Hi, I'm Ken. I make enamel pins and I "like" birds.

If you are here, chances are you are also an "enjoyer" of birds. In no way, shape or form, are you possibly being "held hostage" or "coerced" by birds to be a "bird lover." You have certainly never been "intimidated" by birds, never been the victim of "violence" by a bird, or had your time, personal belongings, or food "donated non-consensually" to a bird.

If any of these covert messages connect with you, you are in the right place.

It is time to start holding these feathered felons accountable for their misdeeds. Wake up, America.

According to some source I read when I was hung over a few years ago, the average eyewitness to a crime is completely unable to pinpoint a criminal based on a crime scene sketch, wanted poster, or lineup. Isn't that neat?

Anyways, that doesn't matter, because the mental image of a bird getting a mugshot is funny, so I drew that and put it on an enamel pin.

Why?

I've had birds for almost a decade now. I love them. I love them enough that I put stickers of them on my truck and make the public look at them when they get stuck behind me at a light. 

But, in the time I've had my birds, I haven't always been able to find stuff that appealed to me. 

Parrot and exotics ownership is, ultimately, a niche subculture. Even as crowdfunding and indie work make bird stuff more available, it's still an incredibly small market. Cute, appealing kawaii critters and pastel pinks that appeal to bird owners second, and cute-loving consumers first, is naturally what gets made. Nothing wrong with that, but, for me, it's neutral colors, wearable sizes, and, most importantly, cheeky shit that fits the sardonic spirit of most bird owners.

Also, I like to make fun of my pets. Because, as much as I love them... those cute, chubby, mochi-looking ass birds are still the ones taking giant, wet shits on my carpet and trying to give me pro-bono facial piercings.

PINTOPIA 2 backers who fund both BIRD CRIMES and Corviforms' BACKYARD BIRDS get a free CORVID CRIMES mugshot from me, and a shiny-stealing crow from Avi!

That's a total of two free pins, right to every backer, the minute both of our projects reach their initial funding goal.

CORVID CRIMES mugshot is only available as a PINTOPIA 2 reward - additional CORVID CRIMES pins cannot be purchased during the campaign or via regular retail sale. A few leftovers and B-grades will be raffled, auctioned or given away as prizes during promotions after the campaign.

If you want to guarantee you get a crow, make sure to back both of us!

This shiny thing isn't quite shiny (glossy, perhaps, is a better term), but at our $4000 goal, all backers will receive a FREE sticker sheet of our bird criminals committing various crimes.

If we don't make that goal (or if we do, and you want more), additional sheets can be purchased as addons for $4 each.

*To reduce waste, backers can opt out of any unwanted freebies during surveys.

BIRD CRIMES pins are 1.75" black nickel-plated hard enamels. They are designed to be wearable, at a practical 1.75 inches, with double metal posts on the back to ensure they stay put.

BIRD CRIMES are hard enamel pins, meaning they are machine polished to a flush, shiny finish. This is the standard for modern collectors, so they'll fit right in with other contemporary enamel work. To replicate the classic, nostalgic look of awkward mugshots of days gone, they use sepia-colored fills. With warm, sleek grays, they fit any outfit, pin board, or itabag.

Each pin has screen-printed text, so even at a small size, they are readable gags as much as they are wearable art. High-quality screenprint should last years even with regular wear, and even rubbing against the plastic front of a display bag or seeing daily use, it will hold strong. 

Like all of my pins, they are branded on the back with my akita dog logo and their production make - they are certifiable KEN'S PIN HUSTLE originals, if you're weird and want to brag about that for some reason.

RETCH GOALS will be unlocked as funding pushes above and beyond our goal.

As stretch goals unlock, so will bundle options for pins! Bundles offer a discount for the more pins you buy. Buy a set three-pack of our original three criminals, or mix-and-match two, five, or six!

If we reach our $3500 stretch goal, options for a full set (eight pins), as well as a super-special (and super-discounted) dozen will become available.

 

As of 3/31, there are MORE feathered felons to bring to justice...

Shipping will be calculated and collected after the campaign through the Pledge Manager,

Large orders' price increase is because I need to use bigger mailers.

I CANNOT SHIP TO: Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Israel.

I am able to do "custom" orders to Great Britain via Etsy + OI YOU GOT A LICENSE FOR THOSE PINS? tier. Due to restrictions on taxes, I cannot fulfill them "normally" and will have to use a workaround.

Some tiers might have missed these because, while I love Backerkit to bits, its shipping exclusions for tiers are about as practical as driving a Corolla covered in beef tallow down I-90. If you reside in these territories and pledge, I CANNOT fulfill your rewards. You will be refunded.

Please read my legal name and returned package policy here.

AS OF 4/21/2022, THIS IS UP TO DATE.

Timeline is an estimate - barring any major issues, we should stay on track.

Surveys must be filled out within the 2 week window to guarantee the pins you want. I can't make any promises otherwise. Great Britain buyers are an exception and get an extension to May 20 - but, I'd still appreciate if you hit me up as soon as you can with what you'd like.

Backers will be kept up-to-date with both regular milestones, and will be immediately notified of any hiccups in production. 

Welcome to Pintopia — a celebration of creativity and collaboration from a diverse group of artists collectively running enamel pin crowdfunding projects from March 28th - April 18th.

Freebie Cross-Collaboration Pins — All 125+ Pintopia creators have 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 the TWO [2] cross-collab pins for FREE! One from each creator. The more pairs of Pintopia creators you support, the more free pins you will earn ✨