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Merry Christmas

Castaway Characters Christmas Celebrations

 Santa's Little Helpers get a bit over-excited as they put on their Santa beards.

Making 'Snow Angels' after the party.

Club Members

'Weird' T-shirt from Castaway Characters

The character on this T-shirt (Bigfoot) is a 3-D model made from re-used or unwanted household items.

Love Me... Forever? T-shirt from Castaway Characters

The character on this T-shirt (Bigfoot) is a 3-D model made from re-used or unwanted household items.

Clip Art T-shirt from Castaway Characters

The character on this T-shirt (Bigfoot) is a 3-D model made from re-used or unwanted household items.

Taxi Driver and Matrix Inspired Performances

At the actors' studio some of the guys were going through their paces yesterday.  The De Niro, 'Taxi Driver' psycho look above was perfected first, followed by the Matrix's Neo's bullet-dodging antics to finish the session.

Learning By Example

Talking Trash

Talking trash is not just what the Castaway Characters are, it's what they want to be doing too. 
Keep your eyes open for new posts with this open mouth logo.

The Castaway Characters have decided to become more vocal about the problems of waste generation so they are going to include Talking Trash posts as a mouth-piece, with links to articles about refusing, reducing, reusing and recycling.  Here's the first article that explains where many of the Castaway Characters' relatives have disappeared to.  It's a terribly sad story so open the link only if you are feeling brave.

Castaway Cartoons

It's time to wake up, Sleepy-heads!

Yes, the wake-up call is a little bit late but should still be loud enough. The landfills are filling and there ain't much space left.  Turn your plastic rubbish into something useful / interesting / fun or don't accept plastic in the first place.

Castaway Characters' artist Sims Simpson aka 'B Bad' is launching a new eco-campaign.  This is one of his cartoon posters for the campaign.

Who is responsible?

Over the last few days Bagit - the new, recycled Bagit - has started to open up about his shocking and unprovoked attack that led to him being used, abused and eventually recycled.  Questions need to be asked, and answered, concerning this devastating situation.  Yes of course, unwanted, useless plastic waste should be turned into something of value through the recycling process, but Bagit - the old Bagit at least - was a highly accomplished, productive member of society.  As a writer and film director he was at his creative peak, with no signs of wear and tear.  We are starting to question who was to gain from this monstrous act that caused Bagit's meltdown.  We know that Bagit was doing research for his book, "Super-hero, Super-villain" and perhaps had discovered something during the process.  Bagit is in no fit state to explain anything at the moment, so the perpetrators of the crime have achieved their goal of silencing him, for now.  But, be warned evil-doers, as Bagit's molecules start to realign themselves and he gets his head screwed on properly again, those who were responsible will be stripped of all labels and scrubbed vigorously with a wire brush. Perhaps they will be tarred and feathered (resources and special permits have been applied for), or even just melted down and not remoulded, left as shapeless blobs of an unpleasant hue for the rest of their unnatural lives. 

Utah Bigfoot Sightings - A Hoax

Reports of recent Bigfoot sightings in Utah have some of us here at Castaway Characters tittering to ourselves in disbelief.  After watching  the video clip of 'the sighting' we knew for a fact that the whole thing was another, rather pathetic, prank.  We know for a fact that Bigfoot was nowhere near Utah when the video was supposedly shot.  He was right here at a party we were holding at the home of Castaway Characters with a whole host of other outcasts and freaks.  Despite those big feet, Bigfoot Bagtag can still do a mean Travolta impression (and I'm talking Saturday Night Fever, baby, not Pulp Fiction or Be Cool).

Bunjee-jumping Bagtag

While out strolling with his grandson Gramps lost track of where he was going and what he was supposed to be doing, again.  His task, of course, was to look after his grandson for the day.   Before he knew what was going on he was brought back to present day by a loud squeal of delight.  Gramps turned towards the sound and saw in front of him the worst thing since flared trousers first appeared some time in the last century: his grandson attached to a cable, preparing to jump off a bridge!

"Don't do it!" shouted Gramps.  But it was too late - the boy was in vertical motion before the last words had left his mouth.  "Oh my, oh my," was all Gramps could say.

"Buuunnnjeeeeeeee!" Was all his grandson could say for the rest of the week.

It's lucky that boy wasn't being collected for recycling after that crazy caper.

Zen or Phobic?

