Minions – those lovable yellow movie characters that wear overalls and goggles – are no strangers to spawning quirky trends.
Last year, inspired by TikTok, groups of young men around the globe attended screenings of the latest Despicable Me instalment wearing tuxedos.
But an art trail in a one-horse town in Australia was probably the last thing Universal Pictures had in mind when it commissioned the franchise.
For the past three-and-a-bit months, someone has been stealthily installing minion artworks in western Victoria.
The sturdy sculptures are expertly painted and made of gas bottles and scrap metal.
They are popping up in front of properties in Warrak, a hamlet of 70 people near Ararat.
Some are letterboxes, some are plant holders, and some are just art for art's sake, but whoever is creating them must be local as each minion reflects something about the person whose house they are nearest to.
It's got tongues wagging across the entire town, and there are a few prime suspects.
How it started
Shane Goninon owns Mountainside Wines, Warrak's only business.
He says the first minion popped up in mid-December when the whole town visited the town hall for the annual Christmas party.
"After that, people went home and the first one appeared at the front of John Warren's property," he said.
The minion sculpture out the front of Mr Goninon's property is pouring a bottle of wine into a glass on its head.
It appeared not long after some people in town started wondering whether his vineyard would receive a wine-themed creation.
"We're now up to 24 of them," Mr Goninon said.
"Five or six [popped up] in the last eight or nine days."
Mr Goninon said no one has been able to identify the creator, but some have come close.
"There were some stills from a CCTV camera of two people putting one in, but one was dressed as Santa, so no one could recognise who it was. That's the only time we've seen anyone do it.
"They're concreted in, very solid, it happens really quickly.
"Obviously someone drills a hole, pours it in and away they go."
And that's it.
That's all the information people have to go on to identify this mystery minion-mailbox-maker, this Banksy of the Bush.
Riddle captivates rural community
With solid evidence lacking, rumours are filling the vacuum like an episode of Midsomer Murders.
Mr Goninon thinks it's Daniel "Buckie" Buckingham.
"A few of us think the same," he said.
Out the front of Mr Buckingham's house is the town's largest installation and it's Gru — the minions' supervillain master.
Mr Gronion is also using the fact that Mr Buckingham owns an angle grinder to support his theory as it's a handy tool for welding and fabricating.
"He'd have the skills to do it, and the place and the time, and he's really community motivated," Mr Goninon said.
"I could be totally wrong, and everyone's accusing everyone of it."
However, Mr Buckingham strenuously denies any involvement in the whodunnit and has his own counterclaim.
"I think Shane at the winery might have some strong ties, but it's not me, that's for sure," he said.
"I own an angle grinder, but I think every farmer does."
Mr Goninon also denies he's behind the minions, but he's convinced whoever it is is younger and has kids.
"Some of the old guys around here wouldn't know what a minion is — even if they've got the skills to do it," he said.
Random acts of kindness
Gwen Pilgrim lives on a converted orchard at the eastern end of Warrak, near Mount Cole.
She came to open her gate on March 7 and found a minion with a pot plant growing out of its head.
The gesture was particularly joyous for Ms Pilgrim who has been living with cancer.
"I just leaned on the gates, I couldn't believe it," she said.
"I just had a smile from ear to ear because I've been waiting for one for a while."
Ms Pilgrim is also a gardener and president of the Ararat Gardening Club.
The fact she received a pot-plant-themed creation leads locals to suspect the minion-maker is not an out-of-towner.
'I wish I had one'
Of course, community any "accusations" of who the instigator is are only being made in jest.
Like Ms Pilgrim, the town is thrilled with their bespoke minions.
There are now more properties in town that do have them than don't.
A Demons supporter has a red and blue mailbox, while a hose-holding sculpture stands beneath the fire danger sign at the centre of town.
"A lot of people were putting on our community Facebook site 'I wish I had one' or 'I hope I get one,'" Mr Goninon said.
It doesn't look like the culprit — if you can call them that — is coming forward any time soon, but if you ask the townsfolk, they would rather not know.
They love the mystery.
"The amount of people actually coming out to look at the minions … it's surprising," Mr Buckingham said.
"My wife was … talking to a young couple with some kids who came out for this and stayed for a family picnic, so it's good to see that, that's for sure."
The surprise installation of the colourful characters is having a "significant impact" in reconnecting the town, Mr Buckingham said.
"Coming out of COVID, there are some pretty serious things going on in the world, and this has joined the community," he said.
"There are a lot of people talking that don't usually talk.
"It's good to see the community pull together just over someone that's having a bit of a joke!"
