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Since Pepe the Frog emerged on the internet in 2005, his personality has shifted and evolved.

It's time to take on one of the Internet's most classic memes: Pepe the Frog. Is he the internet's most loveable creation, or its worst symbol of hate? Pepe the Frog was first posted to Gaia Online as "Feels Good Man", and evolved from there becoming "Feels Bad Man", "Sad Pepe", "Angry Pepe", and the list only expands from there.

Around 2016, Pepe's image began to shift, and in 2017, Matt Furie, the original creator of Pepe the Frog, killed his creation in the now infamous comic released on National Free Comic Day.

Because of the controversy surrounding Pepe the Frog, many fans are left at odds, unsure of how to perceive the once beloved frog. What do you think? Is Pepe the Frog just a meme, or a hate symbol? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and dont forget to subscribe.

Follow us on Twitter: @ShotsFiredOFLSubscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJfb...

We would also like to give a huge thank you to our great subscribers for spotting errors. If anyone sees something they think is wrong please message us. We'll give you a thank you at the end of our next video. See you next time space cowboy!

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Pepe: The Frog that Broke the Internet - YouTube

Its a bittersweet day for the world of stoner cartoon characters, as comedy meme Pepe The Frogwho had recently been adopted as a mascot for the racist alt-right communityhas died. This comes from Comic Book Resources, which says Pepe was killed by creator Matt Furie in a one-page strip for publisher Fantagraphics Free Comic Book Day special Worlds Greatest Cartoonists.

Pepe was born in 2005 alongside Furies other Boys Club characters in a MySpace blog post, and he was originally depicted as comedically mellow dude who enjoyed getting high with his friends. The characters slightly strange appearance and bizarre sense of humor brought him to the attention of likeminded individuals at sites like 4Chan and Reddit, which turned Pepe into a popular meme thatlike a lot of things that people on 4Chan and Reddit think are funnydidnt make a whole lot of sense to people outside of those circles.

Unfortunately, as the internet goes, so goes the internets memes, and as the alt-right began to infect more and more of the web with its disgusting views, Pepe found himself falling in with a bad crowd. Somehow, Pepe The Frog became like a secret handshake or lapel pin for neo-Nazis who didnt want to call themselves neo-Nazis, and just a few months after mostly being known as a weird meme, the Anti-Defamation League officially classified him as a hate symbol. Even the frog emoji became associated with the darkest corners of the internetand humanity in generalwith Donald Trumps most openly racist and bigoted supporters using it as both a nod to Pepe and a banner proclaiming how proud they were to be miserable assholes.

It was a sudden and dramatic fall for the formerly chill stoner frog, and Furie himself began to try and distance himself from the new life his creation had taken on. As a Hillary Clinton supporter, Furie seemed shocked that Pepe had become something he could no longer control, especially since he was now inadvertently tied to a hate symbol, and he even created comics specifically about Pepe dealing with the sad turn his life had taken. Of course, Furie was never going to reclaim Pepe from the monsters who had corrupted him, which meant that his only recourse was to put the frog out of hisand ourmisery. There might not be a heaven for cartoon frogs, but if there is, hopefully Pepe is up there getting stoned and doing some weird bullshit right now.

Pepe is survived by his Boys Club friends Landwolf, Brett, and Andy, and you might be able to get a copy of Worlds Greatest Cartoonists at your local comic shop.

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R.I.P. Pepe The Frog - News

As of January 1, 2014 the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will mandate that all ICANN accredited registrars begin verifying the Registrant WHOIS contact information for all new domain registrations and Registrant contact modifications.

Email address has not been verified.This is a new domain registration and the Registrant email address has not been verified.

The Registrant contact data for this domain was modified but still requires verification.Specifically the First Name, Last Name and/or email address have been changed and never verified.

Ab 1. Januar 2014 sind alle ICANN-zugelassenen Registrierungsstellen gem der Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) verpflichtet, die WHOIS-Kontaktdaten aller neuen Domnenregistrierungen, sowie Kontaktnderungen der Registranten zu berprfen.

Die E-Mail-Adresse wurde nicht besttigt.Dies ist eine neue Domnenregistrierung und die E-Mail-Adresse des Registranten wurde nicht besttigt.

Die Kontaktdaten des Registranten fr diese Domne wurden gendert, und mssen noch besttigt werden.Insbesondere Vorname, Zuname bzw. E-Mail-Adresse wurden gendert, und wurden bisher noch nicht berprft.

