Exclusive | Seattles viral critter Jimothy the raccoon inspires tattoo trend

He’s short-spined, a little wobbly on his tootsies, unmistakably quirky and an utter delight to those who know him.Jimothy the raccoon has gone from local curiosity to full-blown cultural mascot, and now he’s finding a permanent home on people’s epidermis in the Pacific Northwest.Tattoo shops in Seattle’s hipster neighborhood Ballard, where Jimothy has been spotted, are fielding a surge of requests for the singular raccoon as ink masters turn the fluffy new meme king into everything from traditional-style flash to more stylized, grandiose interpretations.Laura Exley of Electric Kitten Tattoo said she’s booked more than a dozen Jimothy tattoos this past week alone after posting a simple design. “I think he’s kind of become a symbol of resilience,” Exley told The California Post.

“He’s just going through life a little bit differently and thriving with a little help from his friends.We all just need a little brevity and something fun right now.”The raccoon first captured attention for his distinctive gait as he was seen scuttling around Ballard. What started as local heads swiveling and cause for concern among wildlife lovers quickly crescendoed into a national phenomenon, with Jimothy representing Seattle’s embrace of the imperfect yet oddly endearing.Tattoo artist Levi Walker Polzin at Slave to the Needle approached the design by distilling Jimothy down to his essence — the tucked head, bulbous bod, twiglet legs. “Jimothy is all of us who never quite fit in,” Polzin said.

“Jimothy is hope.Jimothy is a happiness you forgot you still had.”For many getting inked, the tattoo goes beyond a meme.

It captures a moment of joy, community and defiance in uncertain times. Local comedian Erica Tausch was among the first to get inked with the now-familiar design, and the first by Polzin, who charges $160-$250 for his Jimothy design.A longtime client who has trusted Polzin with much of her growing collection of indelible inkings, Tausch ju...