Hobonichi Cover MOTHER: Mr. Saturn (It’s Great) (A6)
The Hobonichi Cover MOTHER: Mr. Saturn (It's Great) in A6 format is a collaboration with the Super Famicom game "MOTHER 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back!" – released in North America as EarthBound, developed by Shigesato Itoi and Nintendo (1994). Dominating a vibrant yellow cover is a large-scale Mr. Saturn, whose posture shifts with each viewing angle thanks to lenticular printing. The design is based on photographs of the original clay figure from the official MOTHER 2 game guide – complete with the wear marks of the aged original, unretouched.
Features
- Lenticular printing: This special printing technique makes Mr. Saturn's gaze shift left or right depending on your viewing angle – with the band on his head visibly swaying along. Both front and back of the cover feature a large Mr. Saturn with this effect.
- Design source: The design uses photographs of the original clay figure from the MOTHER 2 game guide – complete with all the wear marks of the original, without digital retouching. This gives the print a tangibly handmade quality.
- Bright yellow outside, purple inside: The exterior radiates in a rich, eye-catching yellow; the inner lining shifts to an atmospheric purple – a deliberate mood shift when you open it.
- Butterfly pen holder: Two pen loops (butterfly stoppers) secure a pen whilst keeping the cover closed at the same time – no separate fastener needed.
- Interior pockets: The cover features card slots for cards, tickets, stickers and other flat accessories.
- Mr. Saturn paperclip: A paperclip in Mr. Saturn form is included – with the same charm as the figure itself.
Use & Tips
- Perfectly fits the Hobonichi Techo Original in A6 format (daily, one day per page on Tomoe River paper). Spines up to approximately 12.7 mm fit comfortably; slightly thicker books can still be inserted, but will sit more snugly.
- The butterfly loops work best with slim pens – a fineliner or thin ballpoint glides smoothly through both loops and reliably keeps the cover closed.
- The included Mr. Saturn paperclip can be used as a bookmark or to mark specific pages – it fits through the card slots and doesn't stick.
- If you want to protect the cover, you can place a transparent Hobonichi Cover on Cover over it and gain extra space for postcards or stickers on the outside at the same time.
- The interior pockets hold business cards, monthly cards, stickers or small notes – practical for anything you want to keep at hand without gluing into the book.
For MOTHER Enthusiasts
Mr. Saturn was originally created as a clay figure during the development of MOTHER 2. For this cover, photographs of this very figure from the official game guide were used – including the patina and minor damage the original has accumulated over the years. The result is not a smoothly drawn sprite, but a cover with the texture of a genuine artefact from gaming history. The lenticular printing, which shifts Mr. Saturn's gaze and moves the band along, is not an afterthought gimmick, but a central design element – making the cover look different in motion than at rest.
Technical Specifications
| Series / Model: | Hobonichi Cover MOTHER: Mr. Saturn (It's Great) |
| Format: | A6 (Hobonichi Techo Original / Planner) |
| Dimensions: | 165 × 244 × 3 mm (without pen loops) |
| Weight: | approx. 150 g |
| Material: | TPU, polyester |
| Exterior colour: | Bright yellow |
| Interior colour: | Purple |
| Printing technique: | Lenticular printing (animated design depending on viewing angle) |
| Pen holder: | Butterfly stopper (2 loops, also serves as fastener) |
| License: | © 1994 Nintendo / APE inc. |
| Origin: | Japan |
| Included: | Cover, Mr. Saturn paperclip |
