Welcome to an all new zodiac! This collection is (loosely) based off of North American animals with some mythos and friends thrown in. This is a set I have always wanted to make, and am happy to present it to you!
Welcome to an all new zodiac! This collection is (loosely) based off of North American animals with some mythos and friends thrown in. This is a set I have always wanted to make, and am happy to present it to you!
If you would like more about the lore of the animals and the zodiac itself, I have an entire section dedicated to that. Read more at the "Lore" section!
Also, this campaign is part of Oddities and Obscura - a collection of 12 pin campaigns crowdfunding together. There are incentives for pledging to multiple Oddities and Obscura campaigns, and you can find more information and links to the other campaigns in the "Oddities and Obscura" section.
Now I don't know if we'll make it this far but in case we do, here's another tier of stretch goals including 3 more animals, jewelry, and maybe a plushie???
UNLOCKS AT $5500: Puma Pin UNLOCKS AT $6000: Raven Pin UNLOCKS AT $6500: Bison Pin
This campaign I have the pleasure of teaming up with Pangolin Knight! I'm very excited to work with her, and I believe that if you like my silly little animal pins then you are absolutely going to love Pangolin Knight's work! If you pledge to both of our campaigns, you will get two freebie pins - one from her and one from me!
Please check out Pangolin Knight's campaign, as well as the rest of the Oddities and Obscura crew!
You will be prompted to add on items if you wish when you select a pledge level. Here are all the options and prices!
Pins: $30 each
Here are the prices for stretch goal add-ons. They will be added as add-on options AFTER they unlock.
Necklaces: $40 each
Calendar: $30 each
Premium 4" Pin: $40 each
Plushie: $30 each
Why can't stretch goal add-ons be available until after they unlock? It's a security thing - I don't want to promise merchandise that ultimately doesn't get funded. Thank you for understanding and make sure to check back later in the campaign to see what's been unlocked!
Shipping fees will be collected and charged AFTER the campaign is over and is not included with your pledge. Please keep this in mind when budgeting and filling out your surveys!
SHIPPING ESTIMATES These prices are estimates and are subject to change. All packages are charged shipping based on the final package weight. Ordering add-ons may incur additional shipping fees. Prices are listed in USD.
USA (Domestic)
1 Pin: $5 USD
Medium Set (6+ Pins): $8 USD
Full Set (13+ Pins): $15 USD
Canada (International)
1 Pin: $11 USD
Medium Set (6+ Pins): $18 USD
Full Set (13+ Pins): $25 USD
Australia/New Zealand (International)
1 Pin: $15 USD
Medium Set (6+ Pins): $25 USD
Full Set (13+ Pins): $35 USD
Everywhere Else (International)
1 Pin: $15 USD
Medium Set (6+ Pins): $25 USD
Full Set (13+ Pins): $35 USD
UK and EU Backers Thank you for your interest! Please pledge for the specific UK/EU $1 Pledge tier so you can be sent a separate survey at the end of the campaign. This will also give you access to backer updates so you can follow along with manufacturing/fulfilment progress.
I will make a custom Etsy listing for you for your pledge tier, add-ons, and shipping when the project is ready to ship. Please keep in mind that you will be charged tax fees on top of the shipping cost.
***I am not responsible for any additional tax or import fees incurred upon receipt of your parcel.***
France and Germany Backers I'm very sorry but at this time I am no longer able to fulfil orders to France and Germany due to changing laws that I as a small business simply cannot keep up with. If you have access to an alternative address not in France or Germany, you are more than welcome to pledge to the appropriate pledge tier. Thank you so much for understanding.
Want to know more about the lore behind this set? This section is for you! This is just a little FAQ about the zodiac and then some.
What Kind Of Zodiac Is This? This is a year based zodiac similar to the Chinese Zodiac, but with 13 years instead of 12. It's purely meant to be a way to organize the passing of time and the animals don't have any specific symbolism attached to them.
Why 13 Years? The idea was that when someone reaches 14 and see the zodiac cycle repeat for the first time that they have grown into adulthood. Every time someone's zodiac year repeats is a cycle year and it's supposed to be a very auspicious occasion.
What The Heck Is A Marachi???? SO GLAD YOU ASKED! The marachi bird is made up! They are like a hybrid of a crane, eagle, and peacock. They are sometimes called dragon birds because their silhouette while flying looks much like a dragon. They are brightly coloured despite being birds of prey and they live high up in the mountains. Their calls sound much like an eagle - almost sing-songy - and they mate for life.
