The Wolf chases the Hare, and sooner or later he runs straight into the Hippo. This is the Hippo from everyone's favorite Soviet cartoon, as a Nu, Pogodi! hippo plush we sewed in 2012. He's a custom hippo plush, made to order like everything in our studio. Nobody here keeps a shelf of hippos waiting. We sew one for the person who asks, from the stills they love.
The big guy the Wolf keeps annoying
Nu, Pogodi! started at Soyuzmultfilm in 1969, directed by Vyacheslav Kotyonochkin. After the Wolf and the Hare, the Hippo turns up more than any other animal. He's a museum guard, a shopkeeper, a doorkeeper, a passer-by. Heavy, strong, and slow to anger, until the Wolf crashes into him again. In one episode he tests a melon by squeezing it, and the melon turns out to be the Wolf's head. The Wolf usually ends up running. Sometimes he ends up underneath.
Lots of people say the show takes them right back: after-school TV at grandma's, every episode watched until the tape wore out. The Wolf gets the plush. The Hippo rarely does. Here he is.
What we sewed
- grey fleece head and body, with a wide muzzle, two big nostrils and small round ears
- white cartoon eyes with heavy grey lids, the skeptical look he gives the Wolf
- an orange beret with a little stalk on top
- an orange sweater with white cuffs and hem, black trousers, black shoes with white soles
- a long tan fabric cane he can wave overhead or hold like a bat
He stands on his own feet, and the hands hold a gesture.
Your Hippo, any episode
Want him in a museum guard's uniform, or behind a shop counter? Send the still you have in mind and tell us roughly how tall he should be. We draw the pattern from your picture and agree the fabrics with you before we start, then send photos of the finished toy before he ships. He'd look right next to our Nu, Pogodi! Wolf, the two of them finally in one room.
SKAZKODROM is an independent studio, not connected to Soyuzmultfilm or the cartoon's rights owners. More Soviet favorites: Leopold the Cat and the rest of our toys from animated films.
The Hippo is a big soft body under a proper outfit, so he takes a few kinds of fabric.
- Soft grey fleece for the head, muzzle, ears, hands and body
- Bright orange fleece for the beret and the sweater, white for the cuffs and hem
- Black fabric for the trousers and shoes, white for the thick soles
- Tan fabric for the long cane, stuffed firm so it stays straight
- White cartoon eyes with sewn grey lids
The filling is soft and hypoallergenic. If your Hippo needs anything furry, we use faux fur only. Colors, outfit, size and props can follow the episode you pick. On request we can add a sound module, wire in the arms so he holds the cane where you want it, or embroider a name.
A Hippo like this one usually takes 2–4 weeks to make.
We start with a pattern drawn from cartoon stills. The head takes the longest. The muzzle has to be wide and heavy without going flat, and the eyes and lids decide whether he looks like the Hippo or like any grey animal. Then come the body, the sweater, the trousers, the shoes and the cane, each cut to his shape.
The time frame keeps a small reserve for handmade surprises. If you need him by a date, tell us in your first message.
We ship worldwide. Delivery usually takes 7–20 business days, depending on your country and the carrier. Around the holidays parcels move slower, so leave extra time.
He makes a good surprise for someone who grew up on Nu, Pogodi! and still knows every episode. Add the making time to the delivery time and count back from your date. For Christmas, order by November 1.
You get photos of the finished toy before he ships. We pack the beret and the cane so they arrive in shape.
We've been sewing custom plush since 2009. Soviet cartoon characters come up a lot, and the side characters even more, because nobody else makes them.
You agree on the details with us before we sew, and you see photos of the finished Hippo before he ships. If you still don't love him, you get a full refund within 14 days, for any reason.
All you have is a blurry frame from an old tape? That's enough to start. We'll ask about the rest.
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Custom toys start from $350.
A bigger size or extra details can cost more.
Why?
No ready-made pattern. Your photo or drawing doesn’t come with one. Our artist builds the pattern from scratch and turns a flat picture into a 3D toy. It’s the hardest and slowest part.
Materials picked for your toy. The right color, fur length and texture. Sometimes we order fabric just for one project.
Sewn by hand. Every piece is cut, sewn, stuffed and finished by hand. The face takes the most time: move an eye a millimeter and the character changes.
You approve it first. When your toy is ready, we send you photos. Something looks off? We fix it before shipping.
One toy, not a thousand. A factory spreads design costs over thousands of copies. Here, all that work goes into one toy: yours.
That’s why prices start at $350. And on a personal order, if you don’t love your toy, you get a full refund.
