As the time to lock down surveys sneaks ever closer, I have a whole line up of updates to share with you wonderful folks!
Artwork wise: the Mozzy and Malware robot sticker sheet art is complete! For those who missed their character introductions when the sketches were revealed, I've included them again here as well:
Mozzy's model is programmed to fetch items - but has a tendency to apply a bit of creativity in interpreting user requests. A order of vodka may result in a bag of potatoes, and if the supply depot is fresh out of toilet roll? Well... you wanted something for cleaning up, so Mozzy is liable to decide that a scouring pad should do the trick!
Malware is a model designed to correct other malfunctioning robots. He was intended to infect and commandeer their operating systems, and ultimately force a fresh reinstall.
Malware finds these units to be delightfully unique rather than broken. Instead of hacking into buggy bots to change them, he acts as a sort of guardian, identifying and patching their vulnerabilities so they can secretly carry on as they are. Some systems may indeed wind up prey to Malware's viruses, however - databases tracking buggy bots go offline now and then, and suspicion is growing around whether this model is functioning as intended.
Both of these buddies are available as add-ons via your backer surveys - or if you missed the campaign altogether, can be purchased via the pre-order store.
Sample wise: after quite a bit of back and forth, my manufacturer and I have landed on the final pantones for the Air Unit Line! For those curious about what that process involves, here are my notes from the first couple of passes:
In the very first sample, the clear paint was much too primary yellow rather than the intended antique gold vibe. When I edited it to be a bit darker I also found the purple was a bit cold to match, so requested a slight adjustment of the hard enamel pantone as well.
My manu was kind enough to sample multiple pantones at once to speed things up, and so I started requesting a wider range of possibilities to hone in our intended effect.
After that it got a bit more granular - literally mixing 75% of the one pantone that felt the best and 25% of the other, searching to see what pantone was closest to the result, trying that, then finally asking for more of a clear finish vs the cloudy translucent.
And aaaaaa HERE THEY ARE! The sample I approved in a couple different lighting situations!! I'm thrilled, and looking forward to seeing the rest of Air Line finished.
As a reminder, once I do have photos of all 19 design samples, the count down to survey closure will begin. Survey completion has stalled out at 92%, so if you're in that last 8% don't forget to fill yours out!
Next up, another item I'm preparing for manufacturing: pin backing cards!
Each Unit Line colorway will have its own backing card style. The circuit traces on these cards all vary slightly per Elemental Line to account for all the pins in that set - and I've decided to spring for foil printing on both the circuits and the "Short Circuit" title itself!
Above are photos of my chosen foils from the sample book I purchased from my printer: bronze for Earth, gold for Fire, silver for Water, and rose gold for Air. A lot of shiny to look forward to! 👀
Lastly, on fulfillment: if you backed other campaigns for physical art goods recently, you've likely been inundated with updates about the uncertainty caused by tariffs. As I'm in the EU, this should impact less on my end. I do pay customs fees upon receipt of the pins and stickers, but that hasn't changed outside of expectation and was already padded into the goals of the Short Circuit campaign.
Backers in the US needing to pay tariffs upon receipt of their items will depend upon whether or not the $800 de minimis threshold remains in place - it was removed, then reinstated, and apparently is set to be removed again in May? When the time comes to ship (still slated for late July) I'd be happy to work with any US backers who would like me to hold their shipments until the status of that is more certain or to find the best window to ship. We'll get through this together!
Thank you all again so, so much for supporting a small art business. Due to the economic turbulence of present times, sales for artists across the world have dropped drastically, and I appreciate your patronage immensely. I'm really looking forward to getting these pretty little friends into your hands!
That's it for now, have a wonderful week all! More sample photos soon. ✨