A partir del 1 de enero de 2014 la corporacin Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) exigir a todos los registradores acreditados que realicen un procesos de verificacin de la informacin de contacto publicada en el WHOIS, en todos los registros nuevos de dominios y cambios de titular.

La direccin de correo electrnica no se ha sido validada.Este es un registro de dominio nuevo y la direccin de correo electrnico del titular registrado no se ha validado.

Los datos de contacto del titular registrado para este dominio se modificaron, pero an estn pendiente de ser validados.Especficamente el primer nombre, apellido y/o correo electrnico han sido cambiados y todava no han sido validados.

compter du 1er janvier 2014, l'Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) demandera l'ensemble des bureaux d'enregistrement accrdits par l'ICANN de vrifier les informations de contact WHOIS des titulaires pour tous les nouveaux enregistrements de domaines et toutes les modifications des ces informations.

L'adresse de courriel n'a pas t vrifie.Il s'agit de l'enregistrement d'un nouveau domaine et l'adresse de courriel du titulaire n'a pas t vrifie.

Les donnes de contact du titulaire pour ce domaine ont t modifies, mais doivent nanmoins tre vrifies.Spcifiquement, les nom, prnom et/ou adresse de courriel ont t modifis, mais n'ont jamais t vrifis.

Em 1 de janeiro de 2014, a Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) exigir que todos os registradores certificados pela ICANN comecem a verificar as informaes de contato WHOIS do registrante para todos os novos registros de domnio e modificaes de contato do registrante.

O endereo de email no foi verificado.Este um novo registro de domnio e o endereo de email do registrante no foi verificado.

Os dados de contato do registrante para este domnio foram modificados, mas ainda requerem verificao.Especificamente o nome, o sobrenome e/ou o endereo de email foram alterados e nunca foram verificados.

Fra 1. januar 2014 vil Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) kreve at alle ICANN-akkrediterte registratorer starter bekreftelse av Registrator WHOIS kontaktinformasjon for alle nye domeneregistreringer og kontaktmodifikasjoner for registrator.

E-psotadresse har ikke blitt bekreftet.Dette er en ny domeneregistrering og registrators e-postadresse har ikke blitt bekreftet.

Registrators kontaktdata for dette domenet ble modifisert, men krever alikevel verifisering.Spesifikt har fornavn, etternavn og/eller e-postadresse blitt endret og aldri bekreftet.

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Z dniem 1 stycznia 2014 Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) wymaga aby wszyscy akredytowani przez ICANN rejestratorzy rozpoczli weryfikacj danych abonenta, zapisanych w WHOIS, dla wszystkich nowych rejestracji domen oraz modyfikacji danych abonenta.

Adres email nie zosta zweryfikowany.Jest to rejestracja nowej domeny i adres email abonenta nie zosta jeszcze zweryfikowany.

Dane abonenta domeny zostay zmodyfikowane, lecz nie zostay zweryfikowane.W szczeglnoci imi, nazwisko i/lub adres email zostay zmienione i nie zostay zweryfikowane.

A partire dal 1 gennaio 2014, tutti i registrar accreditati ICANN - l'ente internazionale responsabile della gestione di tutti i domini di primo livello - devono verificare le informazioni di contatto WHOIS del cliente per tutte le nuove registrazioni di dominio e modifiche di contatto.

L'indirizzo email non stato verificato. stata effettuata una nuova registrazione di un dominio e l'indirizzo email del proprietario non stato verificato.

I dati di contatto del proprietario del dominio sono stati modificati ma non sono stati verificati (nome, cognome, indirizzo email).

Resend the verification email.This will be sent to the Registrant email address populated in your WHOIS data. If you are unsure what email address is listed, please log into your account with the provider where you currently manage this domain to view and/or update the info.

Senden Sie eine neue Benachrichtigungs-E-Mail.Diese wird an die bereits in Ihren WHOIS-Daten eingetragene E-Mail-Adresse des Registranten gesandt. Wenn Sie nicht sicher sind, welche E-Mail-Adresse aufgefhrt ist, loggen Sie sich in Ihrem Konto bei dem Anbieter ein, wo Sie derzeit diese Domne verwalten, um Ihre Daten einzusehen, bzw. zu aktualisieren.

