Mikey's birth secret story
S: Designer, K: Tonkachi Representative, M: New employee (interviewer)
(One Friday, just before Mike Birthday)
—–
Mikey's background
Q1: Mikey is a cat that appears on the "1" page of the baby number book. How did you decide to make this child a star?
K:
First, what was it? Look at Lisa's sketch.
S:
I agree.Cat firstMake a key ring.nextIt was a matter of making a picture book, and my key sketch came.
K:
Sketch after a key ring?
S:
So, I tried to make a picture book that could count, and I made "Baby Number Book". Various animal pictures arrived from Lisa, and there was a Mikey in the animal. At first, Johanna was gathering all animals on the cover. But the striped cats are so catchy, so let's make this child on the cover! So, I pulled out only this child, and then it became very popular.
K:
Yes Yes.
S:
And at first ... K always says, that.
K:
yes（smile）。At first、When I go to business, it's like "What's this cat?" He said, "I'm scared and my child will cry."
S:
I can't sell it.
K:
"I can't sell such a scary cat."
M:
The key chain was better than "Baby Number Book".
K:
Yes Yes. ancestorKeychainBut it sold very much. It costs 1200 yen, but an adult bought it. It's a bit heavy and a pottery -like, like leaving the feeling of pottery. That is popularBy coming outFrom there, "A person named Lisa Larson is making it,actuallyShe is a ceramic artist. "Lisa in the flowThe number of people who know has increased.
M:
So is it originally a pottery Mikey?
K:
There is a cat like the prototype of Mikey. The vintage cat called Stora Zoo is a prototype because it resembles Mikey.
S:
I agree. The shape is similar. Like tail. Originally, there are a lot of very cute pottery animals, but that's where only Nordic people know.(= Store)It was placed in. So we say, "I want you to know more." At that time, LisaohHer grandsonMr. Miss.Looking at the place where I played with pottery, I was hugged from there.Lisa・ I made a stuffed animal with the concept of Larson.It's a potteryHardI can't sleep togetherLet's be fluffy! That's it.
S:
In the next projectteeth, Pottery is always at home, so let's make it a "portable Lisa Larson". So the key chain plan was launched. When I told Lisa, "I want to make a key chain," Lisa made a lot of models, "Let's do it!" There are quite a lot of animals, elephants, giraffes, and Mikey cats. I feel like those sketches have become "Baby Number Book".
M:
I see.
K:
"Baby Number Book" is a co -author of her first mother and her daughter, with Lisa draws sketches, Johanna waking up graphics and coloring.
Mikey got a name at the fabric factory.
Q2: It seems that Mikey had no name at the beginning of the number book, but when and who was named?
K:
Johanna told Johanna that she wanted to give her a name, and Johanna took her from her acquaintance's name. Lisa's cats are all "M". Mia, Maya, Mika, My, etc. Because everything is "M", I guess it was called Mikey.
S:
It was decided there, the cloth factory.
K:
Is that so?
S:
When I went to the Swedish fabric factory and made a Mikey cloth, I was told the name. So I put it on.
M:
Is that so.
There is something in Mikey ...!
Q3: What kind of place did you love and want to make a star?
K:
The face is a bit human. Mikey sometimes looks like a person's expression.
S:
Yes Yes. Looking at other animals, maybe they don't see much emotion. It's just like a picture. But there is something like Mikey.
M:
There is something…!
S:
Also, if it is a brown striped, it is a color that is common in cats, but the red and white stripes are also characteristic. And that face.
Q4: What was the reaction in Japan?
K:
When we brought that cat on the cover, we thought it would have a great impact when we were lined up in a bookstore. When you open the cover, the design is like the body is connected between the back and the front. After all, the people who bought me and the bookstore told me, "I think this book is it because my eyes meet when I look at it." I feel like "I'm worried." The face is a little strong.
S:
Yes Yes. A slightly mean face. So, I'm looking at this, so I look back.
K:
In this way, because of the impactful face, the number of people like "I've seen this cat!" Even if you don't know "Mikey" or "Lisa".
