Hello again Everyone! I hope you all are well. We have Mammoth news so let's get right to it!

BackerKit Survey lockdown
I wanted to send out a quick update today to remind everyone that TOMORROW, May 16th, is the lockdown date for the Prehistoric Mammoths surveys! This is the last call for add-ons (including the exclusive Snowy 2-pack) and to submit your mailing address, though you can modify it in the future by request at any time before the fulfillment period. Cards on file for post-campaign add-ons and shipping will be charged tomorrow around noon EST. So if you need to add anything else, now is time to lock the items in at their absolute lowest price.

Tariff Update
And in the latest tariff news- we fortunately saw the China tariffs paused, dropping recently to 30%, down from 145%, for at least the next 90 days. Considering how far along these Mammoth figures are now I think it's within reason to expect these to ship from the factory within this window. After exploring some fulfillment alternatives, I've decided to keep our main fulfillment in the US, with UK and EU fulfillment shipping from the UK as usual. There will be no adjustments or added shipping costs due to tariffs for backers or anyone who's preordered. However, I should mention that preorder and standard prices could still increase for upcoming releases by as much as 10% in the near future. But, whatever price you've purchase at, you'll be locked in at that price with no additional costs for tariffs.
Now, onto the stars of the show- the Wooly Mammoth action figures!

We have Test Shots!
Our very first Mammoth test shot figures are in and are looking fantastic! For those unfamiliar, 'test shot' is a term used for the first plastic-injected figures after the completion of steel tooling molds. By shooting the liquid plastic into the new molds, the molds are tested for any injection issues (hence test shot). You can usually spot a test shot by its unusual coloring, which is a result of the factory using whatever leftover plastic beads they have on-hand from recent projects. This makes each test shot a unique one-of-a-kind piece!



1/18th scale adult Wooly Mammoth

These test shots are a great first attempt in action figure form, but as expected, they aren't without a few flaws. 

The most obvious one (to me) is that the bendy wires are not present in the trunks yet, but that step may have been left out on purpose if they're just testing the molds.

Some of the range of motion could be pushed further like on the jaw and elbows specifically. Disc joints in the front legs (arms) are also very stiff.

And the alternate tusks for the large 1/18th scale adult have not been completed yet, so we only have the standard ones to show for now.

These notes have been passed along to the factory to improve the next set of samples. It's all part of the process.

This one is indeed a big boy, coming in at well over 3.5 pounds! (1.64 kg).  And no, I didn't spill tamale sauce on its belly- it's a marbling pigment mixed in with the white. Very unique!


Baby Wooly Mammoth (calf)

The simplest of the three figures and possibly the most adorable action figure we've made so far. This little one functions perfectly!

Despite its small size, it still packs a lot of articulation and expressive movement. 

1/35th scale adult Wooly Mammoth

While smaller in stature, the 1/35th version will be the one to 'play' with.

Maintaining all the same articulation as the larger version, this one is sure to be one that you won't want to put down. The smaller size makes posing a breeze.

So many tusk combinations!

Overall, these are pretty great and function very well for a first pass.

Okay, that gets us caught up on everything for now.  Remember, you can follow our projects daily via Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, or visit the 'News' section of my website updated each week. And be sure to sign up for our newsletter at creative-beast.com for project news, preview videos, promotions and monthly gift card giveaways!

Thank you all as always for your support. Take care and until next time!

David

Lockdown date extended! 

Greetings! In my last update, it was announced that tomorrow, April 18th, would be the lockdown date here on BackerKit for submitting address information, payment information, and making final selections for your order. After lockdown, cards would be charged for shipping and any additional add-on items. As of this writing, 79% of the backer surveys have been completed. Please contact me if you're having trouble accessing your survey.

In light of the recent global developments involving tariffs, I’ve decided to postpone the lockdown date one more month to May 16th. With this situation still seemingly being unsettled, the hope is that we’ll learn more in the coming month regarding how the tariffs will actually effect our situation. As I’m sure you’re all aware, our production factory is located in China, like nearly all action figures, so the new tariffs pose a significant challenge for everyone in our industry. Despite this, we still have every intention of moving forward and delivering these figures as intended. If delays become necessary along the way for any reason, I’ll make an announcement here in a future update as well as on my social media channels.

The main reason for the lockdown postponement is a possible adjustment to the shipping costs as we currently look into potential fulfillment alternatives outside of the US. Please know that our preference still remains to ship the bulk of our orders from the US as usual, but we are now obligated to explore all contingences. Depending on the location of our primary fulfillment, some shipping rates may increase while others decrease. Again, this is not a confirmed change, but if this does become necessary, I will be sure to update you all on what to expect and how this affects the shipping costs. In any case, I expect to have more news on this in future updates.

Current Project Status
As for the current status of the project. The tooling stage is finishing up now and I expect to have new test shots to show within the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Package art First Look!
We'll wrap things up on a positive note with the first look at the package art for the Wooly Mammoth Snowy -2 pack exclusive by Gabriel Ugueto!

For backers still on the fence about the Snowy 2-Pack, it will be available to add to your BackerKit order for one more month! 

That's all the news for now.  But in the meantime, you can always follow progress on all of our projects via Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, or visit the 'News' section of my website updated every week. You can also sign up for our newsletter at creative-beast.com for all project news, preview videos, promotions and monthly gift card giveaways!

Thank you all very much your support. Take care and watch for the next update!

David