My Package from "The Regulars"

The

Regulars is a weird site. From first

appearances, it seems to be a

photoblog featuring photos of a guy in a gas

mask posing as different

sorts of people, such as “The Hipster”, “The Tourist”, “The International

Traveller” and “The Bass

Player”.

The “About”

page doesn’t

offer much of a clue as to what the site’s about; it merely describes

the gas mask (“A replica Russian gas mask purchased from an army

surplus store. Also sold as an East German or an American gas

mask…Very difficult to breathe in, ironically”) and how the photos

were taken (“Typical setup with remote shutter, tripod, gas mask and

necktie”).

For a while, the site had a form you could fill out to receive one of

a

limited set of gifts. I signed up for one, and it arrived at the

office

this morning. You’ll have to forgive the poor quality of the images;

the only camera I’ve got at the moment is the cheap webcam hooked up

to

my office machine.

The whole package came in an orange envelope…

…containing a photo of an old 35mm film camera with “WE

MISS THE SIMPLICITY” written on it in magic marker…

…two stickers with the Regulars’ “R” monogram:

…and this puzzle:

The webcam didn’t capture the puzzle very clearly, so I’m repeating it

below:

Other people who signed up for the packages have posted photos of their

free loot:

• blog.critical
• vinterheim
• intensify.org
• Twinkling

  Radiance

• illegalcommand.org
• DesignSneak

The question remains: What is The Regulars? An art project? A Griffin and

Sabine-esque puzzle? An eccentric part of the

internet gift

economy? A prankster with a gas mask?