Friday, September 4, 2009

An update from Inhae

Hi everyone!

This is long overdue, but I've been meaning to express how grateful I am to all of you- my readers -for supporting My Milk Toof with your wonderful comments! It's such a great feeling to create something I love and get to share it with the world in such an immediate way.
I've been using Facebook to write updates, but I thought this would be a great time to reach out to everybody directly on the blog and answer some questions:



Q: How did you come up with the idea for My Milk Toof?

"Toof Cleaning" Out Take I

A: After working five years in the video game industry, I finally was given the opportunity to explore some personal projects. I was vaguely familiar with what a "milk tooth" was, and after a little research I thought it was a really cute term and began developing the idea.



Q: What are ickle and Lardee made out of?

"Splash!" Out Take I


A: Polymer clay, painted with acrylics, and finished with a varnish.



Q: Why does ickle's name always start with a lower case letter?

"ickle, ickle!" Out Take I

A: I found that doing so helped reinforce ickle's small size; It is also for aesthetic reasons.



Q: How long does it take you to come up with a new adventure? Why can't it be more often?

" ickle and Lardee's Grand Adventure." Out Take I

A: It depends on the storyline. Recently the posts have become much more ambitious, so it can take two weeks or more to fully execute (including storyboards, making new models/props, shooting, and editing).



Q: Are there any plans for a book? Toys? Animated movies?

"ickle and Lardee's Grand Adventure" Book Cover


A: Thanks to your support and enthusiasm, it is very likely that a real published My Milk Toof book will exist someday! As far as toys and animation, I think it's a possibility if the book is successful.

I mentioned having some prints to sell, but unfortunately they did not come out well or to the quality I had hoped for, so I won't be selling them. But currently I'm working on self-publishing a limited run book of "ickle and Lardee's Grand Adventure" to be sold at the San Francisco Alternative Press Expo in October. I know many of you can't make it, so hopefully I'll have some leftover to sell via Etsy after the Expo.

Once again, thank you so much for helping to open so many doors for this project, and I hope I can keep bringing you great stories to brighten your days!


Cheers,
Inhae

148 comments:

evelyn said...

oh! good questions and answers ^_^
you do a great job with the Milk Tooth blog!

Carole Pivarnik said...

You deserve much success for bring so many smiles into the lives of others. I would happily buy a book about the milk teef...I just adore those little guys! You've got something truly delightful here!

Carrie said...

Thanks so much for the answers! They're all to questions I'd been wondering for a long time. :) And I'm so excited about the possibility of a book! I'll be lining up for a copy as soon as it's official. Great job!

carly said...

I would absolutely buy prints or a book -- but I'm nowhere near SF! Please do make them available online.

Also maybe sell numbered limited edition models of ickle and Lardee? Hint hint? :)

I wonder if you could team up with a toothy-charity like Operation Smile...just a thought.

Anonymous said...

been following this blog for a little while now and always wondered how you got the facial expressions to change. so each one is a different model? that's awesome. very very well done. i'd totally buy a book/toys/prints of these little guys... so cute!

Laura said...

Aw, ickle and Lardee are AWESOMEEEE!
I love each new instalment of this adventure. ;)

garnis said...

thank you for answering..that's nice.. :)
wish i could have one copy of ickle and Lardee's Grand Adventure. craving it now. hehehe..

goodluck for you and ickle and Lardee, Inhae.. :)

Unknown said...

I love this blog and I love ickle and Lardee. You're great!

Your Daily Cute said...

Aw, it's so great to read this. I love, love, love your blog and always enjoy ickle and Lardee's adventures! Knowing the story behind them makes it even sweeter.

Good luck on your book endeavor -- you can count on me for a sale whenever it happens! :)

KT Grant said...

Inhae, your blog and your little teef make my day a much brighter one. Thank you so much for bringing such joy into our lives with your creativity!

carla said...

i get such joy out of my milk toof -- it is SO lovely. thank YOU for creating something so tender and loveable. :')
keep up the amazing work!

L said...

Thanks so much for creating such a beautiful and entertaining website - I can't tell you how much joy it brings me and all of my friends :). And thanks for giving us some background info on your creative process. Good luck with the book!

