Pepe the Frog#Kek

{{quote box|width=22em|quote="My Pepe philosophy is simple: 'Feels good man.' It is based on the meaning of the word Pepe: 'To go Pepe'. I find complete joy in physically, emotionally, and spiritually serving Pepe and his friends through comics. Each comic is sacred, and the compassion of my readers transcends any differences, the pain, and fear of 'feeling good'."|source=–Matt Furie, 2015 interview with The Daily Dot}}

Pepe the Frog was created by American artist and cartoonist Matt Furie in 2005. Its usage as an Internet meme came from his comic Boy's Club #1. The progenitor of Boy's Club was a zine Furie made on Microsoft Paint called Playtime, which included Pepe as a character.{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pepe-frog-creator-matt-furie-talks-zine-history/ |title=Pepe the Frog's Creator Talks Making Zine History |date=August 3, 2016 |website=The Creators Project |last=Furino |first=Giaco |access-date=August 11, 2016 |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011015936/http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/pepe-frog-creator-matt-furie-talks-zine-history |url-status=live}} He posted his comic in a series of blog posts on Myspace in 2005.{{cite web |url=http://knowyourmeme.com/blog/interviews/qa-with-matt-furie |title=Q&A with Matt Furie |date=August 7, 2010 |website=Know Your Meme |last=Mazur |first=A.J. |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403203544/https://knowyourmeme.com/blog/interviews/qa-with-matt-furie |url-status=live}}

In the comic, Pepe is seen urinating in a toilet, having left the door open; when one of his friends asks him why he lowered his pants to urinate, Pepe simply answers: "feels good man" as his rationale.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/feels-good-man-728/ |title=The Creator of Pepe the Frog Talks About Making Comics in the Post-Meme World |date=July 28, 2015 |magazine=Vice |last=Collins |first=Sean T. |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=December 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161217091422/http://www.vice.com/read/feels-good-man-728 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.techinsider.io/this-guy-created-one-of-the-most-famous-memes-heres-why-hes-kinda-pissed-off-2015-7 |title=This guy created the frog meme that's all over the internet — here's why he's 'kinda pissed off' |date=July 30, 2015 |website=Tech Insider |last=Haskell |first=Will |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=September 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923083542/http://www.techinsider.io/this-guy-created-one-of-the-most-famous-memes-heres-why-hes-kinda-pissed-off-2015-7 |url-status=live}} Furie took those posts down when the printed edition was published in 2006.

Pepe was used in blog posts on Myspace in 2005 and became an in-joke on Gaia Online.{{Cite journal|last1=Glitsos|first1=Laura|last2=Hall|first2=James|date=2019-10-02|title=The Pepe the Frog meme: an examination of social, political, and cultural implications through the tradition of the Darwinian Absurd|url=https://ro.ecu.edu.au/context/ecuworkspost2013/article/9122/viewcontent/The_Pepe_the_Frog_meme_An_examination_of_social__political__and_cultural_implications_through_the_tradition_of_the_Darwinian_Absurd.pdf|journal=Journal for Cultural Research|volume=23|issue=4|pages=381–395|doi=10.1080/14797585.2019.1713443|s2cid=212792188|issn=1479-7585}}{{Cite journal|last=Pollard|first=Tom|date=2018-02-13|title=Alt-Right Transgressions in the Age of Trump|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/pgdt/17/1-2/article-p76_76.xml|journal=Perspectives on Global Development and Technology|volume=17|issue=1–2|pages=76–88|doi=10.1163/15691497-12341467|issn=1569-1500|url-access=subscription}} In 2008, the page containing Pepe and the catchphrase was scanned and uploaded to 4chan's /b/ board, which has been described as the meme's "permanent home".

The meme took off among 4chan users, who adapted Pepe's face and catchphrase to fit different scenarios and emotions, such as melancholy, anger, and surprise. "Feels bad, man", a sad variant of the frog's "feels good, man" catchphrase, also became associated with Pepe.{{Cite journal|last=Hunt|first=Elle|date=2020-10-24|title=Hunting Pepe?|url=|journal=New Scientist|language=en|volume=248|issue=3305|pages=31|doi=10.1016/S0262-4079(20)31884-4|bibcode=2020NewSc.248...31H|s2cid=242567242|issn=0262-4079}} Color was also added; originally a black-and-white line drawing, Pepe became green with brown lips, sometimes in a blue shirt. "Feels Guy", or "Wojak", originally an unrelated character typically used to express melancholy, was eventually often paired with Pepe in user-made comics or images.

The "sad frog" variation entered usage on Tumblr by 2012. That same year, the "Smug Pepe" variant emerged. Versions of the meme appeared on Chinese social media, such as Baidu Tieba, as early as 2014. There, it has been known as shangxin qingwa (傷心青蛙), or "sad frog".{{Cite news|last=de Seta|first=Gabriele|others=Dan Bristow|date=December 2019|title=PEPE GOES TO CHINA|work=Tank|editor-last=Bown|editor-first=Alfie|url=https://tankmagazine.com/tank/2019/12/pepe-goes-to-china|access-date=18 January 2022|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417020558/https://tankmagazine.com/tank/2019/12/pepe-goes-to-china/|url-status=live}}{{Citation|last=de Seta|first=Gabriele|title=Pepe Goes to China, or, the Post-Global Circulation of Memes|date=2019|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv11hptdx.20|work=Post Memes: Seizing the Memes of Production|pages=389–402|editor-last=Bown|editor-first=Alfie|publisher=Punctum Books|doi=10.2307/j.ctv11hptdx.20|jstor=j.ctv11hptdx.20|isbn=978-1-950192-43-4|s2cid=219826973|access-date=2022-01-19|editor2-last=Bristow|editor2-first=Dan|archive-date=2020-09-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902195650/https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv11hptdx.20|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}} In 2014, images of Pepe were shared on social media by celebrities such as Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj.{{cite web |last1=Notopoulos |first1=Katie |title=1,272 Rare Pepes |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/katienotopoulos/1272-rare-pepes |access-date=January 4, 2017 |website=BuzzFeed News |date=May 11, 2015 |archive-date=November 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114235301/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/1272-rare-pepes |url-status=live}} As Pepe became more widespread, 4chan users began referring to particularly creative and unique variants of the meme as "rare Pepes". These images, sometimes as physical paintings,{{cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/read-could-images-4chans-sad-frog-meme-actually-be-227596 |title=Read This: Could images of 4chan's 'sad frog' meme actually be worth money? |date=October 28, 2015 |website=The A.V. Club |last=Blevins |first=Joe |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821044443/http://www.avclub.com/article/read-could-images-4chans-sad-frog-meme-actually-be-227596 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.dailydot.com/lol/craigslist-rare-pepe/ |title=The rare Pepe trade is booming on Craigslist |date=September 10, 2015 |newspaper=The Daily Dot |last=Bergado |first=Gabe |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=June 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625074611/http://www.dailydot.com/lol/craigslist-rare-pepe/ |url-status=live}} were sold on eBay and posted on Craigslist. 4chan users referred to those who used the meme outside the website as "normies" (or "normalfags"). Users from 4chan, Reddit, and elsewhere attempted to prevent mainstream usage of the meme by "making Pepe as shocking as possible".

