Ladies and Gentlemen... Start! Your! Penguins!

This year's contestants are: Arnold, Atticus, Tina, Gustavo, Olive, Charlotte, Myra, Astrid, Jack, Percy, Calypso, Eduardo, Penelope, Felix, Edwina, Dudley, Xavier, Owen, Gunter, Ursula, Tobias, Elmer, Sheldon, Humphrey, Daphne, Leopold, Consuela, Mildred, and the Prototype Ted (be on the look out for the Belly Sliders, they're the three penguins who were too lazy to sit upright and play the game!).

Last minute advice/instructions!

• Have FUN! That's the point of all this, to make some memories and spread some joy! So, yes, when people stare at you and your penguin and you stumble through an explanation of the game to a total stranger - that = joy! :)
• Comment here on the blog! Cheer your fellow hunters on. Sure, you're technically competing for prizes, but it will lighten the heart of someone out there in the trenches (probably reenacting a Saving Private Ryan scene) to see someone they don't know leave a comment on their picture! You can comment as anonymous if you want to remain mysterious, just comment.
• There will be special weekly point categories I will add that will last only that week, so check in now and then (maybe on Mondays) to see what's been added.
• Remember, when you email me the pic, I prefer you title the email as follows: "Name of your Penguin; brief descripiton of shot; point value if you know it." (ie, "Owen, by Christmas Tree; +10") If you don't know the point score off the top of your head, it's ok, I'll look it up for you when I post it. Wouldn't hurt, though, to keep a tally yourself. If we disagree on something we'll discuss it through email, don't want to hash stuff out on the blog (it's a game, focus on fun!).

Good luck, Hunters! See you in my inbox -Regan!

Early Birdies I'm Proud of Already!

Helpful Hints for Hunters!

Turkey Day at Penguin Headquarters!

I assured Xavier it was no one he knew...

Points! (click on me and bookmark for easy lookups!)

Point Categories for the 2011 Penguin Hunt

Around the House

+5 in the fridge (they like the cold!)

+5 on the stairs

+5 in the front yard

+5 in the backyard

+5 with a pet *Accumulative Points for multiple cats in same shot: multiply number of cats by 10!* (cats can be in one pic each)*

+5 with a family member *Accumulative Points for multiple family members in same shot: multiply number of family member by 10!* (family members can be in one pic each)*

+5 in the shower/tub (no water!)

+5 in bed

+5 at the dinner table *DOUBLE IT if a place setting and food is set out!*

Out and About

+5 in the car *DOUBLE IT if peeking out of the sun/moon roof!*

+10 at your favorite coffee place *DOUBLE IT if the barista/maker poses with!*

+10 at the grocery store *DOUBLE IT if penguin’s inside the freezer case!*

+10 at a drive thru *DOUBLE IT if penguin poses inside looking out of drive thru window*

+10 at a hardware store *DOUBLE IT if posing with someone in a hard hat*

+10 on an escalator at the mall

+10 for being at a department store *DOUBLE IT if from inside a dressing room*

+10 for out at a restaurant *NEW*

+10 in a Beauty Salon/Barber shop chair *DOUBLE IT if getting a mani or pedi*

Fun at Work

+10 at place of work (1x only) *Accumulative Points for multiple bosses in same shot: multiply number of bosses by 20!* (bosses can be in one pic each) *

+25 at an actual water cooler

+25 with a red stapler

+25 for capturing penguin Xeroxing himself

+50 at the Office Christmas Party

On the Streets

+10 with a street sign

+10 on a crosswalk

+10 riding a skateboard

+10 riding a bike

+10 with a stoplight

+10 going through a Toll Road

+10 at the gas station (don’t get any on your penguin!)

Fun at the Pet Store

+10 posing with employee

+10 posing with live pet birds

+10 posing next to fish (they eat fish) *DOUBLE IT if wearing a lobster bib!*

+10 trying on bling-y collars

+10 posed with someone else’s pet

The Great Outdoors *1x per location!*

+25 with a sunset *DOUBLE IT if it’s a sunrise (‘cause that’s early)*

+25 on the lake (but don’t get wet or let it go!)

+25 on a bridge

+25 at the beach

+25 at a park

+25 at a picnic or picnic table(don’t catch a cold!)

