Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.07.2018, Blaðsíða 24

When crafting a fairytale world, it can
be easy to idealise the characters and
create a universe that’s completely
disconnected from our real world. In
an effort to shape a place that is “kid
friendly,” authors can end up leaving
out the more difficult elements of life
that make us human. Imperfections,
nuances and complexities may be omit-
ted and each character can come to
symbolise just one personality trait,
so that children can more easily under-
stand the concepts at hand.
For the co-founders of award-win-
ning Icelandic design brand Tulipop,
it was essential to create an enticing
fairytale world without such simplis-
tic depictions. The Tulipop world, with
its flawed and sometimes insane Tu-
lipoppers, has now been spotted by
the production company Zodiak Kids,
which recognised the brand for this
exact quality. The two companies are
currently working together to turn the
Tulipop universe into an animated TV
show, while retaining Tulipop’s dark
and original artistic vision.
The beginnings of Tulipop
Tulipop was created by Helga Arnadót-
tir and Signý Kolbeinsdóttir in 2010.
The two originally met in high school
and Signý went on to study product de-
sign in Iceland, while Helga pursued an
MBA from the London Business School.
Upon returning home from London,
Helga saw the potential in Signý’s cre-
ative works.
“Signý was drawing these fantasti-
cal characters that would later become
the Tulipop characters,” Helga says. “I
sensed that there was
a magical quality to
her work, and I loved
the aesthetic. When
I showed friends and
family the designs,
they wanted to know
the background stories
of the characters and
who they were. It really
spiraled from there.
Signý and I shared the
belief that we could cre-
ate something togeth-
er.”
T h e i n s p i r a t i on
for the characters came intuitively to
Signý, who has always been drawn to
natural elements such as the mush-
rooms and trees that characterize the
Tulipop world. “When I was little, I did
a tiny, tiny book about mushrooms,”
she says. “I think the designs are part
of my subconscious. And the stories
behind the characters take inspiration
from the folk stories of Iceland I grew
up with.”
No bad guy
Signý is now the Creative Director at
the company, while Helga manages the
business side as the CEO. They’ve creat-
ed a merchandise line
based on Signý’s origi-
nal designs, featuring
products such as lamps
shaped like the various
mythical beings, and
everything from water
bottles, to stationary
and tableware bearing
their images.
Signý comes up with
the stories behind the
characters, which cus-
tomers can read about
in pamphlets that ac-
company the Tulipop
products. Everything is based on her
original ideas. “I wanted this world to
showcase darkness and complexity,
alongside goodness,” she says. “The
characters are based on family mem-
bers and friends. No one is perfect. The
characters are like human beings in
fairy tale costumes. They are not ide-
alised.”
Signý adds that she often sees char-
acters in children’s TV shows who are
stripped of flaws. “There’s a good guy
and he’s really good,” she says about
these types of shows. “And there’s a
bad character and he’s really bad. In
the Tulipop world, there is no bad guy.
You don’t need a bad guy—it’s not rel-
evant. Do you know anyone in real life
who is strictly bad? Everyone is flawed.
Everyone has their good side. We want
to avoid creating a simplistic world.”
The kids will be fine
Speaking of the impact that these sto-
ries and characters have on children,
Signý emphasises that children can
handle much more than we give them
credit for.
“Many children’s shows speak down
to children,” she says. “The material
has been sterilised so that kids ‘can un-
derstand.’ They depict worlds that turn
a blind eye to the difficult aspects of
life. I have always admired the films of
Studio Ghibli and the stories of Astrid
Lindgren because they can be mystical
and scary even though they’re for chil-
dren.”
“The kids will be fine,” she adds.
“They engage in these stories and they
Words:
Christine
Engel Snitkjær
Photos:
Art Bicnick
Helga Arnadóttir and Signý Kolbeinsdóttir, the minds behind Tulipop
Culture
The
Dark
Dreamworld

Tulipop redefines the boundaries of children’s TV shows
Info
Visit the Tulipop
flagship store on
Skólavörðustígur
and find out more
at tulipop.com.
sjavargillid.is
SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍG 14 | 101 REYKJAVÍK | +354 571 1100 | SJAVARGRILLID.IS
“Everyone is
flawed, but
everyone has
their good side.
We want to
avoid creating a
simplistic
world.”