Tulipop is a beautiful little island. Nobody knows exactly where it is, which is just as well, because otherwise everyone would want to go there! Surrounded by a mysterious ocean, Tulipop is much like other islands, with volcanoes that sleep under dancing northern lights, simmering hot springs, glaciers, forests and meadows, but where else do you find singing flower patches, a spring of secrets and shifting waterfalls? The answer is: nowhere. Tulipop is the place where good ideas, adventures and dreams are born. It is up to the residents of Tulipop to nurture these treasures and, when time is ripe, to send them out into the cosmos where they eventually find their place – perhaps in your mind!
WELCOME mount Black Jam-Jam
Skeleton Hill Chilly Bay
Big Waterfall Black Forest
Golden Alps
mushroom meadow
Flower Power Valley
It’s safe to say that Monsieur Bubbi, head of the circus, is a big guy. He is GIGANTIC! Which is no surprise as he comes from a long line of venerable giant octopus circus masters, which he never tires of explaining. The audience isn’t always interested in hearing about that, but what does that matter when Monsieur Bubbi is undeniably the most respected inhabitant of Tulipop. Despite Monsieur Bubbi’s imposing behaviour and image, he is still a very sensitive soul and is easily brought to tears, though of course he’d never admit it. But there’s another little thing Monsieur Bubbi is struggling with: he is head over heels in love with Miss Maddy and has no idea what to do about it. Don’t forget that octopi have three hearts, so we’re talking about triple heartache!
Mr Tree is the oldest of the Tulipoppers, a trusty fellow and quite a philosopher. The islanders often turn to him for counselling. His advice, however, is sometimes so obscure that it raises more questions than it answers – he is, so to say, rather “deep”. Mr Tree is so genial that he is forgiven even when his advice is impossible to understand (and practically useless), and most of his friends are satisfied by the time they leave. Mr Tree’s one and only weakness, as far as we know, is his sinful greed for gemstones. The most beautiful jewels in his collection were formed from tears of true happiness, as Mr Tree has the gift of being able to transform tears into diamonds. That’s why he always cries a little each day. But that’s oh so good for the soul too.
Mushroom boy Bubble is an impressionable nature-lover, a book worm and … let’s be honest – a super nerd! Between immersing himself in books and talking to animals, flowers and other creatures, he spends his time daydreaming and inventing new words, amongst other things. Life is pretty comfortable for this sweetie except when he lets his worries pull him down. Although Bubble is gentler than a feather, don’t forget that he is a magic mushroom and when there is a lot at stake he will go berserk. When that happens, he blows up to ten times his size, which is enough to send even the toughest punters on their way.
Buddha is a rock star who has chosen to retire and withdraw from the spotlight in order to practice spiritual meditation along the lines of continuous introverted reflection through mind-strengthening guitar tinkering. He plays the guitar constantly and can hardly say half a sentence without bursting into song. It’s always fun to pay Buddha a visit, until he (perhaps mid-conversation) seems to fade into his own world and then it’s impossible to get through to him again. But visiting Buddha is always worth it. Everyone leaves completely relaxed and invigorated– and probably singing too.
Skully and Mr Tree share a living space and have done so longer than anyone remembers (including themselves). Skully is cynical and sometimes a little short-tempered. She believes in the truth, and the truth can be a bitter pill to swallow, as we know. Those who turn to Mr Tree for solace may end up receiving Skully’s words of wisdom in the process, like a cold slap in the face, but a dose of truth often comes in very handy. Skully is a poet, with a sharp style and clear message. Some would call it end-of-the-world thinking, as most of her poems conclude with somebody dying, usually herself. Skully and Mr Tree have developed a relationship characterised by constant nagging and criticism, but the discord is only on the surface – in fact, neither one could imagine life without the other. Isn’t that what we call love?
Wiggly is a sneaky little worm clown and Wobbly’s big brother. Wiggly is definitely the clever one, and can be brutally frank. He is always inventing nutty new tricks, which he lures his brother into performing. Wiggly’s main stunt is juggling fireballs with his tentacles! He has a soft spot for sweets and often treats himself with a delicious toffee apple or two.
