Long time no update. I have been deep in talking with manus for weeks now, preparing files, catching bugs (and errors), and finalising packaging.
Before I begin, here's a reminder to those who haven't filled out their surveys or had declined cards, please try to get them fixed before the project ends!
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So let's talk about all of this!
SOCK SAMPLE UPDATE? WHERE ARE THE BLUE?
If you've been following me on instagram or tiktok you've probably seen the sock oopsie that happened with the second manufacturer.
TLDR; The socks weren't woven, but instead sublimation printed.
This obviously put quite a strain on the timeline of things. Not only did they take very long getting lost in shipment but also getting these remade was a hassle. I didn't go with the second manfuctarurer in the end, and they're only redoing one of the sock designs in the proper way I wanted (I still have not received an update on that.) This was a communication issue because of the language barrier.
Either way, I returned to my previous manu and word vomitted so much on them that the Arthropleura, who should have been a dark grey (the only edit I asked for) turned bubblegum pink.
This is objectively hilarious, who knew this goth icon came in pastels too?
This is of course fixed and thank you to my manu who decided to make a sample first rather than taking my misread thread number as truth. We both messed up there.
THE BLUE SOCKS.
Right the blue socks. The trilobites!!! Right right yes of course.
They look great! I like how bright the actual sock came out, and they translated the patterns really really well into embroidery! I will not be getting a physical sample of this one, simply because that would delay the project by a month. But I'm very happy with how it came out and it's much simpler than the other two.
The socks are in full production now ✨✨
And here's a snippet of the packaging I desgined for them too! No plastic, just cardboard :)
PINS?! BUT WE'RE HERE FOR THE PINS!!!
Okay okay, I won't keep you all in suspense much longer.
Because the majority of the pins I designed use custom effects, special metals, and electroplating, those will take longer. But I have gotten pictures of the simple technique ones that have been completed!
I'm very happy with how the giga arthropleura came out, as well as the antique minis! So cool. So stinking cool. Man we get to make such cool things thanks to everyone's excitement.... wow....
TIMELINE
Now it doesn't escape me that it's nearly the end of May and we're getting closer to the due date for this project. I am in the process of double checking shipping with USA customers for the last time and tweaking details while I have the EU and UK confirmed as working correctly!
I was hoping to have the stuff done at the end of April, shipped in May, received in June. That obviously didn't happen on account of the many holidays that happen during this timeframe overseas. Which is completely fine. We also had the misfortune with socks happen, making all the files correctly, submitting vectors, getting hired on a contract, and a few community group orders I coordinated for Irish artists; it all took a little longer than I expected it to.
Either way, we're on a good road right now. And if it all goes smoothly, I should hopefully have all the stock by the end of June, or early July. It's not a big time slip up in the grand scheme of things, about a month off, but I still think it's worth being transparent with everyone on how things are going!
The stickers and postcard will be made once everything is shipped off to me, on account that they're made locally and will take only a week or two to be complete. So I am not rushing with them, and also need to clean my 'office' (guest bedroom) first from con season. Con-goers- you know how a room looks during con crunch. Even cosplayers, I'm calling all of us out.
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So that's pretty much it for now! I haven't updated for a while because it's not a very substantial update. Just know things are grand for the moment and production is going ahead 👍
On a half related topic- anyone going to Dokomi? I'll be there in Hallf 4! I'll have my older enamel pins with me to be picked up :) Come say hi!
I can't believe it was so close again but with the split of votes between the two polls the winner is Deluxe Chained Pin Set ! This option will have a design poll up through this weekend, with the final pin artwork displayed next week. These pins are available to add to your pledge now!
With so many votes between this and the last poll for the set, this outcome makes sense to me. I'm so excited to sketch out the variant options for these fast bois!
Even though the designs aren't finalized, I have added the Ancient Cave Cheetahs Deluxe Chained Pin Set to both pledge levels and add-ons. If already know you know you're going to want them, you can add them now! B Grades are also available in limited quantity as both pledge levels and add-ons. If you are pledged to an inclusive tier you will now see this set listed among your rewards. You can add-on one set for $50 in the variant of your choice, or add all 3 variants for the even further discounted price of $115!
