Delayed but Dedicated: The Current Status of “Something’s Wrong with Sunny Day Jack” (Patreon)

Dear Patrons,

We want to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and enthusiasm for Something’s Wrong With Sunny Day Jack. Your excitement fuels our passion, and it pains us to share this difficult news with you.

It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that the release of Something’s Wrong With Sunny Day Jack will not be happening this Halloween or this fall as we had hoped.

Over the past few months, our team has faced a series of unexpected challenges that have significantly impacted our production timeline. 

As some of you are aware, we previously had to let go of our previous programmer, which you can read here and here.

Becoming An Actual Business

Since June I've successfully registered SnaccPop Studios as an LLC within the U.S., making sure we meet all the necessary state requirements, which you can read more about here and here. Once that was taken care of, I applied for and received an EIN from the IRS, which helps us establish our business identity for tax and banking purposes.

After that, I filed IRS Form 8832 to elect C-corporation status for our tax classification. With the EIN and business registration all set, I opened a dedicated business bank account to keep our finances separate from our personal accounts.

Next, I worked with a lawyer to address our legal needs, including drafting and reviewing contracts to ensure we're compliant with industry regulations. I also reached out to a tax advisor to help manage our C-corp obligations and develop an effective tax strategy.

For our financial management, I brought on board a financial accountant to take charge of bookkeeping, track our expenses, and prepare our financial statements.

Right now, I’m in the process of customizing contracts for our contractors, paying careful attention to our unique payment structure and task requirements so we can kick off production once again.

~ Ane, Studio Head of SnaccPop Studios

SAG STRIKE

In July, the industry faced significant labor actions. SAG-AFTRA, one of the largest performer unions, went on strike against video game companies after 18 months of unsuccessful negotiations regarding AI protections for performers. There are growing concerns about companies using AI to replicate actors without their consent or fair compensation. We stand in solidarity with the union and our voice actors. To avoid jeopardizing their potential entry into the union, we’ve made the difficult decision to put all voice acting in our games at SnaccPop Studios on hold.

The SAG-AFTRA voice actor strike in the video game industry arose from concerns over issues like fair wages, working conditions, and the use of technology in performance capture and artificial intelligence. Voice actors sought improved contracts that would ensure better compensation, transparency regarding the use of their recordings, and protections against the exploitation of their work.

For voice actors who cross the picket line—whether union or non-union—the consequences can be significant. Union members who defy the strike risk facing disciplinary actions from SAG-AFTRA, which could include fines, loss of membership, or being barred from future union jobs. Non-union actors might face reputational damage within the industry, potentially limiting their future opportunities. They may also be prevented from joining unions in the future.

REVENUE AND MID-PREVIOUS MANAGEMENT

Currently, we are awaiting the transfer of SnaccPop’s revenue and the Kickstarter funds for SDJ from our former management.

To explain, when our previous management left, we had a temporary middle management team step in. Initially, there were plans to fully transfer the studio into their care. However, after receiving lukewarm reactions to SnaccPop content created during their tenure and a lack of communication from them, as well their academic life overwhelming them, the decision was reversed.

The secondary previous management team has since split up. One person is continuing to work on SnaccPop content, another has stepped back due to scheduling conflicts and other issues, and the third person has formally separated.

The head of the three remaining members and the active financial and productive manager requested a portion of the SDJ Kickstarter funds to oversee production further. After their departure, we have been waiting for them to return the total amount of SnaccPop treasury funds they hold. This was initially delayed to issues with PayPal, Wise, Western Union, etc. and most recently an issue with previous management’s bank account and transfer limits. Rest assured, we are committed to ensuring the SDJ Kickstarter funds and remaining revenue are returned back to us.

HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND COMPUTER ISSUES

I wanted to share a bit about my journey with Something’s Wrong With Sunny Day Jack (SDJ) and what’s been happening lately. As some of you might know, working on this project has come with its fair share of challenges for me.

When I first started SDJ, I had big dreams and a budget that I naively crafted with the idea that I would tackle most of the work myself—scripting in NaniNovel, creating the artwork, and doing all the writing. My heart was in the right place, but as the project progressed, it became clear that this approach invited quite a few hurdles along the way.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is my ongoing battle with some personal health issues, which I’m becoming more open about. Since the early days of SDJ, I’ve been dealing with multiple mental and physical health concerns, including C-PTSD, ADHD, ASD, depression, anxiety, and the process of grieving. These challenges may sound like just mental bumps in the road, but I assure you they’ve deeply affected me, both physically and mentally, and on top of that, I’ve had various home-life issues to juggle.

