Background
Little Brass Bird is “a Chicago based animated show which was inspired by an original plush toy line created in 2008 by Robin Poppert”. The open format of the show allows for other Chicago-area artists and bands to be included in the short films (we've seen Shawnimals on LBB). And watching the episodes is easy...if you have a computer and an internet connection.
In addition to producing shorts (films, not your bun huggers), Little Brass Bird sells handmade plush toys based on characters from the show. The plush that we were sent to review is named Tug Boat. Yep...he's a byproduct of a love affair between a French Bulldog and a French Horn. I guess it's possible.
And from his tag:
Unlike his other dog instrument counterparts, French Bull Horn hasn’t fully assimilated into the the instrument, you can still see it’s adorable face. He tries to play with Basset Hound Bass and Accorgian on a nightly basis but his classical training has a hard time mixing with their gypsy jazz motifs. Don’t forget those diminished chords!
The Facts
Tug Boat
Series: Little Brass Bird
Manufacturer: Little Brass Bird
Material: Handmade “pillow plush”
Dimensions: 8” tall by 8” wide
Pricing: $40.00
Tag
The Tug Boat plush has a pair of tags – the first being a circular Little Brass Bird logo tag, while the second has the above reprinted background bio information.
Our Opinion
One of the quotes on the now available DVD collection of Little Brass Bird's shows states “This should be on Adult Swim right now!” I can't agree more. I would have to describe the Adult Swim brand as “retro irreverent randomness”...and the Little Brass Bird shorts fit that perfectly.
Not only do the films fit that description, but they might surpass it. Just how random is a plush that combines a French Bulldog and a French Horn (I guess it could have been worse – a French Kiss + French Toast)? I mean...their logo is half of a cat. Sliced in half. The rear half.
The actual Tug Boat plush is handmade. The French Horn is stuffed, while the canine features are made of a thick plush material sans stuffing. It sort of looks like a game of “Pin the dog on the French Horn”.
The overall quality is what we've come to expect from most higher end handmade plush toys. It's fairly soft (stuffing + plush). Has only a few errant strings. And – most importantly – resembles the things it's supposed to...yep, a French Horn crossed with a French Bulldog.
So if you're a fan of the Little Brass Bird show, or if you're the owner of a French Horn or a French Bulldog (or even an owner of a lonely heart), you'll probably want to be the owner of a Tug Boat.
You can pick one up at the following:
Little Brass Bird: $40.00