Here are the options to choose from for the Ancient Cave Cheetahs poses:
A: Running
B: Stalking
C: Seated
Thank you for your support of this project! Starr Vipi
Three poses to choose from for the Ancient Cave Cheetahs Deluxe Chained Pin Set. Choose the pose set you like best, and the winner will be refined into a pin design added to the campaign!
Here are the two sketches to choose from for the Armored Komodo Dragons design. Choose the composition you like best, and the winner will be refined into a pin design added to the campaign!
This project was funded in just 3 hours and I am so grateful for your support! I have a list of variants and a variety of new designs that YOU backers can choose for stretch goal designs as the project reaches $4,000+ in funding. A new stretch goal will be added at each $1,000 mark beyond!
How can I choose the design?
First, back the campaign! That will list you as a project backer, giving you access to the backer-only polls I'll be using. Then go to the Community tab of the project and select "Polls", and vote! New polls will be released as designs are selected and finalized and funding goals are reached.
The first 5 stretch goals will be "Variety", brand new designs to the campaign. Following that, stretch goals of $9,000+ will be "Variant" goals, or different color schemes for existing designs. Before the goal is met, a Variant or Variety poll will be live. Once the funding is reached (see achievements for progress) the poll will close, and a new poll for the design category will open. This category poll will be open for 48 hours to give people time to review the options. The sketch poll will be released after that, to determine the final design. Once the design is added to the campaign a new Update will be posted to begin the cycle again!
How do I add these designs to my pledge?
Important! Pledging to the Ultimate Collector or Complete Enamel Pin Set (Standard & Deluxe) tiers WILL INCLUDE THESE PINS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. In other words, as stretch goal pins are added to the campaign, inclusive tiers will not go up in price but will include more rewards. This is also true for the Complete Sticker Set tier. Each design will have a matching sticker made and the Complete Sticker Set tier will include ALL stickers from the campaign with no change to the pledge tier price. This pricing is EXCLUSIVELY available to Backerkit backers, as without your support these pins would not exist!
What are the designs to choose from?
I have a list of designs I had considered already, but will be adding to this list based on what YOU are interested in! Go to the project, or reply to the stretch goal update and comment what you want to see and I will pull up relevant research to see if it fits the series. If it does, I'll add the paper here as *BACKER SUGGESTION* so you can spot them right away!
I missed the last update, can I still make a suggestion?
I am always accepting Backer Suggestions, you can comment them on updates or directly to the project and I will see them! If I have 👍 your comment that means there is a match to both relevant research and it is on theme with the series. Please bear in mind they will not be added until the next poll goes up, which will be once the current poll ends or the next goal is reached, whatever happens first. Otherwise any answers that do not win will still be in the rotation of upcoming polls, unless there is an overwhelming amount of Backer Suggestions. Polls will have 10 or fewer options each time to keep it manageable.
Here is a list of variants of existing designs I considered, but did not use, for this project:
Queen of Wolves 926F Spitfire (Harmonic Future Wolf Deluxe Pin Variant)
Chocolate & Black Lab / Community voted service vest text (Dog Video Call Variant)
White Tiger Duo (Melanistic Odisha Tiger Chained Pin Set Variant)
Gothic Cathedral (Black metal with red stained glass effect fill Bat Harmony Variant)
Here is the list of papers I saved, but did not use, for this project:
Here are the two variants for the Harmonic Future Wolf Deluxe stickers. Which color do you like more? (For a larger photo, check the update!) Backers within the first 48 hours will get this sticker for FREE with their pledge!
These stickers are also available as add-ons in the campaign and will come with any Harmonic Future Wolf LE: Uridim pledge tier
Hey everyone! Thanks for your patience as we finished up the last of the pins. All dinos are now complete and on their way to me shortly, so get ready for your pins very soon!!
Final Charge + Last Call for Address Changes!
I'll be initiating card charging + final address lockdown so please make sure all your info is correct! Any pay-over-time backers who have not completed the final payment your rewards will be shipped when that payment clears (if you've already paid it off then yours will ship with everyone else's orders!)