In 2015, Pepe was #6 on Daily News and Analysis{{'}}s list of the most important memes and the most retweeted meme on Twitter.{{cite news |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-best-of-2015-15-memes-that-won-the-internet-2159784 |title=Best of 2015: 15 memes that won the internet |date=December 27, 2015 |newspaper=Daily News and Analysis |last=Nair |first=Roshni |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=March 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315041943/https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-best-of-2015-15-memes-that-won-the-internet-2159784 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/here-are-the-10-most-important-memes-of-2015-according-to-tumblr-370449.html |title=Here are the 10 most important memes of 2015, according to Tumblr |date=December 8, 2015 |newspaper=Irish Examiner |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403174529/https://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/here-are-the-10-most-important-memes-of-2015-according-to-tumblr-370449.html |url-status=dead}} The Daily Intelligencer called it Tumblr's "Biggest Meme of 2015". According to Inverse, it was one of the most-reblogged memes on Tumblr in 2015.{{Cite news|last=Sarner|first=Lauren|date=30 December 2015|title=The Most Popular Tumblr Memes in 2015: Pepe the Frog, Left Shark, the Dress|work=Inverse|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/9703-the-most-popular-tumblr-memes-in-2015-pepe-the-frog-left-shark-the-dress|access-date=19 January 2022|archive-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519025830/https://www.inverse.com/article/9703-the-most-popular-tumblr-memes-in-2015-pepe-the-frog-left-shark-the-dress|url-status=live}}

As early as 2015, a number of Pepe variants were created by Internet trolls to associate the character with the alt-right movement. Some of the variants produced by this had Nazi Germany, Ku Klux Klan, or white power skinhead themes.

During the 2016 United States presidential election, the meme was connected to Donald Trump's campaign. In October 2015, Trump retweeted a Pepe representation of himself, associated with a video called "You Can't Stump the Trump (Volume 4)".{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37493165 |title=Pepe the Frog meme branded a 'hate symbol' |date=September 28, 2016 |website=BBC News |access-date=November 16, 2016 |archive-date=November 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120105815/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37493165 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/20/4chan-4-trump.html |title=4chan 4 Trump |date=October 20, 2015 |newspaper=The Daily Beast |last=Resnick |first=Gideon |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=May 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530094802/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/20/4chan-4-trump.html |url-status=live}} Later in the election, Roger Stone and Donald Trump Jr. posted a parody movie poster of The Expendables on Twitter and Instagram titled "The Deplorables", a play on Hillary Clinton's controversial phrase "basket of deplorables", which included Pepe's face among those of members of the Trump family and other figures popular among the alt-right.{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-son-adviser-share-image-featuring-white-nationalists-favorite-cartoon-frog-170540004.html |title=Trump's son, adviser share image featuring white nationalists' favorite cartoon frog |date=September 12, 2016 |website=Yahoo! News |last=Dickson |first=Caitlin |access-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110082615/https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-son-adviser-share-image-featuring-white-nationalists-favorite-cartoon-frog-170540004.html |url-status=live}}

