It's a question that pops up more often than you might think, especially when a particular image or phrase starts circulating like wildfire online: 'Who made this meme?' Sometimes, it's a simple, lighthearted creation. Other times, the origins can be far more complex, even unsettling.
Take, for instance, the curious case of Pepe the Frog. You've probably seen him. He's a cartoon frog, originally drawn with a rather dopey expression, often accompanied by the phrase 'Feels good man.' This character first appeared in the pages of a comic book called 'Boy's Club' back in 2005, created by artist Matt Furie. In its early days, Pepe was just... a frog. He was part of a surreal, slice-of-life comic, and his catchphrase was born from a moment of relief after urinating.
But the internet, as it often does, took Pepe and ran with him. He became a blank canvas for countless variations, his image morphing to express a vast spectrum of emotions and ideas. This is where things get a bit murky. While Furie created the character, the meme itself, in its many iterations, wasn't made by a single person or entity. It evolved organically, a collaborative, decentralized creation of the online world.
However, the story of Pepe takes a darker turn. Over time, certain corners of the internet, particularly those associated with the alt-right movement, began to co-opt Pepe. They transformed him into a symbol for their ideology, imbuing him with anti-Semitic and white supremacist connotations. This shift was so pronounced that the Anti-Defamation League eventually designated Pepe as a hate symbol.
So, when you ask 'who made this meme?' about Pepe, the answer isn't straightforward. The original character was made by Matt Furie. But the meme, in its widespread and varied forms, was a product of collective online expression. And its later, more sinister interpretations were a deliberate rebranding by specific groups seeking to weaponize a once-innocuous image. It’s a powerful reminder of how online culture can take something simple and twist it into something entirely unexpected, for better or for worse.