+25 with a wild animal

+25 on the golf course *DOUBLE IT if stuck in a sand trap!*

+25 on the tennis court

Fun with Kids

+5 with a baby *DOUBLE IT if baby is costumed as a penguin (can be homemade)*

+5 for pictures with children under 12 *Accumulative Points for multiple children in same shot: multiply number of children by 10!* (children can be in one pic each) *

+5 for getting a kiss from a girl

+5 for getting a hug from a boy

+5 with a toy penguin

+5 for dressing up penguin

+10 for being at a playground

+10 for playing a board game

+10 for having a tea party *DOUBLE IT if dressed up like a lady (even the boy penguins!)*

+25 for going to show and tell

+25 for posing with teacher *DOUBLE IT if also posed with school principal*

+25 for going through line at school cafeteria

Holiday Madness

+10 for posing with Christmas Tree (must have decorations) *DOUBLE IT if retro and all one color!*

+10 for posing with stocking *DOUBLE IT if penguin has his own stocking with his name on it!*

+10 posing with eggnog *DOUBLE IT if wearing a “dickie” like Randy Quaid in Christmas Vacation*

+25 wearing a holiday sweater

+25 for posing with an over-the-top Christmas light display

+25 for being stuck in a looooooong holiday store line

+50 for waiting outside a store before opening on Black Friday

+50 for reenacting a holiday movie, cartoon or book

+50 for getting a picture with Santa *DOUBLE IT if it’s a “Chocolate” Santa (see David Sedaris’ Holidays on Ice for reference) 1x only on the DOUBLE IT part, you can, however, do multiple Santas*

+25 with an Elf

+50 for sitting by a roaring fireplace on Christmas Eve (not too close to the fire!)

+50 on Christmas morning by presents

+50 for posing in manger scene *DOUBLE IT if scene includes live animals* Limit 4 on Manger scenes, can double it once

+25 for posing with menorah

+25 with chocolate candy coins

+25 for posing with dreidel

+25 for posing with lox and bagels (mmmm, lox and bagels)

+50 for partaking in “Festivus” (must have grievances written out) 1x only

+50 for posing with “Kwanza-bot” (see Futurama for reference) 1x only

+25 for posting with Flying Spaghetti Monster (see internet for reference) *DOUBLE IT if somehow portrayed in a manger scene* 1x only

Literary Corner

+10 posing with a book about penguins

+50 for reenacting a literary reference

+25 for hanging out in a bookstore*1x per bookstore!*

+50 for attending Storytime

At the Movies

+25 for being in a movie theater

+25 with big bowl/bag of popcorn

+25 picture with movie about penguins playing *DOUBLE IT if watching with real life Morgan Freeman! (it could happen…)*

+50 for movie reenactment *DOUBLE IT if action is videoed and posted on YouTube!*

Artsy Fartsy

+25 with a painting of a penguin *DOUBLE IT if you painted the picture! (1x only on doubling)*

+25 for posing with any sculpture *DOUBLE IT if you sculpted a penguin! (1x only on doubling)*

+50 for referencing a famous artist

+50 for going to a real art museum *DOUBLE IT if you somehow snap a shot of your penguin inside with artwork (though see Rule #3) 1x only on doubling*

Getting to Know You

+3 FREESTLYE! Your choice, just be original each time!

+5 wearing your favorite shirt

+10 doing your favorite hobby

+10 with your favorite book

+25 impersonating you! 1x only

The People that You Meet

+10 for a pic with your next door neighbors

+25 for a pic with a policeman *DOUBLE IT if the cop agrees to pose arresting your penguin*

+25 for a pic with a fireman *DOUBLE IT if you get a shot of your penguin in/on a fire truck!*

+25 for a pic with your mailman

+25 for a pic with a hipster *DOUBLE IT if he/she has a handlebar mustache!*

+25 for a pic with a bartender

+25 for a pic with a professional musician *NEW!*

+25 for a pic with a bouncer

+25 for a pic with a fitness instructor

+25 for a pic with an author

+25 for a pic a doctor

+25 for a pic with a teacher

+25 for a pic with a soldier *DOUBLE IT if in uniform!*

+50 for a pic with a zookeeper

+50 with a local celebrity (local tv/radio/musician types) *DOUBLE IT if nationally known!*

Mega Points (all 1x shots)

+50 for a YouTube video *DOUBLE IT if includes a well known internet meme!* *NEW*

+50 for receiving a fixer-upper penguin in the mail that was damaged! (sorry!) Let me know if you need advice for reattaching pieces.

+100 for being on an ice skating rink

+100 for being in actual, real live snow

+100 posing with real, live penguin (no CG!)

+100 for getting a penguin tattoo (adults only!) Kids can get half for a temporary tattoo (here's a link to how to make one (print at home temporary tattoo)

+100 for a picture with the real, live President Obama *DOUBLE IT if he’s smoking (naughty, naughty!)*

+100 for a picture doing something SIGNIFICANT from your "Bucket List" *must include actual bucket and explanation of why you had to do this before your kicked said bucket!* If your bucket list item is "sleeping in on Saturdays" or something it will count as a Freestyle only. Impress me!

+200 for a Children’s Hospital Visit and +25 for each picture taken there (See Note Below!)