Also during the election, various news organizations reported associations of the character with white nationalism and the alt-right.{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/hillary-clinton-delivering-speech-alt-right-what-s-n637701 |title=5 Things to Know About the 'Right' |date=August 25, 2016 |website=NBC News |last=Sarlin |first=Benjy |access-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-date=January 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105223842/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/hillary-clinton-delivering-speech-alt-right-what-s-n637701 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/hillary-clinton-health-analysis-228060 |title=Why Clinton's bad weekend won't rewrite the race |date=September 12, 2016 |website=Politico |last=Dovere |first=Edward-Isaac |access-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-date=March 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313000546/https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/hillary-clinton-health-analysis-228060 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/78348/do-alt-rights-white-identity-politics-sanction-anti-semitism/ |title=Do alt-right's white identity politics sanction anti-Semitism? |date=September 1, 2016 |newspaper=J. Weekly |last=Kampeas |first=Ron |access-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-date=May 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525205117/https://www.jweekly.com/2016/09/02/do-alt-rights-white-identity-politics-sanction-anti-semitism/ |url-status=live}} In May 2016, Olivia Nuzzi of The Daily Beast wrote that there was "an actual campaign to reclaim Pepe from normies" and that "turning Pepe into a white nationalist icon" was an explicit goal of some on the alt-right.{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/26/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-nazi-trump-supporter-and-alt-right-symbol.html |title=How Pepe the Frog Became a Nazi Trump Supporter and Alt-Right Symbol |date=May 26, 2016 |newspaper=The Daily Beast |last=Nuzzi |first=Olivia |access-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-date=May 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530094639/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/26/how-pepe-the-frog-became-a-nazi-trump-supporter-and-alt-right-symbol.html |url-status=live}} In August 2016, Clinton denounced the alt-right in a speech. During the speech, a 4chan user who was liveblogging the event on the site audibly shouted "Pepe!" at the request of another user.{{Cite news|last=Hathaway|first=Jay|date=26 August 2016|title=4chan anon kicked out of Hillary's alt-right speech for yelling about Pepe the Frog|work=The Daily Dot|url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/anon-4chan-pepe-hillary-clinton-speech/|access-date=18 January 2022|archive-date=30 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030064823/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/anon-4chan-pepe-hillary-clinton-speech/|url-status=live}} In September 2016, an article published on Hillary Clinton's campaign website described Pepe as "a symbol associated with white supremacy" and denounced Trump's campaign for its supposed promotion of the meme.{{cite web |url=https://www.hillaryclinton.com/post/donald-trump-pepe-the-frog-and-white-supremacists-an-explainer/ |title=Donald Trump, Pepe the frog, and white supremacists: an explainer |date=September 12, 2016 |website=Hillary for America |last=Chan |first=Elizabeth |access-date=September 15, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915072319/https://www.hillaryclinton.com/post/donald-trump-pepe-the-frog-and-white-supremacists-an-explainer/ |archive-date=September 15, 2016}}{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-pepe-frog-instagram-breitbart-white-supremacist-alex-jones-milo-a7240581.html |title=Hillary Clinton attacks Donald Trump for posting Pepe the Frog meme |date=September 13, 2016 |newspaper=The Independent |last=Revesz |first=Rachael |access-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-date=November 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105045522/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-pepe-frog-instagram-breitbart-white-supremacist-alex-jones-milo-a7240581.html |url-status=live}} In 2020, social scientist Joan Donovan said of the Clinton campaign's decision to describe Pepe as an alt-right symbol, "If it weren't for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016 trying to [...] name Pepe as a signifier of the Alt-Right, that kind of recognition probably wouldn't have taken hold [...] In doing so, they showed how much of a newbie they were at what it essentially meant to be online, which in turn created a wave of media attention on which the Alt-Right was ready to coast."{{Cite journal|last=Donovan|first=Joan|date=2020|title=Deconstructing Disinformation's Threat to Democracy|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48599286|journal=The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs|publisher=The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy|volume=44|issue=1|pages=153–160|jstor=48599286|issn=1046-1868|access-date=2022-01-18|archive-date=2022-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119152644/https://www.jstor.org/stable/48599286|url-status=live}}

In an interview with Esquire, Furie said of Pepe's usage as a hate symbol, "It sucks, but I can't control it more than anyone can control frogs on the Internet".{{cite magazine|last=Miller|first=Matt|date=September 28, 2016|title=Exclusive: The Creator of Pepe the Frog Is Voting for Hillary|url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a49057/pepe-frog-creator-voting-hillary/|magazine=Esquire|access-date=September 29, 2016|archive-date=September 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924174938/https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a49057/pepe-frog-creator-voting-hillary/|url-status=live}} Fantagraphics Books, Furie's publisher, issued a statement condemning the "illegal and repulsive appropriations of the character".{{cite web|date=October 6, 2016|title=The Truth About Pepe the Frog|url=http://fantagraphics.com/flog/truthaboutpepe/|access-date=October 6, 2016|website=Fantagraphics Books|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806062654/http://fantagraphics.com/flog/truthaboutpepe/|url-status=live}} The Anti-Defamation League, an American organization opposed to antisemitism, included Pepe in its hate symbol database but wrote that most instances of Pepe were not used in a hate-related context.{{cite web |url=https://mic.com/articles/155311/pepe-the-frog-meme-racist-adl-hate-symbol |title=Pepe the Frog meme is now on the ADL's hate symbol database. Feels bad, man. |date=September 27, 2016 |website=Mic |last=Smith IV |first=Jack |access-date=September 27, 2016 |archive-date=October 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028201621/https://www.mic.com/articles/155311/pepe-the-frog-meme-racist-adl-hate-symbol |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/hate-on-display/c/pepe-the-frog.html |title=Pepe the Frog |date=September 27, 2016 |website=Anti-Defamation League |access-date=September 28, 2016 |archive-date=February 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227063309/http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/hate-on-display/c/pepe-the-frog.html |url-status=live}} Writing in Time on October 13, 2016, Furie said that "I understand that it's out of my control, but in the end, Pepe is whatever you say he is, and I, the creator, say that Pepe is love."{{Cite magazine|last=Furie|first=Matt|date=13 October 2016|title=Pepe the Frog's Creator: I'm Reclaiming Him. He Was Never About Hate|magazine=Time|url=https://time.com/4530128/pepe-the-frog-creator-hate-symbol/|access-date=17 January 2022|archive-date=28 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228085006/https://time.com/4530128/pepe-the-frog-creator-hate-symbol/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Ohlheiser|first=Abby|date=8 May 2017|title=Pepe the Frog became a hate symbol. Now he's just a dead hate symbol.|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/05/08/pepe-the-frog-became-a-hate-symbol-now-hes-just-a-dead-hate-symbol/|access-date=17 January 2022|archive-date=26 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226163756/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/05/08/pepe-the-frog-became-a-hate-symbol-now-hes-just-a-dead-hate-symbol/|url-status=live}} The next day, the ADL announced that it had partnered with Furie to launch the #SavePepe (or "Save Pepe") campaign, an attempt to associate the symbol with positivity.{{Cite news|last=Mele|first=Christopher|date=17 October 2016|title=Campaign Aims to Help Pepe the Frog Shed Its Image as Hate Symbol|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/us/campaign-aims-to-help-pepe-the-frog-shed-its-image-as-hate-symbol.html|url-status=live|access-date=17 January 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220117075716/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/us/campaign-aims-to-help-pepe-the-frog-shed-its-image-as-hate-symbol.html|archive-date=17 January 2022}}{{Cite news|last=Cavna|first=Michael|date=26 October 2016|title=Pepe the Frog's creator wants him to be a symbol of chillaxing again|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/10/26/pepe-the-frogs-creator-wants-him-to-be-a-symbol-of-chillaxing-again/|access-date=17 January 2022|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031211453/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/10/26/pepe-the-frogs-creator-wants-him-to-be-a-symbol-of-chillaxing-again/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=14 October 2016|title=ADL Joins With "Pepe" Creator Matt Furie in Social Media Campaign to #SavePepe|url=https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-joins-with-pepe-creator-matt-furie-in-social-media-campaign-to-savepepe|url-status=live|access-date=17 January 2022|website=Anti-Defamation League|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102170611/https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-joins-with-pepe-creator-matt-furie-in-social-media-campaign-to-savepepe}} As part of that campaign, Furie collected hundreds of "positive or peaceful" versions of Pepe to store in an online "Peace Pepe Database of Love".{{Cite news|last=Solon|first=Olivia|date=4 November 2016|title=#SavePepe: cartoon frog's creator tries to take meme back from alt-right|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/04/save-pepe-cartoon-frog-meme-matt-furie-trump|access-date=17 January 2022|archive-date=10 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110174121/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/04/save-pepe-cartoon-frog-meme-matt-furie-trump|url-status=live}}{{Cite book|last=Mielczarek|first=Natalia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=00dODwAAQBAJ|title=The 2016 American Presidential Campaign and the News: Implications for American Democracy and the Republic|date=2018-03-14|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-1-4985-6512-7|editor-last=Kuypers|editor-first=Jim A.|editor-link=Jim A. Kuypers|pages=167–173|language=en|chapter=Chapter 8: Iconographic Tracking of Pepe the Frog Meme through the 2016 Presidential Campaign|access-date=2022-01-18|archive-date=2022-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119152427/https://books.google.com/books?id=00dODwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}} On October 17, 2016, Furie published a satirical take of Pepe's appropriation by the alt-right movement on The Nib.{{cite magazine |last1=Wade |first1=Cameron |title=Pepe the Frog Creator Matt Furie Pens New Comic Showing Pepe's Alt-Right Nightmare |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/10/pepe-the-frog-creator-comic-alt-right-nightmare.html |access-date=October 23, 2016 |magazine=Paste |date=October 17, 2016 |archive-date=October 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023142122/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/10/pepe-the-frog-creator-comic-alt-right-nightmare.html |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=Austin |title=Pepe the Frog creator's new Trump comic captures the horror of the 2016 election |url=http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/pepe-frog-trump-alt-right-comic/ |access-date=October 23, 2016 |website=The Daily Dot |date=October 17, 2016 |archive-date=October 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023141234/http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/pepe-frog-trump-alt-right-comic/ |url-status=live}} This was his first comic for the character since he ended Boy's Club in 2012.

