The mischievous little giraffe comes to life to eat your dice! And he brought friends! They feature soft short plush fur, embroidered details, and magnets in his hands! G and friends are here to make you feel better and protect you from evil and sadness.
Hey there! And welcome to Create-A-Companion! Where companions for life, come to life! We are so happy to have you with us today.
In 2023 I started my web comic Create-A-Companion featuring Zarali and Geoffrey who work in a store together. From the very beginning, I wanted to bring Geoffrey the Giraffe and all of his friends to life as real plushies.
So I decided "What the heck. Let's do it!"
I'd be honored to get your pledge, big or small. So let's look at Geoffrey and Friends!
Geoffrey is a loving and caring plushie. Though he cannot speak, he expresses his love in other ways! In the comic series, Geoffrey is the companion of Zarali, the manager of the store. I came up with Geoffrey a hand full of years ago for a different comic series I worked on, but never published. With that, I retooled him into my mascot, and eventually into the mascot for Create-A-Companion.
The first Create-A-Companion Comic featuring Geoffrey and Z.
My goal was to capture a lot of his core elements in this plushy like his floppy horns, his fuzzy Mohawk, his red cheeks, and his cute brown spots. With magnets in his hands, he can also hold things like he does in the comic (and do pushups!).
Greggory, Hawkwin, and Chewy are Geoffrey's bestest friends! During work at Create-A-Companion, they're all very serious business, but outside of work, they enjoy to play game, read, and go on adventures. Geoffrey considers all of his friends the best party members anyone could have!
Greggory is Geoffrey's cousin who always likes to take care of Geoffrey. She's frequently concerned about his safety, so much so that if Geoffrey is doing anything seriously dangerous, she'll make sure Zarali knows about it. Greggory's favorite game is playing Companion Clash the card game, a card game where the rules seem to change depending on who sets up the session. Greggory is modeled after a giraffe with leucism and is designed to bring awareness to the condition.
Hawkwin is quite, their motions small and only as big as they need to be. However don't underestimate their ability to wrestle and brawl, as they are fairly capable of handling themselves (especially for a plushie their size). Their favorite activity is reading a good sci-fi book near a warm campfire under a sea of stars. Hawkwin is modeled after the in universe Moth-Bear Owl, a large bird often mistaken for a bear when hunched over in the woods. It's unique moth-like properties means it has "paws" along with it's giant wings, that when open, reveal a detailed pattern that mimics a gigantic "face".
Chewy is the talkative, headfirst into encounters sort of friend who will defend their companions in any argument or fight (even if there is no combatants)! Chewy loves action packed or high energy games, especially if they're able to win. Their favorite thing to do is form an "Adventurers Party", gearing their friends up for a special quest through the park in which they live in, and look for new games to play. Chewy is modeled after the ever adorable pink axolotl, the worlds favorite paedomorphic salamander.
There's even more friends and party members to meet in the stretch goals!
All plushies backed come with a free bonus, plus if you back in the first 48 hours, you get additional bonuses to make your Create-A-Companion experience even better!
A cozy and warm addition necessary for any plushie! Every adventuring companion needs a good scarf!
There will be a different sheet for each character, with universal compatibility across the board.
Scroll contains actual writing in the in-universe language. What secrets do these scrolls hold to be so powerful?
Heart and Scroll
The Scroll of Greater Heart Connection is the intertwining thread between your heart and your plushie's. Each scroll will be printed with a matching rune, spell information (Magic subject to availability depending on connection to Terra), and the name you choose for your Plushie! You will be asked in the backer survey what you'd like to name your Companion after the Campaign has concluded!
Along with the scroll of Greater Heart Connection, each plushie will come with a felt heart based on your personality request you choose in the survey. In the Stretch Goals, I hope to upgrade the felt hearts to plush hearts, with the rune marking the heart as a seal.
The different enchanted hearts (concept art).
Each heart represents a different core personality trait. This doesn't mean the plushie can't have multiple traits, the heart simply focuses on their most stand-out feature. For the felt heart, they won't be printed, just colored, and come with every plushie order. Printed hearts are available in the Stretch Goals.
Red is for Strength, giving the plushie unparalleled physical might!
Pin is for Smarts, allowing the plushie to inherently learn more, and think through situations.
