Soft Circuit: Short Circuit 1.2

Hey bot believers,

THREE DAYS REMAIN to adopt Byte at a pledge level discount!! Let's revisit some of her charming qualities~



Currently, at least an incredible 94 Bytes will be going home with folks, which is SURREAL and amazing. <3

I'm also pleased to announce that we surpassed 300 backers!!

Or, rather - we met 300 backers, dipped back under the threshold, then surpassed it - and at the time of writing we're one under again. X) So goes crowdfunding in this economy, but regardless we've met it often enough that I'm gonna go ahead and declare that regardless of what happens:



The Hash & Heap sticker freebie is firmly unlocked and if you've pledged for a physical reward, they will be included in your order completely FREE!

If you would like extra copies, you can purchase them via a transparent vinyl sticker add-on! Speaking of which --



I got these cuties finished up yesterday!! These recharging goobers will also be available as both a transparent vinyl sticker selection, and as an acrylic magnet!

Magnet quite firmly won our last round of goodie design polling, and has also been installed in the add-on section; Hash & Heap, Byte & Python, and the upcoming Mozzy & Malware robot illustrations will all be available options.

After poking a couple different suppliers, I've settled on 3" (7.6 cm) acrylic coated magnets. Here's a material example picture from the manufacturer:



If you've already gone ahead and navigated to the add-on section you'll notice another new inclusion as well --



I secured our wonderful guest artists' blessings in applying their keychains to a sticker form as well, and the Byte Pack was born!

Featuring "Byte Bites" front label by McMadmissile, "Robot Dog Dreams" by Jekkyfarms, and a Byte sploot + Byte nutritional label by myself. I'll add a lil more line weight and love to the Byte concept being included (the sploot) soon, but otherwise this is the set!! These 4" stickems will also be printed on durable transparent vinyl, with the addition of a "broken glass" holographic finish.

The magnets will be included with the All-In tier. As with before, all items including guest art are add-on only.



The manufacturers for some of the new items are amazingly fast, and I already received a first look at the Byte Bites bars sample! It's even cooler to see it handled, so since Backerkit does not support video, if you're curious then hop on over to take a look at that on my BlueSky or Mastdon, whichever you prefer.



The banner folks also came through for me lickity-split, and above is a photo of the real deal. This is already in the mail on its way to me, so I'll be sure to report back when I receive it!

As for the core campaign unlocks, we've been reaching for the Northern Lights - at one point this morning our goal was a mere 70 away, and currently it's still quite close (164)! I checked some numbers and made another decision to round out the offerings a little:



Python enjoyers who missed the last two Short Circuit installments, rejoice! If we reach the Northern Lights variants of Honeypot and Heap, we will also unlock reprints of the Python pin and stickers, meaning all the stickers and pins highlighted in the summary post will be selectable options at the campaign's conclusion.

So let's get out there an secure that second to last stretch goal!!

On the subject of Python and goals, if we do manage to exceed the Northern Lights but do not meet the Python plush goal, one of a couple things will happen:

-If we at least get close, I may unlock them early. Just how close will be dependent on the results of the poll to follow.

-If we do not get close enough, I will set up a "purchase to unlock" model in the survey add-ons and pre-order store. This is a really nifty, powerful Backerkit pledge manager feature that allows creators to offer a specific item on an all-or-nothing basis, sort of like a mini self-contained crowdfund. If enough of the item is ordered, it will unlock and be made! If not enough folks order it in the set time period, you will not be charged for the item but it will not be produced.

So either way, I'm determined to try for them! Due to their high unit cost (which, fair for a three foot plushie with six wings LMAO, we do be trying for the wild things, comrades), Python will retail at €80, but in whichever form we pursue I will offer them through Backerkit for a discounted €75.

If you are interested in the Python plush, be sure to chime in on the attached poll! Please answer as accurately as you can if you do.

I gotta go get my booty moving toward the bedmobile, but I'm excited to see what we can pull off in the last few days. Thank you so much as ever for being here!! <3

Hey robot enthusiasts,

We have entered the final week of Pintopia and the Soft Circuit campaign! 🐺👩‍💻

I'm delighted to share that after the New Add-Ons went live, y'allemaal made short work of unlocking the Void and Light circuit board bandana colorways - meaning that ALL bandana variants are available and guaranteed to go into production!!



