Message in a Bottle

I've finally acquired what is (for me) one of the

rarest and most coveted items of

LOST memorabilia for my collection!

ABC held a contest prior to Season 6 of LOST.

The winners each received a 

"Message in a Bottle".

The bottle contains a message rolled

into a scroll and tied with twine and a

2GB USB fail-safe key.

The bottles were a limited edition of only 815.

I did not win one of the bottles and have been

stalking each eBay listing for one ever since...over three years!

They usually sell for more than I was willing to pay.

But I finally won an auction a couple of weeks ago.

My first response upon opening the package was

"I thought it would be bigger!"

The bottle only stands about 7.5 inches tall.

I positioned it next to my Virgin Mary Statue for size comparison.

 I was also surprised that the bottle has such an amber

color.  I had only seen pictures of clear bottles and initially

thought it was discolored from smoke (monster?) or some other

pollutant.  But an internet search revealed that a number

 of the bottles were the amber color.

The USB fail-safe key is large and made of rubber. 

It contains the first five minutes of the Season Six Premiere.

Jacks' words are on the scroll.

I currently have the bottle displayed next to my Tawaret statue.

The Adventures of Desmond: Dishonorably Discharged

Desmond's release from Southway Garrison:

"Lance-Corporal Desmond David Hume, your sentence is hereby

complete and you are now and forever dishonorably discharged 

from the Royal Scots Regiment of Her Majesty's Armed Forces.  

Long live the Queen.  Enjoy you sodding book."

A "Hunter Dan" action figure stamps Desmond's release papers.

He has an appropriate military bearing and is quite a good 

stand-in, with exception of  the lack of a beret.

The counter is a small cardboard box, set on end. I used

the clipboard from the computer room of the Swan playset

and made the stamper with a bead attached to a tiny piece of

craft foam. I made the paper bag containing all of Desmond's 

worldly possessions from a section of paper cut from 

an actual grocery bag. 

Mego Desmond is wearing the blue shirt from his army uniform

and the suitcoat from his gray suit.  They are a close enough match

to the scene wardrobe:

The Adventures of Desmond: The Phone Number

Let me reiterate:

The keys moments of Desmond and Penny's 

story are very tricky to recreate with no

Mego Penny!

Desmond gets Penny's phone number.

"I won't call for eight years....December 24, 2004. Christmas Eve".

Mego Juliet is standing in once again for Penny.

Most of this conversation actually occurred inside of 

Penny's apartment, but I took creative

liberties since it was easier to fabricate a front door

than Penny's living room.

Fun With LOST Megos: Desmond Impersonates Councillor Kane

I decided to dress Mego Desmond 

as Councillor Kane from

Henry Ian Cusick's new show on theCW

"The 100".

I based the wardrobe on the image of Councillor Kane

on the autographed The 100 poster:

Councillor Kane is dressed in a S.W.A.T. uniform

purchased from Classic TV Toys.

I just wish I didn't have to wait until mid-season to watch The 100.

Fun With LOST Megos: Jungle Juliet

I've been meaning to dress Mego Juliet in

what I call  her Jungle Juliet" look for some time,

but I misplaced the blue shirt for awhile.

Dressing the female LOST Megos is extremely difficult.

The molded hair makes it nearly impossible

to get shirt collars completely in place.

I struggled with tweezers for about 10 minutes, 

working the shirt under Mego Juliet's hair.

Mego Juliet is wearing a white tank from

a Bratz clothes lot I found on eBay,

Her shirt is from Classic TV Toys.

I cut off the long sleeves to about elbow length

 to make them easier to roll up - less fabric bulk to deal with.

The pants are from a Breyers Vet doll. I originally used

the pants to dress Mego Helen Norwood

I purchased several of the rifles from Classic TV Toys.

Two of them occupy the gun racks in the 

Swan Station Playset.

The Adventures of Desmond: Desmond Visits Oxford

I decided the best way to capture Mego Desmond's

trip to Oxford to visit Daniel Faraday would be to focus

on Eloise.  There is no Mego Daniel Faraday 

and none of the LOST Megos 

bears enough resemblance to Daniel, even from behind

to use as a stand-in.

"I'm sorry? How is a rat running through a 

bloody maze so incredible?"

Desmond is dressed in a gray pullover sweater 

from a Bratz Boyz lot purchased on eBay. 

The brown leather jacket is also intended for a Bratz Boyz

figure.  I previously used the jacket for Mego Sawyer

in his *Sideways* reality as Detective Ford. 

The houndstooth scarf is a bit of ribbon, trimmed to size.

I think the ensemble is a pretty close match to

Desmond's wardrobe in the scene:

I constructed the chalkboard from green craft foam.

I used an oil-based Sharpie paint pen to replicate 

Daniel's equations.  Eloise was purchased from Classic TV Toys.

I used the top of of a small cardboard box for the frame

of the maze.  I cut the bottom of the box into strips to construct

the maze panels and covered the cardboard in 

wood-grain contact paper.