Bagit Before the Meltdown

Remember the new guy we found sitting alone amongst the books in the coffee shop the other day?  You'll never believe it.  After we poured a couple of shots of expresso for him and gave him a chocolate muffin he seemed a little wired and ready to talk. He was mumbling at first and hard to understand but the more I listened the more I was drawn in.  He seemed familiar, yet I was very sure I'd never seen him before.  I thought he had been meditating when we first met, but when he started talking about molecular meltdowns and thermal reconstruction I had to reconfigure my initial impression from that of zen master to perhaps a chemistry student drop-out.  In fact as it turned out, he had been reconfigured himself.  One could say he had been reconstituted, recoloured, reconstructed  - but certainly not fully recovered.  He was a nervous little fellow with very good reason to be.  This guy had been one of the most successful Castaway Characters of all, but now is almost down and out, nervous and not just a little strange.  You'd be strange too if you'd been treated as he has.  Yes, this is / was Bagit the author of Super-Hero Super-Villain! 



Bagit After the Meltdown

Bagit told us how one night while asleep in his office he was jumped from behind, had a bag pulled over his head and was dumped into a large bin.  Later people came and took him to a warehouse, tortured him until he couldn't remember who he was and he passed out.  When he woke up he was on a shelf in a shop, a different shape, a different colour, in fact a different being altogether.  Surprisingly, in that state he was able to break free from his wrapping and found his way here, where we found him lost and confused.  What an ordeal! I'm not surprised we haven't heard anything from him for a while.  He just looks so different!

I'd never thought about recycling being a particularly bad thing before, but from the Castaway Characters perspective being suddenly melted down, remoulded and reborn must be a particular cause for alarm.  After the meltdown that Bagit described, I think we must assume that he is suffering from Distressed Plastic Syndrome at the very least.  His agent told us that he'd had plastic surgery, but that kind of positive spin is what you'd expect from an agent, I suppose. Don't worry we'll take care of him, but don't expect too much from the new Bagit just yet.

Wrapped Up In Thought?

We found this new guy sitting alone among the books.  He seemed a little wrapped up in whatever he was doing and so peaceful that we didn't disturb him.  Nobody seems to know who he is though, so we are rather curious to know where he came from and what exactly he is doing in the Castaway Characters Cozy Corner of the local coffee shop.  It's not that this is an exclusive club with expensive membership fees, but it is a social hub for the Characters and so far we haven't got a squeak or a squawk from this stranger.  He looks friendly enough though, I suppose.  Perhaps he's just shy.  We'll give him some space for now and see if a cup of coffee and a chocolate muffin won't bring him out of his shell.

Plastic Surgery for Bagit?

Bagit's long absence from this site has finally been explained, at least partially. The poor little guy has been suffering from a personality disorder ever since he went under the knife.  Yes, Bagit had plastic surgery.  He felt it would boost his career, as if it really needed a boost - our secretaries all used to say that guy was so hot whenever he called them they had to put on their asbestos gloves to pick up the phone.  I hate to say it but our secretaries are all rather plastic model types, so it's not surprising they all shared the same view of Bagit.  Nobody has seen Bagit since the operation, so we're not sure whether we'd still recognize him if we did.  We hope to hear from him soon anyway, and wish him a speedy recovery.

Book-Loving Buzzbee

Buzzbee loves his books.  He's a big collector, especially of old books.  He says that his senses are stimulated more by the qualities of these objects from the past, than the sterile webpage on a computer or mobile phone screen:  the print is indented by the weight of the printing machinery used in the old days, the page edges of some are roughly cut, the page papers and binding textures are varied and add to the tactile experience, and so page-turning itself involves the senses more.  We see him below with a few of his old favourites.  Some might call Buzzbee a sentimental old stick-in-the-mud, but Castaway Characters feel a kind of brotherhood with objects threatened with extinction.  So, good on ya Buzzbee.  We get a buzz from your enthusiasm for all things old, beautiful, practical and stimulating.   

Although he is a lover of old books, Buzzbee also takes an interest in more modern publications, especially those that encourage people to live healthier, greener lives.  The Rough Guide to Green Living below, is full of interesting information for those of us who want to go down the path of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling.

Thanks for sharing your buzz, Buzzbee.

Bagit Goes AWOL

You may have been wondering, as we were, what has happened to the latest episode of Bagit's novel, 'Super-Hero Super-Villain'.  Bagit hasn't posted here for a while so we got in touch with his agent to make sure everything's ok with our superstar story-teller.  Unfortunately Bagit's agent doesn't seem to know where he is either. 'Bagit's gone AWOL' was the only comment we could squeeze out of him.  This is very disconcerting for anyone who knows Bagit.  He's normally a very positive, upbeat little guy, who likes to talk and share his life with those around him, so to disappear off the face of the Earth is, to say the least, unusual.  Should anyone out there know of Bagit's whereabouts, please get in touch with us.  We'll all sleep a little better knowing that the little guy's safe, at least.

