HORNY

my thesis film about a jackalope who’s troubled by his horns growing at his best friend

music and sound remix by
joey karz - @/joeykarz (insta)

coloring help from
samson higareda - @/dem0nkey (insta)
phong nguyen - @/dahgraz (twitter)
max wicker- @/speckledwaffle (insta)

credits illustrations and one background repaint by
august schulte - @/crmscls (insta, twitter)

you may follow everyone’s art on their socials

animation was fully done in clip studio paint
test edited in VN on ipad
final editing was done in premiere pro

thank you!!!

[zhangrrr]

to spotify users, you may now listen to the main track with the link below!

and to non-spotify users, and everyone, thank you for the support you showed to the short, to me, and to my friends and peers who helped with production. Every commentary that’s been made is cherished, and every thought that was kept matters to me just the same. I will always be grateful. Let’s keep creating more amazing stories. Happy past pride, and always.

[conor]

I really like the twist that the horns growing weren't explicitly a result of him being horny, but were exacerbated by him thinking he was the only one who deal with his horn problem. Great work!

[rututuraticutu]

i love how "horny" is just a metaphor for like every emotion that u can feel embarassed or overwhelmed by

[justinehercthehuman]

Ngl, I thought the horns were literal interpretation of his bone r, but it's actually more than that. It's his perception of himself on feeling evil for having lewd thoughts. His realization that his friends also have those lewd thoughts make him see less of himself with devil horns so it shrinks.

[KaylaHigbeeVO]

I appreciate the fact that the hug at the end calmed things instead of escalating them. How important that platonic intimacy is and the ability to separate things. Very cool

[iciclepops]

local gay demolishes mall after discovering several hot people

[amorfati]

Babe wake up, the new inside out emotion just dropped

[lulolie]

This is honestly so comforting???? Like I didn't expect a short called *HORNY* to be this deep

[RamCollective]

Local twink realizes bears are super hot, in the middle of a shopping mall

[eldritch-sys]

!!! THE WAY THEY SHOW THEIR HORNS LIKE “hey its ok ur not alone :)” !! IM CRYING.

[xhot_soupx]

I love the fact that he straight up has a type and its just dadbods

[anoisemouse]

the sound design was so incredible
the way the music becomes more static the “hornier” the main character got… aoghh its so good

[krissfernandez]

This was so unexpectedly wholesome. It reminded me of being a teenager and having to deal with, well, THIS. I've never ever seen any piece of art talking about such a specific subject and it was so refreshing and heart warming to see it portrayed in such a cute way, I'm saving this to my mix of favourite shorts 🤍

[garryoberholtzer]

I love how this portrays something we describe as dirty to be so wholesome and relatable. These feelings are normal and sometimes unavoidable, so to have them be platonically accepted is beautiful. It’s how people act on their feelings that should be judged, not the emotion themselves.

[alpacapotion]

having a best friend (or many friends) you're attracted to can create a weird and embarrassing dynamic, and this film explores that really well. I liked how the fox friend didn't judge the mc or invalidate their feelings in that vulnerable moment-- he just supported and empathized with them. A lot of people would tease or make fun of someone in that situation, or at least be weirded out by it. The unconditional, platonic love the fox friend showed in the ending moment was really refreshing in contrast to that. Sexual attraction isn't something we can control, AND it shouldn't stand in the way of deep platonic connection.

[Funky.S]

a few things i love about this
-the twist that the horns don't represent his arousal, but his shame. if they did represent arousal, i think it would "get worse" after seeing his friend is the same way. instead, they share the shame and the shame goes away because there's nothing wrong with feeling the way they do.
-the "old gay dude hitting on the protagonist" really just had a tic or something causing him to wink randomly. (3:41) poor jackalope :')
-the jackalope's type??? this sorta message could easily be done with exaggerated big boob imagery or whatever... (or ripped supermodel dudes to keep it gay) but it shows stuff like body hair, big bellies, the way someone's neck moves as they talk. the things he's attracted to is so distinctly human and it's refreshing to see. it also makes me feel better about myself as a heavier guy :3
-the theme in general. animated films can meaningfully express so many emotions but it's rare that i see any about horniness. i believe it's just another feeling and it should be represented with as much meaning and beauty as other emotions often are. part of the shame comes from never seeing that side of oneself represented! if this last bit resonates with anybody reading, i recommend the animated film Kick Heart. it's got some weird parts but it expresses sexual feelings in a meaningful and beautiful way, just like this film does.

[zoroWasTaken]

Gotta say, I absolutely _love_ the sound design in this. The constant drums and crackling of the horns - 11/10.

[jackormel]

A really creative way of expressing emotions that we "Aren't supposed to show". Love your art style.

[imaybecringebutimfree]

this kind of stuff needs to be talked about more. i felt so awful and disgusting for being turned on or getting off when i was younger, and i think seeing something like this back then would have helped. i was almost 17 when i finally realized it was normal

[black]

Imagine my face when at the top of reccomended it just says "HORNY" in full caps