Okay so. This is a wild story.
Back in 2007, when I was 17 years old, I made this little two headed rabbit out of felt. I used to wear him in my hair to high school. I took the below photo on my digital camera on top of a school desk and uploaded it to deviant art and never thought about it again.
Last March I got a message on instagram from someone who contacted me because they wanted permission to tattoo something from my deviant art account. I was baffled because it had mostly been cosplay, so I asked what they were interested in and they pulled him up.
I told them I was surprised anyone was interested in him and was fine with it. They immediately were like, what? He's so popular, hasn't anyone told you?
I did a quick google search and honestly nothing could have prepared me.
In the nearly 15 years since I had uploaded this photo it had gone BERSERK. Pinterest has dozens of copies of him, artwork of him, remakes inspired by him, DUPES being sold for years online. Reverse image search showed countless pfps, album covers, memes, edits, A PICREW, endless amazon and alixpress and redbubble products with him slapped on it.
I also found plenty of art, edited videos, all sorts of positive things. And all together its been a rollercoaster of emotions watching something you made when you were a teenager skyrocket in popularity and no one thought to tell you.
I sat on this for a long time, I had to process a lot of emotions about seeing something I had created and kept be whisked off and used like this. I enjoyed the creative work and inspiration, and I despised the people who used it as a chance to make money off an uncredited artist, one who happens to be trans, queer, disabled and native. I feel I should be going out guns blazing and taking down all the listings that are selling him, but it feels ..... I dont know. It feels like a lost cause.
I further sat on it until a friend who knew sent me a photo of a new product Marc Jacobs is putting out.
I would love to get the word out that the creator of the two headed rabbit beloved by creative internet weirdos was not made by an anonymous mysterious nothingness, but by a trans and queer and deeply hurting seventeen year old who grew up to be a very happy adult who is still creating things.
Please help me get the word out. I posted this video on both my doll accounts on instagram and tiktok, please share around, please give me a follow to support my new work.
