Future Pin Club Exclusive Designs

Hi friends!

I just wanted to pop in and share some of the sketches I've been working on for a new collection of designs inspired by the manga illustration below:

Sometime in winter I had a moment of free time and I was sketching a redraw of this design because I've always loved the softness and elegance of this design. However, I plan to draw a different pose for this now because one rule of thumb for us is that we never straight-up reference only one piece of artwork. We want each design to be dynamic and while we want it to look like Naoko could have drawn it herself, we don't want to just regurgitate her designs. Even if it's not traced, it doesn't feel original enough if we don't create something completely new. And no, I don't follow that rule for the redraw mini prints because for me, that's just having a bunch of fun (which by the way, one of my goals is to eventually have at least one screen cap redraw for each episode and then make a zine)!

Anyway, after I sketched the drawing above, I thought how I'd love to see all the soldiers sketched in this soft and regal style. Around that same time, a lot of you were asking for princess versions of all the Pretty Winkers, but something Taka and I have considered is that we feel that we wouldn't be able to bring something new to the collection by redrawing the senshi in their princess outfits as part of the winking collection. This is due especially to the fact that their dresses are  basically spaghetti straps and low-cut busts, so within the heart-shaped frames, you'd only really see their shoulders and maybe their straps, making them basically look naked. haha

With this new collection, however, I'd like to have a little more freedom to explore the senshi princesses in this same art nouveau style where the hair creates the cut-off point for their busts. For characters like Bubble Baby & Sky Racer, I'll have to be more creative with their choker ribbons and flowers. Please keep in mind these are still my initial sketches and I'll likely redraw them at least 1-2 more times before I'm happy with them. I want to play around with the hair flow to give it more art nouveau vibes, add some details like flowers and hair ornaments, and get things right like the size of the eyes ('cause I messed up bad on Bubble Baby and Dreamy Idol).

Each design, while part of the same collection, will be unique in where the character is looking. Some will be looking in the distance, some at the viewer. I want it to feel like their in their own minds thinking like how Naoko would paint in many of her illustrations. Furthermore, my goal is to make the pins somewhere in the 3-4" range, no larger since I don't want these getting too crazy expensive. Pin costs have gone up about double in the last year for us, and I'd like to continue to make the pins fairly affordable for you all, especially since these will be limited release. I don't plan to restock them as I will only be selling them as Pin Club Exclusive designs since that was the number one thing you all requested when we had our google form survey last month. :)

One decision I'm struggling with for these designs is whether or not to put them in a frame (like a circle or square) or to have their hair or ribbons creatively form the base of the pin, cutting off where their busts or stomach are. This may not seem like a big consideration, but something Taka and I both can't stand in pins from a design standpoint are pins where a character is just cut off mid-stomach or leg, unless it is contained within a frame. Since I'd be using the hair as the cutoff, it wouldn't bother me, however, I'm not sure if maybe you all would like a frame as well so that I could put some background details too. The reason I'm leaning from the frame is because I'd love for the character to be the main focus, and I certainly have zero plans to do pin-on-pin because once again, I want this to be affordable for everyone.

So if this is a collection you're interested in getting in the future, I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether you'd like to have this pin be similar to how I've sketched so far or if you think it would be better contained in a square/rectangular or circle shape. Please feel free to comment on post, DM me or email me because I really do value your feedback!

Oh, and in case you outers fans were worried, we will absolutely have outers too, I just haven't gotten around to sketching them. But great news! I just got the Artbooks III and IV in today! But uhhhhh, unfortunately, book III is definitely a bootleg, albeit a very good bootleg. Not sure how to tell? The authentic copies have a more glossy cover underneath the dust jacket, the dust jacket also has silver foiling on the letters, and finally the washi paper insert at the beginning of each book. See below to see what I mean. I could return it since I bought it on Amazon, but honestly it was $50 which is unheard of for any of the artbooks, and the prints themselves still look amazing inside the book and since Taka and I really give these books a beating through how much we use them for references and ideas, it's not like we'd be keeping them in pristine shape anyway!

Japanese Exclusives

Hey Docchimo & Mugen Club members! Don't think I'm forgetting about y'all! I would love to know if you all have anything in particular you'd like to see in our Japanese collection that we could make exclusive for you all as well! :) Please feel free to reach out and let us know! It doesn't have to be floral, it could be really anything Japanese related. We already have a ton of designs and sketches and ideas for original stuff, but would love to get your thoughts so we can prioritize what comes next.

PRODUCTION UPDATES

Just paid 1.1k last night to ship a bunch of finished designs. >_< But great news is that means the next set of boxes of pins should be going out in a couple weeks. I did ask the manu to hold off sending our pins until Aug. 3rd since we will be out of town with family for a few days next week and I don't want the pins to arrive while we're gone. So assuming the boxes of pins are shipped out around the 3rd, we should be able to receive them around August 8th or so. We don't have any events between August 8th-20th, so I should have a lot of time to work on QC'ing, backing cards and packing to have them out to you towards the mid-to-late August. Designs we'll be getting in include:

• Fuji (wisteria) - May Pin Club Design
• Guardian of New Beginnings - May Design
• Blizzard Beauty - May Design
• Fiery Fashionista - June Design
• Ajisai (hydrangea) - June Design

We will also be getting in a ton of restocks and the remaining correct color Luna pins I need to finally fulfill anyone still missing her! >_< We ordered a lot of restocks of our originals because we are doing a wholesale market on August 4th-5th and hoping to secure a few accounts at the event. Restocks include:

• Helpless Hunk (including new variant)
• Kappa
• Otsukimi (Gold variant that I know a lot of you have wanted)
• Rokurokubi (this has been really popular at events, and I created a new variant)
• Kiyohime
• Ume Blossoms (this has been selling like crazy at events)
• Dragons
• Nyango

So I'll definitely have my hands full for at least 1-2 weeks grading pins because that's gonna be at least 2000 pins coming in! >_< Wish me luck!

In the meantime, I'll be sketching more exclusive designs and vectoring August's designs this week! Be sharing that with you soon!

- Mandy (and Taka in spirit while he's in Japan)