Welcome to the Wonky World of jellykoe!

By Jillian Owens

May 15, 2014

 

If you frequent the Soda City Market or any local craft fairs, such as the ever popular Crafty Feast  you’ve undoubtedly encountered the wonderfully weird creations of Joseph and Kelly Shull, the husband-and-wife team behind the quirky phenomenon that is jellykoe.

 

 

It’s difficult to define what jellykoe is, as there are so few things it isn’t.  jellykoe is bizarre plush creatures, zines, illustrations, paintings, action figures, T-shirts, bags, and more.  Each strange creation features some unusual people and creatures with tentacle arms and a brazen lack of concern for what you’re comfortable with defining as “cute”.

Joe is the man behind the paintings and prints of jellykoe.  His use of intense color, strange deformities, and adorable grotesqueries make for a style uniquely his own.  Strange, yet oddly accessible, his prints and paintings have been known to sell out at farmers markets and craft fairs all over the country.  

 

J. Spencer Shull, Untitled, 2013

 

Kelly is the woman behind the plushies of jellykoe.  Each unique line has it’s own characters and story.  They’re all created by her, making these adorable creations terrific gifts for anyone wanting something locally made that’s also completely original.

 

 

Get your Narwaldo you still can, as the Wonky Dolls are about to be discontinued to make way for an exciting new line of toys!

 

But how did Joe and Kelly start working together?

“Kelly has been a seamstress for years making her own clothes and costumes,” Joe says.  “While we were still dating, she made a few plush bunnies for my nieces as a present. I never knew she could do that and neither did she. Those were the first plushes she had ever made. Both of us were– and still are–   huge toy collectors and seeing her make those plush toys sparked my imagination. I told her it would be awesome to design our own toys. We sat down and I sketched up some designs. Kelly was able to bring those designs to life. Our Wonkydoll series 1 was born. We thought we would just take them to a few local conventions and indie art shows and that would be it. Fast forward five years and it’s our full time job. Last year, we traveled to 14 different states doing 44 shows. And that doesn’t even count gallery shows where we just sent work off. It’s crazy how life works.”

When asked how he and Kelly handle being coworkers as well as spouses, Joe doesn’t see what the big deal is.  “We love working together. I wish there was more drama for this answer but Kelly and I basically share the same brain. We never argue and we don’t get on each others nerves no matter how much time we spend together. We’ve had shows in different cities on the same weekend where we have to split up. We don’t like doing that at all. As far as the duties we share, for the most part, Kelly handles all the sewing responsibilities and I handle all the art responsibilities. If I design a new character, we sit down together and workshop the design. She’ll tell me what she think will translate well to the 3D form and what will not. Then she makes a working prototype. And I offer changes on the prototype to get it close to my original vision. Then Kelly makes the final prototype. And then we bring it to the masses.”

 

 

Tox City is the next big thing for Jellykoe.  They’ve even launched a Kickstarter campaign to cover the upfront costs of this exciting new venture.

“Tox City is the story of a thriving metropolis. One day, there was an explosion at the toxic waste plant which flooded the entire city with radioactive sludge, turning each and every citizen into mutated versions of themselves. Some of the mutants were good. They became the Cutetants. Others were rotten to the core. They’re known as the Goozers. Both sides want to control Tox City, but who will win?” –from the Tox City Kickstarter Page

 

I’m rooting for the Cutants!

 

Joe and Kelly have created their prototypes for this fun new line, and are ready to go into production with an assortment of plush toys, prints, stickers, T-shirts, and lots of other fun Tox City merchandise.

If you’d like to invite jellykoe into your life, you should check out their awesome online store or contribute to their Kickstarter campaign to bring Tox City to YOUR city!

 

Jillian Owens is a writer, designer, and eco-fashion revolutionary. A Columbia SC transplant, she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BFA in Theatre and English. When she’s not gallivanting about, she’s busy refashioning ugly thrift store duds into fashionable frocks at ReFashionista.net, helping you live the good life on the cheap at BrokeInColumbia.com, or helping the underserved through her work in Community Impact at United Way of the Midlands.  She also reviews local theater productions for Jasper Magazine and Onstage Columbia.  Any comments, questions, or crude remarks can be directed to [email protected].