Reenvie el correo electrnico de verificacin.Este se le enviar a la direccin de correo electrnico especificada en los datos WHOIS. Si no est seguro de que direccin de correo electrnico especific, por favor consltesela al registrador con el que inici los trmites de registro o bien solicite que se la modifiquen.

Renvoi du courriel de vrification.Il sera envoy l'adresse du titulaire renseigne dans les donnes WHOIS. Si vous n'tes pas sr de l'adresse renseigne, connectez-vous votre compte auprs du fournisseur via lequel vous grez actuallement ce domaine afin de consulter et/ou de mettre jour les informations.

Reenviar email de verificao.Isso ser enviado ao endereo de email do registrante preenchido nos dados WHOIS. Se no tiver certeza de qual endereo de email foi informado, efetue login na sua conta com o provedor em que voc gerencia atualmente este domnio para visualizar e/ou atualizar as informaes.

Send e-post med varsel p nytt.Denne vil bli sendt til registrators e-postadresse fylt ut med dine WHOIS-data. Hvis du er usikker p hvilken e-postadresse som er oppfrt, logg inn p kontoen din med leverandren du bruker til forvalte dette domenet for vise og/eller oppdatere informasjonen.

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Wylij ponownie email weryfikacyjny.Email zostanie wysany na adres email abonenta domeny widniejcy w bazie WHOIS. Jeli nie jeste pewien, jaki to jest adres email, zaloguj si na swoje konto u rejestratora domen, u ktrego utrzymujesz t domen. Moesz tam sprawdzi adres email i/lub zaktualizowa dane.

Nuovo invio dell'email di verifica.L'email di verifica sar inviata nuovamente all'indirizzo email del proprietario del dominio presente nei dati WHOIS. Per controllare quale sia l'indirizzo email presente nei dati WHOIS, si consiglia di accedere al proprio account sul provider che attualmente gestisce il dominio.

Click the link in the emailand your contact information will be immediately verified. We estimate the site will come back online within 24 to 48 hours.

Klicken Sie auf den Link in der E-Mailund Ihre Kontaktdaten werden sofort besttigt. Wir schtzen, dass die Website innerhalb 24 bis 48 Stunden wieder online sein wird.

Haga clic en el vnculo que est en el correo electrnicoy su informacin de contacto se verificar inmediatamente. Estimamos que el sitio volver a estar en lnea en un lapso de 24 a 48 horas.

Cliquez sur le lien dans le courrielet vos informations de contact seront immdiatement vrifies. Nous estimons que le site sera de nouveau disponible dans 24 48 heures.

Clique no link no emaile suas informaes de contato sero verificadas imediatamente. Estimamos que o site volte a ficar online dentro de 24 a 48 horas.

Klikk p linken i e-postenog kontaktinformasjonen din vil bli yeblikkelig bekreftet. Vi anslr at siden vil vre online igjen innen 24 til 48 timer.

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Kliknij w link zawarty w wiadomocia Twoje dane kontaktowe zostan natychmiast zweryfikowane. Szacujemy, e dziaanie domeny bdzie przywrcone w czasie od 24 do 48 godzin.

Appena riceverai l'email,clicca sul link per verificare le informazioni. Il sito dovrebbe tornare online entro 24/48 ore.

Why was my domain suspended?ICANN requires that the domain registrant's contact information or changes to the registrant's WHOIS information be verified within 15 calendar days. If the data is not verified in this timeframe, ICANN mandates that the website be suspended pending the verification.

How can I remove the suspension on my domain?The suspension of the domain will be removed after the WHOIS information is successfully verified. Please update the WHOIS information with complete and accurate contact details through your domain service provider. Once updated you will recieve a new verification email.

Once the suspension is removed, when will my website come back online?We estimate it may take 24 to 48 hours for the website to come back online.

Who is ICANN?ICANN is responsible for the coordination of the global Internet's systems of unique identifiers and, in particular, ensuring its' stable and secure operation. ICANN maintains policies and specifications for registrars and registrants to abide by.

What is WHOIS?WHOIS services provide public access to data on registered domain name holders. Registered Name Holders are required to provide accurate and reliable contact details to their Registrar to update WHOIS data for a Registered Name.

Warum wurde meine Domne gesperrt?ICANN schreibt vor, dass Kontaktdaten der Registranten von Domnen, oder nderungen dieser WHOIS-Daten innerhalb von 15 Tagen berprft werden mssen. Knnen die Daten in diesem Zeitraum nicht besttigt werden, so wird die Website gem ICANN bis zur Verifizierung gesperrt.

