The Real Story Behind Kevin Smith's Tusk: A Walrus-Man Horror Comedy

The Origin of Tusk

For nearly a decade, Kevin Smith's horror comedy Tusk has garnered a solid cult following, thanks to its disturbing premise of a man transformed into a human walrus. What many may not realize is that this disturbing concept was based on a true story - or so the movie humorously claims.

Justin Long in Tusk

However, the real story behind Tusk isn't as bombastic and harrowing as the movie portrays. In reality, nobody was ever turned into a walrus. Nonetheless, the skin-crawling premise of a human being surgically reconstructed into a hybrid man-walrus creature for the enjoyment of an eccentric serial killer isn't entirely fictional.

Justin Long in Tusk

The True Inspiration

The inspiration for Tusk came from a fake online advertisement offering a rent-free room with a catch - the lucky tenant must be willing to occasionally dress up as and behave like a walrus. The ad, created by writer Chris Parkinson of Brighton, England, received over 400 responses, sparking a chain of events that led to the creation of the viral body horror film.

Johnny Depp stares directly into the camera in Tusk

Tusk is the exploration of what would have happened if the joke ad were real, and what circumstances would need to fall into place for it to plausibly happen. The advertisement for a voluntary live-in walrus did exist, so Tusk isn't being false with its claims of being based on real events. However, the characters of Wallace, Teddy, and Howard Howe were all made up, with Kevin Smith creating every detail beyond the premise for Tusk.

Johnny Depp looks confused in Tusk

The Evolution of Tusk

The film embellishes the story, combines it with elements taken from Smith's own life, and applies a classic horror premise to it: a man in search of something doesn’t find what he’s looking for but gets exactly what he deserves. Tusk deploys a commentary on voyeurism, a culture of schadenfreude, and the perils of both.

Johnny Depp as Guy LaPointe holding up two pistols in Tusk

Kevin Smith's love of horror movies informed the film, both in terms of his decision to make it and the tone of the finished product. Tusk's execution is a testament to Smith's adoration for gory visceral elements of horror movies, resulting in a movie that is both disturbing and fascinating.

Johnny Depp in Tusk