To celebrate, I've finished adjusting all of the colorways to match Bandana Board 2.0, which fortuitously --



-- has completed sampling, and is now on its way to me in the mail to confirm that everything aligns as intended! My bandana supplier is SO speedy and I've been really impressed by their quality.

Putting together the bandana overview image felt like a great excuse to go ahead and piece together further summaries regarding our core campaign items, so I'd also like to take a moment to walk through what all we've unlocked together so far!



There was a recent question about what all qualifies as a "Soft Circuit Enamel Pin" for reward selection purposes, so I hope this graphic helps clear that up. (Thank you, by the way: please do feel free to ask any questions and make suggestions and so on, I'm genuinely delighted to hear from all of you!! 💕)

We've currently unlocked 9 pins - 7 new and 2 reprints (Byte and Pause) - and are right on the cusp of unlocking 2 more! Additionally, if you've pledged to this campaign, don't forget to maximize your goodies by backing Pods and Pots to acquire the pin of Octave (octopus) or 2 more Animal Akademia projects to receive Mini Pause (tiny paw), along with free pins from each of them as well.

Continuing today's theme of manufacturers with impeccable timing, you may notice a new image embedded in the infographic above:



Our first look at a "Northern Lights" alternate pin!! This sample is a work in progress - it will also be receiving an epoxy coat, just like the default Void Unit Line colorway. Honeypot here and Heap (polar bear) will be produced with this treatment if we reach our next goal, which I'm confident we are on track for and then some!



Next up is our sticker compliment: last update I discussed the new transparent vinyl sticker options, and above is everyone that qualifies as a selection from the core campaign for selective holographic and sticker sheet rewards! Just like their Void counterparts, the new Light bear sheets include kiss-cut paw print stickers alongside the robot artwork and all the text.

Then of course, a campaign unlock summary would be woefully incomplete without once again showcasing the soft, mischievous star of our show:



Who I ALSO have an update on! Complete with cryptid factory lighting of course, but the exciting part here is the updated shaping:



Other than running levels (white balance) in Photoshop, the photos above are completely unedited. The manu I'm working with has now nailed my requests for more of an ankle on the back legs, a nice big tail, nose shaping touch ups, and more volume to the back of the ears!

The main remaining issue is getting them to put the green ear socket on the forehead rather than the ears themselves, but that's par for the course with this process - every iteration you get some details adjusted but not everything you asked for, and you just gotta persist and find new and clearer ways to communicate the desired changes.

I'm feeling good about our chances of sorting out the last couple details on the next pass, and then the Byte prototype can come home to me for in-person inspection and a much nicer photoshoot or three!!



Finally, to finish off the summary, one more reminder to go check out the guest art keychains, pin banner, and stickers installed in our campaign add-ons a couple days ago! Samples of the keychains and banner should be complete soon, and I look forward to showing off the real deals once I receive pictures. 👀

And SPEAKING OF OTHER ARTISTS -- since we're on the last week, it's high time to highlight some of my fellow Pintopians in this space! There are so many campaigns I'm genuinely excited for, so I'll break them out into a few categories. This update, I'd like to focus on artists who are also here in the Netherlands.


Frogtastic Frogs #2 is a hopping amazing collection for any amphibian enjoyer to explore, and Appeltjesgroen (Dutch for "Apple Green", to match her whole frog shindig) is such a kind and friendly creator with incredible attention to detail!!


Her collaboration partner roundbirdart is also a delight, and those of you across the pond from us will enjoy these charming depictions of familiar faces in Birds of North America! I'm definitely picking up the cardinals, house finch, and possibly more. <3


An absolutely gorgeous pin set, UrskogSaga's Celebrate the Seasons caught my eye on a Reddit post long before I realized the campaign was also tied to Pintopia and a Dutch artist. I'm getting Winter, but honestly it's tempting to grab the whole core set and I encourage you to consider doing so!


Remnant fans can appease their 'yeen fix by backing The Hyena Family, but Henrieke has other gorgeous depictions of less-seen critters in store for you too, including lemurs and one of my personal favorites, the fossa!


