Mankind first stepped foot on the moon in 1969, but what about the many animal companions that helped us get there? Animals that were loved, yet often sacrificed in turn -- while some returned safely, many, many other never made it home.
This pin set is meant as a way to commemorate the many animals that have made these journeys for us, as a way to honor their memory and bring attention not just to their stories, but to the complexities and storied history of space travel as a whole.
These pins are planned to be nice, large, oversized pins at LEAST 3in tall (maybe more!). You can display them on a board, in an ita bag, in a small frame as an art piece, wherever you like!
They'll be plated with gold metal and filled with hard enamel. The space-y backgrounds will also be glittery for extra shine! Depending on the design, some may also include little screen printed details.
Our first two designs, unlocked at the initial $1000 goal, are of Laika and Felicette!
Felicette (1963) and Laika (1957), the two main stars of our show!
As the campaign progresses, we have planned a total of 6 main pin designs that will be unlocked incrementally. Backers will be able to choose which designs get unlocked first!
From left to right: Belka and Strelka (1960), Miss Baker (1959), and Sally, Amy, and Moe (1960).
Here are a few teaser sketches of some of the possible designs to be unlocked during the campaign!
If you previously pledged to my project BATPACKS: Wearable Nocturnal Companions, you'll also get a free bonus pin included in your pledge if you decide to support this project, too! Thank you so much for all your support 🦇✨
(Does not include pre-orders placed after the conclusion of the funding period. Please make sure you're using the same Backerkit account as before!)
💖 WELCOME TO PINTOPIA — a celebration of creativity and collaboration from a diverse group of over 175 creators collectively launching their pin and/or plushie project on BackerKit from January 23rd - February 13.
Be on the lookout for projects that have paired up to be Cross-Collab partners — this means that if you back BOTH projects in the pair (for a physical reward), you will get a limited FREE pin from EACH creator. The more pairs you support, the more FREE pins you earn ✨
And for all you pin-collectors out there, we want to reward your achievements with a limited Gold Pintopia 2025 pin once you support 10+ projects (this reward will be surveyed and shipped by the BackerKit team).
⚔️ 2 FREE Cross Collaborative Freebies for every cross-collab pair you back (one from each creator) 🏆 1 FREE Exclusive Gold Pintopia 2025 Pin if you back 10 participating projects or more
⭐️ PRO TIP: Get the MOST freebies by backing 5 Cross-Collab Pairs!
*See individual project pages for freebie unlock requirements **To unlock the Trophy Pin, you must support each project for a physical item
Cross-Collab with ASTROANIMALS: A Voyage to the Plushies
Why just support one space animal project when you could support two? Our friends at Astroanimals have partner with us for our campaigns to include special bonus rewards if you pledge to both projects!
ALL backers who support both projects will receive TWO free pins; one from me, and one from Astroanimals!
Click here to check out all their amazing project goals and pledge options!
This timeline is only a rough estimate based on my previous experience with pin production; unexpected delays are always a possibility, but I try to do my best to calculate that chance in when I'm putting together these timelines. Any significant project delays will be announced here on Backerkit!
January 23rd, 2025, 10:00AM PST: project launches!
February 13th, 2025: project ends!
February 14th - 28th: Pledge funds are received & your card is charged for your pledge
February 28th: Backer surveys will begin to be sent out; this is when you will pay for your shipping. ** Paying for your shipping fees is separate from paying for your pledge level. **
March - April: surveys are collected, samples of pin designs are ordered (if needed), designs finalized & pre-production tasks are completed
April - May (potentially June): pins are produced, as well as other add-on items. This stage could take longer depending on how many pin designs we end up doing!
Early Summer: pins are completed and shipped to me
IMPORTANT: Pledge prices do NOT include the cost of shipping. Your shipping fee will be calculated at the end of the campaign & collected when your backer surveys are sent out via pledge manager! Please keep this in mind when choosing your pledge tier!
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Shipping prices shown are ROUGH estimates and could be higher or lower depending on the cost of postage at time of shipment/type of packaging/etc. There are some countries we may not be able to ship to (Russia, Ukraine, Israel/occupied Palestine, etc) due to embargo laws and/or mail service disruptions. We cannot ship to the UK due to VAT laws, nor to the EU due to updated GPSR guidelines.
Hi! I'm Nicholas (he/they), but most people call me Nico, and I go by the handle ANDPIERRES. I'm an independent illustrator & merch designer from the Bay Area, and I've been selling my art online & at conventions since 2011!
I've previously hosted two other pin crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter (My Otter Half & Fangs and Flora), but you probably know me from my most recent project here on Backerkit, BATPACKS! You can find more of my work on Twitter & Instagram, as well as my online shops on Ko-Fi and Etsy. I also frequently sell at in-person markets and conventions, so if you're local to the Bay Area, hi! You might have seen me around!
I'm incredibly excited to get to participate in Pintopia 2025! Thank you for being here :)
“Laika was quiet and charming. I wanted to do something nice for her. She had so little time left to live.” - Vladimir Yazdovsky
This campaign was created in part to bring attention to the sacrifices many animals have made in the name of human exploration and curiosity -- it's important to acknowledge that these animals did not have a choice. Many suffered, and many more died.
My goal is to celebrate the love and kindness that was there, even when it seems contradictory; that many of these animals were no different from our own pets that we hold dear. As told in a newspaper excerpt from the New York Times in 1957:
"After placing Laika in the container and before closing the hatch, we kissed her nose and wished her bon voyage, knowing that she would not survive the flight."
So, with all that being said, I wanted to take a moment and dedicate this campaign to all the animals we shared such a short time on this planet with. We love you to the moon and back. 🌙
From left to right: Laika, Felicette, and Miss Baker.
My own two senior cats, Penny & Hobbes, who both crossed the rainbow bridge in the time since I started working on this project.
