Go Do A Crime

2021Exploitable / redraw formatsemi-active

"Go, Do a Crime" is an exploitable meme featuring an image of someone handing a gun to a raccoon with the caption "Go, do a crime." Originally posted on Twitter in September 2021 by @sweetraccoons, the image quickly went viral and spawned a popular redraw format where artists replace the raccoon with well-known characters from anime, video games, and other media1.

Overview

The meme consists of a simple setup: an off-screen person extends a handgun toward a raccoon, accompanied by a text banner reading "Go, do a crime." The humor comes from the absurdity of arming a raccoon and the deadpan delivery of the caption. What started as a standalone image evolved into a redraw template, with artists swapping the raccoon for fictional characters. The format works because it lets fans project mischievous energy onto any character, from VTubers to video game protagonists.

On September 5, 2021, Twitter user @sweetraccoons posted the original image showing an off-camera person offering a gun to a raccoon, with the text banner "Go, do a crime"2. The post took off fast, pulling in over 211,000 likes and 35,000 retweets within its first year.

The meme picked up even more momentum on September 8, 2021, when Minecraft content creator Tommyinnit tweeted a screenshot of a Discord conversation with fellow creator Wilbur Soot, in which Soot had sent him the raccoon image1. That tweet attracted over 289,000 likes and 8,300 retweets in a year, exposing the meme to the massive Minecraft YouTube community.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
@sweetraccoons
Date
2021

On September 5, 2021, Twitter user @sweetraccoons posted the original image showing an off-camera person offering a gun to a raccoon, with the text banner "Go, do a crime"2. The post took off fast, pulling in over 211,000 likes and 35,000 retweets within its first year.

The meme picked up even more momentum on September 8, 2021, when Minecraft content creator Tommyinnit tweeted a screenshot of a Discord conversation with fellow creator Wilbur Soot, in which Soot had sent him the raccoon image1. That tweet attracted over 289,000 likes and 8,300 retweets in a year, exposing the meme to the massive Minecraft YouTube community.

How It Spread

The first known redraw appeared on September 15, 2021, when Twitter user @willump replaced the raccoon with Neco Arc, a chibi character from the *Tsukihime* franchise. The post earned over 4,000 likes and 1,400 retweets, establishing the template that other artists would follow.

On November 26, 2021, @raccoonhourly reposted the original raccoon version, racking up another 197,000 likes and 30,000 retweets. The repost introduced the meme to users who had missed the initial wave.

By 2022, redraws had spread beyond Twitter. On April 8, 2022, the Facebook page Otaku For Life posted a version replacing the raccoon with Hololive VTuber Gawr Gura, earning over 1,300 shares and 3,300 reactions. On August 23, 2022, @todosmeIapelan created a version featuring Sage from *Sonic Frontiers*. The anime community leaned in hard. On September 19, 2022, @pan14_sub posted a redraw with Rebecca from *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners*, which pulled over 4,000 likes in just a month, coinciding with the show's massive popularity on Netflix.

The format proved especially popular in anime and gaming fandoms, where artists used it to give their favorite characters a playful, chaotic edge.

How to Use This Meme

The template is straightforward:

1

Draw or edit an image showing a hand extending a gun (or other object) from off-screen toward a character of your choice.

2

The character typically replaces the raccoon from the original, standing in a similar position.

3

Include the text banner "Go, do a crime" at the top or bottom.

4

The character often looks eager, mischievous, or absurdly innocent while accepting the weapon.

Fun Facts

The original @sweetraccoons post outperformed most meme origins, hitting 211,000 likes, but the Tommyinnit repost actually beat it with 289,000 likes thanks to the Minecraft fanbase.

The meme's appeal to the anime redraw community gave it unusual longevity. New redraws kept appearing well into 2022, each time a popular show or game launched.

Raccoons already had a reputation as "trash pandas" and internet symbols of petty crime, which made the original image feel like it was tapping into an existing joke2.

The first redraw (Neco Arc) came only ten days after the original post, showing how quickly the template format was recognized.

Derivatives & Variations

Neco Arc redraw

— The first known redraw, posted by @willump on September 15, 2021, replacing the raccoon with the *Tsukihime* chibi character.

Gawr Gura version

— A popular anime community redraw featuring the Hololive VTuber, shared by Otaku For Life on Facebook in April 2022.

Rebecca (Edgerunners) redraw

— Created by @pan14_sub in September 2022 during the peak of *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners* hype.

Sage (Sonic Frontiers) version

— Posted by @todosmeIapelan in August 2022, tying the meme to the then-upcoming Sonic game.

