One of the biggest stories of this week in webcomics, and one that Brigid has already briefly touched on, is the more widespread exposure of the pay-for-play service, Assetbar. Before this week, the only notable webcomic to take advantage of this pseudo-subscription-based,  fanbase barometer was Achewood. Now, both Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub have linked up their respective strips to this fan club of sorts and the floodgates are sure to follow, being opened by the sheer force of webcomics creators eager to share more of their already public lives with their readers.

As a fan of a ridiculous amount of webcomics and the proud owner of a Paypal account (which is a possible source of income for all Assetbar transactions), I can’t wait to get some bonus features and additional content for strips I’ve come to love over the years. As a creator, I really hope to develop a property that might utilize this exciting new addition to an already extremely kinetic medium.

As a primer, I can tell you that I have added the PvP and Octopus Pie FanFlows to my assets (yes, there are various terms and names you will have to know in order to effectively use this, suck it up) and the content thus far is great, if obvious stuff for any diehard fan. It includes:

• Strips in a larger format (PvP)
• The opportunity to comment on strips and have your comment “cheered” or “jeered” (both)
• Sketches and pencil layers of upcoming or current strips (both)
• Videos featuring the creation of a strip (PvP, thus far)
• Script excerpts (PvP)

If any of this sounds right up your alley, then get your check/money order ready and click to the Assetbar site now! The best thing is that the content is decided by the creator of the Flow, so the possibilities are nearly limitless as to what content fans might have access to. There’s also an enticing bit about setting up your own shop and getting a cut of whatever you sell, but I’m too focused on the fan content right now to delve further into that aspect.

Still, this is more than enough to warrant a look at this new creative tool and any creator with a healthy fanbase owes it to him/herself to give it a shot. I await the Penny Arcade FanFlow with baited breath and two dollar bill in hand.