The Phantoon of the Theater

In the heart of a town just like yours or mine, stands the once bustling Jakky Rabbit Revue.

This theater would display cartoons featuring ‘’the’’ Jakky Rabbit, a toon said by many to be the inspiration for a certain wascally wabbit.

First appearing in the 1934 cartoon “Wakky Jakky Rabbit”, directed and created by Goosie “Goode” Goodwin for his fledgling animation studio Goosie Studios, this cartoon star was featured in a seemingly endless number of cartoons from the 30s to the 60s, until the untimely death of Goosie in the Goosie Studio Fire of 1971.

A documentary crew is at the now abandoned theater, filming ‘’Goosie on the Loosie’’, a documentary celebrating the 90th anniversary of Jakky Rabbit and Goosie Studios as a whole.

However, an abhorrent evil lives in the theater… watching… waiting… waiting for someone it can drop an anvil on!

It’s a quiet autumn afternoon at the Jakky Rabbit Revue, when a small van pulls up at the curb. Out walks Javier, who is currently on the phone with his parents. “No, Mami, I’m sure that there is nothing wrong with this theatre,” he says for the hundredth time. “This is just a nice documentary about a man’s legacy, okay? Bye. Te amo” After putting his phone away and taking out his gear, he looks up at the theatre. “Chill out Javi, you got this. Only a few hours, then leave and get some Chic-fil-a.” With that, he breathes deeply, says a little Spanish prayer, and enters the theatre.

Javier walks through the theatre. This once prime location for cartoon laughs had become all but abandoned.

On the walls are posters for Jakky Rabbit cartoons from eras long gone.

Javi hoists his camera up and begins recording as he walks along the hallway and begins talking to the camera. “Apparently, when Goosie started out his business, he was so broke he asked his parents for a loan. I think this really shows how far he went,” he says with a chuckle. After a few minutes, he notices a door and enters one of the theatres. Still recording he says, “Some people say that Bob Hardaway would frequent this theater. Years later, Bugs Bunny was created. Personally, I don’t think this was a coincidence.”

Going into the projection room at the back of the Theater, he finds a projection machine as well as several film reels with the names of Jakky cartoons on them.

Looking through the reels, he finds one titled, “Jakky Rabbit in: High noon Hijinks,” and attempts to put in the player. “Hopefully it’ll-“ The machine sputters to life and begins playing the cartoon. “Yes!” Now talking to the camera, he says, “This cartoon was one of the most popular starring Jakky. Most critics agree that it still holds up today, in spite of… insensitive depictions of Native Americans.” Setting the still-recording camera nearby, he sits down and begins to enjoy the cartoon.

That cartoon sounds fun! Think you can write it?

The cartoon is nothing fancy, with Jakky as the sheriff of a town who uses his wits and pranks to get the best of the brutish indians (yeah). It’s pretty funny, and Javi is just having the time of his life, laughing out loud and talking along with the characters. Little does he know that something has woken up, and is creeping under the rafters…

Could you explain a clip in detail?

For example, there is one scene which consists of Jakky distracting the Indian horses by dressing up as a lady horse, and one in which he replaces a feathered headdress with dynamite sticks.

However, as the iris out happens. Javier can see something.

It appears as though Jakky is in the theater with him.

“What the-?” Shock begins to look over Javi’s face as he recognizes the silhouette he was watching on the screen only seconds ago. “No puede ser…” Quieting down, he gets low and tries to assess the situation. “Listen, it’s not him, the dark’s playing tricks on you. If anything, it’s a security guard. Just get out there and tell him you have permission to fill a documentary.” As he takes his camera and begins to open the door, he stops and takes out a flashlight and holds it like a club. “Just in case,” He assures himself, and heads out. “Hello? Is someone there?”

Javier then sees Jakky, now holding on to a rope.

Jakky nods his head to the left before letting go.

As a slide whistle sound effect plays, Javier is able to dodge a grand piano from crushing him.

“Madre de Dios!” He gets up and tries to make sense of what happened. “Was that-? did he-? How?” Now talking to the camera he says, “So um, that… happened. I don’t know what happened, and I’m not sure if there’s a reasonable explanation for this, but I’m gonna find out.” He looks down the hallway. A way out is easy, and presents itself welcomingly. “Ah shit, I hate myself,” and goes through a door on the opposite end of the theatre, where calliope music is playing faintly.

As Javier creeps in slowly to find the source of the music, he finds himself in a forest-like environment.

He soon stops upon a hole... The home of Jakky Rabbit.

He looks into the hole, takes a deep breath and begins to talk to the camera. “So, I guess I jinxed myself,” he says with a chuckle. He ponders the situation and realizes that this is the final chance out. “Well,” he says to the camera “I guess I’m going in. Hopefully I survive and someone feeds my dog.” With that, he pulls out his phone, begins to play Frank Sinatra, and finally jumps into the hole.

As he falls down, he finds himself in a forest. The same forest that Jakky often frequents.

As Javier looked around, he realizes he was suddenly dressed as a hunter, complete with shotgun.

Exasperated, he turns off the music. “Okay! I have had it with this bullshit! Why am I dressed like this? Why have I been roped into this sick game?” He continues to complain when he hears a rustle far off in the distance. “I am going to kill that pedazo de mierda or die trying!” And storms off in that direction.

Half an hour passes, and he’s still muttering “-walking here, looking like an idiot on camera, how is the camera still working anyway?” Then, he hears the same rustle, turns around, and comes face to face with the rabbit himself. “You! Why are you doing this to me, you piece of-“

Edited by J99908 on Feb 17th 2024 at 9:16:36 AM

Jakky plugs his fingers in the gun.

Javier, still exasperated, begins to fire... Only for the gun to blow up in his face.

“You mother-!” Javi grabs Jakky by the neck and shakes him around. “Alright! No more mister nice guy! Tell me why are doing this right now! You hear me?! Talk!”

Jakky slips out, slants Javier's hat and runs off.

Javi stands there for a moment, before he begins to cry. Like, full on bawling.

Jakky comes back, seemingly concerned, and gives Javier a gift.

Javi goes to open it, but pauses, remembering that a cartoon character is giving him a present. He sets the gift aside for now, and asks, “Can you… understand me? At all? Can you talk?”

Jakky nods his head.