Crowdfunding Content à la Carte With A Heaping Side Helping of Butch Hartman and PATREON

Crowdfunding. It is a whole new year. And with that, one can do several actions to make this more productive year. Either continue to sit on the couch, watching endless hours of streaming video content. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Watchers are keeping the creators busy. Get up, walk over to that chair in the studio and GET creating.

Keep creating. The world is starving for content. Crowdfunding can help you do that. If you want to read my recent interview with Butch Hartman, you’ll just have to wait a little bit longer.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN sang, “57 Channels and nothing on…” in his song regarding Cable TV of 1992. That has since changed. The Internet. That’s what. More channels, websites and apps will deliver more content this year to personal devices than most people will ever be able to watch. That’s a fact.

On a personal note, PATREON, a crowdfunding site, is going to be added to the tool box of content creation this year. #BRADYtheBETTA has been a webcomic for over a year now. He needs a new avenue to swim in. He is a fish and fish need to swim not in some small, cramped space but in different pools or even a different ocean. See the world and the world might just look back at you.

PATREON is his next pool to swim in. He’s a cautious fish, but takes most situations slowly with apprehension. There’re times he just dives in. While working on his tales of the world, whacky fish tails he’s encountered in his life. He felt it was time for more people to hear his story (thought I was going to use another tail reference, huh?).

Who is #BRADYtheBETTA?

#BRADYtheBETTA to begin with is a BETTA fish who has lived in his fishbowl. That fishbowl is filled with crystal, clear POLAND SPRING® WATER for over 10 years. How is that possible? His caretakers never felt safe to take normal tap water and apply chemicals. So, what did they do? Used a turkey baster, sucked out all the dirty water weekly. Then replaced each week with 2500 ml (or approximately 84.5 ounces) of fresh, room temperature POLAND SPRING® WATER.  And through a couple of cats, hermit crabs along with a few other critters, he has lived this way.

And then came the #BRADYtheBETTA web comic. He is seen on TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK and even LINKEDIN. Living life is like running a business. Just think about that for a bit. There have been over 175+ appearances. People out there like animation. Realizing not enough fingers or fins to count how many, HE decided to put a little more movement in his life. Say hello to him on PATREON. When completed, they’ll be new animated episodes on YOUTUBE.

#BRADYtheBETTA does like a simple life (for now) and wants to have explained this PATREON move and what it entails.

PATREON is a place (website) where creators create for patrons. Those patrons participate in a crowdfunding effort.

The definition of PATRON from the dictionary:

Noun

1) a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity: a celebrated patron of the arts

A successful plea by the creator, one can help defray the costs of creation, which can involve time, supplies, etc.

Step One: Register on PATREON.

This means going to the site and create a NEW account

Step Two: Set up an account.

This means logging into this new account. Fill in all the information relating to this new project. It will even involve a bank account where and when if the project is successful, people will send you the funds to keep producing. HINT: if not at the time of creating the initial account within the first month, create a video of your product pitch. This video has helped gain more patrons. So, make it creative and informative. Crowdfunding can be fun to do, but it does take work.

Step Three: Create

Roll the sleeves up and get cracking at creating that project or product (however you want to phrase it).

Step Four: Keep Creating

Show progress. The more progress, the more attention one can garner. And increase what is offered. Video chats. Special downloads only to patrons. The sky’s the limit.

OK, NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY AMAZING…

My special guest. BUTCH HARTMAN. A man of creative talent. He has been a force of creative nature. I could, but won’t reiterate WIKIPEDIA. If you have read to this point, you’ll want to hear from him.

PART 1. The Intro…

PLBthetoonist:

Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening Mr. Hartman. Thank you for taking the time to converse with me… First, I must say, I admit it, I am a fan and great admirer of your work. You always have informative and inspiring words for every YouTube or podcast you either hosted or guested on. OKAY… (taking a deep breath) Glad I got that out of the way.

Butch Hartman:

Thanks for the kind words! And It’s cool, man. Calm down. I’m just a cartoonist like you. Lol.