Frequently Asked Questions

References (2)

  1. 1
    Goncharov (meme)encyclopedia
  2. 2
    Go, Do a Crime - Know Your Memeencyclopedia

Go Do A Crime

2021Exploitable / redraw formatsemi-active

"Go, Do a Crime" is an exploitable meme featuring an image of someone handing a gun to a raccoon with the caption "Go, do a crime." Originally posted on Twitter in September 2021 by @sweetraccoons, the image quickly went viral and spawned a popular redraw format where artists replace the raccoon with well-known characters from anime, video games, and other media1.

Overview

The meme consists of a simple setup: an off-screen person extends a handgun toward a raccoon, accompanied by a text banner reading "Go, do a crime." The humor comes from the absurdity of arming a raccoon and the deadpan delivery of the caption. What started as a standalone image evolved into a redraw template, with artists swapping the raccoon for fictional characters. The format works because it lets fans project mischievous energy onto any character, from VTubers to video game protagonists.

On September 5, 2021, Twitter user @sweetraccoons posted the original image showing an off-camera person offering a gun to a raccoon, with the text banner "Go, do a crime"2. The post took off fast, pulling in over 211,000 likes and 35,000 retweets within its first year.

The meme picked up even more momentum on September 8, 2021, when Minecraft content creator Tommyinnit tweeted a screenshot of a Discord conversation with fellow creator Wilbur Soot, in which Soot had sent him the raccoon image1. That tweet attracted over 289,000 likes and 8,300 retweets in a year, exposing the meme to the massive Minecraft YouTube community.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
@sweetraccoons
Date
2021

On September 5, 2021, Twitter user @sweetraccoons posted the original image showing an off-camera person offering a gun to a raccoon, with the text banner "Go, do a crime"2. The post took off fast, pulling in over 211,000 likes and 35,000 retweets within its first year.

The meme picked up even more momentum on September 8, 2021, when Minecraft content creator Tommyinnit tweeted a screenshot of a Discord conversation with fellow creator Wilbur Soot, in which Soot had sent him the raccoon image1. That tweet attracted over 289,000 likes and 8,300 retweets in a year, exposing the meme to the massive Minecraft YouTube community.

How It Spread

The first known redraw appeared on September 15, 2021, when Twitter user @willump replaced the raccoon with Neco Arc, a chibi character from the *Tsukihime* franchise. The post earned over 4,000 likes and 1,400 retweets, establishing the template that other artists would follow.

On November 26, 2021, @raccoonhourly reposted the original raccoon version, racking up another 197,000 likes and 30,000 retweets. The repost introduced the meme to users who had missed the initial wave.

By 2022, redraws had spread beyond Twitter. On April 8, 2022, the Facebook page Otaku For Life posted a version replacing the raccoon with Hololive VTuber Gawr Gura, earning over 1,300 shares and 3,300 reactions. On August 23, 2022, @todosmeIapelan created a version featuring Sage from *Sonic Frontiers*. The anime community leaned in hard. On September 19, 2022, @pan14_sub posted a redraw with Rebecca from *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners*, which pulled over 4,000 likes in just a month, coinciding with the show's massive popularity on Netflix.

The format proved especially popular in anime and gaming fandoms, where artists used it to give their favorite characters a playful, chaotic edge.

How to Use This Meme

The template is straightforward:

1

Draw or edit an image showing a hand extending a gun (or other object) from off-screen toward a character of your choice.

2

The character typically replaces the raccoon from the original, standing in a similar position.

3

Include the text banner "Go, do a crime" at the top or bottom.

4

The character often looks eager, mischievous, or absurdly innocent while accepting the weapon.

Fun Facts

The original @sweetraccoons post outperformed most meme origins, hitting 211,000 likes, but the Tommyinnit repost actually beat it with 289,000 likes thanks to the Minecraft fanbase.

The meme's appeal to the anime redraw community gave it unusual longevity. New redraws kept appearing well into 2022, each time a popular show or game launched.

Raccoons already had a reputation as "trash pandas" and internet symbols of petty crime, which made the original image feel like it was tapping into an existing joke2.

The first redraw (Neco Arc) came only ten days after the original post, showing how quickly the template format was recognized.

Derivatives & Variations

Neco Arc redraw

— The first known redraw, posted by @willump on September 15, 2021, replacing the raccoon with the *Tsukihime* chibi character.

Gawr Gura version

— A popular anime community redraw featuring the Hololive VTuber, shared by Otaku For Life on Facebook in April 2022.

Rebecca (Edgerunners) redraw

— Created by @pan14_sub in September 2022 during the peak of *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners* hype.

Sage (Sonic Frontiers) version

— Posted by @todosmeIapelan in August 2022, tying the meme to the then-upcoming Sonic game.

Frequently Asked Questions

References (2)

  1. 1
    Goncharov (meme)encyclopedia
  2. 2
    Go, Do a Crime - Know Your Memeencyclopedia