If my print and web clients are the body of Tom the Dancing Bug, and my readers are its soul, the INNER HIVE is its lifeblood.
While that metaphor may be both mixed and utter nonsense, it is true that with the collapse of the print newspaper market, the INNER HIVE, the comic strip's subscriptions club, has been essential to its viability. Members get the weekly comic strip at least a day before it's published anywhere online, plus commentary, puns, preliminary art, extra exclusive comments, palindromes, giveaways, additional comics, "content", craft projects, diatribes about my various blood feuds with other cartoonists, weather forecasts, "other stuff," cautionary tales, extraneous info, etc.
And if you've been thinking of joining the INNER HIVE (or even if you haven't), this would be the month to do it.
First, if you join one of the upper tiers of the Patreon version of membership, you are required to be a member throughout 2019 in order to be eligible for the year-end rewards.
But far more importantly, if you sign up for the INNER HIVE during December*, I will donate $25 to USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to help protect and care for refugees in crisis.
So at base INNER HIVE membership levels, MORE than the amount of your sign-up/initial membership dues will be donated to help those in need.
In choosing to donate to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, I was inspired by INNER HIVE charter member Neil Gaiman, who is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, and has done much work to help help and publicize the work they do.
There are two ways to join the INNER HIVE. Both get you the weekly emails containing the comics, and both will trigger the donation to UNHCR.
1. You can join through MailChimp/CampaignZee, for which the cost of INNER HIVE membership is $11.95 per six months. HERE.
2. Or you can join through Patreon, for which the cost of INNER HIVE membership is a minimum of $3.00 per month, with higher tiers which can get you extra rewards. HERE.
More info on membership can be found here.
So not only do you get early access to stupid comics, exclusive access to stupid commentary on those stupid comics, and other stupid stuff, you help make the world a slightly better place for those who are in crisis.
Join me in making Tom the Dancing Bug.
THANK YOU,
Ruben Bolling
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Not applicable to Gift Memberships.
*Because Patreon membership dues are monthly, for members who sign up through Patreon, membership must be maintained for six months to be eligible for this pledge.