Navigating the Modern Market: Strategies for Today’s Smut Peddlers

In the wake of itch.io’s removal of over 20,000 pages of adult content, many creators feel lost and abandoned. As platforms accepting adult material dwindle, these artists are scrambling to adapt. The fear of losing their livelihoods looms large.

Brad Guigar, a well-known comic artist in the adult space, expressed the collective frustration. “Before, we would complain in circles. Now, we’re taking action,” he noted. Many creators are stepping up, orchestrating campaigns to persuade payment processors to continue supporting platforms like itch.io. Others are moving to their own sites or opting to provide their work for free to circumvent restrictions.

The recent action from itch.io reflects a broader trend. Creators have long navigated a precarious landscape where platforms like Tumblr, Patreon, and Gumroad have welcomed adult content only to later reject it due to pressure from payment processors. This inconsistent support leaves artists in a constant state of uncertainty.

The ongoing fight for place and visibility has detrimental effects on business. PixelJail, who creates BDSM-themed comics, shared, “I can’t get ahead. I’m always busy setting up new accounts instead of focusing on creating.” Many like PixelJail have opted to establish their own websites. However, even this isn’t foolproof. The recently enacted Online Safety Act in the UK mandates strict age verification for adult content, forcing creators to take drastic measures, like blocking their sites in certain regions.

This issue isn’t isolated to the UK. Similar trends are occurring in the US, where new laws require age verification tools on adult sites. The Supreme Court has ruled these laws don’t violate the First Amendment. This could force many sites to operate in a limited capacity or shut down in affected areas. For example, Pornhub has ceased operations in certain places rather than comply with age verification laws.

The instability of the landscape emphasizes a larger story. History shows us that creators often must follow their audiences from one platform to another as restrictions change.

Back in 2017, Patreon tightened its adult content policies, which led many artists to flee to Gumroad, only for Gumroad to enforce similar restrictions later. The community that thrived on Tumblr saw a steep decline after its adult content ban in 2018, which many artist members claim they still haven’t recovered from.

Interestingly, platforms see a surge in traffic whenever adult creators join. Yet, once they become reliant on that influx, the very creators who brought them success can easily find themselves unwelcome.

OnlyFans nearly experienced this in 2020, briefly considering a ban on adult content. These decisions are often driven by payment processors like Stripe and PayPal, who apply pressure on platforms to eliminate any high-risk content to avoid scrutiny.

In response to recent upheavals, creators are pooling resources and networks to support one another. Guigar even started a newsletter, Uncensored Artists, designed for that very purpose. Meanwhile, Cara Cadaver, after her game “VILE: Exhumed” was banned from Steam, made it freely available on the Internet Archive to reach her audience. Despite censorship, she is keen on defining her narrative around creative freedom.

Censorship in the adult content space poses serious threats to artistic expression. As Mesmereye, an artist specializing in hypnosis, points out, “These are ordinary people trying to make a living with their talents.”

Overall, adult creators are caught in a web of risk and uncertainty, contributing to a socio-economic challenge in the creative industry. The journey to stability in this field seems endless.

For more on the struggles and resilience of adult content creators, check out resources like TechCrunch, Vice, and 404 Media as they document this evolving landscape.

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