Podcasts have grown like never before, captivating audiences with various topics and interests and fostering vibrant communities around shared passions. In this era where online creators seek sustainable ways to support their craft, Patreon has emerged as a beacon of hope. Patreon offers podcasters a unique opportunity to deepen connections with their audience while securing financial backing.
From insightful discussions to behind-the-scenes access, these podcasts have transformed how creators engage with their audience. Join us as we look into Patreon's top podcasts, celebrating the ingenuity and dedication of creators who have successfully connected with their community on a more personal and sustainable level.
1. Jeph Jacques
Jeph Jacques, the creator behind the internet comic strip “Questionable Content,” has utilized Patreon to expand his creative endeavors while maintaining the integrity of his main project. Jeph primarily focuses on creating comics, including his renowned series “Questionable Content” and the standalone sci-fi comic “Alice Grove.” Jeph Jacques' Patreon ranks 55th in Patreon, with an estimated monthly income ranging from $21,000 to $82,000. Since its launch on May 31, 2014, Jeph's Patreon has attracted over 16,000 members, with 12,163 paid subscribers actively supporting his creative endeavors.
Subscription Tiers
- QC 24 Hours Early! ($1/month). Patrons gain early access to “Questionable Content” strips and Jeph's gratitude.
- WHOA DANG ($5/month). Subscribers receive early access to comics, exclusive content like a monthly music column, and occasional behind-the-scenes footage featuring Jeph's dog, Ollie.
- Q&A and you are EXCELLENT ($10/month). Patrons enjoy access to a monthly Q&A session that offers insights into Jeph's creative process and personal trivia.
- NICE ($69/month). A unique tier that offers exclusive perks, embodying the humor and charm of Jeph's comics.
- hOLY MOLY ($100/month). Subscribers receive a personalized video of Jeph petting his dog Ollie in their honor, adding a customized touch to their support.
- Custom Commissions! ($250/month). Patrons at this tier receive custom drawings from Jeph, allowing them to own unique pieces of artwork.
2. Alice Oseman
29-year-old Alice Oseman, a UK-based writer and artist, has garnered a significant following with her webcomic “Heartstopper” and acclaimed young adult novels. Alice primarily focuses on creating “Heartstopper,” an LGBT romance/coming-of-age webcomic that stands as a standalone story. Additionally, Alice provides various collections of mini-comics, illustrations, and guest comics for patrons to enjoy. Launched on October 12, 2016, Alice's Patreon boasts over 17,000 members and offers a range of perks for supporters, contributing to her estimated monthly earnings of $20,000 to $79,000.
Subscription Tiers
- BEHIND-THE-SCENES TIER ($1/month). Subscribers receive exclusive updates, artwork, sketches, and behind-the-scenes content related to “Heartstopper,” including access to mini-comics before they are publicly available.
- EARLY UPDATE TIER ($2.50/month). Patrons enjoy early access to “Heartstopper” updates, receiving pages approximately ten days in advance and all benefits from the previous tier.
- FULL COMIC TIER ($5/month): This tier offers all the benefits of the previous tiers plus immediate access to comic pages as soon as they are drawn.
3. Faizan Durrani
Faizan Durrani is the creator behind Paperback, an ad-free comic/book reader app for iOS. Through his Patreon, he seeks support for the ongoing development of the app and the maintenance of necessary subscriptions like the Apple Development account. Faizan focuses on developing Paperback, an iOS app that allows users to read locally hosted comics, books, and manga purchased digitally, with the additional feature of a robust API for UI interaction. Faizan's Patreon ranks 323rd, with an estimated monthly income ranging from $7,000 to $28,000. He has attracted 4,773 members, with 4,123 paid subscribers actively supporting the development of the Paperback app since its launch on January 31, 2020.
Subscription Tiers
- Supporter ($1/month). Patrons gain access to Beta TestFlight builds of the app, a role in the Paperback Discord server.
- Supporter+ ($5/month). Subscribers receive all benefits of the Supporter tier, a higher role in the Paperback Discord server, and access to exclusive features planned for future development, such as Touch/Face ID unlock.
- Supporter++ ($10/month). This tier includes all benefits from the Supporter+ tier, including a name mentioned on the app's credits page, an even higher role in the Paperback Discord server, and the option to opt into Alpha Builds for early access to new features.
4. Nick Seluk (The Awkward Yeti)
Since its launch in November 2013, Nick Seluk, the creative mind behind “The Awkward Yeti,” has cultivated a dedicated following with 4,644 members, including 3,119 paid subscribers. Nick's Patreon ranks 485th, with an estimated monthly income ranging from $5,000 to $21,000. Nick primarily focuses on creating comics and games under the “The Awkward Yeti” brand.
Subscription Tiers
- Coffee ($3/month). Subscribers contribute to Nick's coffee fund and receive perks such as comic previews, exclusive posts about new projects, an exclusive comic every Friday, and a 20% discount at theAwkwardStore.com.
- Tongue ($5/month). This tier offers all the benefits of the Coffee tier, with additional bonus content and the opportunity to see content before it goes to social media.
- Brain ($10/month). Subscribers receive practical perks, including comic previews, exclusive posts about new projects, an exclusive comic every Friday, a 20% discount at theAwkwardStore.com, and named Instagram shoutouts.
- Heart ($25/month). This tier includes all the benefits of the Brain tier, with the addition of prominent placement in Instagram shoutouts and a signed sketch of Heart, a character from Nick's comics.
- Butterfly ($100/month). Subscribers at this tier receive extensive perks such as comic previews, exclusive posts about new projects, an exclusive comic every Friday, a 20% discount at theAwkwardStore.com, a $50 gift card to theAwkwardStore.com, personalized, signed sketches, priority on commissioned work, featured name in Instagram shoutouts, and a shoutout on Facebook and Instagram stories.
