Nutso
Nutso (real name unknown) is one half of Mr. Wrenchy & Nutso, the unofficial mascot duo of Knox Makers. He has been described as "an avatar of chaos" and represents the sharp and electrified aspects of making. Whereas his partner Mr. Wrenchy emphasizes the joy of creativity and community, Nutso reinforces the negative consequences of breaking shop rules, improper tool usage, and not following safety instructions.
Overview
Nutso is a sentient hex nut who currently serves as one of the unofficial mascots of Knox Makers. He is stands at just 3' tall, though he is often crouched in an attack pose, making him appear smaller. He is very dense, weighing several hundred pounds. His exact weight is unknown, as he refuses to be weighed, though it takes several people or a forklift to lift him. Like Mr. Wrenchy, he has four fingers and a thumb that are constantly covered in large gloves and two feet shaped like shoes. It is not known whether he possesses any digits within the shoe-feet.
Nutso is always seen carrying a large pointed dagger, which he often uses to menace those around him into behaving properly. He has been known to stab those he observes breaking a workshop rule or using a tool irresponsibly. He is also able to shoot lightning from his fingertips when he forms a "devil hand" gesture. He has used this lightning ability to electrocute people at random and electrically activate machinery.
Nutso does not speak English. He communicates through exaggerated gestures or a series of loud, crazed babblings. Attempts to decipher his verbal language have been unsuccessful at this time. It is speculated that he is able to communicate telepathically with Mr. Wrenchy, though neither figure has confirmed this theory.
Nutso's body is made of the same unknown black metallic substance as Mr. Wrenchy. It reflects almost no light, appearing oily on the surface, and is constantly cold to the touch, no matter the external temperature. Limited attempts to collect samples of the metal have failed, either because the tools have failed to break the surface (including diamond-tipped drill bits) or Nutso has violently attacked the researcher.
Mr. Wrenchy is depicted on posters in Knox Makers warning of the dangers of improper tools use, skirting safety practices, and other habits that would disrupt the community and operation of the makerspace. His poster materials do not rhyme, as Mr. Wrenchy's do, but instead take on a menacing tone such as "Using Fabric Shears Outside The Fiber Arts Zone Will Sign Your Death Warrant!" and "Don't Put Plastic Through the Planer Or I'll Burn Your House Down!"
Discovery, Capture, Release and Theories of Origin
Nutso was discovered in a sub-basement of the Dunwich Memorial Hospital during demolition work on October 2, 1987. He was found in a structure made of shredded medical records cemented into a hornet's nest-like shape. Upon discovery, he lightly stabbed one member of the demolition crew and skittered into the sewer system. He was sighted again three days later, eating a seagull near the water treatment plant. On October 23, he was captured at a local chicken farm by a team from Miskatonic University using a large truck-mounted electromagnet. He would remain in a secure containment facility underneath the Miskatonic squash courts for study and socialization for the next 12 years.
On November 23, 1999, Nutso was successfully reintroduced into society after a streak of 157 days without stabbing someone. During his captivity, researchers identified his interest in the burgeoning maker movement and brought him to a variety of ham radio meet-ups, amateur electronics groups, and computing clubs. He entered into a limited sponsorship with RadioShack from 2000-2005, appearing at store openings and special events to promote DIY making and affordable electronics.
While researchers never learned to fully communicate with Nutso or determine his age, actual name, or origin, several theories have been proposed. Some of his handlers believe he is the last of a primordial race of beings that evolved alongside hominids and were wiped out by an ice age, natural disasters, or conflict with early humans. Others point to his electricity-based powers as evidence of magic and that he was once an inanimate object sculpted and brought to life by an ancient civilization versed in a now-lost magical art. One researcher from the Innsmouth Institute for Theoretical Physics has suggested that he could be from an alternate or parallel dimension that was transported to our world during the Tunguska Event, citing similarities in the radiation signature detected in Tunguska and that naturally emanating from Nutso. Other theories of Nutso being an extraterrestrial are unsupported, given that no spacecraft or other advanced technology was found in Dunwich Memorial Hospital or any nearby locations in the years since his discovery. Dr. Anne Runsbeck, director of the Miskatonic Advanced Studies department from 1990-1997, has also proposed that Nutso could simply be "a fucked up little guy who likes to stab."
Partnership with Mr. Wrenchy
In 2008, Nutso was introduced to Mr. Wrenchy and formed an immediate bond. According to witnesses, Nutso initially tried to mug Mr. Wrenchy outside of the Pasadena Tinker Space, but halted his attack the moment they locked eyes. Per Mr. Wrenchy, their initial meeting was like "the clash of two universal fates, bound by the invisible strings of destiny, foreseen by the blind mystics of a long-dead civilization." They took their partnership on the road, delivering messages of safety and community, and the consequences of ignoring them, to makers across the country.
At some point between 2018 and 2022, Mr. Wrenchy and Nutso became the mascots of Knox Makers in Knoxville, Tennessee. The exact date, or even year, is unknown, as no member remembers when they first saw them, with most stating that "they kinda assumed they were always there." Even long-time members and those on the board of directors cannot pinpoint the time or recall ever discussing the prospect of adopting them as the mascots, describing the feeling as "being reminded of a memory by someone else and not exactly remembering it at first, but then it starts to piece together in your head until you have convinced yourself you remember it all." When asked when they started as mascots, both Mr. Wrench and Nutso have refused to answer and usually deflect from the question by doing a little jig.