Jessica Mooney said...

Thank you for having an awesome imagination! When I see My Milk Toof pop up in my facebook it feels like Christmas morning. ickle and Lardee are cute, funny and sweet. I can only hope my milk teef turned out as well, where ever they are! Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

i love love this blog. keep up the awesomely cute work. it always brightens my day when there's a new adventure posted! cheers from alabama!

Lucy in the Sky said...

congrats to ickle's, Lardee's, and YOUR success! I can't wait for the book! I'm not sure how I found out about your blog but I've been a fan since the beginning, before your posts got like 100 comments. :b again, CONGRATS!

mika said...

I hope your books will be published in Japan too. I believe Japanese people will love ickle and Lardee!

lauren ♥ said...

we should be the ones thanking you! your blog brings a smile to my face everytime i read it. thank you for creating something so enjoyable... not to mention, adorable! <3

Unknown said...

Best of luck with the new book. I can't wait to see it on the shelves at B&N!!

I <3 ickle and Lardee!

Miss Rachel's Pantry said...

So nice to read! I look forward to new adventures and would love, love, love a book.
And thanks for creating such an adorable little world to look at!

Forfeit said...

Have you considered a run with Blurb? (www.blurb.com) because then we could all order your book online and it would only print as many as were ordered... and those of us who live far away, like me, would have an opportunity to share in ickle and lardee bookstuff <3

CC said...

your very talented
good luck
xox

Ironwoodtree said...

My daughter and I love My Milk Toof. It's such a sweet idea and the stories are so cute! We'd love to buy a book or some models.

Unknown said...

getting a book about ickle and Lardee would be great they are soo cute. good luck at the Expo

Cheryl said...

Thank you for creating such wonderful characters and sweet stories. Both my daughter and I love reading about ickle and Lardee, and we would LOVE to see books or toys!

Jenna said...

Inhae - ickle & Lardee are the most adorable things I've ever seen. And the detail in every post always amazes and amuses me. You're doing a wonderful job, for our sake, don't ever stop!

Artfulife said...

So fun! Can't wait to see all that you do in the future. I'm an instant fan f these cute little milk tooths.

Rose Ann said...

Thank you for sharing your talent! My kids and I love to follow ickle's adventures!

Best of luck with your future plans/ambitions!!

alexkeller said...

well i hope you do well at the expo, but maybe not so well....so that you have something leftover for me to purchase via Etsy.
my son and i are big ickle and Lardee fans - footloose and fancy free!

Tom Shea said...

You and the Teef are a treasure(s).

mg said...

Thanks for creating such wonderful artwork/stories!! love 'em alot!!! keep up the good job. All the best!! :)

InnyVinny said...

Thank you for the update and for sharing these two cuties with everyone! I hope you have books left over.

HeatherShow said...

I was so thrilled to find this question and answer post!! Yay! I've been wondering about most of this stuff for a while now, so it's great to finally know a little bit about behind the scenes. :)
Sign me up for the whole book idea!! I can't make it to the Expo, but I'd totally buy one (heck, two!) off Etsy! I'd love to be able to get one for my nephews, too - I introduced my 9 and 5 year old nephews to your site a couple months ago and we've been hooked ever since! Now every time they come over, the first thing out of their mouths usually is, "Is there a new Milk Toof out yet?!?!" It's been a great bonding experience for us, since we all have our own little private jokes about ickle and lardee to quote to each other. :) Seriously, thank you for that!
Anyway, please please please sell some books online!! I'm sure you have plenty of eager potential customers even besides myself. :)
Thanks for the great work, as always!

HeatherShow said...

Oh, one more thing, I'd totally buy a print or two as well! I'd love to have a print of the "I Demand Something Softer!!" frame from the last post. I showed that to my Mom and we both had a good laugh - because of a rare genetic condition I have, I always have to find the softest fabrics and materials to use around the house and for my clothing, toilet paper included, hehe. When my Mom saw that, she laughed and immediately said, "That's SO you!"
Anyway, forgot to add that bit, sorry for double commenting! :)

KristyChong said...