Wie kann ich die Sperre von meiner Domne entfernen?Die Sperre der Domne wird entfernt, sobald die WHOIS-Daten erfolgreich besttigt sind. Bitte aktualisieren Sie ber Ihren Dienstanbieter der Domne die WHOIS-Daten mit vollstndigen und genauen Kontaktdaten. Nach der Aktualisierung werden Sie eine neue Verifizierungs-E-Mail erhalten.

Wie lange dauert es nach Aufhebung der Sperre, bis meine Website wieder online ist?Wir schtzen, dass es 24 bis 48 Stunden dauern kann, bis die Website wieder online ist.

Wer ist ICANN?ICANN ist verantwortlich fr die Koordinierung spezifischer Erkennungsmarker der globalen Systeme des Internets, und insbesondere fr die Gewhrleistung ihrer stabilen und sicheren Funktion. ICANN verwaltet Richtlinien und Spezifikationen, die von Registrierungsstellen und Registranten eingehalten werden mssen.

Was ist WHOIS?WHOIS-Dienste bieten Zugang zu den Daten der registrierten Domneninhaber. Registrierte Domneninhaber sind verpflichtet, ihren Registrierungsstellen fr registrierte Domnennamen genaue und zuverlssige Kontaktdaten zur Aktualisierung der WHOIS-Daten zur Verfgung zu stellen.

Por qu mi dominio fue suspendido?ICANN exige que la informacin de contacto de la persona que registra el dominio o cambios a la informacin WHOIS de la persona registrada sean validados en un plazo de 15 das. Si los datos no se verifican en este lapso de tiempo, ICANN exige que el sitio web sea suspendido en espera de la verificacin.

Cmo puedo eliminar la suspensin de mi dominio?La suspensin del dominio ser levantada una vez que la informacin WHOIS sea verificada. Por favor actualice la informacin WHOIS con detalles precisos y completos a travs de su proveedor de servicio. Una vez que se actualice, recibir un nuevo correo electrnico de verificacin.

Cundo estar disponible en lnea nuevamente mi sitio web una vez que se levante la suspensin?Estimamos que el sitio web pudiera tardar de 24 a 48 horas en estar disponible en lnea nuevamente.

Qus es ICANN?ICANN es la organizacin responsable de la coordinacin de los identificadores nicos de los sistemas globales de Internet y, en particular, se encarga de asegurar su operacin sea segura y estable. ICANN mantiene polticas y especificaciones para su cumplimiento por parte de registradores y registrantes.

Qu es WHOIS?Los servicios WHOIS proveen acceso pblico a los datos de los titulares de nombres de dominio registrados. Los titulares de nombres registrados debern suministrar informacin de contacto precisa y fiable a su registrador para actualizar los datos WHOIS de un Nombre Registrado.

Pourquoi mon domaine a-t-il t suspendu? L'ICANN exige que les informations de contact du titulaire ou modifications de ses informations WHOIS soient vrifies dans les 15jours calendaires. Si les donnes ne sont pas vrifies dans le dlai imparti, l'ICANN demande la suspension du site dans l'attente de la vrification.

Comment puis-je annuler la suspension de mon domaine? La suspension du domaine sera annule ds que les informations WHOIS auront effectivement t vrifies. Veuillez mettre jour les informations WHOIS en indiquant des coordonnes de contact compltes et prcises votre fournisseur de domaine. Vous recevrez un courriel pour la nouvelle vrification une fois que vous aurez effectu cette mise jour.

Une fois la suspension annule, quand mon site Web sera-t-il de nouveau en ligne? Nous estimons que 24 48 heures peuvent tre ncessaires pour que le site soit nouveau disponible.

Qu'est-ce que l'ICANN? L'ICANN est responsable de la coordination des systmes d'identifiants uniques sur Internet dans le monde et, en particulier, pour en garantir la stabilit et la scurit. L'ICANN disposent de politiques et spcifications que les bureaux d'enregistrement et titulaires doivent respecter.

Qu'est-ce que WHOIS? Les services WHOIS permettent au public d'avoir accs aux donnes relatives au titulaires de noms de domaine enregistrs. Les titulaires de noms enregistrs doivent fournir des coordonnes de contact prcises et fiables leur bureau d'enregistrement afin de permettre la mise jour des donnes WHOIS pour le nom de domaine enregistr.