Green is for Sense, letting the plushie feel when the energy is good or bad. They just know.
Purple is for Care, giving the plushie a higher capacity for compassion and maternal instinct.
Blue is for Will, giving the plushie the desire to keep going, no matter what.
Yellow is for Voice, letting the plushie be a natural smooth talker, singer, or all around charisma expert!
note; no electronic voice options are available at this time - if the plushie does begin to speak and you aren't expecting it to, please seek out your local Cleric.
Previously a backer? You'll also receive a life size apron as my show of thanks. I really appreciate your continued support, and welcome you into the Create-A-Companion family!
About the referral reward; All backer surveys will have a "Who Referred You?" section that will let you type in the name of the person who referred you to the project! As long as that person matches the name of someone who also pledged, you'll receive this reward! For more info, check the FAQ page.
As someone backing this campaign, there are three main tiers!
Enamel Pin Tier
Plushie Tier
Plushie Bundle Tier
Backing one of those main tiers will come with their unique bonuses (see above), plus a hand written thank you from me (and for the plushie tier, a hand written thank you from the plushie selected). I'll also have non reward tiers like a tip tier in case you just want to support the project for any amount because you believe in it.
All pins are $14 (USD) and as they unlock, become part of the pin tier! See the Stretch Goals track to see all pins that can be unlocked. As they become available, I'll be listing them below.
All plushies are $60 (USD), and as they unlock, become part of the plushie tier! See the Stretch Goals track to see all plushies that can be unlocked. As they become available, I'll be listing them below.
Geoffrey Plushie (Unlocked at Project Goal)
Of course what's a plushie experience without accessories? That's why I have a bundle tier for backers looking to accessorize!
Bundling not only makes the pre-order easier, but you get a discount for that specific accessory!
Additional Bundles!
As more accessories are unlocked, more bundles will become available! I'm personally looking forward to the cool shapes shirt bundle.
Plushie: Despot, King Lord of the Red Dragons | $13,000
Accessory: Plush Plushie Goggles | $14,000
Accessory: Plushie Apron (ALL Colors) | $14,000
Plushie: Strawberry the Gelly Cube | $15,000
Accessory: Bardic Cap | $16,000
Add-On: Adventure Coloring Book | $16,000
Plushie: Judas the Gargoyle | $17,000
Accessory: Bardic Jerkin | $18,000
Accessory: Jester Cap | $18,000
Plushie: Snow | $19,000
Accessory: Kimono (White) | $20,000
Add-On: 14" Geoffrey Cuddle Pillow | $20,000
Plushie: Timni the Grobin | $21,000
Accessory: Plushie Adventurer Bag | $22,000
Add-On: Castle Packaging (Design and Shape Not Final) | $25,000
More Stretch Goals to Come!
If we make it this far, well I'll be absolutely floored. However I'll also have more goals to reveal with new party members, new accessories, and new add-ons!
All pins are hard enamel with a gold finish. Each pin is back stamped with my logo as a seal of authenticity, which guarantees you get the best I have to offer. This set, at their tallest, will be 1 ½ inches tall/long, with the exception of chewy who may come out slightly longer due to their tail.
Below are samples of my previous works.
Left: Warlock pin from D&P set. Middle: Fighter pin from D&P set. Right: Artificer pin from D&P set.
Left: Barbarian pin from D&P set. Middle: Example of my logo branding the back of my pins. Right: LE DM pin from D&P set.
Each plushie is designed with cuddly-ness and cuteness in mind. With unique facial expressions and slightly different heights, each plushy has their own charm. I wanted to design each one to express themselves rather than just a simple smile.
Shipping is charged after the campaign has concluded and will be collected at the same time as pledges. This ensures the cost of shipping is accurate and account for any bonuses.
All items will be shipped together unless requested or noted otherwise. Any bonuses and extras will be shipped in the same packaging as the main item ordered.
Below are cost estimates for how much shipping will be in your area as well as time frame after receiving the plushies and pins. All shipping rates are subject to change.
All pledges from outside the USA may be subject to VAT, import fees, or taxes not accounted for when the label is purchased. In this case, the backers of the project are responsible for these fees, and I cannot refund or replace any packages that are lost or returned due to these fees going unpaid. If a package is returned to sender (e.g. me), I will contact you so we can attempt sending it again, at the cost of a new label. For more information, please see the FAQ.
