archives
PAGE STILL IN PROGRESS!
In 2015 I made my first tiki mug. I never imagined that I’d still be making mugs ten years later! Here’s the whole collection, as best as I can recall.
Other than the rare noted exceptions, all mugs were made start to finish by hand, from the sculpting to the mold making, from casting to glazing, by myself and my assistants, in Port Costa, CA.
#1 Cthulhu Idol
2015. I sculpted the Cthulhu Idol simply because I really, really wanted a Cthulhu tiki mug. It is modeled after H.P.Lovecraft’s original sketches.
My most popular sculpt to date. The first few runs were numbered; eventually I moved to an unnumbered system.
Fun fact, arm tattoos are found only on those mugs made during the first few years.
#2 Hammerhead Shark bowl (1.0)
2016. This original shark bowl, constructed of a base and separately cast bowl, was done in blue and in maroon, in an edition of I believe only 50.
#3 Golden Bull
2016. Designed informally to be used at the Bull Valley Roadhouse. Modeled after the golden bull hanging in front of the restaurant. The first run, an edition of 50 pieces, was large, holding 20 oz. When these ran out, I made a mold from one of the mugs, in order to make a second run. Because clay shrinks, this new run of bull mugs was smaller, only 12 or 14 oz.
Due to popular demand, I am now (2024) in the process of ressurecting the original large bull mug, to be released in 2025.
#4 Masked mermaid
2016.
#5 shrunken skull
2017. Produced as both a mug and as candle votive with holes. Initally done in numbered series, this mug is still quite popular and is now produced unnumbered. Lots of colors and styles have been made.
#6 coffee mug
2017. This handled coffee mug had a very limited run, less than 25 actually produced. It was brought to my attention that the facial carvings which inspired this mug are in fact quite sacred. Production was stopped immediately out of respect.
First shows
2016 and 2017. It was around this time that I participated in my first shows… Forbidden Island Parking Lot Sale was the first. Then Trader Vic’s, Tiki Kon, and Tiki Oasis.
#7 war canoe mug set
2017. Go big or go home! Inspired by the majesty of the war canoe, this multi-piece mug set is possibly the biggest functional tiki mug in the multiverse.
#? Forbidden Island skull mug
2017. Not technically a new mug since it was built off of my Shrunken Skull Mug, but… this was a special edition of 50 made for Forbiddne Island’s mash-up event at Bull Valley Roadhouse.
#8 Claw shot glass
2018.
#9 the tiki gorgon
2018. When I first saw Stranger Things, I knew that Demogorgon needed to be made into a tiki mug, and that I’d probably have to be the one to do it.
#10 Barracuda shot glass set
2018. Did a series of 100 with white interiors originally. Continuing a second series of 100 now with black interior.
#11 Cthulhu shot glass
2018.
#12 Tentacle shot glass
2018. Made only a handful of these before I discovered Van Tiki had already done something similar, years before, and much better.
#13 krampus
2019. This was the first mug I sculpted for a company (Cocktail Kingdom) to be produced overseas. Covid hit soon after I sent it to them, and it was several years before it was produced. They ended up changing the design a bit, and I’ve actually never even seen one in person!
#14 fertility idol
2019. Planned to make 100, only produced 60 so far. I may make the rest soon.
#15 scorpion bowl
2019.
#16 wreck of the hms vernon, mug and votive set, for smuggler’s cove
2020. Such a fun project and such an honor to make a limited edition mug for one of my favorite bars in the world. The Smuggler’s Cove set came with a third decorative tentacle wrapped around some rum barrels. The non-blue editions were released later on my own site, called “the Sinking of Neptune’s Kiss” and were not associated with Smuggler’s Cove.
#17 Skull shot glass
2020. Double shot glass actually, holds over 3 oz.
#18 mfm “stay out of the forest” skull
2020. I am such a big fan of the My Favorite Murder podcast, I made this unofficial mug for the fans.
#19 hammerhead shark bowl 2.0
2021. Bigger, badder, sharkier. Holds about 56 oz.
#20 Shub-niggurath chalice
2021. For my fellow H.P. Lovecraft nerds, I felt this Outer God deserved her own mug. She is after all, the Black Goat with One Thousand Young.
#21 “kia’i” for Trader vic’s
2022. AKA The Sunken Idol. Sculpted the original by hand for Trader Vic’s. They sent it off to re-sculpted and manufactured, and they did an impressive job capturing the glazing details!
#22 The little fiji mermaid
2022.
#23 hannya
2022. The first in my series of Japanese Demons. About 50 of the 4 original color types were made, plus a smaller number of artist’s proofs and specials.
#24 kitsune
2023.
#25 shuten-doji
2023.
#26 lil’ hannya
2024. A smaller, simplified version of my original Hannya mug.
#27 jorogumo
2024.
#28 namahage
2024. Coming Soon!