Would You Pay The Ransom?

Two more celebrity victims of the Castaway Characters cable chaos find themselves bound and gagged, in what is turning out to be the work of a deranged serial kidnapper.  Police say that a ransom demand is expected: about $20 is the usual sum.

Houdini Escapes Wire Tangles

Ever got your earphone wires in a tangle? 

Watch this fantastic escape by Handy Houdini. From being tightly wrapped in earphone cable to standing free and triumphant, Handy Houdini shows how easy it is to manage those bothersome smart phone earplug cables.

Watch this video:

      

Super-Hero Super-Villain Pt 6

Harris sat up straight in his office chair as he listened to Dawson's report over the phone.  Although he was glad to hear that no corpses had been discovered, he couldn't help but feel that it wouldn't be long before panic would set in over the city.  Dawson explained what he'd seen: the container carried by the stable lad, the nervous horses, the strange odour in the stables and the wooden frame propped up against the stable wall.  Harris wanted to know more about the frame in particular.  "What kind of wood was it made of?  How big was it? What was it for?  How was it held together...  Yes, how was it held together?"  This last questioned lingered on Harris' lips as Dawson struggled with the answer.  The best Dawson could do without actually retrieving the frame was to recall as much as he could and guess the rest.  "I think it was a wooden picture frame, Sir.  About 2 feet by 3 feet in size, made of dark wood."

"Yes, yes", replied Harris impatiently, "But how was it constructed?  Were there any nails in it?"

"Nails, Sir?"  Dawson was more puzzled now than before.  "I don't remember seeing any."  He paused, then breaking the silence asked, "What do you want me to do now,Sir?" 

"Stay put!" Harris replied sharply.  "Keep an eye on things til I get there.  Make a note of any movements.  I'll be there as soon as I can." 

As Dawson put down his phone he wished Harris would have told him what he was looking for.  He felt as though he was being kept out of the loop, in the dark, intentionally.  He still felt he had a lot to prove to get back into the innner circle.  The only thing he could do now was to follow orders to the letter.  He got his binoculars out of the glove compartment and tried to get comfortable in the driver's seat for the long wait ahead of him. 

Super-Hero Super-Villain Pt 5

Here is Mr Bagit's fifth installment of his first novel - 'Super-Hero Super-Villain'.

'As Dawson climbed out of his car, he noticed a lad in his twenties heading to what must have been the main stables.  Dawson had parked just behind some trees; a habit he had quickly developed after unearthing the reason for his nickname ‘Red’.  He hadn’t understood the moniker at first. He thought it was a joke about his slightly ginger hair until in a fit of anger after losing a murder suspect they’d been trailing for months, his partner had screamed at him, “What the hell is wrong with you?  You’re like a beacon, a flaming, flashing copper light, warning the scum we’re on their tails before we get close enough to nab ‘em.”  Dawson had been so embarrassed by the rant that he could say nothing at the time, but he decided that day that his first priority had to be to remove that stain on his name and those of his squad.  He knew that as part of the team, his blunders had not only upset his own promotional chances but those of his colleagues too.

Still observing from behind the trees Dawson noticed that the lad had reappeared from the stables with a large container of some kind.  ‘Meal for the horses, perhaps?’ thought Dawson absent-mindedly.  He waited until the lad had disappeared around the corner before he left the cover of the trees.  He slipped cautiously through the stable door and stood quietly as his eyes adjusted to the dark and his nose to the smell.  He’d been around horses before but this smell was somehow different.  He couldn’t place it, but he knew instinctively that something was not quite right.  He made his way from stall to stall, trying not to agitate the horses.  They were uneasy, and although he was a stranger to them he was sure that their anxiety must have been caused by something else.  He was just about to pass the fourth stall that had seemed empty from outside when he noticed something that was most definitely out of place there. Dawson entered the stall taking out his flashlight.  The small circle of light from his torch leapt across the straw carpet of the stall until it came to rest, hovering on the wooden frame propped up against the brick wall.  The object confirmed his first impressions that things were not right and that the horses had had good cause for concern.   He quickly checked the other stalls before taking photos and slipping out of the stables and back to his car to report to Harris immediately.'

   

Caught by The Paparazzi

Caught by the paparazzi taking his son for a walk, Bigfoot Bagtag was clearly surprised by how much attention he has been getting since his retirement from the sporting arena after his success at The London Olympics.  Perhaps the journalists want to know what he's going to do next.  "I'm taking Junior for an ice-cream" was the only reply we heard.  