Oh they are made out of polymer clay!how cute!haha.You are very talented,they are really adorable!I do hope i can get some of their books.And hope it can eventually come in motion pictures in cinema!Best regards ;)

Jerrilicious said...

This is way too adorable! Indeed you're talented and very creative. Hope to see more post and keep it up!

~Sz said...

Any update is a great update! Love the blog, love ickle and Lardee. <3

M Hsu said...

I love looking forward to the new adventures of ickles and Lardee. Love everything you do! Keep it up!

blingbling said...

hey! I think mymilktoof is the cutest thing ever! <333

owbEe said...

I want to have a copy of the book too. But I don't live in SF. I hope you can sell this online. somewhere.

Helene said...

i really enjoyed these Q&A. and if you publish a book - i would definitly buy it! :)

Sofia said...

Hi ! Do you come from England or the US? I'm a swedish girl who often reads theese funny stories about the milk teeth! :D I love them!
Good luck in the future!
Kramar (hugs in swedish) :D

Louise said...

Thank you for a lovely blog. It's one of my favourites sites on the net.
I hope you will be able to sell the book online.
And I'm looking forward to new stories about ickles and Lardee. :)

yeciyeci said...

Hi I'm studying dentistry from Indonesia. I want to buy the book!! And the figurines too. And the movie too.. Hahaha.. ickle and Lardee are sooo kewt and awesome! Please make it available online.. I will surely buy them.. :) Thank you for making such a great blog!!

Miriam said...

All the best for you with your milk teeth, idea is just great, I hope you get popular all around the world.

Gracie said...

how is it possible for me to only find your blog now?!
it's amazing!
i love love love your blog!
*adds to blog roll, and follows :)*
xxx

estrella said...

Hi Inhae :) Though I'm a big fan of your blog I think I never left a comment... I'd love to get a book with these lovely stories, I hope there will be some available after the Expo!
Keep on with such a good work :D
xxx

Olivia said...

I love the blog! Thanks for answering questions, and keep doing it! It's so exciting to see a new ickle and Lardee post! :D They're adorable and make me Squee. ^_^

Fairytale Believer said...

Such brilliant inspiration!

Anonymous said...

Please, sell the books online! I live in the other side of the world, and I'd love to get a copy! I'll pay anything.

epur said...

Thank you! :)

ha nu said...

I so wish there was a proper Milk Toof book. I would SO get it for my future niece/nephew who is to be born in March.

Anyway, thanks for lots of smiling moments in front of my computer screen.

Randi said...

Oh, a book like that would be absolute fantastic! I am a norwegian fan, and I think a book like that would be selling great over here, the stories are so cute!! I love "My Milk Toof" and read it every time there is an update!

pin-a-cloth said...

ickle and Lardee are a huge success even in Portugal (at least in my home!!! :P)

I hope you can find a way so that everybody could buy your book, maybe using blurb as someone suggested earlier (I have used it already and it's safe)

Congratulations on your amazing work!

Mariana

Student said...

A book will be very cute. Successful, no doubt. I'm fifteen, and its creations like these that make me question my own imagination, and appreciate tiny little things.

You're an inspiration, Inhae! :)

Anonymous said...

I wondered if they were toys that you'd bought or models you'd made.

How big are lardee and ickle?

Biena said...

I'd read your posts on ickle's adventures over and over again! I wonder how old is ickle and Lardee coz they seemed too cute ;D

Anyhoo, excellent work & here's to a bigger success!

Anonymous said...

Thank YOU! ickle and lardee makes my days a little brighter. Keep up the good work!

Rebecka said...

Love it!

Kia and Zeno said...

Congrats to ickle's, Lardee's and your success and hopefully we'd be able to get one of the books on Etsy ;) Thanks for sharing your creativity with us!

Sarah-Lou said...

Thank YOU for all these funny explanations! Hope to read more of your milk tooth adventures in the coming years

Jan said...

Thank you for sharing the great work.. Hopefully I can see ur book selling in Hong Kong very soon as well..

Marleen said...

ah just the answer I needed!!:D thanks.. lol
good luck with al your work. I hope someday I can buy a book in holland

Luíza C. said...

well, this is a great project!
I'm from Brazil and I've just found this blog.
I think that this is a fantastic idea!
congratulations, inhae =)

ps.: I'm sorry, I may have wrote some mistakes, but I think you can get the idea.

kisses.

Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor said...

What a fun concept! Good luck on taking these characters into more projects. They certainly have a lot of appeal!

Anonymous said...

If you ever publish a photobook of these I absolutely want to buy it. Hope you will deliver books to Finland also. ;)

AbsoluteJunkie said...

I really love ickle and Lardee ! Maybe they can start to have other friends coming to visit.. it will be interesting =D .. U can have so much fun with polymer clay and i wish i am as talented as you. Sadly, I am unable to be at San Francisco, really do hope the book is available in the bookstores in Singapore. I will definitely buy it!
Keep up the great work ! :D

Slangevar said...

Quality schmality... sell those prints! My friends and I are ready to start printing them straight off the web, so I guarantee your print quality will be better than that. :-)

avara maiju said...

I like it that your milk toof has teef. :)

http://avaramaiju.blogspot.com/

connoisseur-of-cute said...

I too am one of your regular readers who begged for a book. I really hope you have leftovers so that you can sell them on Etsy. I would snap up a copy right away.

What is your etsy store link?

Thank you for sharing your art with all of us. :)

Anonymous said...

These adventures always make my day a little brighter.

Thank you:)

Denysia said...

I think if you were to make some toys, I would totally purchase them! they are so darn cute! :)

Jackie said...

They're POLYMER CLAY?? OMG, how did I not realize that? I'm a polymer clay FANATIC!!! Wow, great job!

Gleopatra said...

i would def buy an ickle or Lardee toy. probably Lardee if I had to pick just one :)


leblogdegleopatra.blogspot.com

lolly-jolly said...

wow. that's pretty awesome, maaan!! :))

jamila said...

Inhae, you're on to something very very special here. Your blog is the absolute best!
Thanks for answering those questions. It brings depth to this experience.
And please, do post updates here too. Not all of us are facebook fans.
Many thanks for taking all the time and effort to do this lovely project. Your creativity sends all kinds of good vibes out into the world.

Lady Fair said...

ickle and Lardee rock my world. Please publish your comming book in sweden. Please please please

Artisan of the Shire said...

This blog always makes my day brighter. Thank you so much for your wonderful creations!

Anonymous said...

esther:
heyy¡¡¡ greetings from spain.
i love this history, its very cute¡¡

Barbro Andersen said...

You are the best :)

Meg said...

Thank you so much for sharing your talent. ickle and Lardee always make me smile!!

Hayley said...

i hope whatever you do next you will be very successful with. you're so creative, and this blog is adorable!

Anonymous said...

This is awesome! I bet 'My Milk Toof' would be a success as a book or an animation movie - people like this kind of cute stuff.

Elisha said...

This is a wonderful blog you've got going here, and I really enjoy the story lines and characters.

It would be grand to see a book or film of these guys, too!

sanni said...

Your milk toof make my day a little bit better♥ love it

usagijen said...

awesomesauce!! them Milk Toofs are sooo adorable~! I would so want to own a figurine (or other cute merchandise), if there'll be one someday! XD

Carissa said...

I love ickle and I love Milk Toof :D

z.ky said...

I would LOVE to own a My Milk Toof book!

TechnoJournee said...

It would be absolutely amazing if your book got published ! It's be a really great storybook for toddlers and little children !

celinouche said...

I discover and I love it!

TatiLie said...

I'm a huge fan and also a dentist. I would love to have a book to give to my little niece and if one day I own a dental practice, it would be great to have ickle and Lardee's posters and books in the waiting room (maybe a periodic book would be nice, huh?).
Thank you very much for creating such special world and sharing with us!

céline artigau said...

This is already one of my favorite blogs, I'm sure it will be one of my favorites children's book.

Caah said...

Eles sao tao fofos! você deveria fazer eles pra vender, e que tal uma historia com uma namoradinha pra eles?

ceci said...

Great update post! Look forward to seeing ickle and Lardee in print! :D

All the best,
Ceci

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love your blog, ickle and Lardee! They never fail to cheer me up. I have gotten very jaded and cynical about life in general, but reading your blog makes me chuckle in genuine joy. :)

Thanks for doing such a great job! <3 And please never ever stop!!

