# Death at the Claw Machine
Spanish illustrator Nacho Diaz drew an image around 2011 showing the Grim Reaper plucking humans out of a claw machine game. Online posters repurposed it starting in 2017 as a reaction image for celebrity deaths, with Death pictured as disappointed he grabbed the wrong person. By 2023, the caption 'Is Henry Kissinger even in this thing?' had turned the format into a recurring political joke on Reddit and Twitter.
## Origin
Nacho Diaz, a Spanish graphic designer and illustrator known for his Threadless shirt designs, drew the piece and first posted it on his now-defunct Naolito Art site[1]. The earliest extant appearance online came in a gallery of Diaz's work published by Twisted Sifter on September 18, 2011[1].
The artwork sat around for years before anyone used it as a celebrity death reaction. Earliest known meme: January 13, 2017, when Imgur user BruisedBananas posted a version after the death of George Michael[3].
- **Platform:** Naolito Art (artwork) / Imgur (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Nacho Diaz
- **Date:** 2011
## Overview
Captions sit over Nacho Diaz's illustration, with Death expressing frustration at having grabbed the wrong person from the machine. A typical version shows the Reaper holding a recently deceased public figure while asking why he couldn't take someone the poster considers worse. Captions change based on who died that week and whom the poster wishes had died in their place[3].
A particular punchline, 'Is Henry Kissinger even in this thing?', turned into the format's calling card by the early 2020s. The former United States Secretary of State was 100 years old at the time the joke took off, and posters cited his longevity whenever a less controversial public figure died first[7].
## How to Use
To make a version, add a caption to the Nacho Diaz drawing where Death complains about grabbing the recently deceased celebrity instead of someone the poster finds more deserving. Common conventions include naming an elderly or widely hated figure as the preferred pick, with Henry Kissinger serving as the long-running template answer before his November 2023 death[7].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Death at the Claw Machine?
A 2011 illustration by Spanish artist Nacho Diaz showing the Grim Reaper fishing humans out of a claw machine, repurposed online as a reaction image after celebrity deaths[1].
### Where did Death at the Claw Machine come from?
Nacho Diaz drew the image and posted it to his Naolito Art site, with Twisted Sifter publishing it in a September 18, 2011 gallery of his work[1]. The earliest celebrity-death use came from Imgur user BruisedBananas on January 13, 2017, after George Michael died[3].
### What does Death at the Claw Machine mean?
Variants show Death as disappointed he grabbed a certain celebrity instead of an elderly or widely hated one, often targeting controversial public figures the poster wishes had died first[3].
### How do you use Death at the Claw Machine?
Caption the illustration with Death complaining about pulling out the recently deceased celebrity instead of someone like Henry Kissinger, Jake Paul, or another figure the poster considers worse[7].
### Is Death at the Claw Machine still popular?
The format saw heavy use through 2023, with its best-known Kissinger punchline resolving when the former Secretary of State died on November 29, 2023, prompting Twitter users like @OrganizerMemes to joke that the meme itself was ending[8].
## References
1. [https://twistedsifter.com/2011/12/fun-illustrations-by-nacho-diaz/]()
2. [https://imgur.com/gallery/HYdWr]()
3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/death-at-the-claw-machine]()
4. [https://imgflip.com/i/2h5a1v]()
5. [https://www.reddit.com/r/memes/comments/ivin7h/death_at_the_claw_machine_again/]()
6. [https://twitter.com/Gritty20202/status/1666800838222675970]()
7. [https://www.reddit.com/r/behindthebastards/comments/1000r2m/thanks_to_this_meme_i_have_to_listen_to_all_the/]()
8. [https://twitter.com/OrganizerMemes/status/1730084752785301864]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/death-at-the-claw-machine
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library