I had this wacky idea to change my tagline from "making things that are out of this world" to "limbs not included" because it's like I've shunned arms and legs! That's just how things ended up when I began designing my little guys back in early 2006. I decided to forgo limbs for a nice, streamlined animal. A lack of limbs does present a problem for a few critters with similar limbless counterparts, such as a lizard and a snake, and I'll have to do a special set of limbed amphibians and reptiles in the style of my Buggin' Out and Surf's Up collection, which also required limbs. Imagine an octopus or ant without legs! I'll admit I've favored my birds by giving them wings - a chicken would still look like a chicken with or without wings.
There is a japanese word which best defines my style, not that I knew before I began. Kokeshi (小芥子) is traditionally a painted wooden doll without arms or legs as seen here.
Stay tuned for tomorrow, when Backyard Critters, Volume 5 is officially released!