Celebrity Features

We, at www.castawaycharacters.com, are looking for new talent.  Reincarnated, recyled, re-used, call it what you like, plastic characters. For those of you who have just joined us, let me introduce the celebrities who have so far been featured on the Castaway Characters site: Sims Simpson (aka B BAD), Baps Bagtag, Andy (The Hands) Grabbit and a guy who needs no introductions, the one and only Mr Bagit.

Sims Simpson (aka B BAD) - Photographer, Fashion Designer and Graffiti Artis

Baps Bagtag - Fashion and JewelleryDesigner

Andy (The Hands) Grabbit - Gymnast and Dancer

Mr Bagit - Movie Actor / Director and Writer

These celebrities have a lot more to offer.  Stay tuned and tell your friends.  We'll be featuring more up and coming stars on the site.  Keep your karma positive and let us know of good ways you've found to reduce re-use or re-cycle plastic trash. 

Super-Hero Super-Villain Pt 4

Bagit has posted this, the fourth part of his novel.  The other 3 parts are in earlier posts on this site, with the same picture of Bagit as this post.

Back in his office Harris tried to tell himself that there was no reason to worry, no reason to expect another dead horse, and certainly no reason to expect human victims.  He didn't know why he should expect the worst, but he did.  It had been a week since the discovery of the carcass and nothing else had been reported.  He called Dawson into his office to find out what he had discovered about the glue that had been recovered from the scene.
"As you said, Sir, it was glue made from the animal carcass.  It's not a common process these days with so many synthetics available, but it does have some specific uses and users."
"Craftsmen?" Asked Harris, already knowing the answer.
"What do we hope to find out from this, Sir?" Asked Dawson a little annoyed that his research seemed to have been a waste of time.  "There hasn't been a homicide, nobody has reported a missing horse, no evidence points to a crime having been committed.  All we have is a horse carcass and a few drums of glue."
Harris looked at him for a few moments longer than Dawson felt were necessary.  "You're right." He finally forced himself to say.  "You're absolutely right.  There is no crime to investigate, yet"      
"Yet?" Echoed Dawson.
"Find out who has connections with the stables, the race tracks and who might be involved in restoration or faking of wooden antiques or something similar.  I want to find out who uses horse glue."
"I hope you're right.  I hope there's a crime soon", said Dawson, over his shoulder as he left his superior's office.

Super-Hero Super-Villain Part 3

Harris and Dawson made their way towards the Medical Examiner's room, neither knowing quite what to expect from the briefing.  The ME greeted them casually, as though there was nothing special to report. "Ah, Inspector Harris.  Come in please.  Dawson." 

He'd seen a lot of things, unusual, ugly, even sinister things in his time as Medical Examiner.  Harris knew the ME's casual approach may not reflect what he was about to tell the two policemen. 

"As you know, I don't usually deal with animals in my official capacity here.  But I was intrigued by what you told me about the case you stumbled upon the other day, Inspector."

Dawson looked over at Harris.  Harris' eyes were firmly fixed on the folder the ME was holding in his right hand. 

"It wasn't so much the animal that interested me as the containers your fellows found at the scene.  Yes, the animal was conected very much to those containers.  In the condition you found the carcass, it would have been difficult to tell..."

"What did you find?" Harris couldn't hide his impatience.  He was tired.  He hadn't slept well for a couple of months - since his wife had left.

"Glue." Replied the ME, obviously not used to being interrupted in that way.  "I found glue in the cannisters.  Lots of it."

"And the horse?"  asked Dawson, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"It's an old glue maker's recipe." Mumbled Harris, worried about what lay ahead of him and the potential horrors he and his team might shortly have to face.  "Glue can be made from animal connective tissues."

B BAD (aka Sims Simpson) - Grit and Glitz

B BAD (aka Sims Simpson) is making a name for himself as an artist -Fashion, Photography and Graffiti. His artwork on the walls of the city is something that has often put him at loggerheads with officials.


To combine his artistic talents B Bad has announced he will be producing a line of T shirts and other fashion items decorated with his graffiti creations.

C-001 is one of the designs B BAD is developing for this range.  It's based around the glitzy world of celebrities but with a gritty, street twist. The grainy textures contradict the glamorous, fashion and celebrity images. 

Watch out for B BAD's Fall Collection.

