A towering, red-eyed animatronic raccoon has taken over a front yard on Bainbridge Island along Bryce Inman's sidewalk, across from Cherry Avenue and the Wing Point Golf & Country Club, drawing lines of cars past the golf course at all hours of the night. Cartoonist Matthew Inman, best known as The Oatmeal, and his brother Bryce built the creature, welding and wiring it. The display stands along the quiet residential street.
Meet Grimothy, the Dark Lord
Inman calls the creation Grimothy, writing online, “Behold: Grimothy is here, the Jim Reaper, dark lord and father of Jimothy,” according to the New York Post. The display features menacing bright red eyes, a bloody red tongue, flailing arms, and a snapping jaw, all powered by internal motors and animated servo wiring, as The Stranger reports. The frame relies on welded steel rings to hold its shape and animate its movements.
Bryce Inman said welding the main ring structure proved to be one of the hardest parts of the build, according to the Post. He added that a single mistake welding the small steel rods meant the whole thing could implode on him, since the frame was under constant tension. The brothers' effort has paid off in foot traffic: Matthew Inman said the front yard has become an all-hours tourist attraction, with vehicles lining up to catch a glimpse of Grimothy after dark.
The Raccoon That Started It All
Grimothy's namesake, Jimothy, became a viral sensation after Seattle resident Kiana Hall filmed a five-second video of the uniquely proportioned raccoon under a parked car in Ballard on July 13, 2026, according to The Lore Ledger. Hall reportedly initially thought the animal might be a cat because its body shape was unfamiliar to her. Local residents soon dubbed the raccoon Jimothy as videos spread of it crossing backyards and balconies around the neighborhood, per the Post.
Dr. Marcie Logsdon, an associate professor in Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and an expert in exotic animals, has explained that Jimothy likely has short spine syndrome, a rare congenital disorder caused by a genetic mutation that interrupts normal vertebral development, the Daily Evergreen reported. Veterinary experts note the condition places strain on internal organs, but that urban animals like Jimothy can still adapt and live full lives.
From State Honor to Mariners Night
Jimothy's fame reached the governor's office on July 23, 2026, when Washington Governor Bob Ferguson named the raccoon the state's Washingtonian of the Day, an informal honor typically reserved for residents who inspire others, according to KING 5. Hoodline previously covered the governor's shoutout. The Seattle Mariners later celebrated Jimothy during a game against the Tigers at T-Mobile Park, where promotional ticket buyers received Jimothy shirts and the first 20,000 fans through the gates got trading cards listing his hometown as Ballard and his throwing hand as all fours, per the Post.
One of those cards changed a Poulsbo teenager's life. A 13-year-old girl named Abby pulled a one-of-a-kind gold Jimothy card from the promotion, and the item later sold for $20,100 in an online auction to Oliver Moy, a Florida-born social media influencer and founder of the Asian American boy band North Star Boys, according to CBS 8. The sale was earmarked to establish Abby's college fund. Hoodline tracked the card's rise from a $15K eBay bid to its final sale, and also reported on the second Mariners shirt night after the first sold out.
Merchandise, Memecoins and a Word of Caution
The commercial reach of Jimothy's fame has stretched well beyond Seattle. Costco and pet supply manufacturer Think Dog by Delca released a $10.99 plush toy version of Jimothy across Pacific Northwest warehouses this month, with plans for wider release on Costco's national e-commerce site, according to MyNorthwest. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area even added a 130-brick Lego Jimothy to its MINILAND wilderness display, as Hoodline reported in August.
Anonymous developers also launched a Solana-based meme token called $JIMOTHY in mid-July, which surged 186 percent within 24 hours to reach an estimated market capitalization near $11 million, per BeInCrypto. Amid all the merchandise and memes, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and local health authorities have urged the public not to feed or approach Jimothy, warning that wild raccoons carry parasites and that human interference could jeopardize the animal's natural survival instincts, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Wildlife watchers have also pointed out that Jimothy is not the first short-spined raccoon spotted in Ballard, noting a similarly shaped raccoon nicknamed Danny DeVito that was recorded rolling across a neighborhood lawn in August 2025, according to Wikipedia.
For now, Grimothy stands watch over Cherry Avenue as Halloween approaches, a towering, mechanical tribute to the small, oddly shaped raccoon that captured the region's attention months earlier. Matthew Inman and Bryce Inman welded, wired, and assembled the display, turning a summer internet meme into a neighborhood spectacle just in time for the season.