And speaking of my favorite creatures: heck I do love me a good raccoon (my family rehabilitated one when I was a kid - long story!), and have been eying up Annadrawsstuff's delightful trash panda creations for quite some time. Extrashvaganza is an amazing opportunity to add some perfect lil goobers to your pin collection!

This was a meaty update - so if you read this far, you're one of the coolest folks around, thank you! And double thank you to each and every one of you for the love on this campaign, it means a lot that you're out here supporting independent artists, especially now. <3

Until the next time! Let's go get the Northern Lights unlocked in short order, so we can use our final push momentum to work on unlocking Python!!

Hello bot believers,

At just a touch over halfway through Pintopia's run and on the cusp of unlocking more stretch goals, it is time for some exciting new Add-On options!! Five new goodies are now available to add to your pledges: a large circuit pin banner, two guest art keychains, transparent vinyl stickers, and locking pin backs!



Several of you responded in the affirmative with regards to the pin banner, so I finished up the artwork and contacted the manufacturer for a unit quote and sample!

I'm thrilled to confirm that they can produce the custom size I had mocked up: 36 cm (14.17") wide x 72 cm (28.35") tall. This should not only comfortably accommodate the full Short Circuit collection and then some, but it's large while not so long as to be unwieldly, and wider than many standard banner dimensions, providing plenty of room to compose a nice flow with your pins.



Above are a couple of feature highlights from the manufacturer. As always, I'll share sample photos as soon as I have them.

Next up is a surprise for you all, one that I hope you love as much as I do: TWO GUEST ART KEYCHAINS!!!



The first features amazing faux product label art for Byte Bites by the incredible McMadmissile (Evan), the creator of Snughouls, My Cryptid Crush, and Bedtime Bestiary!

When I saw this keychain form factor, it was practically begging to be Byte themed, and Evan's playful, graphical style was just perfect for the task. These lil guys will be three-dimensional PVC sculptures, and have also been sent off to sampling! If you add the Byte Bites keychains to your pledge, you will be able to pick between two "flavors" on the survey: CRT Static Vanilla and Command-Line Shell Chocolate. 🖥️🍫



As feisty as Byte can be, it's always with the intention to convince you to take it easy, which she's also happy to demonstrate~



And so our second keychain, Robot Dog Dreams, features the most relaxed robot you ever did see. This adorable rendition is by the amazing Jekkyfarm (Jekky), the creator of Chuuloos!

The Dreams keychain features double-sided printing and "broken glass" style holographic overlay for an extra visual byte, and both keychains will receive the same star-shaped attachment accessory. 🌟 If you aren't already familiar with either creator, I highly encourage you to check out their wonderful plush projects!! They're both such kind, hard-working artists that design amazing creatures. 💛

The final two add-on additions enable the option to purchase jumbo transparent vinyl stickers and locking pin backs. Pre-launch followers of Soft Circuit are receiving the Hash + Plush Byte sticker for free, and everyone who pledges to a physical reward tier will receive a free Hash + Heap as well when we reach 300 backers (we're so close!) - but if you'd like extra copies of either, or sticker versions of the other two robot pair-up designs, you can add those to your pledge as well. 



Which brings us to the last poll in our "design some goodies" series. Mozzy prevailed in the second round, meaning that the next illustration will feature Malware + Mozzy. I'll finish up the Byte + Python design this week, and then turn my attention to sketching them!!

So, finally: in addition to the stickers, what merch form would you like the three new robot pair up illustrations to take? Vote below to determine what else gets made for this campaign!

Thank you so much as always for being here. Let's ramp up over the next nine days and get the rest of our stretch goals met!!

Editing to add one more piece of information: the All-In tier will now also include all four transparent vinyl stickers and one circuit pin banner, as they're additional art from me and the future-proofing applies! <3 The guest keychains and locking pin backs are separate add-on only. Thank you so much everyone! 🥰

Hey robot enjoyers,

A few exciting sneak peeks for you today!

The large circuit board bandana sample came in, and I'm pleased to report that the print quality is gorgeous, and the material feels very breezy but sturdy! Also 22" on a side is heckin' LARGE!!