Super-Hero Super-Villain Pt 2

Bagit's Novel Continues:

Harris sat with his feet on his desk and a cup of coffee in one hand, while he let his gaze drift over the photographs in front of him.  His mind was actually somewhere else and he wasn't really taking notice of the photos, although that was not the impression he gave as his deputy entered his office. 
"Any news, Sir?' Dawson asked.  Harris twitched a little as he came back to reality. 
"Oh, er not yet.  We're still waiting for the men in white coats to come up with something."
"It was a bit odd, wasn't it?  Dawson hadn't been in the squad for long.  "Why would anyone do that to a horse.  They're such beautiful creatures."
"You'd be surprised what goes through people's heads.  Nothing much surprises me any more.  The question is why did they do that?  What was the reason?"
"I've no idea.  They'd clearly been away from the scene for some time for that amount of decomposition to have taken place."
"Yes, we might be due for another incident in the near future.  I've a feeling this wasn't a one-off attack."
"Shall I alert the racing authoriites to be on the look out for suspicious incidents, Sir?"
"Yes, yes.  Good idea."  Harris wasn't really that bothered about horses.  He'd never followed the races nad never had time to enjoy the countryside.  The loss of one horse to him was no big deal.  He was more worried that a horse may not be the victim next time.  He really wasn't in the right frame of mind to chase down a serial killer.

Bada Bling Keyring

            Model behind the scenes                                                               Strutting on the catwalk

Castaway Fashion Show

Some people will do anything in the name of fashion.  Some will do anything in the name of love. 

The key is to show those who matter how you feel. Wear your heart on your sleeve, or simply wear the key to your heart. 

Baps Bagtag has launched a new range of earrings.  Last night she showed them for the first time as part of the Castaway Fashion Show.  If you don't want to carry your keys around all night just slip them onto your earrings...bada bling bada boom.

Bagit Develops Character

Over the last few days Bagit has been working hard on the film set, but twice as hard off-set developing the characters and plot for his first novel, 'Super-Hero Super-Villain'. He's developed one or two ideas for the first draft:

'The smell that wafted across from the warehouse wasn't the usual one that filled the market streets in this area of the town.  The early morning freshness, usually fragrant with the smell of fruit and vegetables was polluted  this morning by the stench of rotting meat.  Inspector Harris knew this terrible smell too well.   He was accustomed to it but it would never be something he would be comfortable with; nature had made certain of that.  He pulled out a handkerchief that he kept in his jacket pocket.  It wasn't a tool of the trade exactly but he never used this handkerchief for any other purpose than to mask his face.  Coincidentally, or perhaps not, this hankerchief had been a present from his ex-wife.  He momentarilly thought of her as he pressed the cotton against his nose and mouth, before entering the room to investigate the source of the now putrid odour. 

As Inspector Harris pushed open the wooden door leading to the dark warehouse storeroom he held his breath in a moment of terrible anticipation.  He wasn't sure at first what he would find as he moved into the dark space.  The scene was not typical of murder scenes he'd come across before.  Slowly, as his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness he breathed a sigh of relief through the cotton he still pressed against his face.  There was indeed a corpse in front of him, surrounded by cannisters and tools of some kind, but this corpse was most definitely not human.'  

We asked Bagit to keep us updated with this, his first novel, so let's hope he gives us updates on this as he writes them.  

See Team Recycled Plastic on YouTube

See 'Team Recycled Plastic' do their best at the 2012 Olympics: http://youtu.be/bo9sFCDxUwg

The gymnastics event will never be the same again!!

'Superhero Supervillain' - Bagit's 1st Novel?

                                 Super-hero                                 

 

Super-villain

 

Bagit inspired to write first novel:

Bagit has never written a novel before but while on location in China he came across something near the film-set that inspired him so much he immediately started scribbling notes. 

"When the sun shines on this forgotten spot on a certain city wall, superhero Walter Glutenberg appears to bring justice to the world. But at night this hideous supervillain 'Glum' takes his place, terrorizing the city.  Little do people know that Walter and Glum are the same person, seperated only by time. It all started here at this forgotten city wall where a poster used to hang...." 

All that's left now is the peeling paint where the glue remains. 

Watch out for Bagit's book in the bookshops.  We'll let you know how it develops.

Introducing Baps Bagtag

Baps has been away for a while shooting her latest action adventure film.  When asked what she thought of her leading man she had nothing but good things to say.  "Mr Bagit was a true gentleman on and off screen.  He was so real, not at all fake or plastic.  He kept the atmosphere so fresh.  But you could tell he had a lot of bread from the sophisticated way he behaved."

What's Going On???

You got me.  Caught me red-handed.