*it’s important that if you plan to take cute pictures of your penguin with kids there that you get the parent’s permission before taking pictures and that you explain to them that the pictures are going on a non-profit blog. If they say yes, great, give the them blog’s address so they can see their kid’s picture; if parents say “no” you can still take pictures of the penguin the kid decorates and get points for that. You could also take a coloring sheet with penguins, construction paper to cut out clothes with, or other fun props. Hopefully, I’ll head up a group to visit Dell Children’s Hospital here in Austin, see blog for further details!

"Gunter" & "Sheldon" welcomed in Dallas/Ft; Worth!

The Rules (every game needs them!)

1. Have Fun.
2. Keep it Clean (children and impressionable adults will be playing the game!)
3. Try to avoid breaking the law
4. Regan, as founder, has final word on points allotment and interpretation of rules, so don't get all butt hurt if I rule against your wishes (see Rule 1.)
5. Submitting of the pictures should be as follows: Please email the picture with the name of your penguin, the category title, and the point value to regan@reganjohnson.com (example: “Gustavo” In front of Christmas Tree +10). If it's easier you can post them on my wall on Facebook or in my Google+ stream as long as they’re correctly identified and I'm able to right click and copy them (some facebook settings won't let you do squat with an image but look at it.) For your photo to count in the contest, it has to make it on to the penguin hunt blog. Texting me pics won’t work because of text charges, so please either email me or use social media only.
6. No "Two Birds with One Stone" point combining. I will grant the greater of the points if applicable, but if you chose to reference, say, Empire Strikes Back then you don't get points for film reference, dress up, and snow (if recreating a Hoth scene), it would be the greater of the point categories only. There are a few “Accumulative” categories that are exceptions to this rule, but in general you’re aiming for only one point category at a time.
7. Non Repeating Rule: On picture categories that are not 1 time use only (1x), it is understood that you must recreate the scene with new elements in order to re-earn the points (ie, to repeat the Christmas Tree +10 category you need a different Christmas tree). *Also, for the Freestyle +3 category you can’t take 300 pictures of your penguin leaning on a wall and run up your score. Each picture needs to be a unique snowflake of inspired creativity… ‘n stuff.
8. “It’s all about the Penguins” Rule. I will refer only to your Penguin's name for point tallies and listing of leaders. It's up to you or the other player's inner Nancy Drew to either admit which penguin is yours or to try figuring out who's got which penguin. Also, this means you can let other people take the pictures since it’s the Penguin who gets the credit, not the photographer. This could come in handy if you know someone going somewhere a high point category picture could occur. However, the handler is ultimately responsible for the penguin and for sending me the photographs.
   
9. Early Bird Rule: You can start shooting pictures as soon as you get your penguin, but the start date of the contest is Dec. 1^st. If you want to try sending me pictures to make sure you know how to do it and that you’re getting the idea of the game, that is fine; just remember to resend them after the first for them to count in the game. The end of the contest is midnight New Years Eve and Mike and I will host a Penguin Hunt New Year's Eve Party here at the house and all players are welcome to attend (special mega points for coming in black and white again with your penguin). You can also return your penguin to roost that night and we’ll save it for next year, but please don’t toss your penguin!
10. The Frankenstein’s Penguin Rule: As your penguin’s handler, you are responsible for fixing any injuries your penguin suffers in pursuit of the game. Suggested fixers are craft glue (no spray glue or solvent based glue!), staples from a stapler you push in by hand without using the stapler itself, acrylic craft paint from hobby store, and if all else fails duct tape! Replacement penguins can be purchased from me, but they won’t be cheap and will only be offered only in the event you totally lose your penguin
11. The "George Lucas" 2-part Rule.

• Part I (the Computer Generated “CG” Rule): Since many friends are artist and computer savvy, computer generated effects from digital programs like photoshop are allowed, but only as supportive effects (think early Lucas, laser blasts and stuff). Do NOT go later Lucas and have a totally CG created world that you scan the penguin into like Jar Jar Binks. If your image is totally dependent on the digital effects, I will count it as a Freestyle pic only, so you get some credit for your work. Keep in mind that this isn’t an art contest, it’s a photography contest!

• Part II (the Let it Rest, George! Rule): Once the photo is in my possession, you are NOT allowed to further alter it in any way. You cannot make Gredo fire first under the table, or blow the Death Star up even bigger. I get your pic, it's done. Period. (*There’s also the Francis Ford Coppala Ammendment also stating you cannot go back in and make your picture worse.)

Family Portrait!

Tomorrow they get all packed away to be shipped out on Monday and Tuesday! Yours is somewhere among them... you can practice hunting a penguin now ;)

Penguins ready to play!