This is just 2" longer on a side than your average bandana, but it does add up into something delightfully roomy and versatile.



The satin fabric is even stronger than I expected - I stabbed the ever loving heck out of this thing, but you could barely tell where once the pins were removed, and it held up super well. The more pins you throw on it, the more delightful!



Also for the folks who asked if it would fit on a fursuit: YEAH, no problem! An extra layer of fur or three on your neck and you'd still be able to securely tie this bad boy.



Now, while the gigantic size is PERFECT and exactly what we want, the pattern doesn't quite sit as intended - but with the sample on hand to directly mock-up against, adjusting that is no problem.



The new version is now all vectored and cleaned up, and sent off to acquire a second sample!



Lining up where the first sample's details would hang, the new version should sit similar to this:



If you're into the "plug-in" concept of these bandanas, rest assured that I will fiddle with them as long as it takes to make sure they function as intended. The small version ought to be much closer right out of the gate, as I also used a physical mock-up to size it, but I'll adjust that as needed too once I receive it in person.



Speaking of mock-ups, something I DID love about the oversized scale of the print on this first sample was how it looks as a vehicle for displaying pins!



Which led to a really fun idea: what if, in addition to the upcoming new robot artwork add-ons, we had a circuit pin banner add-on??

Another wonderful artist linked me to a manufacturer that handles very low MOQ (minimum order quantity) on banners, so happily that looks like a risk-free addition that could help us wrestle up a bit more funding to climb towards our final three stretch goals! I would like to base the banner on the chonkier sizing of the first bandana pass:



Armed with the pins I already had out for bandana pictures, 2" post-it notes, and a bag of B-Grade Incubates, I mocked up just how big said banner would need to be to comfortably fit all existent and soon-to-be-existent Short Circuit pins (we're up to 42 now, whoa!) while still leaving a bit of growing room for future expansions.

Let me know if this is something you'd be interested in. I'll get the design finished up soon and sent along to the manufacturer for a quote! :D

And on the topic of sketches, I began to dig into the promised Byte x Python drawing a couple days ago --



So that'll get finished up over the course of this next week as well! <3

Which brings us to part two of our design-a-bot-illustration: it looks like Malware has prevailed in our previous poll, and will be included! Now, which robot should be interacting with them? Vote below to assign them a friend!!

As ever, thank you so much for being here - more surprises are in store as we continue to climb the funding ladder, and we're inching ever closer to the freebie Hash & Heap sticker, so keep sharing the campaign around to anyone who you think might enjoy these lil buddies! 🐺🐉💚

Heya delightful robot enablers,

Not long after I made my last update, we did indeed unlock Else in both enamel pin and selective holographic sticker form!



Which means we're now climbing towards one of the last three stretch goals: Void and Light bandana board colorways!!



The retro feel of these two is going to look delicious in print and I'm excited to have them produced. With over two weeks left on the campaign, I know we can nab 'em and then some!

Crossing this threshold also prompted me to go ahead and pay for the Python prototype, so I've selected fabrics for them~ 👀🐉💜



So one way or another you'll get to see how this noodle takes shape in three soft dimensions, but if you want to bring a Python of your very own home we'll have to keep pushing over the course of the next couple weeks!!

Please feel free to share the campaign around. <3 Also because --



I've added a new community goal! If we reach 300 backers, ALL of you who pledged for physical rewards will not only receive my unending gratitude but ALSO a free hug - the one above, in transparent vinyl sticker form, featuring Light units Hash & Heap 💛

We're at 280 incredible backers at the time of writing this, so that feels quite achievable as well!

And one final surprise: I'd like to sneak another small add-on item into the campaign, featuring a few different Short Circuit robots interacting!! This might be keychains, embroidered patches, magnets - maybe something else entirely - and will feature a few different artwork options. Given the goals of Soft Circuit I will for sure include both the above hug and artwork of Byte & Python together, which I will draw next!

But what the third artwork option will be, and what merch form it will take, is up to YOU! The deciding process will take the form of three polls: two for selecting the robots to be included, and a third to pick the item type. Backers can vote below to pick the first robot!

Thanks again for the amazing support so far, and I hope these lil guys bring you a touch of whimsy where you need it. <3