This timeline is an estimate and is dependent on factors such as backers completing payments, Backers filling out surveys, BackerKit sending the funds to me, manufacturing,receiving, quality assessment, etc. If anything is changed, it'll be posted in the Updates tab of the project. Thank you for your understanding!
March4th - April 5th: BackerKit Campaign
April 6th - April 12th: Pledges collected by BackerKit
April 6th - April 14th: Backers fill out Surveys. (Please do not forget to fill out your survey. This lets me know how many of what designs I am producing!)
Mid to Late April: Finalize order with manufacturer
Late May - Late June: Receive products from manufacturer
Late June- MidAugust: Buffer Time! (This *shouldn't* be needed, however just in case anything goes wrong, this extra time should help with manufacturing, receiving, etc. If all goes well, this buffer will be replaced with inspection and shipping!)
LateJune- MidSeptember: Receive, inspect, Process, and ship out pins, plushies, etc., to all backers! (Everyone will receive a final notice when all products are ready to ship to confirm your address is correct!)
All funding will be directly used for producing the pins and getting them to you, the backers. 10% in BackerKit fees, 15% in shipping (from the manufacturer to me, and from me to you), and 75% in manufacturing cost which includes the pins, plushies, bonuses, etc.
FULFILLMENT:
A survey will be sent out to all backers after the campaign comes to a close. The survey will ask you for your choice in pin(s) (for the pin tier) / plushie (for the plushie tier) and if applicable, accessories and additional add-ons. Please be sure that your mailing and billing/payment info is correct! There will be an additional request for final addresses once I receive the products.
Every product will be inspected by me and double inspected by my partner to ensure that every backer gets the best quality.
Packing and shipping will be handled by me. Every pin will have a backing card and sent out in a reinforced bubble mailer with any bonus' available. All plushies will be mailed out in reinforced cardboard boxes and packaged with care to ensure your new friend is protected from any damage.
Once the package has been received by the courier/postal service, it is their responsibility to get it to you unharmed and in tact. If you have issues with receiving it, please contact your local post.
My name is Chris and I'm the artist, mind, and owner behind Lefty's Comics! You can find my work and social links through my website at LeftysComics.com. I love the universes I craft and always enjoy sharing them with others.
While I'm newer to Pin creating, my first pin series on Kickstarter was an absolute success for me. I instantly knew that crowdfunding places like Kickstarter and BackerKit were an efficient way of sharing my work with other people. You can find my first Kickstarter here. There's a supportive community here who lets me do what I enjoy. I can share my designs with everyone and know that people will feel a connection. I want to continue that.
All designs are my own original creations. Everything I draw and design is either physical or digital. My tools of choice is Adobe Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint using my Huion Camvas 22 Pro, or ProCreate on my iPad Mini 6.
One of my dreams is to make Create-A-Companion a recognizable brand that's able to travel to the people to make someone's day magical. This project is the first steps to achieve that, and I will continue working out the details on how to further that motive.
With every pre-order made, more original designs can be created and produced.
How does BACKERKIT work?
If you're not familiar with BackerKit or Kickstarter, it allows you to pledge a tiered amount to a project you believe in, or a Pre-Order-like project you want to see succeed! You choose the reward you wish to obtain from backing the project financially, and receive said reward when it's ready!
The best part is you pay when the BackerKit project is successful. E.g., pledge now, pay later! During the campaign, you can change/edit your pledge, even selecting a different tier if you'd like, get additional add-ons, etc. The more pledges there are, the more Stretch goals are unlocked, meaning more plushies, more pins, more accessories, and more bonuses for everyone!
If the BackerKit project doesn't meet its goal, you will not be charged. You will only be charged once the BackerKit project endsand is successful. Pledging to pre-order not only gets you a pin or plushie from a distant fantasy land, but will also support me to do more in the future, keeping this artist going.
If you can, please consider sharing this BackerKit with your friends, family, stuffed animals, real animals, distant warlocks, chess Grand Masters, or strangers on the internet!Every time you share is like having another person back the project.
A huge thanks to you for making this all possible. Your continual support makes my world spin and I hope to keep doing what I love and sharing it with people who love what I love.