In January 2017, in a response to "pundits" calling on Theresa May to disrupt Trump's relationship with Russia, the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom tweeted an image of Pepe.{{cite news|last1=Marcin|first1=Tim|date=January 9, 2017|title=Russian Embassy Posts Pepe The Frog Meme, A White Supremacist Hate Symbol, According To ADL|newspaper=International Business Times|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/russian-embassy-posts-pepe-frog-meme-white-supremacist-hate-symbol-according-adl-2472292|access-date=January 10, 2017|archive-date=March 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321224816/https://www.ibtimes.com/russian-embassy-posts-pepe-frog-meme-white-supremacist-hate-symbol-according-adl-2472292|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last1=Beauchamp|first1=Zack|date=January 9, 2017|title=The Russian government just tweeted an image of a white supremacist frog|url=https://www.vox.com/world/2017/1/9/14212496/russia-embassy-pepe|access-date=January 10, 2017|website=Vox|archive-date=September 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930011916/https://www.vox.com/world/2017/1/9/14212496/russia-embassy-pepe|url-status=live}} White supremacist Richard B. Spencer, during a street interview after Trump's inauguration, was preparing to explain the meaning of a Pepe pin on his jacket when he was punched in the face, with the resulting video itself becoming the source of many memes.{{cite news|last=Murphy|first=Paul P.|date=January 21, 2017|title=White nationalist Richard Spencer punched during interview|website=CNN Politics|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/white-nationalist-richard-spencer-punched|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=April 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422215702/https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/white-nationalist-richard-spencer-punched/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Amatulli|first=Jenna|date=January 23, 2017|title=Pepe's creator comments on alt-right leader Richard Spencer getting punched|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pepe-creator-comments-on-alt-right-leader-richard-spencer-getting-punched_us_58862a57e4b070d8cad3e30f|website=Huffington Post|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=February 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210022419/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pepe-creator-comments-on-alt-right-leader-richard-spencer-getting-punched_us_58862a57e4b070d8cad3e30f|url-status=live}}