PLBthetoonist:

What inspires you?

Butch Hartman:

Good question! I know this sounds kind of cliche’ but I get inspiration from everywhere. Seriously. I love movies. I love comic books. I love great comedy. I love great drama. I love great animation. I love great writing. I love God. I love my family. Inspiration can really come from anywhere if you look for it and are willing to pen your mind to it. What I mean by that is, be ready to think differently than usual. Usual is good. Usual is safe. But on the off chance that something really speaks to you artistically and you feel as though you really want to give it a shot, do it. Don’t waste time. If you’re an artist and really want to write a song, do it. If you’re a songwriter and you really want to paint a picture, do it. Try everything. No one will see it, but you until you’re ready to show people. Don’t waste time with embarrassment or what people will say. That’s wasted time. 

Pause TIME… PART 2 is NEXT.

PLBthetoonist:

When creating a show or even just an individual character, is there a specific process or even creative ritual you follow?

Butch Hartman:

Nope. Sometimes the idea starts with a character drawing. Sometimes it starts with the idea itself. I just love to draw and write so it can come from either place. One time I got a movie idea from the title of a famous song. Pretty cool if you’re open to letting ideas find you. 

PLBthetoonist:

You have boundless amounts of creative energy. From YouTube appearances, your personal channel (including YooToons, Drawing YouTubers, THE BUTCH HARTMAN Channel and now SPEECH BUBBLE), The Noog Network, your current TV series, BUNSEN IS A BEAST and all the other social media outlets where you have appeared. HOW and WHEN do you find the time for all of them?

Butch Hartman:

Lol. I really owe it all to God. Only He could give me the extra hours in the day that I need. Oh sure, I’m the one doing the physical drawing and the actual work, but it’s God who gives me the energy and creativity I need. I give Him credit for everything!

PLBthetoonist:

What are some of your favorite means to create with (i.e.: paper, pen and technology)

Butch Hartman:

I still love actually drawing on paper. Digital art is awesome, don’t get me wrong, but digital art can be erased or lost forever. I’ve done plenty of it and always will, believe me, and I LOVE my iPad Pro but I really love doing actual watercolor paintings on watercolor paper and pen and ink sketches in a sketchbook. I use the ProCreate program on the iPad and I use Zebra brush pens and plain ol’ Sharpie pens in my sketchbooks. 

PART 3… The Conclusion.

PLBthetoonist:

From past, present or future, who has influenced you or you have just admired them for their creative passion, be art or any other field?

Butch Hartman:

I love Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney, Pixar, JJ Abrams, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Carell, Sid & Marty Krofft, Hanna & Barbera and old, classic TV shows and TV animation. I love to laugh and whoever can make me do that is someone I admire. I love innovators like Steve Jobs and even the Dyson guy who rebooted the vacuum cleaner! He even created those cool hand dryers we have in restrooms now!

PLBthetoonist:

Have you ever considered crowdfunding (i.e. PATREON, KICKSTARTER, INDIEGOGO) for any one of your projects?

Butch Hartman:

No. I don’t really feel the urge to crowdfund anything right now. I don’t understand it enough and kind of don’t fully trust it. It’s not anything against the idea of crowdfunding I just don’t know enough about it.

PLBthetoonist:

I truly am humbled for you spending the time to answer my questions. Thank you very much for this.

Butch Hartman:

You got it! I appreciate YOU asking me for the interview. The honor is mine. 

Wow. Give me a minute to catch my breath. That was amazing. I’ll finish up here in just a second.

UPDATE: Thursday, February 8th.

Butch Hartman has made a life decision. After 20 years, he decided to leave the company. Off to new horizons and new projects, which he is very excited to work on these projects. I could paraphrase his YouTube video where he explained it all. I would do an injustice to it. I’ll wait. Go watch it and come back to read my closing thoughts.

Butch Hartman Leaves NICK

I have nothing else. Only to say, be creative. Be resourceful. And be sincere. You have all that? This will give you what you need to move a project to fruition. Remember that word. Crowdfunding.