Por que meu domnio foi suspenso?A ICANN exige que as informaes de contato do registrante do domnio ou alteraes a informaes WHOIS do registrante sejam verificadas dentro de 15 dias corridos. Se os dados no forem verificados nesse perodo, a ICANN determinar que o website seja suspenso enquanto a verificao estiver pendente.

Como posso remover a suspenso do meu domnio?A suspenso do domnio ser removida depois de as informaes WHOIS serem verificadas com sucesso. Atualize as informaes WHOIS com detalhes de contato completos e precisos pelo seu provedor de servio de domnio. Depois da atualizao, voc receber um email de verificao.

Depois que a suspenso for removida, quando meu website voltar a ficar online?Estimamos que possa levar de 24 a 48 horas para o website voltar a ficar online.

Quem a ICANN?A ICANN responsvel pela coordenao dos sistemas global de identificadores nicos da Internet e, em particular, por garantir sua operao estvel e segura. A ICANN mantm polticas e especificaes a serem cumpridas por registradores e registrantes.

O que a WHOIS?Os servios da WHOIS fornecem acesso pblico aos dados em detentores de nomes de domnio registrados. Os detentores de nomes de domnio registrados devem fornecer detalhes de contato precisos e confiveis para o registrador atualizar os dados WHOIS para um nome registrado.

Hvorfor ble domenet mitt opphevet?ICANN krever at domeneregistrators kontaktinformasjon eller endringer i registratorens WHOIS-informasjon m bekreftes innen 15 kalenderdager. Hvis dataene ikke bekreftes innen denne tidsrammen, krever ICANN at nettsiden oppheves i pvente av verifisering.

Hvordan kan jeg fjerne opphevingen av mitt domene?Opphevelsen av domenet vil fjernes etter at WHOIS-informasjonen har blitt verifisert. Oppdater WHOIS-informasjonen med fullstendige og nyaktige kontaktdetaljer gjennom din domene-leverandr. Nr siden er oppdatert vil du motta en ny e-post med bekreftelse.

Nr opphevingen er fjernet, nr kommer nettsiden min opp igjen?Vi anslr at det kan ta mellom 24 til 48 timer fr nettsiden igjen er online.

Hvem er ICANN?ICANN er ansvarlig for koordineringen av det globale internett-systemets unike identifikatorer, og spesielt sirke dets stabile og sikre drift. ICANN opprettholder policyer og spesifikasjoner som registratorer og registranter m overholde.

Hva er WHOIS?WHOIS-tjenester gir offentlig adgang til data p registrerte eiere av domenenavn. Registrerte navn-eiere m oppgi nyaktige og plitelige kontaktdetaljer til sin registrator for oppdatere WHOIS-data for et registrert navn.

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Dlaczego moja domena zostaa zawieszona?ICANN wymaga aby kade dane abonenta domeny lub zmiany wprowadzone do danych abonenta zapisanych w bazie WHOIS byy zweryfikowane w cigu 15 dni kalendarzowych. Jeli dane nie zostan zweryfikowane w tym czasie, ICANN wymaga aby serwis internetowy zosta zawieszony do momentu zakoczenia weryfikacji.

Jak mog usun blokad mojej domeny?Blokada domeny bdzie zniesiona, gdy dane abonenta w bazie WHOIS zostan pomylnie zweryfikowane. Prosimy zaktualizowa dane WHOIS, wprowadzajc kompletne i dokadne dane abonenta poprzez panel administracyjny rejestratora domeny. Jak tylko dane zostan zaktualizowane, otrzymasz nowy email weryfikacyjny.

W momencie zdjcia blokady, kiedy dziaanie mojej domeny bdzie przywrcone?Szacujemy, e dziaanie domeny zostanie przywrcone w czasie od 24 do 48 godzin.

Co to jest ICANN?ICANN jest organizacj odpowiedzialn za koordynacj globalnych systemw unikalnych identyfikatorw w Internecie, a w szczeglnoci, za jego stabilne i bezpieczne dziaanie. ICANN zarzdza politykami i zasadami dziaania obowizujcych rejestratorw oraz abonentw domen.

Co to jest WHOIS?WHOIS zapewnia publiczny dostp do danych abonentw domen. Zarejestrowani abonenci domen s zobowizani do podania penych i wiarygodnych dancyh kontaktowych za porednictwem swojego rejestratora domen, w celu aktualizacji ich w bazie WHOIS.