The twins Ping and Pong follow Fred like a shadow. Like a double mirror-shadow. They are so extremely alike that it’s impossible to tell them apart. In fact, they get themselves mixed up. Ping and Pong speak a language that even the most talented linguists still haven’t managed to decipher. In other words, it’s impossible to understand what they say, but one thing’s for sure, it’s always something amusing. Whatever it is.
The super-gifted, multi-talented prima donna Miss Maddy is the star of the circus. She believes in the power of love and lives for art. There’s nothing Miss Maddy likes more than being showered with praise (except perhaps strawberry ice-cream soda with lots of whipped cream and a cherry on top). Miss Maddy has big dreams, she is sure that something more and better awaits her – the world simply must have the chance to enjoy her magnificent talents! And that’s not to mention her powerful singing voice that can not only break glass, it can (if she so desires) stop tidal waves in their tracks and make stars fall. It pays to treat Miss Maddy well – her mood is no less magnificent.
Spud is a trusty fellow and Bubble’s best friend, and (although there’s no official record) he’s most likely the fastest snail in the universe. Spud is the strong silent type. In fact he doesn’t make any sound at all, which comes in rather handy when he wants to go unnoticed. But that still doesn’t mean that Spud is mute – he expresses himself, shows his feelings and reactions, by changing colour at the drop of a hat. The one drawback of being able to change colour is that sometimes he can’t control it, specifically when he is overwhelmed by emotion. Of course that isn’t very often because he is indeed the strong and silent type.
Fred is the self-appointed outlaw of the group. He lives deep inside the forest and feels most at home in the shadows (his favourite colour is octopus-ink black). No one can really say for sure what kind of creature Fred is, but the story goes that his mother was a reindeer. Fred has always wanted to be the terror of Tulipop, which hasn’t really worked out because he is too kind-hearted. All the same, he still hopes that one day he’ll succeed in causing real fear. While much concerning Fred’s origins and nature is a mystery, there’s one thing that everyone knows; the reason for his distinctive black colour is that he only eats ink-cap mushrooms. Ink-cap mushrooms for breakfast. Ink-cap mushrooms for dinner. Nothing else is on the menu. Ink-cap mushrooms are the be and end all.
Wobbly is a sneaky little worm clown like his big brother Wiggly. Wobbly is the master of foolery and folly. He will take part in whatever crazy idea his brother Wiggly comes up with. Wobbly’s main stunt is the human cannonball. For those unfamiliar with the stunt, the human cannonball is a performance in which a person (in this case, Wobbly) is ejected from a specially designed cannon. After a busy day at the circus, Wobbly enjoys munching on toffee apples.
Mushroom girl Gloomy is Bubble’s sister but it would be hard to find more different siblings. Unlike the quiet and meek Bubble, Gloomy is adventurous, daring and above all brave. There is always something exciting going on in this peppy girl’s life. She loves puzzles and mysteries, and has therefore chosen to live on the edge of the Black Forest at the base of the Jam-Jam volcano. Gloomy is scheming by nature and has a habit of getting into mischief. More often than not, her brother Bubble ends up being the target of her impishness, but hey, who doesn’t enjoy embarrassing their brother every now and again? Although Gloomy can be capricious, she repeatedly demonstrates that at the critical moment, nobody performs as well under pressure as she does. And, yes, she is always right. Always. And she can make herself invisible. Most of the time.
Meet the lovable characters of Maddy, Bubble, Skully, and friends in their magical world called Tulipop. The enchanting landscapes and unique characters are the creation of celebrated Icelandic illustrator, Signy Kolbeinsdottir. With a complete range of fun and colourful gift items, featuring Signy’s dreamy creatures and illustrations, Tulipop has been building a growing fan base among kids and adults around the world since the launch of Tulipop’s first product line in 2010. Visit the World of Tulipop at: www.tulipop.com