Mutant Animal Zoo

So our friend Sarah (AKA Angry Butterfly) makes these mutant animals. They are these little stuffed plush animals that she's ripped apart and put back together in odd ways. Below are some examples. She's been thinking of doing this as an art project for years, we've been trying to rope her into doing an art project for our camp, the theme is Evolution, it all comes together grasshopper ... She's offered to make us a shit load of them to use for a 'mutant aminal zoo' display, which would also provide things to give away. The idea is to put the plush mutants into plastic crate 'cages' on display, invoking the image of some whacky display put up by a tacky roadside motel (thats us) meant to attract visitors.

We could make up signs that hype this AMAZING collection of Mutant Animals, FREAKS OF NATURE!! You'll be shocked and amazed! Evolution run amok! Once in a lifetime experience! We could put the signs at every street corner from 3:00 on up to us like "Seashell City" or "South of the Border" signs you saw for hundreds of miles on the Interstate as a kid, trying to lure you into their gas station or motel. And you finally get there and see this mysterious tent, that looks a bit shabby, but you can hear these strange noises coming from inside. You just HAVE to go inside to see, and when you go inside .... this is it? Stuffed animals? Alas, like the goat with the horn tied to his head, the roadside attractions are always a letdown, but Dad's already getting gas at the filling station anyway.

So, the idea is to have some larger, 12" or so mutants inside cages and smaller 3-4" ones to give away for se.... er cause we just love everyone. How many we'd have to give away would depend on how motivated we are to crank them out. Perhaps we could travel to some third world country and buy a factory. Detroit maybe? While it could end up being work intensive prior to the burn, once we get a minimum amount do display the rest is just gravy. And the amount of work involved once the thing is set up would be quite minimal. We could be lying on the ground passed out and it wouldn't matter because its pretty much self serve ... except for perhaps worrying about the lot of them walking off when the weekenders arrive.

So we have some stuff to still work out.

• Order a good quantity of plush animals.
• We can also look for them at Thrift Stores. I suck at finding stuff at charity shops, but perhaps some one is good at this.
• Who else can sew and help Sarah make them? (I almost blurted out 'hey maybe Milo can help' when talking to Sarah about this.)
• We could have plush sewing parties.
• Where / how should we display them? ( tent, table, strung on a rope, velcrowed to Rob? ) Sarah suggests putting them in yaffa block like crate things. Can some one make simple wood tables to put the blocks on?
• What is the criteria for giving one away? Do they just have to whip it out, or do they have to put out?
• How will we light it at night?
• What could we use to play back recorded 'mutant animal sounds'.
• What do mutant animals sound like and who can make a recording of them?
• Is this a good idea anyway?