Q5: What was your first goods for Mikey?
S:
Is the key ring I mentioned earlier first? The towel is also quite early goods.
K:
Yes Yes. At the time of the 2011 earthquake, the towel was made because Lisa was very worried and said, "I want to do something for Japan." Lisa originally loved Japan. Until then, it was only produced in Sweden and China, but the project "Let's make something together in Japan" was born from there, and it became the "Japan Series". We started as much as we could, and we were able to do it.
"There is Mikey!"
Q6: Are there any turning points that seem to have sparked the popularity of Mikey?
S / K:
After all, it's Matsuya.
K:
In September 2014, "Lisa Larson Exhibition" was held in Matsuya Ginza, but customers came in at 10:00. We were in charge of the museum shop, but when we put out the product there, we heard a small child shouting, "There is a microphone!" Like "Eh!?" Lol I was so surprised, "Do you know Mikey!?" Until then, it was "I have seen this cat", but it suddenly looks like "Mikey!" I was surprised.
S:
Run just to run. Mikey is like Kitty.
K:
I was impressed that such a small child knew Mikey.
Q7: What rose to have a variety of patterns on my key?
K:
Is it a cat day in 2018? At that time, it was a cat boom in Japan, or cats were popular. Of course, as it is now. At that time, I tried to make a Mikey friend. The concept was that cats around the world gathered to celebrate cat days. You're dropping the actual cat pattern. Hachiware and Kabuchi who are really. Made from various types of cat species. Mr. S first designed, Lisa supervised, and said, "It's interesting."
S:
Yes Yes. There are various patterns of cats, so I tried to try the pattern of a real cat. Are you friends or Mikey? Is it transforming like a chameleon?
M:
Do you remember what your first pattern of Mikey is?
S:
Calico (Calico cat is in English). Why?
K:
Did you make it with a collaboration goods with the movie "Teacher and lost cat"?
S:
I made it, but was it before that? yes.
Q8: How is a new Mikey born?
S:
When I try a lot of cat planning, I send a lot of photos (cat), but there is no same cat as one of the flashes and colors. I guess I tried to drop the thought that cats are very interesting because there are so many kinds of cats. In addition, there are four seasons in Japan, so I want to try it in connection with the season, so Sakura's Mikey is born.
K:
There are places where Mikey is like an icon, so it's a bit of a rainbow color to reflect the times, or while being aware of that era.
M:
Are you still supervising Lisa?
K:
Well, I'm all seeing Lisa.
K:
Lisa also likes or dislikes Mikey, and has waves.
M:
e! ? Is it my key itself?
K:
Sometimes I like Mikey, and sometimes I don't like it（smile）。
S:
I really liked it at first!
K:
There are various times.
M:
There are also families and lovers, that's the case.
K:
Lisa himself has been a cat for a long time, and a cat named Moses is actually a pottery work. I kept about three animals. I've always liked cats. When you made that sketch series, you said that cats like mysterious because they are mysterious. Certainly Mikey is also mysterious.
S:
Mysterious too much!
M:
I don't know what you're thinking.
Mysterious cat
Q10: When, how and how was Baby Maiki born?
K:
There is a mug in Lisa Larson's vintage. A mug made for Germany or the Netherlands. Unusually, Lisa is a design that draws a motif in illustrations, but finds it like a small version of Mikey. I asked Lisa, "Oh!? This is not a Mikey baby!?" Then, "I'm not a baby, but well, that's right." I named it Baby Mikey for the time being, but she is not a Mikey child. Like childhood. Mysterious.
S: That's right. Something is a bit ambiguous. Is Mikey himself a man? Are you a woman? That's right.
K:
Did you make a man in your personality?
S:
Johanna gave me a personality like "I'm a king".
K:
I don't have much mention.
M:
I see. Did you find Baby Mikey and make goods in Japan?
K:
I agree. Lisa's popularity in Japan is about the three generations of her daughter, her daughter, and her baby. I was born because I wanted to make children's goods.
M:
When is that story?
S:
About 2017. When the reprint of the vintage mug.
