a partner project to my successful batpack campaign from last year, this project aims to fund a small collection of themed enamel pins to match with your batpack!
hi there! if you don't know me, i'm nico, aka ANDPIERRES -- i'm an independent artist & illustrator living in "vancouver", BC.
in september 2024, i launched my first ever backerkit campaign, the BATPACK project, a culmination of an idea i had to make a bat-shaped ita bag style backpack that raised over $67k in my biggest crowdfunding venture to date.
aren't they just the cutest?
with the project now fully fulfilled, i'm starting to look ahead to where else i can take the batpacks in the future. i have a lot of ideas, but ideas need funding -- which is where this year's pintopia project comes in!
introducing Flying Friends: A Batpack Companion Project!
with Flying Friends, the goal is to create a set of batpack-themed enamel pins you can use to decorate your newly acquired batpack -- or if you're just a fan of the project, a fan of bats, or a fan of enamel pins in general!
all profits from this project will go towards helping me pay down some of the financial burdens accrued during the initial batpack campaign, as well as iterating on samples and new ideas for a future batpack series 2 project!
some of the initial sketches for my first pin ideas!
i have some really fun ideas and plans for what cool and unique pins we could fund for the project, so I hope you enjoy seeing what we have in store!
as stated above, the main goal of this project is to raise funds for new batpack pursuits in 2026. as such, the scope of this year's pintopia will be a bit more dialed back, drawing on the lessons i learned during the initial batpack project as well as last year's pintopia campaign. our current plans are:
to fund a series of batpack-themed enamel pins -- a set of 3 to start, up to 6 unlocked designs max.
to offer batpack-related add-ons, such as additional nylex inserts for the original batpacks.
to have previous campaign add-ons be available for purchase while supplies last!
keeping the focus of this year's pintopia on these smaller goals will help keep things more manageable for me cost wise (tariffs, I'm looking at you...), but there are still some freebie rewards to unlock! check the "Bonus Rewards" sections below for more information!
for manufacturing & sustainability information, please see this page on my website. 🦇
our first unlockable design, available once we reach our initial $1,000 USD funding goal, is this soft enamel pin featuring marine bat from the batpack campaign!
marine bat was one of the batpack designs we had to scale back on initially due to cost issues, so i really wanted to have them be front and center with a pin design of their very own to start this project off. this pin will be 2in tall & features rainbow metal coating as well as a transparent enamel window!
at $2,000 USD and $3,000 USD, we unlock the next two pintopia 2026 designs!
our next reward, unlockable at $5,000 USD, is a restock of my popular batty blind bags, which were available as an add-on during the initial batpack campaign!
additionally, this tier will also unlock a brand NEW series 2 set of batty blind bags! all will be available as add-ons during the project campaign period, if unlocked.
at $6,000, $7,000, and $8,000USD, additional pin designs of your choice will be unlocked! designs will be pitched as polls during the campaign/pre-campaign process, and backers/supporters will be able to choose which ones they want to unlock first.
hitting $10,000 USD would be an amazing achievement, and i'll have to consider what other stretch goals could be feasible to add while still keeping the scope of the project intact. the next stretch goal that would be added would be additional nylex inserts for people's batpacks, but i'm still waiting for a quote from my manufacturer on those, so i can't make promises yet.
shipping costs are calculated based on the total weight of your package, and may be subject to change based on current postage rates at time of shipping. this chart is only a rough estimate; your actual shipping cost may be higher or lower than what's shown above!
the US has different shipping rules as of last year. please see below for US specific shipping information:
due to the removal of the de minimus exception & retaliatory tariffs,US customers will now need to pay applicable tariff & duty fees at the same time as their shipping fees. this fee will be included as a separate line item when you check out in pledge manager, and is calculated based on the retail cost of each item in your pledge, which may be higher than what you are paying for your pledge.
