# Pepe the Frog > Pepe the Frog, created by Matt Furie in his 2005 comic Boy's Club, is a cartoon frog whose 'feels good man' catchphrase became the internet's most versatile reaction image. Pepe the Frog is a cartoon frog character created by artist Matt Furie for his 2005 comic *Boy's Club*, best known for his catchphrase "feels good man." After 4chan users turned Pepe into one of the internet's most versatile reaction images in 2008, the character exploded into mainstream culture before being co-opted by alt-right groups during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, leading the Anti-Defamation League to add him to its hate symbol database. Pepe's story is one of the most complex in meme history: an innocent stoner frog that became a political flashpoint, a legal battleground, and a global protest symbol. ## Origin Matt Furie, born August 14, 1979, in Columbus, Ohio, created Pepe as a character in his zine *Playtime*, made using Microsoft Paint[15]. He then developed Pepe into one of four teenage monster roommates in his comic series *Boy's Club*, which he posted as blog entries on MySpace in 2005[1]. The other characters were Brett, Andy, and Landwolf, and the series followed their slacker lifestyle of snacks, soda, TV, and gross-out humor[3]. In the key comic panel, Pepe is caught urinating with his pants pulled all the way down to his ankles. When a friend asks why, Pepe simply grins and says "feels good man"[1]. Furie took the MySpace posts down when the printed edition was published in 2006 through Buenaventura Press[15]. He later described the comic's origins to Artnet: "It started off pretty small and a lot of the jokes, and the vibe of the comic book itself, was really just to entertain myself and my friends"[3]. - **Platform:** MySpace (source comic), 4chan (meme spread) - **Creator:** Matt Furie (artist) - **Date:** 2005 (creation), 2008 (meme) ## Overview Pepe the Frog is a green anthropomorphic frog with a humanoid body, heavy-lidded eyes, big rounded lips, and an expressive face that lends itself to endless reinterpretation[15]. Originally drawn in black and white, users later colored him green with brown lips, sometimes wearing a blue shirt[15]. The character's appeal lies in his blank-canvas quality. His face can convey smugness, sadness, rage, joy, or existential dread depending on how it's redrawn, making him an all-purpose emotional avatar for internet communication. The most common Pepe variants include Sad Frog (paired with "feels bad man"), Smug Frog (a self-satisfied smirk with thumb under chin), Angry Pepe (red-faced and furious), and countless niche variations created by communities worldwide[5]. On Twitch, Pepe spawned an entire ecosystem of emotes including FeelsBadMan, PepeLaugh, MonkaS (anxious Pepe), PepeJAM (headphones-wearing dancing Pepe), and Poggers[13]. ## How It Spread In 2008, the page containing Pepe's bathroom scene and his "feels good man" catchphrase was scanned and uploaded to 4chan's /b/ (random) board[15]. The Something Awful forum also picked it up in February 2008 when contributor Jon Hendren posted the comic[5]. 4chan users immediately began adapting Pepe's face to express different emotions and scenarios, and the meme took root fast. By 2009, an edited version showing a distraught Pepe with the caption "feels bad man" started circulating on 4chan and the Bodybuilding Forums[5]. The sad variant hit Tumblr by 2012, and the "Smug Pepe" variant emerged that same year[15]. Versions appeared on Chinese social media platform Baidu Tieba as early as 2014, where he was known as *shangxin qingwa* (傷心青蛙), or "sad frog"[15]. Pepe broke into the mainstream in late 2014. On November 8, Katy Perry tweeted a crying Pepe with the caption "Australian jet lag got me like," pulling in over 17,000 likes and 10,500 retweets[5]. A month later on December 18, Nicki Minaj posted a twerking Pepe on Instagram, racking up 281,000 