The story of Pepe the Frog is much deeper than just a sad face in a picture.
📖 Origin
- Pepe first appeared in 2005 in the comic Boy’s Club by American artist Matt Furie.
- In one issue, Pepe says the phrase: "Feels good, man" while relieving himself with his pants down to his ankles — this became the first meme.
- In 2008, the image made its way to the 4chan forum, where users began actively modifying its facial expressions and phrases — thus Sad Pepe, Smug Pepe, Feels Bad Man, and other variations emerged.
🌐 Meme culture and transformation
- Pepe became a symbol of emotional states — sadness, loneliness, anger, joy.
- In 2015–2016, the meme was appropriated by alt-right groups in the U.S. and used in political campaigns, including support for Donald Trump.
- This sparked controversy: the Anti-Defamation League even listed some versions of Pepe as hate symbols, though the artist himself opposed such usage.
💥 Revival and rare Pepes
- "Rare Pepes" appeared on 4chan — unique versions of the meme that were even sold as collectible images.
- In the crypto community, Pepe became an inspiration for NFTs and tokens, including projects based on Counterparty.
Do you want to create our version of Pepe — for example, "Pepe Zatia" with a philosophical view on blockchain? Or let's create a rare meme for your community? 😄