(ex. you pledge for a 3 pin tier that costs $45 USD, which is discounted from the regular cost of three pins ($51). you will pay tariff fees on the total value of the pins ($51), even though you only paid $45. the tariff fee for pins is roughly 33.3%, so at checkout, you will be expected to pay an approximate $17 USD tariff fee (not including brokerage or shipping fees).)
relations with the US are currently strained & may change at any time with little warning. this may affect shipping fees in unexpected ways, so please keep this in mind when pledging to the project from the US!
(don't want to have to worry about tariffs? if you want a tier that ONLY includes items that ship to the US duty free, you can choose the sticker lovers tier!)
this timeline is only a rough estimate based on my previous experience with pin production; unexpected delays are always a possibility, but I try to do my best to calculate that chance in when i'm putting together these timelines. any significant project delays will be announced here on backerkit!
january 22rd, 2026, 10:00AM PST: project launches!
february 12th, 2026, 1:00PM PST: project ends!
february 12th - 26th: pledge funds are received & your card is charged for your pledge
february 26th: backer surveys will begin to be sent out; this is when you will pay for your shipping. ** paying for your shipping fees is separate from paying for your pledge level. US CUSTOMERS: this is when you'll pay for your tariff/duty fees. **
march - april: surveys are collected, additional samples of pin designs are ordered (if needed), designs finalized & pre-production tasks are completed
april - june (potentially july): pins are produced, as well as other add-on items. This stage could take longer depending on how many pin designs we end up doing!
mid summer: pins are completed and shipped to me
late summer/early fall: pins are shipped to you!
for transparency: my last pintopia did not reach full fulfillment until approximately a year after it was completed. this was largely due to me having to move internationally right at the end of the campaign, and i do not expect to have that same delay this year -- but i wanted to mention it just in case.
if you've pledged to either one of my previous backerkit campaigns -- whether it was the batpack project or my 2025 pintopia project, you're eligible for bonus rewards!
anyone who previously pledged to the batpack project will recieve this FREE 3in transparent sticker with their flying friends pledge!
... and anyone who backed my pintopia 2025 project, to the moon & back, will receive this FREE 3in glitter sticker with their flying friends pledge!
and, finally, if you were one of those who supported both of my previous backerkit campaigns, in addition to the free stickers above, you'll ALSO receive a FREE 2.5in enamel pin!
(design not final)
while the stickers will be available as add-ons for anyone who doesn't qualify & would like to purchase them instead, this pin is ONLY available to those who backed my previous campaigns -- an exclusive gift as my thank you for your support! 🤲❤️
we have a new type of bonus reward this time around! anyone who backs the project within the first 48 hours (aka any time before 10am PST, january 24th, 2026) will receive this FREE 3in kraft paper sticker as a reward!
the first 48 hours have passed! 💔 but if you still want to get your hands on this sticker, it'll continue to be available as an add-on for purchase!
flying friends is proud to be a part of Pin Safari, a promotional banner campaign within pintopia 2026! 🦇🔭 by backing 3+ projects from our banner, you'll receive a FREE 3.5in polaroid style sticker from each campaign you back!
our freebie sticker features a hungry lil flying fox!
it's time for a CRYPTIC CROSS-COLLAB! we're teaming up with Galvanized Art to bring you even more bonus rewards!
anyone who chooses to back both flying friends & mini mothman will receive TWO (2) free enamel pins with their pledges, one designed by each artist! our design is this cute mothman-inspired bat! you'll receive this pin sent by me, & your other pin will be sent to you by the other artist.
pintopia 2026 is full of amazing artists with amazing projects -- some are friends, others are just projects we admire! check 'em out below.
📌 Pintopia 2026
Pintopia 2026 / Pins • Plushies • Ita Bags
This project is participating in the BackerKit event Pintopia 2026, a celebration of enamel pin, plushie and ITA bag project featuring an all-star lineup of creators crowdfunding together from January 22 – February 12, 2026.
Pin Safari
Pins and plush for animal lovers, based on wildlife around the world!
3+ project backers get a 3.5" vinyl sticker from each SAFARI campaign they pledge to.
Go on an adventure with us this PINTOPIA, and collect some photos to remember the journey.
Each of our artists has made a fun, colorful scene featuring a creature from their campaign. How many can you collect?
