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‘The Funky Skunk:’ This mutant vehicle was spotted driving around Orlando. Have you seen it?

Vehicle is built from scrap metal and other recycled materials

The Funky Skunk seen at a traffic light near Festival Park (Photo: Anthony Talcott) (Anthony Talcott, Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Some residents in Orlando might be familiar with a strange vehicle that’s been spotted driving around the city.

Side view of The Funky Skunk at Festival Park (Photo: Anthony Talcott) (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

This vehicle — dubbed “The Funky Skunk” — is a work truck that’s been outfitted with a large, makeshift skunk built from scrap metal and other recycled materials.

The Funky Skunk (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

On Monday, News 6 met with the truck’s creator, Brandon Willis, to ask a simple question: Why did he do this?

“I decided to build an art car about five years ago when I was living in California. There’s quite a few more of them over there,” he told News 6. “The skunk itself? I decided to make something that was all-original — nobody had tackled before.”

Brandon Willis standing in front of The Funky Skunk (Photo: Anthony Talcott) (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

According to Willis, the truck is entirely street-legal, and the stripes are “packed” with LED lights, so the black-and-white color scheme can be seen even at night.

“I brought it in from California already built, and so I had to take it and get it inspected when I brought it into the state to get a Florida tag,” he said. “And I had to make a few modifications to meet those requirements, like adding reflectors and tail lights and stuff like that.”

The Funky Skunk is outfitted with LEDs to make the stripes light up at night. (Photo: Brandon Willis) (Brandon Willis)

The truck is also outfitted with a ladder leading to a small canopy up top.

The rear of the truck (left) and the view looking down from the canopy into the truck's rear (right) (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)
The view from the top canopy of The Funky Skunk looking at the tail (left) and the head (right) (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

The Funky Skunk is one of many types of “mutant vehicles” and “art cars.”

“‘Art car’ is a general, blanket term for any artistic car. It could have a paint job or something glued to it,” Willis said. “But if you totally mutate it to the point that you can’t really tell what the base vehicle is, it’s considered a ‘mutant vehicle.’”

Examples of an art car (left) and a mutant vehicle (right) (Photos: Brandon Willis) (Brandon Willis)

Willis has driven The Funky Skunk to several conventions in the past, including Love Burn in Miami. It’s not too fast, though it can reach highway speeds.

[CLICK IN THE MEDIA PLAYER BELOW TO WATCH THE TRUCK DRIVE THROUGH FESTIVAL PARK]

But why is the vehicle shaped like a skunk?

“I liked funk music, and skunk rhymed with that, and again, the black-and-white theme, so why not go with it?” Willis explained.

The Funky Skunk parked at Festival Park in Orlando (Photo: Anthony Talcott) (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

While Willis has other vehicles he can use to get around, he said he likes to drive the skunk around a couple of times per week.

“One of the best parts of having an art car is you get to see people’s reactions to the art in real-time,” Willis said. “It’s bringing art somewhere people don’t normally see it.”

This board shows the development stages of "The Evolution of The Funky Skunk." (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

He added that he’s been pulled over a few times, but it was usually just “to check it out” or snap a few photos.

The entire project was completed in stages over the course of years, and aside from its peculiar look, the truck features a bubble blower in its rear.

Concept art of The Funky Skunk during the early phases of its construction (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

While the blower was broken when News 6 spoke with Willis, it typically goes off when the tail raises (with the help of a hand crank in the back).

“That’s kind of the key trademark, I guess, that people remember the most — that the tail goes up and down and that it blows bubbles out the back,” he said. “It leads to a nice visual joke as I’m driving down the road.”

[CLICK IN THE MEDIA PLAYER BELOW TO WATCH THE TAIL RISE]

Brandon Willis raises the tail of the truck using a hand crank in the rear of the vehicle. (Photo: Anthony Talcott) (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

So what’s next for Brandon Willis? He told News 6 that he’s working on another mutant vehicle.

This next project is expected to feature a 15-foot-tall inflatable panda bear, similar to the inflatable displays put up during Halloween.

To keep up to date with The Funky Skunk’s activities, check out its Facebook page here.

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