Have you discovered this little creature stowing away in your package? If so, you're one of the lucky few who have befriended Soba the Familiar!

Who is Soba?

Soba is a "noodle dragon" character belonging to a dear friend of mine who lost her battle with cancer in December of 2020. This special Desk Guardian was something I created for Amanda to keep her company when I couldn't be there with her personally. Since the original character concept was not my own intellectual property (and the item was a gift besides), I never intended to distribute Soba to anyone else, and the ones I created for her would have been the first and the last.

However, before Amanda passed, she gave me permission to give away copies of Soba however I saw fit. I decided that this is how I would keep her memory alive, and how a piece of my friend would be able to traverse the world, see all the sights, and meet all the people that Amanda herself would never have the opportunity to encounter.

Since Soba is a sort of "familiar" within the context of the world for which she was created —a reflection of her human's soul— she's essentially a proxy for Amanda and that made her the perfect thing to send on this journey.

[Original art by Amanda]

How do I get my own Soba?

Soba cannot be purchased, she can only be received at random, or potentially via a giveaway on Twitter. Requests to receive one will ensure that no foxy noodle dragons will be found within that package, so please don't ask! This is intended to be a surprise that brightens someone's day, somewhere on this planet, and it's not a surprise if you've asked me for it.

This little friend is exceptionally rare, since I usually don't have a lot of spare silicone lying around that I can afford to give away. I wouldn't be able to heed all the requests for them even if I was willing.

Speaking of requests...

Should you be lucky enough to receive your very own Soba, please do not attempt to sell her for profit. It might be tempting, since there are probably some squish collectors who'd love to have her in their collection, but I cannot stress this hard enough: please don't do it.

People trying to capitalize on the rarity of this item is absolutely not in line with the spirit of this project. Soba is meant to bring unexpected happiness and is a gift, the way Amanda's friendship was a gift that brought me joy for so many years.

Although I realize other people are free to do what they wish with the things they own, and that my power to stop them is virtually nonexistent, I will not tolerate people turning a good thing into a source of resentment and general bad feelings. As much as I loathe the idea of "shutting down" the Soba Project, I will do that if there are too many people who prove incapable of treating it with respect.

I don't mind if you wish to pass your Soba on to someone else as a gift, of course. That's wonderful! Particularly if you somehow ended up with multiples, which is possible (just improbable) as I do not keep record of where I've sent them. I'm all about sharing the Soba love.

But if you become aware of someone attempting to scalp/price gouge one of these friends, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know so I can take what few measures I have available to me, and so I can keep an eye on the situation.

The Adventures of Soba

If you've received a Soba and you have pictures of your journeys together, I'd love to see them! And with your permission, I would like to add a few to this page. Tag me on Twitter, or send an e-mail through the Contact page.