On May 6, 2017, on Free Comic Book Day, it was announced that Furie had killed Pepe off in response to the character's continued use as a hate symbol.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39843468 |website=BBC News |title=Pepe the Frog 'is killed off to avoid being a hate symbol' |access-date=May 8, 2017 |archive-date=October 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022221326/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39843468 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Vincent |first1=James |title=Pepe the Frog is officially dead |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/8/15577340/pepe-the-frog-is-dead-matt-furie |website=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media |access-date=1 November 2018 |date=8 May 2017 |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107134123/https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/8/15577340/pepe-the-frog-is-dead-matt-furie |url-status=live}} However, in an interview with Carol Off on her show As It Happens Furie said that despite news of Pepe's death, he will eventually return: "The end is a chance for a new beginning ... I got some plans for Pepe that I can't really discuss, but he's going to rise from the ashes like a phoenix ... in a puff of marijuana smoke."{{Cite web |date=2022-06-06 |title=Pepe The Frog-Ugly Cute Memes Online High Quality Custom Soft Stuff Toys Supplier |url=https://bunnyhello.com/pepe-the-frog-ugly-cute-memes-online/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |language=en-US}}{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/as-it-happens/segment/12559848 |title=As It Happens: Pepe lives! Artist Matt Furie says internet-famous frog will 'rise from the ashes' |website=CBC Listen |access-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510105446/http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/as-it-happens/segment/12559848 |url-status=live}} Soon thereafter, Furie announced his intention to "resurrect" Pepe, launching a crowdfunding campaign for a new comic book featuring Pepe.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/pepe-the-frog-rises-from-the-dead,-creator-says/8654568 |title=Pepe the Frog rises from the dead, creator says |date=June 27, 2017 |website=ABC News |access-date=June 28, 2017 |archive-date=May 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529213048/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/pepe-the-frog-rises-from-the-dead,-creator-says/8654568 |url-status=live}} In a July 2017 interview with The Outline, Furie spoke about the comic in which he "killed" Pepe the Frog. He said, "This comic was just kind of my own kind of art therapy and dealing with the fact that Trump got elected and the new twist on Pepe that ensued. I decided to lay him to rest. But really it was just a joke, and a way for me to deal with the weirdness that was happening."{{Cite news|last=Bishop|first=Rollin|date=7 July 2017|title=Pepe's creator is on a mission to save his meme|work=The Outline|url=https://theoutline.com/post/1873/pepe-s-creator-is-on-a-mission-to-save-his-meme|access-date=17 January 2022|archive-date=7 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107042158/https://theoutline.com/post/1873/pepe-s-creator-is-on-a-mission-to-save-his-meme|url-status=live}}

In June 2017, a proposed app and Flappy Bird clone called "Pepe Scream" was rejected from the Apple App Store due to its depiction of Pepe the Frog. The app's developer, under the name "MrSnrhms", posted a screenshot of his rejection letter on r/The Donald. The app is available on the Google Play Store.{{cite web |last1=Koebler |first1=Jason |last2=Matsakis |first2=Louise |title=Pepe Is Banned From the Apple App Store |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pepe-is-banned-from-the-apple-app-store/ |access-date=June 9, 2017 |website=Motherboard |publisher=Vice Media |date=June 9, 2017 |archive-date=June 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621120949/https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/pepe-is-banned-from-the-apple-app-store |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Tarantola |first1=Andrew |title=Apple deems Pepe 'objectionable' and bans the frog from its App Store |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/09/apple-deems-pepe-objectionable-and-bans-the-frog-from-its-app/ |access-date=June 9, 2017 |website=Engadget |date=June 9, 2017 |archive-date=February 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204085554/https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/09/apple-deems-pepe-objectionable-and-bans-the-frog-from-its-app/ |url-status=live}}

A children's book appropriating the Pepe character, The Adventures of Pepe and Pede, advanced "racist, Islamophobic and hate-filled themes", according to a federal lawsuit Furie filed. The suit was settled out of court in August 2017, with terms including the withdrawal of the book from publication and the profits being donated to the nonprofit Council on American-Islamic Relations. Initially self-published, the book was subsequently published by Post Hill Press.{{cite news|title=An assistant principal wrote a children's book about alt-right mascot Pepe the frog. It cost him his job|first=Cleve R.|last=Wootson|date=August 15, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/08/15/an-assistant-principal-wrote-a-childrens-book-about-alt-right-mascot-pepe-the-frog-it-cost-his-job/|access-date=October 14, 2017|archive-date=July 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714173001/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/08/15/an-assistant-principal-wrote-a-childrens-book-about-alt-right-mascot-pepe-the-frog-it-cost-his-job/|url-status=live}} The book's author, a vice-principal with the Denton Independent School District, was reassigned after the publicity.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/books/pepe-the-frog-cartoonist-childrens-book.html|title=Pepe the Frog Cartoonist Stops Distribution of Children's Book|last=Deb|first=Sopan|date=August 30, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901201813/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/books/pepe-the-frog-cartoonist-childrens-book.html|archive-date=September 1, 2017|url-status=live}}

Until September 2018, Social media service Gab used a Pepe-like illustration of a frog (named "Gabby") as its logo. The site is popular with the alt-right.{{cite news|last1=Ellis|first1=Emma Grey|title=Gab, the Alt-Right's Very Own Twitter, Is The Ultimate Filter Bubble|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/09/gab-alt-rights-twitter-ultimate-filter-bubble/|access-date=October 19, 2017|magazine=Wired|date=September 14, 2016|archive-date=December 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204104624/https://www.wired.com/2016/09/gab-alt-rights-twitter-ultimate-filter-bubble/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/us-news/gab-robert-bowers-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-tree-of-life-1.471677|title=What is Gab? The alt-right social media platform used by suspected Pittsburgh shooter Robert Bowers|last=Weich|first=Ben|date=2018-10-29|website=The Jewish Chronicle|access-date=2019-05-20|archive-date=2019-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219183344/https://www.thejc.com/news/us-news/gab-robert-bowers-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-tree-of-life-1.471677|url-status=live}}

In 2018, Furie succeeded in having images of Pepe removed from The Daily Stormer website.

In January 2019, the video game Jesus Strikes Back: Judgment Day was released, which allows players to play as Pepe the Frog, among other figures, and murder various target groups including feminists, minorities, and liberals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/anger-over-sick-video-game-that-allows-you-play-trump-gunning-down-migrants-feminists-antifa-1441745|title=Anger over "sick" video game that allows you to play as Donald Trump gunning down migrants, feminists and Antifa|first=Alfred Joyner On 6/3/19 at 5:55 AM|last=EDT|date=June 3, 2019|website=Newsweek|access-date=June 6, 2019|archive-date=March 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302163822/https://www.newsweek.com/anger-over-sick-video-game-that-allows-you-play-trump-gunning-down-migrants-feminists-antifa-1441745|url-status=live}}

In June 2019, Furie received a $15,000 out of court settlement in a copyright infringement case against Infowars and Alex Jones concerning unlicensed use of the image of Pepe the Frog on far-right themed posters. Furie stated that he would continue to "enforce his copyrights aggressively to make sure nobody else is profiting off associating Pepe the Frog with hateful imagery."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/13/pepe-the-frog-creator-wins-15000-settlement-against-infowars|title=Pepe the Frog creator wins $15,000 settlement against Infowars|first=Holly|last=Swinyard|date=June 13, 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=May 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513081741/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/13/pepe-the-frog-creator-wins-15000-settlement-against-infowars|url-status=live}}