Marachi usually are blue (male) or gold (female) but they can also have alternative plumages like red, white, or purple. Peoples who highly regard marachi birds believe that the colours symbolize the vast and diverse spectrum of gender. There's also a belief among certain tribes that their departed reincarnate as marachi in their next life, so the deceased are cremated so that their souls can reach the skies and mountain peaks.
Or, of course, you can ignore all of the lore and just like the marachi because it's a dang cool looking bird :3
What's A Snow Leopard Doing In A Set Of North American Animals? I like them a lot! They're my favourite animal so I selfishly decided that they must exist in this made up Pacific Northwest country this zodiac would come from.
What Made Up Country? It's a country I made for my comic! Imagine an archipelago just north of Haida Gwaii and south of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. I even have a map!
The Puma, Raven, And Bison Are Iconic North American Animals. Why Didn't They Make The Cut? The puma, or mountain lion, was replaced by the snow leopard, so selfishness won that battle. As for the raven and bison, I left them out out of respect for the real indigenous communities who see these animals as sacred. I'm happy to bring them into the fold here as guests! :D
So... Comic? Comic! I've been working on it for well over a decade and will probably be working on it for a decade more at the rate I draw at, so please enjoy! My art ability was very different when I started the comic so please be nice.
It takes place at the end of the Great Depression just before World War II in a country leaving isolation for better, but mostly for worse. There's a terrible civil war raging on while the outside world is being ravaged by colonialism and facing the threat of the rise of fascism. The fate of this small island kingdom may very well rest in the hands of a youth coming from the worst of circumstances and her hopeful companions. Think the plot of the movie Anastasia but brown and queer. I've been told from readers that it has an Avatar: The Last Airbender vibe - what an honour!
What Is The Writing On The Charms Attached To The Pins? It's the name of the animal in one of four languages I made for the comic! Here's the Romanized version of each name:
Bear: Neshte
Sheep: Bida
Lynx: Menka
Marachi: Marachi
Whale: Topake
Hawk: Bajai
Caribou: Tak'tuk
Leopard: Sau'lat'ka
Wolf: Bhaiara
Elk: Wapi
Salmon: Sekai'en
Falcon: Tuimua
Horse: Oriho
Got Any More Pin Or Merch Lore? My first pass at these designs featured in this campaign was about 8 or so years ago in the form of charms! I still sell them, but honestly I've always wanted these as pins. I freshened up the designs - some more than others - to make this pin set! Here's the original designs:
Anyways, thanks for reading and being here! I do appreciate the support as original content can sometimes be a hard sell. Hope this section was fun to read at least!
My name is Lachlan but you may call me Marachi if you want! My pronouns are they/them and I am a long time convention artist, webcomic artist, and professional nerd. I love painting with vibrant colours and a fun style, and enjoy making fun and unique nerdy gifts and pieces. I started making enamel pins in 2020 and ran four successfully funded enamel pin crowdfunding campaigns: Wild Card, Elemental Tea Time 1 & 2, and Pop Culture Swords. I was a participant in BackerKit's Pintopia 2 in early 2024 and will be making many many more pins in the future! I also have a long-running comic called Year of the Marachi that's available on Webtoon!
I have run three successful Kickstarter campaigns, two of which were enamel pin campaigns, and two successful BackerKit pin campaign. My first pin campaign, Wild Card, was able to fund 9 pins in total. My second campaign, Elemental Tea Time, was funded in under 15 minutes, raised over 60k from over 500 backers, and funded 51 pin designs. For Pintopia 2, I was able to fund an additional 6 tea pin sets, a premium stained glass pin, and the first round of sword pins which have been very popular at conventions. And last Fall, I funded my first fan art pin collection with Pop Culture Swords, funding 9 designs total. I have also since designed a handful of pins, including a pin for a collaborative campaign called Heaven and Hell 2 led by artists Jaizure and Pokettoni. I hope to continue making pins for a long time!
I will be using the same manufacturer for Animal Talismans as I have with all my previous pins. I have a great relationship with my company and they always deliver with the highest quality as you can see from the pin examples above.
Previous campaigns saw some manufacturing hiccups, particularly with non-pin merchandise, so I am being very careful with samples and using trusted manufacturers to guarantee the best possible quality, the least amount of issues, and the fastest possible fulfilment. I promise to bring you some amazingly beautiful pins!
