What is Unsettled Tom?

Unsettled Tom is a reaction image meme showing a crude MS Paint-style drawing of Tom from *Tom and Jerry* with a horrified expression, used to react to shocking or disturbing statements[2].

Where did Unsettled Tom come from?

The image comes from a May 2012 DeviantArt webcomic called *Tails Gets Trolled* by the artist lazerbot[1].

What does Unsettled Tom mean?

The meme represents the feeling of processing disturbing information. It's used when someone hears or realizes something deeply uncomfortable[2].

How do you use Unsettled Tom?

Write a short caption describing a normal-sounding situation with a disturbing twist, then place the Unsettled Tom image as the reaction to that twist[2].

Is Unsettled Tom still popular?

The meme's peak was March 2019. While it still appears occasionally, the explosive posting rate from its viral period has slowed significantly[2].

Who created the original Unsettled Tom image?

DeviantArt user lazerbot created the image as part of the *Tails Gets Trolled* webcomic series, uploaded on May 10, 2012[1].

Who made Unsettled Tom go viral?

Reddit user inactive_meme posted the first viral versions to r/dankmemes on March 3, 2019, with one post hitting over 20,300 upvotes[2].

What is Tails Gets Trolled?

It's a deliberately crude webcomic on DeviantArt that mashes up characters from *Sonic the Hedgehog*, *Tom and Jerry*, and other franchises in surreal storylines[1].

When did Unsettled Tom first appear on 4chan?

The earliest known 4chan post was on January 9, 2013, on the /co/ board, where an anonymous user shared the cropped panel as a reaction image[2].

Why is it called Unsettled Tom and not Scared Tom?

The expression isn't fear exactly. It's more of a frozen, deeply uncomfortable realization, hence "unsettled." It's also known as Traumatized Tom and Concerned Tom[2].

Unsettled Tom

2012Reaction image / image macrosemi-active

Also known as: Traumatized Tom · Concerned Tom

Unsettled Tom is a 2012 reaction-image meme featuring a crude MS Paint depiction of Tom from Tom and Jerry with a disturbed, wide-eyed expression, paired with captions describing shocking or unexpected behavior.

Unsettled Tom is a reaction image meme featuring a crudely drawn MS Paint-style depiction of Tom from *Tom and Jerry* with a deeply disturbed, wide-eyed expression. The image originated from a 2012 *Tails Gets Trolled* webcomic on DeviantArt, circulated quietly on 4chan starting in 2013, then exploded on Reddit's r/dankmemes in March 2019. The format pairs the unsettled face with captions describing shocking, disturbing, or unexpected behavior.

tom and jerry memes reaction memes exploitable templates ms paint memes delayed virality memes

Overview

The meme uses a single panel extracted from a webcomic, showing Tom the cat with bulging, bloodshot eyes and a tight-lipped grimace. The drawing style is intentionally rough, done in what looks like MS Paint, which adds to its unsettling quality. The expression lands somewhere between horrified realization and deep psychological distress.

In typical usage, the top text describes a situation or statement that sounds normal at first but has a disturbing implication. The Unsettled Tom face appears below as the punchline, reacting to the hidden horror of the setup. The format works because Tom's expression is frozen in a specific kind of shock, not screaming or angry, just deeply uncomfortable.

On May 10, 2012, DeviantArt user lazerbot uploaded a comic titled "Fuds Choice 8" as part of their *Tails Gets Trolled* webcomic series1. *Tails Gets Trolled* is a deliberately crude, surreal fan comic that mashes up characters from various franchises. In one panel of the comic, the character Tom from *Tom and Jerry* appears with an exaggerated expression of stress and concern2.

Starting in January 2013, the panel with the original dialogue text cropped out began circulating on 4chan as a standalone reaction image. The earliest known post appeared on January 9, 2013, when an anonymous user shared the image on the /co/ (comics and cartoons) board2.

Origin & Background

Platform

DeviantArt (source image), 4chan (early reaction use), Reddit (viral spread)

Key People

lazerbot, inactive_meme

Date

2012 (created), 2019 (viral spread)

On May 10, 2012, DeviantArt user lazerbot uploaded a comic titled "Fuds Choice 8" as part of their *Tails Gets Trolled* webcomic series. *Tails Gets Trolled* is a deliberately crude, surreal fan comic that mashes up characters from various franchises. In one panel of the comic, the character Tom from *Tom and Jerry* appears with an exaggerated expression of stress and concern.

How It Spread

For about six years, the image existed as a niche reaction pic within imageboard communities. That changed in March 2019.

On March 3, 2019, Reddit user inactive_meme posted the image with a caption to the r/dankmemes subreddit. That first post picked up around 70 upvotes in nine days. But inactive_meme also posted a second version the same day using the same format, and that one took off with over 20,300 upvotes in the same period.

By March 7, 2019, the format had gone supernova on r/dankmemes. A massive wave of Unsettled Tom posts flooded the subreddit within a 48-hour window. A post by user staticdanger on March 7 pulled in over 16,100 upvotes in five days. Another by whaman273, posted the same day, hit over 24,500 upvotes in that same timeframe.

The format's appeal was its simplicity and versatility. Any two-line setup where the second part reveals something unsettling could be paired with Tom's face. The meme spread rapidly to other subreddits, Instagram meme pages, and Twitter throughout the rest of March and April 2019.

How to Use This Meme

The standard Unsettled Tom format follows a simple structure:

Write a short setup that sounds like an ordinary situation or conversation. The top caption typically introduces a scenario with a twist.

The second part of the caption reveals something shocking, disturbing, or wrong about the scenario.

Place the Unsettled Tom reaction image below as the punchline.

Cultural Impact

Unsettled Tom rode the wave of early 2019 Reddit meme culture, when r/dankmemes was one of the most active meme communities on the internet. The format's March 2019 spike made it one of the defining memes of that spring season.

The meme also drew attention to the *Tails Gets Trolled* webcomic, an obscure but cult-followed series that had been running since 2011 on DeviantArt. Many users discovering the Tom panel for the first time were surprised to learn it came from a surreal fan comic rather than an actual *Tom and Jerry* episode.

Fun Facts

The *Tails Gets Trolled* comic is known for its intentionally crude art style and bizarre crossover storylines involving Sonic, Shadow, Tom, and dozens of other franchise characters.

The image circulated on 4chan for over six years before going viral on Reddit, making it a rare case of extremely delayed mainstream adoption.

The meme's explosion happened within a roughly 48-hour window in early March 2019, with the r/dankmemes subreddit producing hundreds of variations in that period.

Derivatives & Variations

Unsettled Mr. Krabs:

A similar format using a freeze-frame of Mr. Krabs from *SpongeBob SquarePants* with a confused, blurry expression. Predates the Tom version but saw renewed use alongside it[2].

Multi-panel variants:

Some users expanded the format to include multiple levels of increasingly disturbing revelations, each paired with a progressively more distressed version of Tom's face[2].

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

1
fuds choice 8 by lazerbot on DeviantArtarticle
2
Unsettled Tom - Know Your Memeencyclopedia
3
Music plagiarismencyclopedia