Right Palm Up, Left Palm Down
In 1984, a ten-year-old boy encountered a mysterious 20-foot-tall fiberglass statue named Louie in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Eight years later, he spotted an identical statue in Tucson. A third sighting outside a run-down convenience store made it a trend. Thus began a scavenger hunt to discover the origins of Louie and his brethren. Only one rule applied: No searching for them on the Internet!

Right Palm Up, Left Palm Down

The Log of a Cross-Country Scavenger Hunt by Gabriel Aldaz
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Meet the Characters

This page is devoted to the Muffler Men in the order that I encountered them in my scavenger hunt. The names of most statues are widely accepted, and the numbers roughly correspond to the book chapters. The map and descriptions were accurate in 2009, and are being updated in 2023 with your help! Click on the numbers on the map or the names on the right to learn more about each one.
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Kevin

Van Nuys, California

Kevin

The shop in front of which this statue stands was a Tuneup Masters owned by a man named Kevin. The Bunyan bore an uncanny resemblance to his owner, and thus came to be called Kevin as well. The repair shop is under new management now, but Kevin’s legacy lives on through the still-standing statue.

Location: Tuneup Masters, 15237 Sherman Way
Type: Bunyan
Accessories: None
Spotlight: According to owners, appeared in a commercial a long time ago
Damage: Possibly unscathed
  • Kevin

The legacy of previous owner Kevin endures (2009).

2023 Update

Coming soon!