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LAST MONTH, in a strip he created for Free Comic Book Day, Matt Furie had his characters mourn a memed-to-death friend, Pepe the Frog,as the cartoonist buried his chillaxin amphibian.

Now, Furie is launching a crowd-funding campaign to bring his iconic Boys Clubcharacter back to life.

On Monday, the same day that Furie cracked Time magazines list of the 25 most influential people on the Internet, the 37-year-old cartoonist activated his Save Pepe Kickstarter, a $10,000 campaign that aims to resurrect Pepe the Frog in a new comic book by reclaiming his status as a universal symbol for peace, love and acceptance.

[RIP, Pepe the Frog: Creator kills his iconic character to try to fight a hate-filled meme]

The fundraiser continues Furies effort to take back his character after the frog was co-opted as an emblem of supremacy and hate, eventually becoming thrust into controversy during the 2016 presidential election, with both sides referencing Pepe.

Before Pepe the Frog was a meme designated a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League, Furie writes, he began life as a blissfully stoned frog.

Pepes wide recognition as a mascot of hate was a nightmare, so I killed him off, continues Furie. The funding campaigns pledge rewards include that original Death of Pepe art.

The cartoonistwants to fund a new zine that shall shine a light in all this darkness.

The campaign will run through the end of July.

Original post:
Can a Kickstarter save Pepe the Frog? His creator is determined to try it. - Washington Post