If you’ve ever spent time with Merlin’s Munchies Coffee Company, whether online or at a convention, there’s a good chance you’ve heard us talk about The S’more Slayer. It wasn’t just our first coffee flavor. It was the very first label we ever created, and in many ways, it opened the door to everything that followed.

If you’ve seen our artwork, you already know we’re fascinated by the idea of the multiverse. Parallel realities. Branching possibilities. The thought that a single decision can open an entirely new path. That same curiosity now fuels Multiverse Monday, and it was present from the very beginning, even before we realized just how important it would become.

The S’more Slayer was the moment an idea stopped living only in our heads and became something real.

This process started with finding the right artist.

We interviewed around ten different artists and gave each of them the exact same creative instructions. Some were fine. Some were solid. But when we found the artist who truly fit our brand, we knew almost immediately. They understood the tone we were going for, took direction extremely well, and felt more like a creative partner than someone simply executing a task.

Once we chose our artist, the visual process officially began.

The first concepts came in the form of four black-and-white sketches. No color or polish. Just movement, mood, and structure. These early sketches weren’t about perfection, but about capturing the feeling of an idea and seeing whether it had the energy we imagined.

(Sketch #1)

Sketch #2

Sketch #3

From there, we moved into color drafts. A few versions, each one refining the scene and bringing it closer to the world we had envisioned. That shift from sketch to color was the moment the label became tangible. What had once been an abstract idea suddenly felt alive.

Color Draft 

At that point, everything started to click.

One of our favorite details in The S’more Slayer label ended up being a real turning point for us. It was the s’more wave and the flying s’mores mid-air, slightly on fire, like they were getting roasted in real time. The way a whole bunch of them move through the scene, and how they get smaller as they fly farther away, added so much depth and we loved it! The moment we saw that detail come to life exactly how we pictured it, we knew this process was going to be a lot of fun. It Label 1 seemed to have so much personality, and we hoped that it would be a tone-setter for everything that came after.

It was also a moment that showed us how powerful collaboration could be.

Since so many people love The S’more Slayer, both the label and the coffee itself, and because so many of you already know it was our very first label, we wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look at what officially started Merlin’s Munchies Coffee Company.

The last few years have been an absolute blast for us. From conventions across the country to conversations online, we’ve met so many amazing people along the way. The support, the excitement, and the genuine love for what we’ve built has meant more to us than we can easily put into words.

This felt like the perfect opportunity to say thank you, and to pull back the curtain just a bit. To show how one idea, one artist, and one label became the first real step into a world that continues to grow.

Below (in blue) is the original description we sent to our artist when The S’more Slayer was first coming to life. This is a behind-the-scenes look at how Merlin responded when a s’more became a problem and coffee was the obvious solution!;

"The Smore Slayer

It is a smores flavor and it will be entitled, “The Smore Slayer”.

Merlin will be fighting a giant chocolate wave that will have “wave arms” raised over his head (picture him roaring). I would like the wave arms to still be waves, but have some kind of definition that makes it seem like they are raised arms. Maybe smaller waves within the wave raising up? The wave’s mouth will be reflecting that same roar that his hands are giving off.

The sky will be blue with no clouds. (In the sky is where the title and the name of our company will go)

Merlin will be on the jagged cliff, with his little shih-tzu next to him, looking a lot smaller. He will be shooting fire out of his staff in one hand and with the other hand, like he is holding his palm up telling the wave to stop, shooting fire out of his actual hand as well. I would like it to reflect in his face.

Lets have him gritting his teeth like he is channeling a power from within. Also, please reflect this in his eyes.

The fire coming from his staff and hands will be hitting and bouncing off the wave, as well as slightly going through it. There can be some ash and dust particles, as well as some chocolate droplets exploding out as the fire hits him.

The outside of the smores body will be a graham cracker lining and it will be crumbling everywhere. Some of the graham crackers can be on fire or charred as they fall in the area that the fire hits.

On the other side of the wave, there will be little s’mores with wings, sorta like he roasted him and little baby winged s’mores came out the other side.

Underneath the wave, the water will be chocolate and the waves crashing against the cliff will be marshmallows.

The sticker will be a rectangle and will be white. The bag will also be white, therefore every sticker will have a little frame that separates it from the bag. For this one, I would like to do a fire frame. It does not have to be super thick, since we want to preserve space for the art, but enough for people to see that it is fire.

For the wording, I would like to have our company’s name, Merlin’s Munchies Coffee, Co. near the top. I am not sure yet if it should be in a half moon, or have Merlin’s Munchies on a line and then Coffee Co. under it, but having Co. line up with the word Munchies. (Leaning toward the half moon style, but want your insight)

We will have our logo either next to it, or inside the half moon, depending on which route we choose. Please do the company name in all caps.

I would like the words, “THE S’MORE SLAYER” to be bold and impactful. I would like “THE” to be in crumbling graham cracker, “S’more” to be in dripping white marshmallow, and “Slayer” to be in dripping chocolate color like the word S’more above. All three words to be in caps.

“The” and “S’more” can be on one line, and I would like “Slayer” to start under the word “S’more” and have some of the marshmallow drip onto the Slayer letters.

To the left of the wave, near the bottom, I would like the words “Small Batch” in white, small in size but enough to be seen. I would like it white because it will be in the dark brown chocolate water.

Also on the right side (this is the side that the cliff and Merlin will be on), I would like the words “Medium Roast”.

At the very bottom of the page, I would like our website:
www.merlinsmunchiescoffeecompany.com

I would imagine it would be easier to do the drawing first and then we can focus on where the words are placed. But I wanted to give you a gist".

The S’more Slayer started as a wild idea and somehow turned into one of the most fun things we’ve ever created. Watching it become part of people's morning routine, hearing stories, and seeing how much fun people have had with it has been incredibly humbling

We just wanted to thank you for welcoming The S’more Slayer into your morning rituals. We’re just getting started, but this one will always be a special one to us!

Feeling curious?
CLICK HERE to Taste the Legend that Started it All

.+-fg