The Adventures of Desmond: Lance-Corporal Hume

Lance Corporal Hume seemed to spend most of his

time in the pouring rain.  However, I do not know

how waterproof Mego Desmond is, so I opted to

allow him to remain dry during his phone call to Penny.

"Penny listen. I'm in trouble.  I think something's happened to me.

I'm confused. I need to see you."

This was a difficult wardrobe to put together

as only US military uniforms are available for purchase.

The older Mego-scale WWI & WWII uniforms aren't

even a close facsimile. I opted for US Navy fatigues 

from Classic TV Toys.  I cut the brim off of the cap and

scrunched the cap down on one side and super-glued

in place to attempt to replicate a beret.

I reused the Bratz phone booth from a previous scene.

The Adventures of Desmond: Desmond Breaks Penny's Heart

This scene breaks MY heart as well as Penny's.

Again, I wish I had a Mego Penny to interact with

Mego Desmond.  

"I can't do this. Us. This relationship"

"I can't even afford five quid for a bloody photograph." 

Desmond is wearing an orange shirt and brown suede

jacket intended for Bratz Boyz.  I made the scarf

from a length of ribbon. Desmond is holding THE

photograph, miniaturized to Mego size.

The backdrop is printed as a four-panel poster from an

episode screen capture and applied to a section of

project board.

"Ben" Painting by Sterling Beaumon

I was astonished at the contents of a package

from my friend Sue H./@jst_thinking:

an original painting by Sterling Beaumon!

(the actor who portrayed young Ben on LOST)

 I recognized the painting immediately.

Sue had received the art as a contribution incentive

from Jo Garfein during the "Austism Speaks" fundraiser

in April of this year. 

I'm not sure if the painting is titled, but I'm calling it

"Ben x 2".  Sterling Beaumon painted it 

during the time that he was playing young Ben.

Closeup of young Ben 

Closeup of adult Ben 

The numbers 

Artist signature 

I am so honored and thrilled

to add the painting to what Sue calls

my "LOST Museum".

The Adventures of Desmond: "Don't I know you?"

I need a Mego Charlie action figure!!!

That being said, I improvised to create

the scene following Desmond's departure 

from Charles Widmore's office.

The backdrop photo was taken by my friend @kiwilostie

on a trip to Hawaii.  It is the actual location where the

scene was filmed.  The British phone booth is intended

for Bratz dolls.  I spent an hour with cotton balls and 

fingernail polish remover clearing away the manufacturer-printed

Bratz grafitti on the window panels.

I found the guitar and case on eBay after a 2 month

exhaustive search.  I didn't like the guitars intended for 

Mego-scale figures and definitely wanted a 

guitar case for Mego Hurley to transport 

the Ankh to THE ISLAND!

I dressed Sawyer in a Union Jack Tshirt as stand-in

for Charlie and cropped the heck out of the photo

to create illusion of Mr. Pace.

Bonnie-Con: The Squickerwonkers

Evangeline Lilly attended Comic Con

to promote her children's graphic novel

The Squickerwonkers.

My friend Pat generously obtained a signed copy for me. 

It is a wonderful story and is beautifully illustrated

by Johnny Fraser-Allen.  

(How AWESOME is that inscription?!!)

The book is the first in a planned series.

It will go next to my Maurice Sendak favorites,

to be shared with to my future grandchildren.

It is so special!

Evangeline Lilly was very accessible to her fans

during Comic Con and I was struck by how

friendly and REAL she is. 

I particularly enjoyed her panel at NERD HQ

with Nathan Fillion - her one-time husband Kevin Callis on LOST.

Fun With LOST Megos: Skunk Punk Miles

I laughed out loud during Miles' flashback to

his Skunk Punk days during "Some Like It Hoth".

I could not resist attempting to recreate the look.

(FYI I think it is more difficult to pierce a LOST Mego

than a real person.)

 I snipped pieces of clothing fastening hooks

for the rings.  The two studs under Miles' mouth 

are actually little black fingernail jewels.

I used "White Out" to make the skunk stripe.

(yeah I overdid it a little, need to clean that up a bit)

The shirt is from a lot of Bratz Boyz clothes from eBay.

The Adventures of Desmond: Meet Charles Widmore

Let's face it. Charles Widmore was a real bastard....

a condescending SOB, who belittled 

and humiliated Desmond.

"to share it with you would be a waste..."

Mego Charles is actually a random head purchased from

Classic TV Toys that happened to look like Charles Widmore.

The description of the head is "old man with short gray hair".

I popped the head on a Mego body and dressed Charles

in Mego Jack's black suit..

Desmond is dressed in gray suit, also purchased from  

Classic TV Toys.  I used the desk from the Swan Station

Playset computer room.  Desmond's chair is from a lot

of "wrestling figure" accessories purchased on eBay.

The MacCutcheon bottle was purchase on eBay as well. 

(I added the label.)  The two crystal glasses are hand-blown beads

The Adventures of Desmond - First Flash

"Flashes Before Your Eyes" is one of my top

three favorite episodes of LOST. 

And so the adventures of Mego Desmond

continue with Desmond's *flash* back to

his fall from a ladder while repainting his

apartment to please Penny.

