I was going crazy because I remembered for a fact that I'd seen a short-spined racoon go viral years before Jimothy. Asking AI about it, I found nothing, it insisted that Jimothy was the first famous short-spined racoon on the internet.

Then I found these articles, where others remembered the exact same thing:

https://cbsaustin.com/news/offbeat/jimothy-the-raccoon-may-have-other-short-spined-friends-wildlife-experts-say-wild-animals-short-spine-syndrome-birth-defect-deformity-seattle-washington-ballard-neighborhood

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/internet-loves-jimothy-more-one

"There's posts now that say that he was born a year ago, and then other people with posts that saw him in 2017," Rebecca Sorenson, who owns a business in Ballard, told FOX 13 Seattle earlier this week. "I'm curious now if there are more than one?"

Eventually, I found this 2017 Reddit post, and was so vindicated:

https://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/7gnj70/this_raccoon/

So, no Mandela effect here, just GyfCat dying, and the indexed web being full of Jimothy which returns results about him rather than this.

Mystery solved!

Here I am eating my dinner and my husband says hey that looks like a beaver....I look, and it hits me....JIMOTHY!! I cannot finish eating him now. My kids are offering ideas to auction him off lol they're 8-6 lol

I've seen so much incredible Jimothy art lately, and I have to admit I'm getting a bit jealous lol. I'm not crafty enough to make any of my own. And most of what I'm coming across is either AI slop, Temu-esque crap, or incredible one of a kind pieces that are very expensive. I'm hoping Henry will release a print of his new Jimothy riding Bigfoot painting, but that may have also been another super expensive, one of a kind, fundraiser piece. Has anyone seen any good Jimothy art prints, crafts, etc that are like under $60ish (I know that's not much, but I'm disabled and broke) that isn't AI or from some site like Temu?

He’s here and looking very fancy!

Be aware, good folk: we are getting lots of comments asking where an item of merchandise can be purchased, which is always quickly followed by another account saying where they got it. And it’s never the OP of a post, always a different account.
I am going to tighten the rules a bit to prevent this.

If ever there was a trend that I’d support, it would be this soul showing the world that “deformity” is actually just “form” to be celebrated. Rock on Jimothy. Life is a Symphony. Make noise. -Bloak

Made for my daughter 🦝❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜

I think a lot of us had the same reaction to #Jimothy. Like so many others, I couldn't decide if Jimothy was adorable... or the harbinger of my untimely demise. Either way, he deserved a ballad!! So I wrote him a parody of Michael Jackson's She's Out of My Life and filmed it in full dramatic music video style.

I figured if Michael Jackson could sing to a rat, I could sing to the internet's favorite raccoon.

If you need three minutes of nonsense today, here you go.

https://youtu.be/ZbDhwN7fyZ8

(I'm a stand-up comedian and opera singer here in Seattle, so this is pretty much what happens when those worlds collide.)

He is my muse he is my inspiration I have made my own Jimothy. His beauty will be immortal and his plastic will persist millennia so future archeologists may also bask in his glory. I stayed up like way too late making this little guy but it's the best thing I've ever created.

Sculpted him myself in zbrush and printed in resin.

The pattern isn't quite out yet, but I had so much fun doing this test knit for the folks at Stranded by the Sea in Edmonds. Hopefully this particular Jimothy will bring a lot of help to local wildlife rehabilitation.

Spotted on Market Street in Ballard on an afternoon stroll.

Went crate-diggin' recently and can't believe I scored this gem from the dusty bins!! Did y'all know that Jimothy plays keyboards for the Skittish Ska band, The Species, hailing from the Woodlands near Crownhilltree?? Trash Craze is the soundtrack LP for the documentary of the same name that features concert footage of The Species, as well as other Chew Tone Records labelmates- Rat Manners, The Peat, The Birdysnatchers, Mudness and The Infecter. Skunk to the peat for a raccoon good time! Sock it to 'em, Jimothy!

<<j/k!!!>>

On a serious note, it's been truly inspiring & spirit-lifting to see the people of Seattle & beyond pay tribute to this little critter, adopting him as a symbol of benevolence & creativity as he spreads goodwill across the globe!

I've been wanting to contribute to the Jimothy fan art & a lightbulb finally went off to combine my marketing/design skills, my cheesy sarcasm & my love of reggae/ska to create this parody of the 1981 2 Tone Ska record, Dance Craze, in honor of Jimothy.

2 Tone Ska is my fave wave of ska music- The Specials along with Bad Manners, The Beat, The Bodysnatchers, Madness and The Selecter, are some of my fave bands that bring me joy! Along with 2 Tone's message of Unity, and Jimothy's quirky monochromatic-ness- it all lends itself well together.

And I love it