As usual my husband and I pack all orders ourselves and it usually takes us 4-5 days and our living room becomes *Ian Malcolm voice* total chaos. We should have all shipments packed and dropped off in about 2 weeks so expect to check your mailbox in roughly 3-4 weeks for your dinos. I'll make another update once your packages are all shipped.
After that, once every backer's done and shipped I will list any leftover pins on my shop as first-come-first serve if you missed the campaign or want any additional pins.
Thank you again for your support and patience with Jurassic Attack! I'm so excited to get these pins to you guys! Again, if you need any help please don't hesitate to reach out. ♥
Happy impending pride month! I hope you all are well. <3
While folks over on my Discord have gotten to see these bits and bobs as they've come to pass, now that I've survived the gauntlet of Spooky Circuit fulfillment back-to-back with vending a convention in the UK for the first time, I'm due to write a formal update for you amazing folks!!
Large Bandanas Have Landed
Literally the day before I left for Confuzzled, a gigantic box of silky, colorful bandanas arrived at my home.
Water, Fire, Air, and Earth
They're all the same airy satin material and the prints look lovely, I'm absolutely pleased. The Water Line colorway is cropped a little closer to the edge than the others for some reason, but not to a degree that's bothersome. I brought a very limited amount of bandanas along with me to the convention, and blue turned out to be the most requested color there by a long shot, which was interesting! (Through this campaign, Earth and Void were most ordered.)
Void and Light
A look at the other two! I ordered a ridiculous amount of extras, so there should be plenty for any additional add-ons during the remainder of our pre-order/survey period, and then some.
Modeling Light with Transistor plugged in
Light was the campaign underdog in terms of popularity, but it turned out so subtle and beautiful. I'm low key obsessed.
Table at CFz!
A handful of campaign backers said hey at Confuzzled, and it was a delight to meet you! Thank you everyone who stopped by!!
So as a summary: I now have the bulk stock in hand for the banners, keychains, and large bandanas. I ordered them early since they're all new items for me and I was uncertain about the turnaround times involved! Next, what's still in progress --
Soft Circuit Pins
Peep Honeypot catching the last rays of sunset there <3
All 11 new bot boards have been sampled and, as we're sitting at a comfy 96% survey response rate, the bulk order has now been placed as well to the tune of 2560 total pins! Here are individual looks at the final three samples:
Else
They turned out precisely as expected, but with the aesthetic of this series so closely tied to the materials themselves I find it's always more satisfying to see them in the metal. I've lost count of how many reviews also said the pictures don't do them justice (and thank you for that!!), but a photo is certainly still a step above a mockup. c:
Softwere
I've wanted to do this pun since the first Short Circuit Backerkit; pleased to finally have them in the fold. X)
Octave
We're on track to have the pins complete by August, for August-September fulfillment of all orders that don't contain a plush or plush sized bandana.
Magnets and Stickers
My magnet supplier came through with a sample photo! It looks like I'll have to lighten the darkest grays slightly for a clean read, and otherwise we're golden.
These cuddly babies do my heart so good
My next art priority is therefore to finish up the piece of Malware & Mozzy so that I can place the bulk magnet order, and move along to formatting files for the sticker orders. Then the very last non-plush item is pin backing cards, which I have printed locally and are the fastest turnaround of all the components that go into these pin campaigns.
Their sketch has been cleaned up and inking is underway!
As a fun side note, I included small re-orders of both Malware and Mozzy's bot board pins in with the Soft Circuit bulk order! Both of them were sub-30 units left across both A and B (Mozzy being totally out of A Grades, and Malware almost out of Bs) and they're well loved enough to absolutely deserve it. Not every bot will be restocked over time, but I think the future has more in store for these two. <3
Plushies!!
Some exciting news: as the total add-on and pre-order funds collected has continued to exceed my expectations, I've been able to once again lower the quantity of Python orders required to unlock their plush incarnation. We're now at 61 out of 64 orders, only 3 away from guaranteed bulk production!