likes[5]. By 2015, Pepe ranked as the #6 most important meme according to Daily News and Analysis and was the most retweeted meme on Twitter[15]. Tumblr's Daily Intelligencer called him the platform's "Biggest Meme of 2015"[15]. During this period, 4chan users began treating creative and unique Pepe variations as "Rare Pepes," collecting and trading them like digital cards. Some were sold on eBay and posted on Craigslist, and 4chan users became protective of the meme, referring to outsiders who used Pepe as "normies"[15]. ## How to Use Pepe's versatility makes him adaptable to almost any situation. Common approaches include: 1. **Reaction image:** Pick the Pepe variant that matches your mood. Sad Frog for bad news, Smug Pepe for schadenfreude, Angry Pepe for outrage, "feels good man" for contentment. 2. **Custom edits:** Redraw or Photoshop Pepe into a specific costume, setting, or character. The frog's simple design makes him easy to modify in MS Paint or Photoshop. 3. **Rare Pepes:** Create a unique, highly specific, or absurd Pepe variant and share it as if it were a limited-edition collectible. The more niche, the better. 4. **Twitch emotes:** Use platform-specific Pepe derivatives (MonkaS for tense moments, PepeLaugh when you know something the streamer doesn't, PepeJAM when good music plays) through BetterTTV or FrankerFaceZ extensions. ## Cultural Impact Pepe's journey from webcomic to political weapon made global headlines and sparked real debates about who owns a meme and what happens when internet culture collides with politics. Hillary Clinton's campaign published an official explainer about the frog during the 2016 election[6]. The ADL's hate symbol designation put Pepe alongside the swastika in public consciousness, though the organization repeatedly clarified that most Pepe usage was benign[7]. Furie's legal campaign set precedents for creator rights over memes. Beyond the InfoWars settlement[10], he pursued an author in Texas who used Pepe in an Islamophobic book, forcing the author to stop sales and donate profits to the Council on American-Islamic Relations[8]. Fantagraphics Books issued a public statement condemning the appropriation and asking reporters citing Furie to note that he condemned hateful representations of his character[18]. Fashion brand Zara pulled a denim skirt from its website in April 2017 after social media users noted the embroidered frogs on it closely resembled Pepe[16]. The company claimed the design had "absolutely no link" to the meme, but the skirt was removed within days[16]. The Overwatch League's 2018 Pepe ban marked one of the first times a major esports organization restricted a specific meme from official broadcasts and player social media[14]. The controversy represented an early sign of esports moving toward sports-style content governance. In Hong Kong, Pepe took on an entirely different meaning as a symbol of democratic resistance during the 2019 protests, proving the character's meaning was ultimately determined by context, not by any single group's claim[2]. The 2020 documentary *Feels Good Man* brought the full narrative to film audiences, and the Rare Pepe crypto art project (2016-2018) predated the mainstream NFT wave by several years[3]. ## Fun Facts - Furie told The Atlantic that the name "Pepe" (though pronounced differently) intentionally evokes "pee-pee," consistent with the character's bathroom-humor origins[1]. - The Russian Embassy in the UK tweeted a Smug Pepe in January 2017 as a diplomatic troll, leading multiple news outlets to explain Pepe's political significance to confused readers[6]. - Furie's first legal victory was against a Texas author who used Pepe in an Islamophobic book. The author surrendered all profits to the Council on American-Islamic Relations[8]. - Pepe appeared on Chinese social media as early as 2014 under the name *shangxin qingwa* (傷心青蛙), meaning "sad frog"[15]. - The Rare Pepe