Erika draws in an animated, cartoonish style and uses a color palette of warm yellows, oranges, and reddish pinks.
“Ahh, summer again!” Exclaims Erika, a middle-aged cis white woman in a beach outfit, which is appropriate since she and her team are walking along a sandy beach.
In front of her walks Ziggy, a trans man in his 40s with a heavily tattooed arm, gauged ears, and a piercing in his septum. He’s wearing big round glasses, a Pokémon trainer baseball cap, a swimsuit, and a tank top while carrying more beach items under his arms.
And he adds: “That means sun, barbecues and celebration…”
“Oh Joy Sex Toy’s 13th Birthday!” reads the text on a giant beach umbrella that Matt sticks into the sand. He is a devastatingly handsome white British cis man with gray hair who has just crossed the threshold of 40 years old. He is wearing square glasses, a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers.
“We invite you all to participate in our annual pledge campaign and support the site this month!” Matt continues. “For the price of a fancy coffee-”
“(or tea)” Erika interrupts.
“(or kombucha!),” Ziggy adds.
“-you keep the site running AND you get access to a bunch of BONUS COMICS we’ve been cooking up these last few months.*” Matt finishes with an iced coffee in his hands while Erika and Ziggy lounge under the umbrella, each holding their own iced tea and kombucha.
Subtitle: *Plus all the bonus stories from previous years if you haven’t read them yet.
The scene changes from the beach to show samples of the additional comics, beneath a banner labeled “Preview.”
Subtitle: Ripley LaCross travels through a backpacking flashback. Hien Pham tackles Comic Book Day by the Hour. Jey Pawlik explores what sketchbooks mean to them.
Page 2
Riding a wave of comics pages, Matt says, “Last year, we had to consider closing… but with our successful Pledge Drive, instead, you all helped us increase our rates to commission 27 new and returning guest artists to publish 52 comics for the site, which now has… God, 680 comics, all available for free to people who need them. You all showed up and kept this site alive when we were afraid we’d have to close.”
At the beach, Erika and Ziggy build a sandcastle as she interrupts Matt once again to say, “Thank you!”
“Thank you so much!” Ziggy adds as he throws a bucket of sand into the castle to build a new tower.
“But…” Matt says as the wave he’s surfing changes course, looming ominously over Ziggy, Erika, and their castle. “As the number of readers continues to grow…”
The wave washes over Ziggy and Erika, carrying them in its wake after destroying their castle.
“-Financial support is slowly decreasing.” Erika babbles, trying to keep her head above water.
“And we understand it!” She continues after being unceremoniously dumped on her ass onto the sad one. “Subscriptions will be difficult to justify in 2026. We are all making sacrifices…”
In the distance, Ziggy spits out some ocean water, while his demolished sandcastle collapses in the foreground labeled “Support.”
Page 3
“But still, OJST needs regular financial support to exist.” Erika explains, using a bucket to scoop up some sand.
“We need to get the bosses back if we want another year of comics.” Ziggy confirms, as he builds a new sandcastle tower with his own cube.
“Our goal?” Ask Erika. “200 new registrations on Patreon. That gives us a break.”
The crew is reduced to miniature size to climb in and out of the sandcastle.
Matt, leaning out of a sandcastle window, continues: “Then we dare to dream of… 400. That’s stability and maybe even another increase in artist page rates!”
From a castle tower, Ziggy mentions, “(Users get additional content every month!).”
Narration: If a monthly subscription isn’t your thing, then consider purchasing a full year at a discount or just our eBooks.
A small crab scurries around a gift box adorned with the number 1 and a trio of e-book icons with book covers.
Narration: All that money goes into the same fund that pays creator commissions, staff, writing, site maintenance, and everything else.
Page 4
Erika builds the base of her sandcastle with her cube and says, “We didn’t know what OJST would become when we started it 13 years ago…”
“…and we are constantly humbled and amazed by what it has become.” Matt finishes, planting a flag on an upper tower. “Oh Joy Sex Toy gives time and space to diverse voices, stories and experiences related to the world of sex, relationships and simply being a human being.”
The view zooms out far, revealing that the trio is building their sandcastle on a lush little island in the middle of the sea. A shark fin surrounds the island and a huge tentacle emerges from the water.
Narration: In an Internet full of misinformation, fear and pain, this is an island of honesty and joy.
Erika and Matt appear again and say, “Happy 13th birthday, Oh Joy Sex Toy, and happy anniversary to you, dear reader, for however long you’ve been here with us.”
Erika, Matt and Ziggy high-five their elaborate sand castle.
“Thank you for supporting and keeping this project going for so, so long!” Greetings Matt.
“Fingers crossed: for another year!” Erika concludes.
Transcribed by Erika Moen on June 1, 2026 for ohjoysextoy.com