Lynette

Yanina Sol Bonanno. said...

Hola mi nombre es Yanina soy de Argentina, encontre este blog y me parecio fantastico! segui asi tenes mucho talento!!!!

E. said...

This blog has so many cute photos! It is nice to see pictures, to listen to little mini stories... this blog is just the cutest! well done, and the questions were pretty interesting.

Kimbella said...

hello! I've recently became a fan of your works. When I first entered the site, I already liked it. The cuteness and hotness of the the duo's really made me wanna come back again and again, just to see them. I'm really impressed! Wish you success!

Anonymous said...

I am so excited to hear there may be books etc avaiable!! I love this blog!! I have forwarded it to all my friends as I dont want to be a cuteness horder!!!! Keep up the good work!!! :)

hotclaws said...

It's a truly original and wonderful comic,well done!

Glen said...

luv your stories!! make me laugh everyday!!!

Lucie said...

Congrats for the great job you always do. ickle and Lardee always make my day !

inmanejable said...

Oh I just love these fellas, can't get enough of them. I really like your work with them, it feels like they're for real :D

Unknown said...

I love this site...and now my co-workers do to! You're doing a great job. I'm hoping there are extra books 'cause I would *LOVE* one.

Mark said...

I grew up enamored by the creativity of physical effects/stop-motion in movies like Star Wars or King Kong, and that is a huge part of why this is all so charming. Had it been done with drawings or in 3D, it wouldn't have half of the effect it does for me.

I appreciate finding out about the characters' physical creation, too... I wasn't sure if they were figures you had found or if they were your own doing - now I know :)

I don't always comment, because after 100 other lines of "OMG so cute!" mine would just be lost, but I love every single "episode" and I appreciate the work that goes into every one.

Plus... they're just freaking hilarious/cute. I'll be shouting "death to all carrots" for the rest of my life, with a smile :)

fenchurch said...

I can't wait to stop by your table at APE!

Get Your Cute On said...

Thank you for the Q & A, I love this site. You are very creative.

Anaïs said...

thanks for all these informations and for your creative and humorousful work!
kind regards from France!

Anaïs said...

humorousful?
does it exist?!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for creating ickle and Lardee! They are so sweet! Whenever I see them I giggle with glee because they are so cute. The "voice" you give them is adorable. Please keep on creating!

rich said...

i want to buy your book. congrats! your work is very inspiring. can't wait until the next instalment.

Julie said...

*wonders if you'll even see this comment after 111 of them * D:

its so cool to know that you came from a videogame background! (I'm currently in school trying to get into it / animation industry)

if an ickle and Lardee animation is ever thought up, I'd love to volunteer to help with it! :D

VJ's Scrap Room said...

Thank you so much for sharing your story of how you came up with this idea.:)It's soo cool and I do hope you make those books and videos.:)
My DD LOVES polymer clay and will be happy to hear you made your toofs with it.:)She makes dolls and jewelry. If you would like to see...here is her myspace..

http://www.myspace.com/christyj1977?ref=nf


Hugs,
Valinda

The Leech said...

Found your website through my cousin Jessica and I fell in love with ickle and Lardee from the first photo I saw. It must have taken you LOTS of patience, energy and time...but I, for one, am glad you persevered! More of ickle and Lardee please! Yeah, I would totally buy the book if it came here to Malaysia.

Anonymous said...

Hello Inhae!!!! As a dentistry student, I must say that I am soooooooooo in LOVE LOVE LOVE with ickle and Lardee. I wish their little adventures could come out out more often and I would most definately buy merchandise! PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!! It was so funny today in class, I found myself doodling a picture of Lardee in party hat.... Hey, you should do a story on ickle and Lardee visiting the dentist!!!!! xoxoxoxoxo

m.e. said...

YES YOU BRIGHTEN MY DAY! I HOPE I CAN GET THAT BOOK SOMEHOW BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE ME SOOO HAPPY.
CONGRATS! AND THANKS FOR GIVING US SOME INFO ABOUT THESE CUTE CHARACTERS!
DANI MX CITY

you know who said...