blockchain project launched between 2016 and 2018, years before NFTs entered mainstream awareness, making it one of the earliest crypto art communities[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Pepe the Frog? Pepe the Frog is a cartoon frog character created by Matt Furie for his 2005 comic *Boy's Club* that became one of the internet's most widely used reaction images and meme templates[1]. ### Where did Pepe the Frog come from? Furie first posted the comic on MySpace in 2005. The meme version took off in 2008 when the "feels good man" panel was uploaded to 4chan's /b/ board[15]. ### What does Pepe the Frog mean? Pepe is a blank-slate character whose meaning depends entirely on context. He can express happiness, sadness, anger, smugness, or any other emotion depending on which variant is used[7]. ### How do you use Pepe the Frog? Pick the Pepe variant that matches your mood (Sad Frog for bad news, Smug Pepe for self-satisfaction, MonkaS for anxiety) and post it as a reaction image. On Twitch, use Pepe-based emotes through BetterTTV or FrankerFaceZ[13]. ### Is Pepe the Frog still popular? Pepe is a classic meme that peaked in mainstream discourse around 2015-2016 but still thrives on Twitch, Discord, and social media through dozens of derivative emotes and variants[13]. ### Who created Pepe the Frog? American artist and cartoonist Matt Furie created Pepe for his zine *Playtime* (made in Microsoft Paint) and then developed the character in the comic series *Boy's Club*, first posted on MySpace in 2005[15]. ### Why was Pepe the Frog classified as a hate symbol? In September 2016, the Anti-Defamation League added Pepe to its hate symbol database after alt-right groups created racist and antisemitic versions of the meme during the U.S. presidential election[6]. The ADL clarified that most uses of Pepe are not hateful[7]. ### Did Donald Trump share a Pepe meme? Yes. On October 13, 2015, Trump retweeted an illustration of himself as Pepe standing at a presidential podium[5]. His son Donald Trump Jr. later shared "The Deplorables" poster featuring Pepe in September 2016[19]. ### Did Matt Furie kill Pepe the Frog? Furie published a one-page comic for Free Comic Book Day in May 2017 showing Pepe in an open casket, attended by his *Boy's Club* friends. The death was symbolic and did not stop the meme's ongoing use[11]. ### What happened with the Pepe vs. InfoWars lawsuit? Furie sued InfoWars in 2018 for selling a poster featuring Pepe alongside right-wing figures with the text "MAGA." InfoWars settled in June 2019 for $15,000 and agreed to destroy all remaining posters[10]. ### How was Pepe used in the Hong Kong protests? Democracy activists in Hong Kong adopted Pepe as a protest symbol in 2019. Unlike its Western alt-right associations, Pepe in Hong Kong was embraced as a cartoon with broad emotional appeal, and Furie welcomed this usage[2]. ### What is the "Feels Good Man" documentary? *Feels Good Man* (2020) is a documentary directed by Arthur Jones that traces the full story of Pepe's journey from indie comic character to political symbol, centering on Furie's attempts to reclaim his creation[3]. ### What are Rare Pepes? Rare Pepes are unique or creative Pepe variations that users collect and trade like digital cards. The concept started on 4chan around 2014 and later migrated to the Counterparty blockchain, becoming one of the earliest crypto art projects[3]. ### What is the #SavePepe campaign? A joint effort by Matt Furie and the ADL launched in fall 2016 to reclaim Pepe from hateful uses by encouraging the creation and sharing of positive Pepe imagery[20]. ### Why did the Overwatch League ban Pepe? In 2018, the Overwatch League discouraged the use of Pepe memes by players and teams due to the character's association with hate groups, making it one of the first esports organizations to restrict a specific meme[14]. ### What is the difference between Pepe and Peepo? Peepo is a cuter, rounder frog character derived from Apu Apustaja, a poorly drawn Finnish Pepe variant. While related to Pepe, Peepo developed its own distinct identity as a popular Twitch emote family[13]. ## References 1. [What Is Pepe the Frog?]