This scene took me some time to construct.

I used small craft sticks, hand-laid and glued to foam core 

to make the wooden floor.  I taped off paint-roller widths

of area on the walls before spray painting red to

replicate unpainted areas.

The paint on the floor was sprayed on as well.

The paint tray pan was make from aluminum foil. 

I found the paint can, roller and brush on eBay.

The ladder came from Classic TV Toys

Desmond is wearing jumpsuit from Mego seamstress Theressa.

(It became a Dharma jumpsuit once the Swan patch was added.)

I think this scene turned out as close as possible to original 

(without ruining a jumpsuit with red paint)

The Adventures of Desmond: Desmond Meets Penny

 Unfortunately, there is no Mego Penny (yet).

Mego Juliet is standing in for Penny. 

"Did I say I say I was coming to Carlisle with you?"

Desmond is wearing a shirt purchased on eBay over

a white Tshirt from CCTV.

He is wearing pants from my extra Mego Miles.

The crate of wine was also purchased on eBay.

I added the Moriah Vineyards label.

The Adventures of Desmond: "Brotha Desmond"

I decided to recreate the "Adventures of Desmond"

in chronological order.

So we begin with Brotha Desmond.

The monk robe is from a Mego "Friar Tuck".

However, Desmond is much taller than Friar Tuck

so I added a pair of brown pants since the robe 

was too short.  Desmond's robe did not include the shawl

collar, but the robe is made of a cheap nylony fabric,

and the first robe shredded when I tried to remove it.

So it stayed in place on the second robe.

I used a piece of hemp cord as sash for the robe.

I scanned and miniaturized the Moriah Vineyards

wine bottle labels from my collection and attached

to some bottles I found on eBay.  

Desmond Action Figure!!! Woo Hoo!

I was disappointed

DEVASTATED

that neither McFarlane Toys nor Bif Bang Pow! 

released a Desmond Hume action figure.

so.......I took matters into my own hands:

I commissioned a Mego-sized (1:9 scale)

Desmond David Hume!!!

I made noise about commissioning a Desmond action figure

 for a couple of years. But that was all it was - talk and
wishful thinking.

The more fun I had customizing

my LOST Megos and Swan playset,

the more I realized that I HAD to make it happen!

So I contacted Ada Chan. She is an incredibly talented sculptor.

I previously purchased her mini-sculpts of Jack Shephard,

John Locke, Ben Linus, and Charlie Pace done in 1:6 scale.

And so the process began.

I emailed her multiple photos of 

Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond Hume.

I wanted my action figure to have moderate beard and

medium length hair, to better have him fit in all of the

flashback, flash forward, flash sideways scenarios.

This is primary "look" that the sculpt would be based on:

I also requested that a limited number of duplicate heads

be fabricated. I wanted to make sure that

my friends who owned the Swan Station Playsets

had their own Desmond action figures! 

And one was earmarked for Ian Cusick.

(Everyone should own their action figure likeness!)

Another Desmond action figure is to be donated to 

my charity of choice:  Cancer Gets LOST.

My favorite LOST character should raise a lot of money 

for such a worthy cause.

A few weeks after my initial request 

(and payment in full for original sculpt and duplicates),

I received photos of the preliminary sculpt for approval.

And about a week later, I received a photo

of the hand-painted version for approval.

I was over the moon with joy and excitement!!!

I didn't think it was possible to be any more thrilled
about ANYTHING until the action figure heads
arrived and I was able to assemble my
Desmond Action Figure!

The body was purchased from Classic TV Toys.
Desmond's jumpsuit was made by Theressa, a Mego seamstress.
I commissioned several jumpsuits when Wave 1
of the LOST Megos was first released. I added the
Dharma Swan patch to the jumpsuit.

Sooooooo much more to come.  I have spent the last few weeks
getting ready for Mego Desmond:
 making props, clothes, backdrops....
Moderation is not in my vocabulary.
Get ready to be Desmond-Spammed!

Bonnie-Con: "The 100"

I didn't get to go to Comic Con this year.

I failed in my attempt to obtain a 4 day pass, 

or ANY day pass for that matter. 

But I have amazing friends who are kind and generous,

and remembered me in their swag hauls.

So I am calling these awesome deliveries 

Bonnie-Con, 

my own personal geek fest.

The first fantastic friend has asked to remain anonymous....

(A third mutual pal would be devastated that 

"The 100" poster ended up with me.)

Henry Ian Cusick will be starring in the new

The CW show "The 100", premiering mid-season.

"Set 97 years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization,

when a spaceship housing humanity's lone survivors sends

100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth in hopes of possibly

repopulating the planet."

The poster is signed by:

Isaiah Washington - Chancellor Jaha

Henry Ian Cusick (yay!) - Councillor Kane

Eliza Taylor - Clarke Walters

Matthew Miller- Executive Producer

Thomas McDonell - Finn

Jason Rothenberg - Executive Producer

Marie Avgeropoulos - Octavia Black

I have already framed it!

The autograph-signing wristband was included

 in the care package.