The range
Gentle Creatures
A birthday is an event that arrives whether anyone wants it or not. The animals in this range have accepted that. They have turned up, they are holding a balloon, and they would like it noted that they did not ask for any of this.
Eight designs at launch, with more in spring. Every one is measured against the crocodile, which came first and set the rules.
Five rules
What makes a Gentle Creature
The animal is not upset
It is patient, and faintly unimpressed. Never sad, never angry, never smiling.
The drawing carries the joke
Roughly four fifths of it. The caption only nudges.
Nothing in the background
No scenery, no confetti. A small soft shadow under the feet and that is all.
One pathetic balloon
Sometimes inflated, sometimes not, occasionally tied to something ridiculous.
Nothing aimed at the recipient
The joke is about the occasion, not the person opening it. Safe to give to anyone.
The first one
The crocodile sets the standard
Simple shapes rather than anatomy. Coloured pencil with the paper showing through. A soft graphite line with a slight wobble. Texture suggested, never drawn. If a new design starts looking like a wildlife illustration, it goes back to the desk.