"Kek", from "{{wt|ko|kekeke|i=-}}"/"{{wt|ko|ㅋㅋㅋ|i=-}}", a Korean-language onomatopoeia of laughter used similarly to "LOL", is the Korean equivalent of the English "haha". Since this is often used in StarCraft matches, Blizzard, Starcraft{{'}}s developers, decided to reference it in World of Warcraft (2004): when a player of the Horde faction types "lol" using the /say messaging command, members of the opposing faction see it as "kek".{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/14/16310330/destiny-2-armor-white-nationalist-kek-symbol-explanation|title=Bungie explains how Destiny 2 armor resembling hate symbol made it into the game|first=Samit|last=Sarkar|date=September 14, 2017|accessdate=August 4, 2018|work=Polygon|archive-date=May 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520062428/https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/14/16310330/destiny-2-armor-white-nationalist-kek-symbol-explanation|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/wew-lad-meme/|title=Wew, lad: Everyone hates this meme that simply refuses to die|date=September 12, 2016|website=The Daily Dot|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=May 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518190447/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/wew-lad-meme/|url-status=live}} A common misconception is that "kek" originated as a variation of "lel", itself a variation of "lol".{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2015/12/14/mosque-arson-suspect-left-social-media-hints-anti-muslim-anti-semitic-views|title=Mosque Arson Suspect Left Social Media Hints of Anti-Muslim, Anti-Semitic Views|website=The Southern Poverty Law Center|date=14 December 2015 |access-date=2017-03-12|archive-date=2019-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327122958/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2015/12/14/mosque-arson-suspect-left-social-media-hints-anti-muslim-anti-semitic-views|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/donald-trump-pepe-billboards-pennsylvania/|title=Alt-right trolls Pennsylvania with billboard of Trump Pepe|date=October 6, 2016|website=The Daily Dot|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=May 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512055045/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/donald-trump-pepe-billboards-pennsylvania/|url-status=live}}

During the 2016 United States presidential election, Kek became associated with alt-right politics.{{cite news |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/in-charlottesville-gop-candidate-for-governor-corey-stewart-allies-with/article_211e1dbc-c324-5664-94d1-186aa24bb5d0.html |title=In Charlottesville, GOP candidate for governor Corey Stewart allies with alt-right-inspired blogger who wants to protect 'glorious Western civilization' |first=Graham |last=Moomaw |newspaper=Richmond Times-Dispatch |date=February 16, 2017 |access-date=March 12, 2017 |archive-date=November 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109100127/https://richmond.com/news/virginia/in-charlottesville-gop-candidate-for-governor-corey-stewart-allies-with/article_211e1dbc-c324-5664-94d1-186aa24bb5d0.html |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37431509 |title=Naked Nigel, the God Kek and modern politics |first=Mark |last=Mardell |author-link=Mark Mardell |date=September 22, 2016 |website=BBC News |access-date=June 21, 2018 |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112012315/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37431509 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.vocativ.com/377958/alt-right-richard-spencer/ |title=Cucks & Kek: Racism's Old Guard Reaches Out To An Online Generation |first=James |last=King |date=November 22, 2016 |website=Vocativ |access-date=March 12, 2017 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111224740/https://www.vocativ.com/377958/alt-right-richard-spencer/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://mancunion.com/2016/12/01/harambe-and-the-magic-of-memes/ |title=Harambe and the magic of memes |date=December 1, 2016 |first=Colm |last=Lock |newspaper=The Mancunion |access-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224080231/https://mancunion.com/2016/12/01/harambe-and-the-magic-of-memes/ |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/richard-spencer-trump-alt-right-white-nationalist |title=Meet the White Nationalist Trying To Ride The Trump Train to Lasting Power |first=Josh |last=Harkinson |date=October 27, 2016 |magazine=Mother Jones |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-date=October 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030225130/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/richard-spencer-trump-alt-right-white-nationalist/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/trump-rare-pepes-rain-frogs-meme/ |title=Trump Fans Unleash Last-Minute Flood of Pepe the Frog Memes |first=Jay |last=Hathaway |date=November 7, 2016 |website=The Daily Dot |access-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-date=November 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114231158/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/trump-rare-pepes-rain-frogs-meme/ |url-status=live}} Kek is associated with the occurrence of repeating digits, known as "dubs", "trips", "quads", among other terms, in the sequential codes assigned to posts made on 4chan, as if he had the ability to influence reality through Internet memes.{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/trumps-occult-online-supporters-believe-pepe-meme-magic-got-him-elected/ |title=Trump's Occult Online Supporters Believe 'Meme Magic' Got Him Elected |first=Paul |last=Spencer |date=November 18, 2016 |website=Motherboard |publisher=Vice Media |access-date=March 12, 2017 |archive-date=January 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125155034/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/trumps-occult-online-supporters-believe-pepe-meme-magic-got-him-elected |url-status=live}}

