 GUEST letters are up in my shop for a limited time.  I usually don't make old letters available, so the best way to read the letter for a given month is to pledge for that month.

Q: What kind of banner ad can I submit to the Ad Sponsor Tier, and how do I submit it?

I will run ads for small businesses, services, and original creative projects (webcomics, fiction, etc.).  You must be affiliated with the site or business you want me to link, and I ask that the art on the banner ad be respectful and safe for work.  I consider each ad on a case by case basis, so if you're in doubt, please email or message me and show me the ad before you pledge, because I won't issue refunds for not being able to run an inappropriate ad.

Here's a non-comprehensive list of content I will NOT link to:

-18+/explicit content (it can be as NSFW as my comic, but not more), gambling, dating, drugs/supplements, cosmetic surgery, loans,  downloadable utilities, get rich quick/multi-level marketing, political, religious, weight loss, sites promoting hate speech or discrimination, sites that violate copyright, sites with underage or underage-looking characters in sexual situations

If you have questions, please contact me by email: bob @ bob-artist.com .  After you pledge, I will email you with instructions on how to submit a banner ad.  Ads will run on a rotation with other patrons in the tier.

Q: Is the $50 card portrait a one-time only reward?

You can request a new card portrait for every six months that you pledge at the $50 level. For any card after the first one, please contact me to let me know you want another.  Turnaround time is still 2 months per portrait.  

Q: Will I get a hard copy of my $50 card portrait?

$50 portraits are currently only offered digitally, but I do plan to offer playable cards once my DOTU card deck is redesigned and goes back on sale. However I make the hard copy cards available will apply to all past $50 patrons as well as new ones. But please note that there is not currently a timeline for my plans.  I can't work on the card deck until after comic pages are funded.

Q: How can I use my custom playing card art?

The art I create for the card can be used by you for any personal, non-commercial purposes. Many of my patrons have used them as avatars, but it's up to you!

Q: A bunch of your tiers are sold out! Will I ever get a chance to pledge to them?

If a patron in one of those tiers cancels their pledge or switches tiers, a spot will open. If a spot in a high-demand tier opens, I will announce it first on Patreon to current patrons, second on social media, and third in my author comment on the next DOTU update.  I might also open new slots in the future.

Q: I signed up for a tier that isn't listed on your page anymore.  What happened to it?

If your tier isn't listed to my page, it means it's no longer open to new patrons.  You will continue to receive all promised rewards for as long as you remain in the tier, but if you leave it, you won't be able to get back in.  If you accidentally get locked out of a tier you were in for a long time, send me a private message and I can reopen it for you as long as you've missed no more than one payment cycle.

Q: What are the best ways to reach you?

For important or urgent matters, or for matters relating to your pledge, the best way to reach me is by email (bob @ bob-artist.com) or by private message on Patreon.  If you just want to chat, feel free to comment on any of my Patreon posts, on the DOTU site, or through any of my social media accounts:

Facebook | Bob's Tumblr | DOTU-only Tumblr | Bob's Twitter

Have any other questions?  Leave a comment and let me know!