5. David M Willis
David M. Willis, the creator of the webcomic “Dumbing of Age,” has utilized Patreon since December 2013 to support the creation of his comics. David's Patreon ranks 549th, with an estimated monthly income ranging from $5,000 to $19,000. David mostly focuses on creating “Dumbing of Age,” a webcomic that updates daily, attracting 4,210 members with 2,868 paid subscribers.
Subscription Tiers
- Two monthly bonus strips! ($1/month) Patrons receive access to two monthly bonus strips and can vote on who appears in the first one.
- See tomorrow's strip early! ($5/month). Subscribers gain access to Patreon-only sketches, sneak peeks, and early access to tomorrow's comic strip.
- $10/month: This tier includes all the benefits from the $5 tier, with the addition of access to PDFs of “Dumbing of Age” books 1 and 2.
- $20/month: Subscribers at this tier receive all benefits from the $10 tier and access to PDFs of “Dumbing of Age” books 3 through 5.
6. Achewood
Ranked as the 555th Patreon, Achewood's Patreon offers an exclusive experience for webcomic fans. Launched on May 5, 2023, Patreon provides weekly all-new Achewood comic strips and additional in-universe content. Achewood's Patreon boasts 3,422 members, with 2,850 paid subscribers actively supporting the webcomic. Achewood focuses on delivering new comic strips and in-universe extras to patrons, providing a deeper dive into the world of Achewood.
Subscription Tiers
- Weekly All-New Achewood Comic ($5/month). Patrons receive access to weekly Achewood comic strips, published exclusively on Patreon every Friday.
- Weekly Comic + In-Universe Extras ($9/month): Subscribers at this tier receive all the benefits of Tier 1, along with additional in-universe content such as new character blogs, Beef's Zine content, and other exclusive pieces.
- Comic, Extras, + My Other Projects ($14/month): This tier offers the highest value, providing all benefits from Tiers 1 and 2, as well as access to non-Achewood short fiction, exclusive cooking content, behind-the-scenes comic production insights, and more. Patrons also have the opportunity to submit questions for video reply sessions.
7. Rich Burlew
Rich Burlew, the creator of “The Order of the Stick” webcomic and the GITP forums, utilizes Patreon to support his creative endeavors. Rich's Patreon ranks 558th, with an estimated monthly income ranging from $5,000 to $19,000. With 3,325 total members, including 2,843 paid subscribers, Rich continues to engage his audience with “The Order of the Stick” webcomic and maintaining the GITP forums.
Subscription Tiers
- Patron of the Stick ($2/month). Subscribers at this tier receive benefits such as Patreon notifications for comic updates, access to high-resolution versions of each comic, the opportunity to ask questions for a bi-monthly Q&A post, and the satisfaction of supporting the comic.
8. Zach Weinersmith
Zach Weinersmith is the creative mind behind SMBC Comics and Books, establishing his Patreon on August 25, 2013. As the 563rd-ranked Patreon, Zach offers various membership tiers to support his comic creations and other projects. Zach focuses on creating “Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal” (SMBC), a comic covering a wide range of topics from science to philosophy to economics, updated daily. He also writes gamebooks and aspires to venture into novel writing. Additionally, he hosts The Festival of Bad Ad Hoc Hypotheses (BAHFest), a fake lecture series show. He has successfully amassed a total of 6,545 members, inclusive of 2,801 paid subscribers.
Subscription Tiers
- $1/month. Supporters receive access to Zach's Patreon activity stream, including his reading list and early project updates.
- $3/month. Subscribers gain early access to tomorrow's comic and enjoy the benefits of the $1 tier.
- $5/month. Patrons can participate in a monthly live drawing session and benefit from the $3 tier.
- $10/month. Supporters can access a monthly Q&A video or written responses and benefit from the $5 tier.
- $100/month. Subscribers receive a personalized, high-quality print of their favorite SMBC cartoon each month and benefit from the $10 tier.
9. Abbadon
Ranked 569th on Patreon, Abbadon utilizes the platform to support his creations, primarily the comic “Kill Six Billion Demons” (KSBD) and role-playing games (RPGs). Launched on September 9, 2015, with 5,172 members and 2,782 paid subscribers, Abbadon's Patreon provides fans with exclusive content, early access to RPG materials, tutorials, and opportunities to engage with the creator.
Subscription Tiers
- Support Tier ($2 2/month): Supporters gain access to comic previews and the KSBD RPG, which helps them support the creation of the comic.
- Tutorial Tier ($5/month). Subscribers receive access to process art, sketches, tutorials, and additional art.
- RPG Tier ($10/month). Patrons benefit from the previous tiers and access testing versions of Abbadon's RPG work, including “THE PIT” and “GUN.”
- Feedback Tier ($25/month). Supporters receive all previous benefits, high-resolution pages of spreads, and the option for artists to receive personalized feedback on their work.
10. Kate Beaton
Lastly, we have Kate Eaton, a seasoned creator with over 3,159 members and 2726 paid members on Patreon, ranking 588th. Kate's Patreon, launched on January 29, 2021, focuses on creating comics, drawings, and other content. Kate has been making comics for years and was previously known for “Hark! A Vagrant!” She also shares small comics on Twitter about her life and other topics.
Subscription Tiers
- Pull up a Chair ($1.50 CA/month). Subscribers receive a thank you from Kate and access to the patron-only community.
Conclusion
Patreon's top podcasts showcase the power of digital creativity and community building. With Patreon's support, creators have flourished, connecting deeply with their audiences and delivering impactful content. These podcasts go beyond numbers, creating spaces where stories are shared, perspectives are challenged, and connections are formed. They stand as a testament to the transformative potential of online platforms in fostering creativity, support, and belonging.