Eagerly looking forward to the second prototype!!
I passed a version of the above flyer (with an added QR code) out at Confuzzled! I'm feeling confident we can secure those last few orders. If you know anybody who needs a robot noodle dragon in their life, definitely be sure to direct them to the Soft Circuit Pre-Order Store. c;
Late April I did receive another update on Byte, and the supplier finally understood about putting the green on the forehead rather than the ears, as a "socket"! The body is still absolutely perfect as well, now we've just got a few tiny embroidery and marking thickness details to shore up.
She looks so huggable, no notes at all on this part!
I keep trying to find different ways to communicate what we're after. They did darken the eye shading portion of the embroidery, but all the way to a brown rather than the requested darker orange. Thankfully the alternate Byte from supplier #2 and Python both are perfect color examples, so I'm hopeful that the next sample will be the one.
I'm perhaps wildly picky about colors and spacing, but facial details really define the personality
Updates are slow from this supplier, but I know I'm an itty bitty fish in the ocean of plush toy manufacturing and the final results will absolutely be worth the wait!
So so close!!
In the meantime, alternate!Byte from supplier #2 showed up - two of them even??
Mirror Mirror TWIN Children ohmygoodness
Their small bandanas are printed minky, which is NOT what the official version will be - those will be nylon, as described. The sizing should be about the same though!
They're goofy and wonderful and I wish we could produce both versions tbh because I love them too
One includes weighted particles in the paws and the other does not. Or rather - one tells only lies, and the other always speaks the truth. c;
Though this isn't the version we've gone with for the bulk robots, I'm really glad to have sampled for them as details of the prototypes from supplier #1 and #2 informed the notes I was able to give back and forth, and I REALLY enjoyed working with the representative for #2. I will absolutely be developing a separate line of plushies with them in the future. (Sighthound plush, anyone?? The gangly aspects of this pattern feel like a perfect starting point to stretch out further from!)
f a t a l i t y
The other nice thing to have confirmed is that I like these guys so much better in person than I did in the manufacturer photos, so I can't wait to have official!Byte and Python in hand to take nicer pictures of them as well!
I think that about covers our current status. The hope is to have Byte and Python ready for bulk approval by around August, and everything else in hand. At that point I will lock orders down, charge for add-ons, pre-orders, and shipping, and non-plush orders will begin to go out while the plushies go into production.
The estimated fulfillment timeline for the plush remains January-February, but I will holler if any of that changes the second I have information to the contrary; as I've learned in prototyping, there's really no such thing as giving a plush project too much lead time.
After Soft Circuit, What's Next?
Empowered by backers like you to continue making fun things, I have several upcoming campaigns in the works! Three of them already have teaser pages live, if you'd like to follow along:
🩸 Spectral Circuit, the next update to the Short Circuit 'verse, will be launching with Pintober 2026 🎮 Gears of GAIA, a love letter to another piece of media which straddles the intersection of tech and nature, will follow closely on its heels as part of Tributes 🐕 Proud Noodles will feature colorful sighthounds set to run in 2027 for Pin of Pride
Expect to see development on the artwork direction of all three over the next few months~
Thank you all as ever for being here, I appreciate your support in bringing these funky lil guys to life!! I'll be back in touch soon! 💚
Hey, everyone! Production is moving along and I've got some more dino pics for you today! I received photos of most of the pins' samples and they look stunning!
The neon rex came out even better than I thought it would! The blue is is so striking! I'm currently working with the manufacturer on the rest of the pins—a few of them have funky colors right now so we're getting those fixed up, but overall they're coming to life as imagined!
Thanks so much for your patience with the project—I appreciate it and I know you'll love the pins when they arrive in your mailbox soon this summer. ♥
I'll update you again when they're ready to ship and when I'll be charging cards for shipping + survey add-ons. Any questions just let me know!
Sorry for the delay in this update, but pins have arrived and I've started shipping out pledges already! I am still waiting on the keychains, so pledges with those are delayed by just a bit. The keychains have shipped so they'll be here soon.
The pins are absolutely amazing, I am so so excited for you to all receive your pins!