Refunds and Exchanges Refunds must be requested within 30 days of the campaign's ending. I will not accept refunds after May 3rd - no exceptions. If your rewards are damaged in transit, please message me directly with photos of the damage and we will work out a solution together.
Surveys Surveys will be sent out after the campaign and are mandatory to fill out in order to receive your rewards. You will be charged shipping at this time as well. You have until May 18th to fill out your surveys. Not completing this step will result in you not receiving your rewards.
Surveys will lock every Friday until the Friday after May 18th. Cards will also be charged as surveys lock. This is to ensure accurate counts, especially with this project being bigger and more complicated. Shipping will not lock until fulfilment for all tiers is ready.
Forfeiture of Rewards If you do not complete your survey before May 18th, including fixing any errored payment methods, you forfeit your pledge and rewards and will not receive them. Please make sure to take care of everything before May 18th or message me before that cut off if you wish to receive your rewards.
Import Fees I am not responsible for any additional import fees or taxes that may be incurred during the shipping process for international (outside of the US) orders.
Grading All pins are graded by hand for quality assurance. Please keep in mind that pins are handmade items and as such are prone to inconsistencies. This can include minor cosmetic imperfections.
A Grade/Standard grade imperfections include but are not limited to:
minor surface scuffing on the enamel or metal plating
very small specs of dust in unnoticeable areas
minor/unnoticeable enamel underfill
minor/unnoticeable air bubbles
slightly offset screenprinting on pins that have it
More major imperfections will be graded as Grade B or C depending on the severity. When you receive your pin, please know that you are receiving the highest quality pin possible even if there are minor imperfections present.
Final Product Expectations The images used in this campaign are artist mock ups and not the final product. I am working very closely with my manufacturer to ensure the final product is as close to the mock up as possible but changes to the designs are inevitable in order to guarantee the highest quality. While I have done my best to minimize such changes, please expect a slight variation between the mock up and the final product. I will share production pictures as I receive them.
Every campaign is prone to risks and challenges. Here are some common reasons for fulfilment and manufacturing delays:
Manufacturer delays due to quality control problems, needing to tweak a design for better production, or national/company holidays
Having to change manufacturers because the original manufacturer had an issue with quality/vision/communication/etc.
Shipping delays due to high volume of shipping, reduced workforce, distribution center problems, or customs hold-ups
Illness or other emergencies
My very chaotic convention schedule
If the pins I receive have a consistent minor imperfection, pins with that imperfection will be considered Standard/A Grade. If the pins have a more major imperfection, I will have them remade which will take more time. I have yet to need to do this, but in the event that I do I will communicate this via updates, as well as any other cause of delays.
I am also just one person, and one who travels often for work and has chronic health problems. Please be understanding if I am a bit slower than you would like me to be, and of course if any major problems arise I will always communicate with you via updates if/when they arise.
All that being said, here is a list of things I am doing or already have done to ensure there are as few problems as possible!
I am already communicating with my manufacturer about these pins. I have sent in the final vector artwork and they are preparing it for production. We should be able to start production immediately after surveys are locked!
This is a pin focused campaign! I'm only adding other kinds of rewards if the funding amount goes high enough. Even the jewelry I'm planning will be made by the same manufacturer that makes my pins.
There will be no backing cards for this campaign. Pins will be sent out in the bags they come in from my manufacturer. Sorry - my hands hurt and pins are harder to store with cards!
I already have most of the shipping supplies I'll need for fulfilment and can easily order more if the campaign is more successful than I am anticipating.
I will be working on the survey while the campaign is running so *optimistically* I will be able to send it out immediately after the campaign ends.
My current fulfilment timeline has me fulfilling orders during a time of year when people are more available to come help.
I am doing my best to keep this campaign simple and organized, and hope that means that I will be able to get you all your pins quickly!
And as I've said, I will communicate any problems via updates.
Thank you for your understanding and trust! We got this!!!
Uncover the extraordinary with Oddities & Obscura — a collaboration of pin campaigns featuring mythical, paranormal, and supernatural creatures of all forms. Projects will run from March 18 to April 3.
Freebie Cross-Collaboration Pins — each Oddities & Obscura creator has paired up with a fellow participant to create two unique pin designs together. If both projects reach their initial funding goal, backers who support both will get a pair of freebie cross-collab pins, one from each creator.
Oddities & Obscura Collection Freebies — pledge to six or more campaigns to get an additional freebie from each campaign you pledge to, from the Oddities & Obscura set.
Here are the details for the Oddities & Obscura freebie from my campaign:
