Introduction

If you are new to the world of artisan keycaps, I recommend reading my first article on them courtesy Jelly Key itself, which also goes over the what and why of these very custom, niche products. That article went over two example keycaps from the Vietnamese company, and I then had a few more over the last few months. I've been impressed not only with the overall quality and design of these various artisans but also how quickly the company seems to churn them out, while still selling out every single time. It does seem that Jelly Key's creativity is boundless, given we are back already with another artisan keycap group buy, and thanks to them for arranging a finalized prototype keycap for TechPowerUp!


The subject of this quick look is an interesting artisan keycap that's part of the new Retro TV Series 3—Galaxy Thieves group buy. This is a follow up to the Retro TV Series titled Life on Planets, and it was a group buy that ran over an year ago. There was then a second series in a similar theme which improved upon the designs, and even offered larger 1.25u keycaps in addition to the 1u standard sizes employed, and I can't help but point out that this is only just being shipped out to backers. The timing of this new group buy did raise some questions as to whether Jelly Key should perhaps slow down and shorten the delivery times, but then Jelly Key pointed out that there are different teams of artisans who handle the various group buys to where nothing ships out until their own internal quality checks are met! Fair enough I suppose, and this way it does mean those who missed out on the previous two occasions spaced out roughly 6 months apart now get another opportunity!

Packaging

I have previously covered in more detail how Jelly Key spent more time on the actual packaging design than many companies spend on entire keyboards, and I had already seen all three sizes of the solid paper boxes used by the company, which are in turn made of fully recycled materials. Based on my previous experiences, I already knew this box was going to contain a 1u sized keycap. It has the Jelly Key logo on front and a list of contents on the side, alongside a seal with contact information. Opening the packaging reveals the actual product box held in place by a shaped compartment in the solid paper packaging, and we then get to a small wooden box with a rounded, smooth finish.


As always, the hand-applied seal is a nice touch with Jelly Key products, and a marketing tagline is etched into the back. Note that this is only a concept prototype; retail products will come with the entire contents listed on the packaging above. As such, I was also told that the keycap may not fully represent the quality of finished products from the group buy, so keep that in mind as we move forward. The box opens up to reveal the keycap presented like a gift. There is foam lining on the lid, with the actual keycap inside a thicker foam piece with a cutout to snugly hold and protect the product.

Closer Examination

We now get to the keycap itself, which is one of several possible combinations from the theme. The Retro TV series in general heralds a time when most of us weren't even around, but we can still relate to it courtesy of popular media from the time. Round one—technically round three although the first two were arcade cabinets and not TVs—was based in the 1960s and 70s with space exploration being a common theme, whereas round two was more 70s and 80s with disco balls and characters jiving to the beat. So I was expecting this latest round to go even further forwards in time, but instead Jelly Key decided to create a whole storyline involving an alien planet filled with robots that have retro TVs as heads and even participate in a daring action-filled segment of heroes and villains. I realize that the vast majority of potential customers don't care much about what the design inspirations are from but I found reading more about them provides a better appreciation for what the artisan's thought process was, and also to help decide which combination to go with.


I have here the 1u keycap in a unique design that is effectively a tiny retro-themed TV. This particular version uses the "Greeny White" TV design with the "From the Other Side (V2)" TV screen. I would point you to the previous Retro TV series article now so you can see clearly what the updates are, with effectively a three-dimensions screen that first catches the eye. The base of the keycaps are also larger to allow for a more intricate TV design itself. As with everything from Jelly Key, the individual pieces are first cast and then hand-assembled prior to the resin pour and doing so here is more complex than usual, owing to the assembly not always happening on a layer-by-layer approach. Jelly Key says the individual pieces themselves take about twice as much to make compared to its other designs and that the see-through "crystal case" itself requires 16-24 hours each to even dry and set. This part is especially important given the various colors cast into it, and the optics does make it look like an older Macintosh computer in my view.

This group buy also involves larger toys in 32x and 77x sizes (by volume) for those wanting to have a cool piece of artwork on their desk or even as a paperweight. The 1u keycaps 18.5 mm wide and 15.9 mm tall so there should not be any conflicts on keyboards. But what's cooler is a separate accessory set involving those very robots with the TVs for heads from earlier. These are keycap stands in a few different color options that you can place the keycaps on, and are also completely cast with a combination of resin and stone powder to make for a sturdy stand that weighs 16 g while looking quite the part. The so-called Stand Boy can be separately purchased here by those interested.


Here is a closer look at this retro TV compared to the previous one I have. While they occupy the same footprint, you can definitely appreciate the details in the newer one as you get close. The base especially has more knobs and buttons that are physically offset from the smoother resin pour in; the newer set and the printed circuit boards have far more components on them. Put the new keycap under a microscope and now you see what I mean. The metallic powder used for the background provides a sheen for the "Hello" to feel like a greeting from outer space, and the walls get a gentle curve to them, to where the wall thickness around the typical cross-point stem is now thinner than for typical Jelly Key keycaps. This curve contributes a lot to the overall effect you get of looking at the TV components through the casing akin to actual older TVs and computer screens.


I used the Anne Pro 2 keyboard to demonstrate the keycap installed, and it conforms to the standard Cherry MX stem compatibility, even if it can get tight with spacing on some non-traditional layouts or thicker keyboard cases. But I have not had any issues with the various keyboards here, so I can't imagine this will be a deal breaker in itself. The obvious choice here was the Esc key, one that isn't accessed quite often and allows for a statement to be made with the artisan keycap towering over the rest. The contact area across the top is large enough to be functional, and don't worry about having to baby the keycap in use, either. If you end up with multiple of such keycaps then perhaps you could consider the Print Screen-Pause/Break cluster or even the Ins-Pg Dn cluster if you are so inclined to purchase six of these, in which case you also get one of the Stand Boy accessories for free.

The Retro TV series – Galaxy Thieves artisan keycaps from Jelly Key are currently available under the group buy option that ends 12th November 2022, with no further sales planned. The keycaps are available in 11 TV designs, nine TV screens, and three sizes. If you only consider the 1u size, given the other two are not going to be keycaps, that is still a total of 99 combinations possible here! These cost $55-70 each and, as seen on the group buy page where you will also find wallpapers in this theme for downloads, there are further discounts and gifts for those buying multiple keycaps, including the aforementioned Stand Boy and stickers with each product. I especially like the "Sunglow" TV design with the "Starry Night in Galaxy" TV screen and am considering getting one myself!