At first, I pushed through these challenges, but over the past couple of years, things have gotten tougher due to some personal events that I can’t share in detail. Just know that they were significant and made my health struggles even harder.

As my ability to cope began to fade, I reached out for medical and psychiatric help, as I mentioned in previous updates. Unfortunately, those efforts haven’t worked out as I had hoped. After a misprescription of strong sedatives, I’ve had a tough time getting the treatment I really need.

While this started as my project, I understand that access to proper treatment is a privilege, and not everyone has the power to change their circumstances or the long-term effects they lead to. Given all this, I feel it’s time for SnaccPop to shift away from relying solely on me and Ane for content creation.

Despite the obstacles, I took on extra work after we parted ways with our original programmer and managed to produce Patreon content, rewards, and SDJ’s current demo. However, that added workload only piled on more stress and burnout.

Then, this month brought another blow: both my main computer, which held SDJ’s latest progress and assets, and my backup hard drive with 2TB of work crashed within the same week. This loss wasn’t just about SDJ; it impacted my entire workspace, personal art, resources, and private files. Photos of someone who is no longer with me and whom I miss every day. I miss them so much and was devastated at the thought, the possibility that the last pieces I had of them were gone. They didn’t fully understand what I did when they were here, but they were proud of me and encouraged me nonetheless. Both my computer and hard drive are still being repaired, and updates on that have been slow. Then, my iPad started acting up when I would draw, and I'm decently sure it's decided it's finished with heavy duty work.

Just the other day, I was able to purchase a new desktop. I'm able to draw again.

As of now, we know most of SDJ is saved. All of TGoGM, DachaBo, and AD's concept art is saved. I say most of SDJ because there was about 200 gb worth of items in the folder and I have no way of knowing if one or two odd things are lost. But it was backed up to OneDrive AND a new hard drive shortly before the hard drive died.

Right now, I’m in the wait-and-see phase with my hard drive data recovery, and I promise to keep everyone in the loop as things develop. However, I have to be honest; I haven’t been doing well since the last update. I’ve been taking steps toward improving my health and trying to distance myself from negativity, but the road to recovery still feels uncertain. Thanks for being here, and for your understanding!

~ JambeeBot, SDJ, AD, DCB, and TGoGM Creator

Currently, all contractors are going through the rehiring process as I customize and send out each tax form, work contract, agreement, etc., that they need to read, agree to, and sign—approximately ~160 total documents, give or take. No one can perform labor, and I cannot pay anyone until these are all sent out. I have been struck with the flu, which has hindered the progress of getting these out. Recently, I went to the doctor’s to get an analysis on a scan I had months prior. They discovered a tumor. They do not know if it’s benign, cancerous, or requires surgery, I’ll have to wait to get a referral from my primary care provider to a specialist to know anything further. In the meantime, outside of future doctor’s appointments, I’ll still be doing everything I can administrative and creative wise to get SnaccPop production started again.

We have wanted to work on these projects as much as you have wanted to see, hear, and enjoy them. We are just a small indie studio where most contractors wear as many hats as they can and work when they’re able. Often, JambeeBot and I are working solo. They worked on an entire new build of SDJ demo, including all new sprites, CGs, and writing. I am in the midst of creating new accounts, calling and emailing representatives, negotiating, writing/customizing paperwork, etc. all while fighting the flu and finding out about having a tumor. We are human beings, just like you. We get sick, we burn out, we have to eat, drink, sleep, etc. on top of everything else that happens in our personal lives. You are free and have every right to cancel your Patreon membership when we are on hiatus and come back when we post IP content updates more frequently. We hope to get everything running again as soon as we are able. It was never our intention to let anyone down, your donations are safely tucked away until production starts again, we are doing our absolute best.

~ Ane, Studio Head of SnaccPop Studios

AFTERWARDS

We understand that this news is disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for not being able to deliver the game as originally scheduled. Please know that our commitment to bringing you a high-quality and immersive experience remains unwavering. We are working tirelessly to overcome these obstacles and resume production as soon as possible.

Your support and understanding mean the world to us during this difficult time. We have one more announcement coming soon about SnaccPop moving forward.

Thank you for being a part of our journey and for your continued patience.

With heartfelt gratitude,

The SnaccPop Studios Team