Now in technicolor!

Sneak Peak at How to Play the 2011 Penguin Hunt!

How to play:

Remember that Michael Douglas movie where the game was all around him, all the time and he ended up being drugged and left for dead in Mexico? We’re going to make that look like a Muppet movie, man!! *fist bumps!* Ok, maybe it’s more like that gnome prank in that French movie with that chick who was in that horrible Dan Brown movie with that guy from that 80’s bachelor party movie?… (I know which movie those were, stop yelling them!).

So, the Penguin Hunt is a scavenger hunt you play with a digital camera/smartphone and your soon to be newly adopted and cherished Penguin (Players have been preselected, though if you really, really want to play after reading how to play, I may have some openings so email me). Those playing will be mailed a list of the possible point categories, and a list will be available here December 1st on the blog if you lose your sheet. The categories are like picture recipes; Example: “+15 points for a pic of your penguin sitting in a beauty salon/barber shop chair.” As the difficulty of getting a photo increases, so, too, will the point value. Some categories will have special instructions or limited usage, so read the fine print.

It’s not enough to just take hilarious photos and not share them with the world, so a crucial part of the game is getting me the photos starting December 1st. The preferred way right now is to email them to me at regan@reganjohnson.com from your phone or computer. Next preferred way would be to have them posted on my Facebook wall or in my Google+ stream. If all else fails and you don’t know how to do the previous, you can text me or mms me, but I don’t want to max out my phone limit, so get someone to show you how to email me if you need to. And, sorry, no printed/analog photos. I ain’t scanning photos all month, that’s actually worse than retail Christmas.

I will do weekly tallies on Sunday and list the top leaders for all to see. It would be wise to score yourself along with my scoring of your photos (I studied art, not math). I’ll be putting together some enviable gift baskets of some of my favorite things (no, no animals, I promise). There will be 3 grand prizes, and you are only eligible for one grand prize so if you win one, you’re out of the running for the other two (sorry, jeez, greedy much?!). The 3 prizes are for…

· The Top Points Earner: through whatever trickery and perseverance this penguin had the highest score.

· The Top Category Coverer: variety being the spice of life, this penguin covered the widest array of categories (not all categories, though, that “Flag on the surface of the moon” shot will be difficult).

· Best in Show: it’s the wildcard prize. While other penguins are out there knocking themselves out trying to win points or cross off categories, a randomly selected third party judge just ups and picks this one as the overall best.*

*best being defined in this case as “being better than all the rest.”

There will also be 3 hidden red envelope prizes that are like the Daily Double on Jeopardy. If your penguin is the first one I see with the mystery criteria met, you win the prize instantly! And by prize I mean an actual red envelope… ok, an envelope with a gift card and congratulatory letter inside. You can try to guess the mystery envelopes with random submittals, but most likely you’ll nail a red envelope prize while trying to earn points on the stated category lists.

That’s how you play! Point, click, send and check in on the blog and comment up a storm. Let’s have some fun!

Ted around the House (Prototype test)

Ted the Prototype Penguin at Pub Trivia

Will make a few changes based on Ted's performance tonight (wider wings for one), but had fun carrying him around tonight.

He watched us sleep.... eeeeek!

Knock, Knock. Who's there? Penguins.

here are my test penguins. The styrofoam is half an inch thick, so I think I'll be recommending people reinforce it with cardboard or another foam board from Michaels or somewhere. But at least it's not heavy to ship! :)

Template of Penguins

Yep, here are my drawings of the Emperor Penguins that will hopefully become Styrofoam cut outs. I wanted them to be realistic to add to the surrealism of seeing them in the scavenger hunt pics. I will be encouraging, though, people to personalize and customize them. Maybe some tattoos or body piercing... Some team pride would be fun to see, too ;)

Welcome to the beginning...

This is where I hope a lot of holiday fun will be had. We're still in the prototype phase, but the idea is to mail out Styrofoam cut outs of emperor penguins that people can take pictures of and earn points and generally have some fun during the most hectic time of the year.

I was inspired by the book Osbert the Penguin and Flat Stanley. There will be prizes for the overall points earner, a prize for whoever gets the most categories covered, and one wild card best in show prize. The idea is that you can decide your own level of involvement and still be in the running for a prize. I'll be playing, too, but not to win the prize - which will include unique gift baskets full of gift cards, art (probably), tshirt, and other swag.

There will be a posting of the categories and point system here on December 1st when the contest starts. It will run the whole month of December and the winner declared on the January 1st. If you've been preselected you will hopefully receive your penguin by then (preselection is still underway, but my funds and time are somewhat limited). I may open up the contest to others if they are willing to ante up a little for the cost of supplies and mailing fees.

Stay tuned for in progress penguin making photos and updates!