ROGERS PARK — Most news stands carrying the free daily RedEye paper can be easily spotted thanks to the box's red color and bulbous top. But in Rogers Park some folks get their copy from a robot. Or Princess Leia. Or an Olympic athlete.
That's because for the last two years, resident Javier Monllor has been dressing up one of the neighborhood boxes as the #RedEyeRobot.
"I always thought it looked like a robot, so one day I just did it," Monllor said.
Using mostly cardboard and duct tape, Monllor modeled his first box near the intersection of Pratt and Lakewood after a robot.
After seeing the reactions of passersby, he said he decided to keep doing it — looking for inspiration from the city, neighborhood, entertainment and news events.
Most recently, the #RedEyeRobot paid homage to Princess Leia.
During the World Series playoffs, the RedEye posted a picture of the Cubs-themed box on Instagram with the caption, "We see you #redeyerobot!" and thanked Monllor, an assistant business professor at DePaul University. A call to RedEye's newsroom was not returned Monday.
The idea took off among Rogers Park locals who can be seen using the hashtag on social media, often noticing when the theme has changed.
"Its a great feeling to see people smile, take pictures of it, have kids interact with it or even steal parts of it," Monllor said. "I’ve dressed him up for the Chicago Marathon, Pride, Father’s Day, Olympics, Trump, Princess Leia, Santa Claus, Halloween Ghost [and more]."
Check out some of Monllor's creations below.
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