K:
This is the current product we are making, but we make a cup of exactly the same design for Germany or the Netherlands. It's a reprint.
Q11: Is there the most memorable Mikey Episode?
K:
Memorial Mikey Episode ...!
S:
I guess the new employee's child said he didn't like Mikey separately.
M:
（smile）I like it now! It was a story that I didn't like that when I met.
K:
After all it is Matsuya. The child ran by saying "Mikey!" The moment it became "this cat = Mikey" from "I've seen this cat ...". Nowadays, there are many people who say Mikey.
S:
I'm used to it! After all, when I thought, "This is it!" Let's make this child a cover! When she became.
K:
After that, I'm glad to see people who have Mikey bags or key chains on trains.
S:
Yes Yes. Looking at the people who have goods, it will be wow.
Q12: What are your favorite Mikey products?
S:
『Baby Number Book] on second thoughts.
K:
I'm a key ring.
S:
Different faces?
K:
Although the face is different. Lisa made a prototype for that. What was interesting was that Lisa was a pottery writer and wanted to create a new prototype depending on the item. Usually, if a character is born in 2D, wouldn't it be 3D? But Lisa made a prototype for key chains, so his face is slightly different. It was quite interesting. It's a bit blurry, not the usual fluffy microphone.
M:
Is the key ring you are selling now the face as it is?
K:
I agree. That's why it's a bit different from the ones that faithfully reproduce the figure of Kaiyodo's gacha gacha or the 2D Mikey.
M:
It's a slightly soft, nice face.
K:
Yes Yes. The color is not red, but a slightly orange color.
Tonkachi traveling with Mikey
Q13: Are there any interesting goods to make?
S:
After all, it was good to make it at Kaiyodo.
K:
After all, Kaiyodo had a trend that 2D was 3D. A prototype master who made Ultraman's figures and so on expanding the imagination while looking at Mikey's 2D.
S:
If you say Kaiyodo, it's a legend in the figure world! Legend! !
K:
So, they say that they make Mikey. We went to Osaka where Kaiyodo was located. Lisa also said, "These people are genius!"
S:
It was a great honor to be able to make it at Kaiyodo, and we enjoyed it.
S:
Also, the tote bag was good.
K:
I agree. That was a good product. This bag was planned from shape to pocket, and all cloth prints were made in Japan for the first time. It is a product that sells with a great long seller. The rest is chopstick rest.
S:
This is, chopstick rests sell more than expected and make more! When I contacted me, I was told, "It's hard, so I can do it once."
M:
yes~~!
K:
It sold greatly. Even if you enter about 1000 pieces, it will sell immediately. When I contacted Hasamiyaki people, "Please put it in early!" smile
S:
It was so hard!
M:
very….
K:
If you go to make it, it will be a hand work, and you will get fat if you shift a little.
S:
When you get out of the mold, there is a part that comes out like taiyaki. I cut that one by hand by hand. By the sloppy, I get fat or get sick. smile
K:
It's like it's thin, it's terrible ...
M:
smile
S:
It was really hard!
K:
Moreover, since the transfer (the face and pattern of the Mikey) was applied by hand, it became a strange face just by shifting a little, and it was incredibly difficult.
S:
And it's about 7 places.
K:
There is also a production area that can be made with one pottery, but Hasami ware is a division of labor. The mold is made here, the transfer is made here, the baking is here, and it is divided into various things. In a small town in Hasami, these cats were made around seven places. Elderly aunts are put on transfer and have tendonitis.
S:
Yes Yes Yes. I said that I made too much, so I got tendonitis.
M:
It was an experience that understood the difficulty of production.
K:
Again, Lisa made the prototype for this chopstick rest, and her face is different.
S:
A gentle face than Mikey. cute.
Q14: What do you want to make if you can make anything now?
S:
Is it Mikey Park?
K:
Is it a playground equipment? I want to make my key slide.
S:
And an airplane.
M:
By wrapping. Yes Yes.
S:
And my key bus?
K:
My key bus is cute.
S:
It must be that form.