Online message boards such as 4chan first noted a similarity between Kek and Pepe.{{cite magazine|last=Singal|first=Jesse|date=May 30, 2016|title=4chan Isn't Sure Whether It's Excited the Times Wrote Up Its Anti-Semitism|url=http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/05/4chan-isnt-sure-whether-its-excited-the-times-wrote-up-its-antisemitism.html|magazine=New York|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=September 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924123301/http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/05/4chan-isnt-sure-whether-its-excited-the-times-wrote-up-its-antisemitism.html|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Posner|first=Sarah|date=February 24, 2017|title=CPAC's Flirtation With the Alt-Right Is Turning Awkward|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/cpacs-flirtation-with-the-alt-right-is-turning-awkward-w468748|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=February 26, 2017|archive-date=August 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826074242/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/cpacs-flirtation-with-the-alt-right-is-turning-awkward-w468748|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/unclick/trash-dove-purple-bird-alt-right-meme/|title=The alt-right is trying to co-opt that dumb purple bird on Facebook|last=Hathaway|first=Jay|date=February 15, 2017|website=The Daily Dot|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403174938/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/trash-dove-purple-bird-alt-right-meme/|url-status=live}} The phrase is widely used and 4chan users see Kek as the {{"'}}god' of memes".{{cite journal|last1=Hine|first1=G. E.|last2=Onaolapo|first2=J.|last3=De Cristofaro|first3=E.|last4=Kourtellis|first4=N.|last5=Leontiadis|first5=I.|last6=Samaras|first6=R.|last7=Stringhini|first7=G.|last8=Blackburn|first8=J.|date=October 11, 2016|title=Kek, Cucks, and God Emperor Trump: A Measurement Study of 4chan's Politically Incorrect Forum and Its Effects on the Web|url=https://archive.org/details/arxiv-1610.03452|journal=Social and Information Networks|arxiv=1610.03452|bibcode=2016arXiv161003452E}} The phrase then became associated with the Egyptian deity Kek.

"Esoteric Kekism" references the "Esoteric Hitlerism" of writer Savitri Devi.{{cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/823142/writings-of-french-hindu-who-worshipped-hitler-as-an-avatar-of-vishnu-are-inspiring-the-us-alt-right|title=Writings of French Hindu who worshipped Hitler as an avatar of Vishnu are inspiring the US alt-right|last=Smith|first=Blake|date=December 17, 2016|website=Scroll.in|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=March 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327123112/https://scroll.in/article/823142/writings-of-french-hindu-who-worshipped-hitler-as-an-avatar-of-vishnu-are-inspiring-the-us-alt-right|url-status=live}} Esoteric Kekism, also called "the Cult of Kek",{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/how-an-ancient-egyptian-god-spurred-the-rise-of-trump-72598|title=How an ancient Egyptian god spurred the rise of Trump|date=March 7, 2017|website=The Conversation|access-date=July 18, 2017|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526225706/https://theconversation.com/how-an-ancient-egyptian-god-spurred-the-rise-of-trump-72598|url-status=live}} is a parody religion worshipping Pepe the Frog, which sprang from the similarity of the slang term for laughter, "kek", and the name of the ancient Egyptian frog god of darkness, Kek.{{cite web|url=http://reallifemag.com/apocalypse-whatever/|title=Apocalypse Whatever|last=Burton|first=Tara Isabella|date=February 14, 2017|website=Real Life|access-date=February 24, 2017|archive-date=May 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526225710/https://reallifemag.com/apocalypse-whatever/|url-status=live}} This deity, in turn, was associated with Pepe the Frog on internet forums.{{cite web|url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/01/trump-supporters-outraged-by-slight-to-pepe-meme/|title=Trump Supporters Outraged By Slight To Pepe Meme|last=Menegus|first=Bryan|date=January 4, 2017|website=Gizmodo|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403145926/https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/01/trump-supporters-outraged-by-slight-to-pepe-meme/|url-status=live}} The Internet meme has its origin on the internet message forum 4chan and other chans, and the board /pol/ in particular.{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ryanhatesthis/trump-supporters-and-neo-nazis-are-using-secret-chat-rooms-t|title=Trump Supporters And Neo-Nazis Are Using Secret Chatrooms To Harass Shia LaBeouf|last=Broderick|first=Ryan|date=January 25, 2017|website=Buzzfeed News|access-date=August 6, 2021|archive-date=November 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114232206/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/trump-supporters-and-neo-nazis-are-using-secret-chat-rooms-t|url-status=live}} Kek references are closely associated with Trump and the alt-right,{{refn|{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/12/19/emerging-racists-challenge-covering-radical-right|title=The Emerging Racists: The Challenge of Covering the Radical Right|date=December 19, 2016|website=The Southern Poverty Law Center|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403174557/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/12/19/emerging-racists-challenge-covering-radical-right|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://torrentfreak.com/steal-show-s02e02-platform-160913/|title=Steal This Show S02E02: 'The Platform Is You'|last=King|first=J.J.|date=September 14, 2016|website=TorrentFreak|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=April 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405092413/https://torrentfreak.com/steal-show-s02e02-platform-160913/|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Kestenbaum|first=Sam|date=February 17, 2017|title=In Elaborate Joke, Internet Provocateurs Turn 'Trash Bird' Into Nazi Icon|url=http://forward.com/fast-forward/363558/in-elaborate-joke-internet-provocateurs-turn-trash-bird-into-nazi-icon/|magazine=The Forward|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=August 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809082742/https://forward.com/fast-forward/363558/in-elaborate-joke-internet-provocateurs-turn-trash-bird-into-nazi-icon/|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Goldberg|first=Michelle|date=February 23, 2017|title=Alt-Right Facts|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/02/cpac_invented_an_alternate_history_of_the_alt_right.html|magazine=Slate|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=October 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012115556/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/02/cpac_invented_an_alternate_history_of_the_alt_right.html|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Bruet-Ferréol|first=Quentin|date=November 17, 2016|title=Les trolls de 4chan sont persuadés d'avoir fait élire Donald Trump|url=http://www.slate.fr/story/128864/4chan-victoire-donald-trump|magazine=Slate|language=fr|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=August 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808195144/http://www.slate.fr/story/128864/4chan-victoire-donald-trump|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://thedailycougar.com/2016/11/02/alt-right-new-evolving-movement/|title=Alt-right is a new, evolving movement|last=Nunez|first=E. J.|date=November 2, 2016|website=The Cougar|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403190343/http://thedailycougar.com/2016/11/02/alt-right-new-evolving-movement/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/what-alt-right-really-means-a-glossary-of-terms-201920005.html|title=What 'alt-right' really means: a glossary of terms|last=Dickson|first=Caitlin|date=November 23, 2016|website=Yahoo! News|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403145948/https://www.yahoo.com/news/what-alt-right-really-means-a-glossary-of-terms-201920005.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://gothamist.com/2016/12/08/daily_swastika_update_nyc_edition.php|title=More Swastikas Surface In Hell's Kitchen, Newtown Creek Nature Walk|last=Colon|first=David|date=December 8, 2016|website=Gothamist|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105172005/http://gothamist.com/2016/12/08/daily_swastika_update_nyc_edition.php|archive-date=November 5, 2017|url-status=dead}}}} and the Kek-Flag was spotted at the 2021 storming of the Capitol.{{cite news |title=Photos: Scenes from U.S. Capitol as rioters storm building |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/photography/2021/01/06/photos-scene-capitol-dc/?itid=hp-top-table-main-0106 |date=January 6, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-date=February 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205023248/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/photography/2021/01/06/photos-scene-capitol-dc/?itid=hp-top-table-main-0106 |url-status=live}}

