Good afternoon, bird gang!

It's been a busy one over here, but, I got the final pin photos from my factory, and just paid off the second half of GOLDEN AGE PARROTS' production costs.

We are officially in the home stretch for GAP.

I am waiting on a tracking number to finally plan fulfillment dates, but it's in the cards for April. I'm satisfied with the quality, communication and prices from this factory, but we are definitely behind schedule and a little slower - as expected. I'll make my timeline estimate a little more generous for future projects.

Packing slips and stickers are already assigned, so I'll spend a few hours getting shop listings for stickers + pins set up. Retail sales for some stock will begin shortly, with items available in-person at Anthrocon in July.

Until I know when stuff's arriving, there's not much more I can say.

I guess, if you backed CRITTER CRIMES, go see if your survey is filled out yet! They got sent out two days ago, and we need about a hundred more backers to turn out.

Did you not back CRITTER CRIMES? Want some pins? I have both CRIMES pins, stickers, washi tape, and our 2025 charity PRIDE PARROTS up and ready to fly. Check out the preorder store!

Good afternoon, bird gang!

Just a quick one for you today, before I head to the evening shift. I got some more photos from the factory today.

Here's a nice selection of our 2", 1.5" and GUNBIRD pins. Plus, one of our custom characters for the $400 tier: Oboe!

There's something to note here, though, for everyone who doesn't deal with overseas enamel work. The only pin photos that are color accurate here are the GUNBIRDS and our Crow and Cartoon crow. Please don't be concerned: everything else looks a little bit darker and more washed out than the pins you will be getting in the mail.

Factory photos are taken with the light of a single Yankee candle and a Nick Click. High quality product pictures are my job... or, the job of the local I'm paying in braised pork belly and afternoon custody of my dog.

We will have some better ones once they arrive.

At this time, my factory rep says all pins are either being finished up, or are packaged and ready to go out.

Barring any customs or freight shenanigans, I am expecting them to get to the HUSTLE within 1-3 weeks.

All addresses and selections for GOLDEN AGE PARROTS pins are finalized, but, if you absolutely have to make changes or can't go without one of these shiny little guys, you are welcome to contact me at [email protected]. I can't guarantee anything, but, it's worth a go.

I'll be doing a shop inventory for current stock to make way for GAP stuff some time in the next 2 weeks. I'm not sure when they'll be up, but I will be listing the 3" sticker stock a little bit before pins go up.

My focus after this will be on Anthrocon prep, CRITTER CRIMES... which ends in about 9 hours. Have you checked it out yet? Everything is unlocked, it's a really great time to back without fear of a preferred design or item being missed.

There's some great pins in this one, and if you're getting this email, you'll get a free Barn Owl pin just for backing!

That's all, for now. I'll poke you guys again when I have a confirmed arrival date, and fulfillment dates.

Take it easy this afternoon!

Good afternoon, bird gang! Been a while.

I am here to tell you that production has started, post-CNY, on GOLDEN AGE PARROTS' pins. Unfortunately, I don't have photos yet, but I should sooner rather than later. Pins were paid back at the end of December, and machine vectors are finally set to go.

It's been a difficult few months for a lot of creators. There's been some extremely stupid, nonsensical shakeups in terms of imports and tariffs that affect most of us. GOLDEN AGE PARROTS is currently not expecting any hiccups from any of this.

With the new factory, I don't have an exact time estimate. These guys do good work, but they're not the fastest on the block: I'm guessing between 6 to 8 weeks till we're ready to ship. Just like photos, once I have a better timeframe, you'll be the first to hear.

Finally, If you are the last custom pin backer, please reach out to me - let's finish your guy up so he's ready to ship with the other birds.

Other than that, until these birds hit my doorstep, it's a new year and it's time for something new.

It's no secret GOLDEN AGE PARROTS didn't do the numbers I needed it to, and it's been a whole lot of lessons to learn at once. But, hard feelings or not, I have to move on and learn from it. This year absolutely destroyed me financially, emotionally and creatively, but the show must go on. According to extensive, welcome feedback from backers...

I'm launching CRITTER CRIMES on February 25th, once again here on BackerKit. Did you like BIRD CRIMES? This one's for you!

Most, if not all, of CRITTER CRIMES' unlock goals have been revealed - and there's more to achieve, including a back vote at $10k. There's a wide selection of critters, including a conniving raccoon, a fraudster deer, a genocidal feral cat, and all of their heinous little accomplices.

If you're getting this email, you've pledged to my projects before. Did you know you're eligible for free pins this time around?

Back any physical tier on CRITTER CRIMES to continue the BIRD CIRMES with a Barn Owl. And, if you're a pin collector, why not cash in your bulk buying tendencies for another free Sparkledog?

A whole lot of HUSTLE customers also voted for me to re-issue the PRIDE PARROTS pins from 2021. The numbers were close, and the timing works out: if things go well, I'll be fulfilling the CRIMES campaign in early summer. So, I'm bundling the two.

Grab any of these four designs (or, all of them for a discount), for a $2 donation to GMHC on each bird. Let's feed the frontlines of HIV crisis management this year - the government sure isn't doing it.

Good afternoon, bird gang!

So, I sent an email to the GAP factory about potentially doing the upcoming CRITTER CRIMES for me (are you following that campaign yet? you should be!) At the end of a load of detailed, mechanical, technical bullshit, I dropped a "hey, hope stuff is going well on Golden Age."

I didn't expect production photos of our pins! It looks like things are going pretty fast.

Here's some scandalous, half-naked enamel pins, mid production, for everyone to enjoy. Here's our Dutch gunbird and our lutino cockatiels - pre-cheeks!

Don't look quite right yet? You're right. These guys are missing some fills, screenprint, and their shiny gold plating. Don't worry - they'll get there!

I don't know about you, but, the practice of making enamels has always been super cool to me. I'm always shocked how few people, not to mention, creators, actually know how it works... and how they don't always design pins with the process, or the people making them, in mind. Even if they're made in batches, they're a hand-made product, and a damn awesome art form of their own.

Maybe one day I'll do a big comic, or a write-up, about how it works for you guys.

There are some other photos of the male cockatiel pins, some 1.5"s, and the face minis. It's super cool to see, and I am very happy with how well this factory's been communicating with me.

I can't provide an exact estimate of how long pins will take to be finished, and get to me. I am going to assume my 4 to 6 week timeline as posted in the last update, barring any new information loosening or tightening that timeframe.

I got a notification from my sticker guys last night that my Winter 2024 order, including all of GAP's sheets and 3" birdies, was packed up and sent out from their office yesterday. So...

With all that lining up nicely, I am comfortable saying we are going to start fulfillment prep.

Work schedules worked out pretty nicely, and other than taking a fellow protein junkie to Costco to load up on cheap calories, I have this entire weekend free. Skip the jargon of this next section if you aren't interested - but, if you are, this is what that's gonna look like.

I will probably have my hands clean of GAP's mess(es) by AC, so, unfortunately, I am not offering convention pickup. Maybe for CRITTER CRIMES, though!

If you're interested in picking up anything from the store and combining shipping, you can do that in the next 3-4 weeks and specify it in a note - I'll refund the $5 flat for you (or whatever your international fee is).

It feels good to give you guys a terrible wordy update again. I hope at least one of you found it interesting.

I'll hit you up with a sticker unboxing post when those come in. Stay good for the rest of this week, guys. Thanks for sticking around.

...and, yeah, one last time, go follow CRITTER CRIMES. We launch in less than a week. Do it for the gay birds, if you don't want the mugshots.