# Wojak Wojak, also called Feels Guy, is a crude MS Paint drawing of a sad bald man used as a reaction image for melancholy, loneliness, and regret. It surfaced on imageboards around 2009 and was popularized on the German board Krautchan in 2010, then grew into one of the internet's most edited meme formats with dozens of character variants. ## Overview Wojak, also known as Feels Guy, is a rough MS Paint drawing of a bald man with a sad, vacant expression[1]. People use him as a reaction image to convey downbeat feelings like melancholy, loneliness, and regret[3]. The thin line work and that hollow stare are what make the character recognizable on sight, whether he shows up on an imageboard thread or a Twitter reply. A big part of Wojak's staying power is how easy he is to redraw. The basic figure reads as a blank everyman, the person sitting behind the screen, and that neutrality let users morph him into a huge cast of variants[2]. By February 2023, Know Your Meme hosted more than 200 separate Wojak related entries, which gives some idea of how far the format branched out[4]. ## How It Spread As the drawing reached international boards, it picked up the nickname 'The Feels Guy'[1]. From Krautchan it moved to other image communities, including the Italian Pastachan and the Russian Dobrochan[3]. By 2011, a variant showing two Wojaks hugging under the caption 'I know that feel, bro' started turning up on 4chan threads[5]. The character also kicked off the 'that feel' and 'that feel when' (TFW) text trend, which eventually shed the image and survived on its own as a phrase[5]. Much of the widely repeated origin story traces back to Reddit user u/Voyack, who claimed in a 2012 AMA to be the person who first posted Wojak on Krautchan, though that account was never fully verified[1]. Wojak kept gaining traction through the mid 2010s. A dedicated 'Feels Guy' page exists on the internet culture wiki Encyclopedia Dramatica[6], and the r/Wojak subreddit launched in March 2015 for photoshopped takes on the image[4]. For years the figure was called Feels Guy about as often as Wojak, until roughly 2017, when 'Wojak' took over as the dominant name[3]. ## How to Use Using Wojak is simple. People typically grab the bald man drawing and pair it with text describing a low mood, often a line that starts with 'tfw' (that feel when)[5]. Because the figure is so plain, it commonly gets redrawn or photoshopped into specific characters, a crying version for someone who isn't getting their way, a smug version for self satisfaction, and so on[2]. A common convention sets two or more Wojak variants against each other in a back and forth to stage an argument, with one side usually drawn to look like it holds the wrong opinion[8]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Wojak? Wojak, also called Feels Guy, is a crude MS Paint drawing of a sad bald man used as a reaction image to express melancholy and loneliness[1]. ### Where did Wojak come from? The illustration is traced to the imageboard Vichan and was popularized on the German board Krautchan around 2010 by a user named Wojak[3]. ### What does Wojak mean? Wojak is Polish for 'soldier,' an odd name for a character best known for crying[2]. ### How do you use Wojak? People pair the drawing with text about a low mood, often a 'tfw' (that feel when) line, or redraw it into specific character variants[5]. ### Is Wojak still popular? Wojak became one of the internet's most durable meme formats and still works as the base for a wide family of variants like NPC, Doomer, and Chad[2]. ### Why is Wojak also called Feels Guy? As the image spread across international boards it became known as 'The Feels Guy,' a name used about as often as Wojak until 'Wojak' took over around 2017[3]. ### Who created Wojak? The original artist is unknown, and no one has ever confirmed who drew the illustration[1]. ### What is 'I know that feel bro'? It is an early Wojak variant showing two of the bald figures hugging under that caption, which began appearing on 4chan around 2011[5]. ### What is a Soyjak? Soyjak is a Wojak variant treated as the opposite of Chad, used to caricature a so called beta male[2]. ### What is the NPC Wojak? The NPC Wojak appeared around 2018, named after computer controlled video game characters, and mocks people seen as unable to think for themselves[2]. ### How is Wojak related to Pepe the Frog? Like Pepe, Wojak is used to convey emotion, and the two characters were often paired together in comics[8]. ## References 1. [https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/wojak-meme-history-meaning]() 2. [https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/the-out-of-touch-adults-guide-to-kid-culture-whats-wojaks]() 3. [https://digitalcultures.net/memes/wojak/]() 4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wojak-feels-guy]() 5. [https://www.bustle.com/articles/6152-meme-origins-where-that-feeling-when-got-its-start]() 6. [https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/Feels_Guy]() 7. [https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/polish-english/wojownik]() 8. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wojak]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/wojak Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library