I LOVE IT! I'm from Brazil and I love your milk toof.

Eveland said...

Congratulations... looking forward to the book..

Anonymous said...

i am sooo gonna buy the book :D

Anonymous said...

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions!

Add me to "definitely would buy if available" list. Books, prints, dolls, whatever! I absolutely love ickle and Lardee

Anonymous said...

i love your blog...
the pixs is cute...

S O L V E I G said...

I love this blog :-) its so cute

From norway!

ernst said...

so good.. Looking forward to the books & toys..

Anonymous said...

Love your blog. ickle and Laudie are the most adorable characters ever created.

Great work.

And looking forward to the book!

~Ed
India

Unknown said...

Oooh I would love to buy a book, I hope you can have some on etsy!

Anonymous said...

I meant 'Lardee'.

So sorry. -_-;;

There is nothing worse than having your character being called wrong.

~Ed

PS: All the best with the upcoming storyboards!

PeekaBoo said...

This has got to be the cutest thing! Adorable in deed! Happy Day!

mmorbo said...

you are a G E N I U S

Capricious Co. ♥☮♥ said...

gorgeous blog!!!
you have brought your characters to life in such a cute way.

emma-kate said...

i love ickle and lardee! a book would be so wonderful, and to order even better - i live in south africa and would adore a milk toof book.

Karen said...

Brilliant Idea having made ickle and Lardee. They are just so cuteeeee. I hope to see more of them. Good Luck and more success with everything you do!!

Me said...

I love your blog! It always makes me smile no matter how bad my day is. I really hope there will be a book. I would buy tons and give them as gifts for sure.

Keep up the awesome work!

yelinna said...

This is adorable!! It made me smile tonight (OMG! It's almost 11pm!! What am I doing awake???)

sara alhooti said...

i love your milk toof :)

toof-lover! said...

I get SO happy everytime a new adventure is featured! ickle and Lardee are such cuties! Thank you for all the lovely stories!

Giuliana said...

Hi Inhae!
My name is Giuliana and I'm from Brazil. I'm a Dentist and I love your ickle and Lader! They're soo cute and I can't wait a book to show to my little kids at my work!
Thanks for the hard work!

Taylor K said...

congratulations on a possible book! that is incredible. i love ickle and lardee. :)

mr.snugglemars said...

keep up your excelent work inhae..
i really like reading your blog..

lardee adn ickle.. :D
really entertaining,

Anne said...

Inhae, your little milk toof stories just make my day. All I have to do is think of one of them and I start giggling. What more could anyone ask? thank you
Anne
GSOLOFT

Djinni said...

My 4 year old son and I love reading your blogs. In fact for 2 weeks straight he would not go to bed until we read one of the stories. Hopefully you will be able to publish a book so that parents(or any adult) and children all over the world can enjoy your work. Kamsahamnida!

Anonymous said...

Such a sweet blog. Very creative, kudos to you!
Please make sure to publish extra copies for those of us who can not make it to SF :)

Shaelee Elizabeth said...

love the blog, and the whole idea in general! it's too cute!

Alicia - Sea Of Ghosts said...

I would also be interested in a little figurine (maybe made of polymer clay?) of ickle or Lardee to put on my shelf. So cute!

Unknown said...

You are such an inspiration! I've been shooting gummies for a while now but this is the best idea ever. You are very talented.

jeen said...

hhaha omgosh!
i have never seen or heard abt this
milk tooth story's. it's rly cute and funny!

great job!

Unknown said...

I love my mild toof and look forward to buying a book when more are available. thank you for milk toof!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey, do you have anything to inspirate yourself? Like a book? I take some seem in the relation with to of the caracters from: "Of mice and men". Like ickle who takes care of Lardee and Lardee who seems to be newest than him. Things like that.

They are so kind!!
hahaha

I Love Your Job.
#big fan

Arthi said...

Hi!
I was just re-reading this and I came across your answer to a comment about animation. I love the idea of this blog becoming successful enough to make that possible, but I think one of the best things about ickle and Lardee is the old-fashioned charm of photograph! Animation would take that away, and they would end up looking like a kid's show, which they are so much more than!
Just my two cents,
Arthi

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