() 2. [The evolution of the Pepe the Frog meme | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank]() 3. [The True Story Behind the Origins of Pepe the Frog]() 4. [Pepe the Frog - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Pepe the Frog - Wikipedia]() 6. [Buenaventura Press - Wikipedia]() 7. [A Short History of Pepe the Frog Memes – The Daily Dot | Futurist Transhuman News Blog]() 8. [Artist Who Created Pepe the Frog Sues InfoWars for Copyright Infringement]() 9. [poo-poo-pee-pee-frog]() 10. [pepe the frog]() 11. [rare+pepe | Tumblr]() 12. [Trump Ally, Son Share Meme Featuring Symbol Of White Nationalist Alt-Right - TPM – Talking Points Memo]() 13. [Pepe the Frog is not a hate symbol, says creator Matt Furie | CBC Radio]() 14. [Donald Trump Jr. Shares White Supremacist Meme | Vanity Fair]() 15. [The Truth About Pepe the Frog – Fantagraphics Blog]() 16. [Pepe the Frog Creator: He Is Not Racist or a Hate Symbol | TIME]() 17. [Trump Adviser, Son Post Image of Trump's 'Deplorables' Featuring White Nationalist Symbol]() 18. [How Pepe the Frog Became a Nazi Trump Supporter and Alt-Right Symbol]() 19. [Russian Embassy Posts Pepe The Frog Meme, A White Supremacist Hate Symbol, According To ADL | IBTimes]() 20. [France’s alt-right has turned Pepe the frog into Pepe Le Pen | The Verge]() 21. [The Russian government just tweeted an image of a white supremacist frog | Vox]() 22. [No, Pepe the Frog Isn't a Nazi]() 23. [Pepe the Frog creator launches campaign to free meme from Donald Trump supporters | The Independent | The Independent]() 24. [Trump subreddit is ready to wage 'meme war' in Europe | Mashable]() 25. [Introducing Pepe Le Pen, the Face of the French ‘Alt-Right’ – The Forward]() 26. [Zara's Pepe the Frog Skirt Is Getting Dragged by the Internet | Teen Vogue]() 27. [Pepe the Frog Is Dead: Creator Kills the White Supremacist-Hijacked Icon]() 28. [Pepe the Frog Meets His Fate on FCBD | The Mary Sue]() 29. [Trump Supporters Online Are Pretending To Be French To Manipulate France's Election]() 30. [Zara pulls denim skirt over likeness to 'alt-right' mascot Pepe the Frog | Zara | The Guardian]() 31. [Zara Sells Skirt Featuring Pepe the Frog Look-alike | Glamour]() 32. [Pepe Le Pen: Can the alt-right really "meme" Marine Le Pen to victory?]() 33. [Pepe the Frog became a hate icon so his creator killed him off | Mashable]() 34. [Zara Pulled a Skirt Featuring Pepe the Frog From Its Site]() 35. [Pepe the Frog Artist Suing InfoWars for Copyright Infringement]() 36. [Overwatch League cracking down on "Pepe" memes]() 37. [Infowars settles Pepe the Frog copyright lawsuit for $15,000 | The Verge]() 38. [Pepe the Frog’s creator can’t save him from the alt-right, but he keeps trying anyway | Vox]() 39. [Pepe the Frog: the internet’s most infamous meme explained - Dexerto]() 40. [Pepe the Frog]() 41. [Pepe the Frog | Memes | Dictionary.com]() 42. [Pepe the Frog meme branded a 'hate symbol' - BBC News]() 43. [How has Pepe the Frog become a far-right icon?]() 44. [Двач]() 45. [Millaisia vaatteita ihannenaisesi käyttää]() 46. [[s4s] - Sh*t 4chan Says » Thread #3117962 » nu pepe thread (mods pls sticky)]() 47. [Rare Pepe for sale | eBay]() 48. [Pepe the Frog: To Sleep, Perchance to Meme | The Nib]() 49. [UPDATE: Zara Has Pulled Their Mini Skirt Featuring Hate Symbol Pepe The Frog - PAPER Magazine]() 50. [Entertainment and Media - MarketWatch]() 51. [/pol/ - Politically Incorrect » Thread #141922619 » Matt Furie is Suing Me for Painting Pepe]() 52. [Pepe the Frog | Meme Reference]() 53. [Pepe the Frog explained]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/pepe-the-frog Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library