Perch il mio dominio stato sospeso?L'ICANN prevede che le informazioni - o la modifica delle informazioni - WHOIS del dichiarante siano verificate entro 15 giorni. Se le informazioni non vengono verificate in tempo utile, il dominio viene sospeso.

Come rimuovo la sospensione del mio dominio?La sospensione del dominio viene rimossa effettuando la verifica delle informazioni. Si prega di aggiornare le informazioni WHOIS attraverso il provider che gestisce il dominio. Dopo aver effettuato l'aggiornamento sar inviata una email di verifica.

Dopo aver rimosso la sospensione, quando torner online il mio sito?Il sito dovrebbe tornare online dopo 24 / 48 ore dalla rimozione della sospensione.

Cos' l'ICANN? l'ente internazionale responsabile del coordinamento delle politiche di gestione di tutti i domini di primo livello. Svolge attivit di garanzia e supervisione.

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Pepe the Frog

In 2005, cartoonist Matt Furie published a comic on his Myspace that involved an anthropomorphic frog taking a pee with his pants around his ankles. When his friend asks why he urinates with his pants pulled all the way down, the frog answers: Feels good man. In 2017, the same frog lays dead in a casket, surrounded by his friends. Pepe the Frog is dead. Vale Pepe the Frog.

The decade between Pepes birth and death is complicated, to say the least. The panel of Pepe saying Feels good man became a reaction image on Gaia Online forums before being picked up by 4chan. From there, it evolved into various remixes of the original joke: Sad Frog, Smug Frog, Angry Pepe. It started as an in-joke, before bleeding into the mainstream, with pop-stars Nicky Minaj and Katy Perry posting Pepe memes on Instagram and Twitter.

RELATED: Pepe the Frog Is Dead: Creator Kills the White Supremacist-Hijacked Icon

At some point during Donald Trumps presidential campaign, something went very wrong. In a surreal turn of events that no one could have seen coming, Pepe was co-opted by members of the alt-right movement and white supremacists after Trump retweeted a smug Trump-Pepe. The frog that likes to pee with his pants at his ankles became a hate symbol.

So what do you do when something you made has become something that the Anti-Defamation League defines as a hate symbol? In an op-ed piece published in Time, Furie attempted to reclaim the character. I understand that its out of my control, he acknowledged, but in the end, Pepe is whatever you say he is, and I, the creator, say that Pepe is love.

Fantagraphics, the publisher that released Furies collected Boys Club comics, issued a statement regarding Pepes hate symbol status that sums it up pretty well.

Having your creation appropriated without consent is never something an artist wants to suffer, but having it done in the service of such repellent hatred and thereby dragging your name into the conversation, as well makes it considerably more troubling.

Its Furies legacy now, whether he wants it or not. Even the product page for Boys Club (the collected volume of Furies comic strips) on Fantagraphics web-store refers to the Pepe phenomenon as a selling point for the book.

RELATED: Pepe the Frog Creator Speaks Out on Character Becoming Hate Symbol

By killing Pepe, Furie has essentially washed his hands of his creation. Pepe is dead and buried, and thats that. But what could he do otherwise? Its not like Furie can sue the Internet for appropriating his character. Does he continue making comics that included Pepe, intentionally or unintentionally riding the frogs infamy? Does he craft a comic with Pepe punching neo-nazis in the face? Or does he do nothing, quietly watching as his creation continues to mutate further and further from its origin? Is killing Pepe even the right move to make? By killing the frog, is Furie admitting defeat and surrendering his creation to the alt-right hordes? What do you do when something you poured your heart into creating is hijacked to stand for something thats objectively terrible and reprehensible?

The problem with Furies gesture is that ultimately, it doesnt matter, because it wont change anything. Pepe the Frog is dead, but Pepe the Meme is not. The latter cannot be killed, because thats not how memes work. Pepe has transcended Furies authorship and belongs to the Internet, now. Its been chopped and changed and remixed to the point that it barely resembles the original. Its become a meme, and like any meme, it has been transformed through replication into something else. Its a frog named Pepe, sure but it isnt Pepe the Frog.

Before this election, Pepe the Frog spent years mutating online into the many-faced Mickey Mouse God of the Internet, Furie wrote for Time. The frog face has gone through thousands of user-made Internet incarnations, expressing rage, smugness, violence, happiness, coolness and, most notably, sadness. To zillions of people, mostly kids, teens and college-dwellers, it meant many things, but mostly it was a big joke.

Furie isnt the first artist to see their creation ripped from their hands and transformed into something out of their control (albeit in much less extreme circumstances). Youve no doubt encountered the ubiquitous Calvin of Bill Wattersons Calvin and Hobbes fame urinating on a logo of some sort, or cartoonist KC Greens Dickbutt and Question Hound (the dog that says This is fine! while everything burns around him) in some form, but youd be lucky to find a creator credit attached to any memes. Its unfortunate, but thats just how Internet memes work. Perhaps the worst part is that you dont know what will be the next thing people will latch onto and endlessly remix. Green didnt know a man with a dick growing out of his butt would be the thing people would take and run with, and no one couldve known this is where Pepe would end up.

I feel bad for Matt Furie. It sucks that a goofy joke he made in 2005 has be co-opted and transformed into a hate symbol over a decade later. It sucks that every interview ha conducts now revolves around the question, How do you feel about your cartoon being co-opted and transformed into a hate symbol? as his actual artistic output is regulated to an afterthought. It sucks that he will forever be known as The Guy Who Created Pepe, no matter how far he distances himself from the ill-fated frog.

In October 2016, Furie published a new comic strip featuring Pepe at The Nib. In it, the once happy frog is now morose, transforming into the face of Donald Trump before becoming an eldritch horror that triggers the apocalypse. Pepe awakes from this nightmare scenario in a cold sweat just before hes enveloped by his bed. Its hard not to assume this is how Furie feels about Pepe, a grotesque nightmare he just cant wake from, no matter how he tries.

Ending Pepe on his own terms is a powerful move on Furies behalf; hes finally purifying himself of the cartoon frog. Hes realized that he cant reclaim him anymore, and the best move is to move past it. At the very least, I hope he can sleep better at night knowing that his creation and his connection to it are dead and buried. But in the long run, it doesnt change anything. Pepe is synonymous with hate speech, and thats a stain that you cant easily wash out. Furie can kill Pepe the Frog a million times, but Pepe the Meme will never die.

Feels bad man.

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Pepe the Frog is Dead; Unfortunately, You Can't Kill a Meme

Matt Furie, the cartoonist whose Pepe the Frog character was hijacked as the symbol ofwhite supremacists and the alt-right during the election, has killed the character, conceding defeat in trying to reclaim it.

Matt Furie with a great single page send-off. #freecomicbookday #mattfurie https://t.co/lKGUL9lmyd pic.twitter.com/qhngOyoVPV

Brandon Kelly (@therealphaTT) May 6, 2017

Writes Buzzfeed:

In the 2010s, Pepe the frog became a symbol of internet trolls, moving up from Myspace where it was created and popularised in 2005 to the lofty, notoriously aggressive, and troll-filled 4chan. It was on 4chan, and with the burgeoning alt-right movement, that Pepe the frog was transformed from a reactionary meme to a coordinated white supremacist image. Hillary Clintons staff even wrote an explainer on Pepe in 2016 and the Anti-Defamation League called the cartoon a hate symbol.

Pepe creator Furie had hoped to reclaim his creation, denouncing the use of the cartoon as a hate symbol. A campaign was started to save Pepe the frog but failed to really put a dent in the alt-rights transformation of the image.

In late 2016, Furie described the situation in an article he wrote for Time as a nightmare.

White supremacist homocon journalists Jim Hoft and Lucian Wintrich displaying a hand signal associated with Pepe.

Real News Joins the White House Briefing Room https://t.co/Iv3QVHVhQI

Jim Hoft (@gatewaypundit) February 15, 2017

Adds the Guardian:

Furie had been attempting to wrench back his peaceful frog-dude whom he has often said he imagined as an extension of his personality for more than six months. Pepes passing has been interpreted of his ceding control of the character.

Shaun Manning wrote in Comic Book Resources that the rehabilitation of Pepe was always going to be a struggle, and its hard to imagine Furie taking much joy in creating new Pepe strips knowing that, whatever his own intentions, the character would be read through tinted lenses.

While its unlikely Pepes official death will stop extremists from co-opting his image, this was, perhaps, the most effective way for Furie to reclaim his character; Pepes soul has returned to his creator. Rest in Peace.

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'Pepe the Frog' Character Killed By Its Creator in Concession ...