In January 2025, Elon Musk briefly changed his username on X to Kekius Maximus, with a profile image of Pepe in Roman military dress, and sent up the value of the memecoin.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy53vz1qpx1o |title=Elon Musk changes his name to Kekius Maximus on X |author1=Tom Bayly |author2=Patrick Jackson |date=1 January 2025 |publisher=BBC}}{{cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/omg/viral-news-from-the-web/article-835969|access-date=21 February 2025|title=Elon Musk changes X profile name to 'Kekius Maximus', causing surge in meme coin prices|date=4 January 2025 |publisher=The Jerusalem Post}}{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/elon-musks-kekius-maximus-meme-coin-sparks-wild-4800-surge-is-this-future-of-crypto/articleshow/117003033.cms|title=Elon Musk's 'Kekius Maximus' meme coin sparks wild 4,800% surge, is this future of crypto?|work=The Times of India |date=7 January 2025 |access-date=21 February 2025|publisher=Times of India}}

{{multiple image

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| image1 = Flag of Kekistan.svg

| image2 = War Ensign of Germany (1935–1938).svg

| footer = Flag of "Kekistan" (top){{cite web |last1=Neiwert |first1=David |title=What the Kek: Explaining the Alt-Right 'Deity' Behind Their 'Meme Magic' |date=9 May 2017 |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/08/what-kek-explaining-alt-right-deity-behind-their-meme-magic |publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center |access-date=2019-02-15 |archive-date=2017-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519155921/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/08/what-kek-explaining-alt-right-deity-behind-their-meme-magic |url-status=live}} and the war flag of the Nazi-era German armed forces

}}

File:Trump supporters May Day 2017 in New York City(34430306665) (cropped).jpg

Kekistan is a fictional country created by 4chan users that has become a political meme and online movement. The name is derived from "kek" and the suffix "-stan", a common Central Asian country suffix. Since late 2016, the satirical ethnicity of Kekistani has been used by U.S.-based alt-right protesters opposed to what they view as political correctness. These "Kekistanis" decry the supposed "oppression" of their people and troll counterprotesters by waving the "national flag of Kekistan" (modeled after the Nazi war flag, with the red replaced by green, the Iron Cross replaced by the logo for 4chan, and the swastika replaced by a rubric for KEK).{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/23/alt-right-online-humor-as-a-weapon-facism|title=Hiding in plain sight: how the 'alt-right' is weaponizing irony to spread fascism|last=Wilson|first=Jason|date=May 23, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=June 15, 2017|archive-date=May 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520020446/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/23/alt-right-online-humor-as-a-weapon-facism|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/08/what-kek-explaining-alt-right-%E2%80%98deity%E2%80%99-behind-their-%E2%80%98meme-magic%E2%80%99 |title=What the Kek: Explaining the Alt-Right 'Deity' Behind Their 'Meme Magic' |last=Neiwert |first=David |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |date=May 8, 2017 |access-date=May 11, 2017 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510221457/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/08/what-kek-explaining-alt-right-%E2%80%98deity%E2%80%99-behind-their-%E2%80%98meme-magic%E2%80%99 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/columns/article/20860683/democracy-in-crisis-populism-belonging-and-inside-jokes-at-trumps-reality-show-rally |title=Democracy in Crisis: Populism, Belonging, and Inside Jokes at Trump's Reality Show Rally |last=Woods |first=Baynard |newspaper=Washington City Paper |date=May 8, 2017 |access-date=May 11, 2017 |archive-date=March 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317052321/https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/columns/article/20860683/democracy-in-crisis-populism-belonging-and-inside-jokes-at-trumps-reality-show-rally |url-status=live}} This flag was prominently displayed at the 2017 Berkeley protest for free speech in mid-April,{{cite web |url=https://www.splcenter.org/file/14579 |title=kekbanner.jpg |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |access-date=June 18, 2017 |archive-date=July 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718233321/https://www.splcenter.org/file/14579 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/01/battle-berkeley-name-freedom-speech-radical-right-circling-ivory-tower-ensure-voice-alt |title=The Battle for Berkeley: In the name of freedom of speech, the radical right is circling the Ivory Tower to ensure a voice for the alt-right |last=Lenz |first=Ryan |date=May 1, 2017 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |access-date=June 18, 2017 |archive-date=October 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026143620/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/01/battle-berkeley-name-freedom-speech-radical-right-circling-ivory-tower-ensure-voice-alt |url-status=live}} and the Unite the Right rally in August 2017,{{cite news|title=Deconstructing the symbols and slogans spotted in Charlottesville|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-videos/|access-date=October 19, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 18, 2017|archive-date=August 20, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170820164610/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-videos/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Porter|first1=Tom|title=Here's a guide to the white nationalist groups involved in the Charlottesville demonstration|url=http://www.newsweek.com/who-are-white-nationalist-groups-who-demonstrated-charlottesville-650162|access-date=October 19, 2017|work=Newsweek|date=August 13, 2017|language=en|archive-date=October 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020042101/https://www.newsweek.com/who-are-white-nationalist-groups-who-demonstrated-charlottesville-650162|url-status=live}} and was carried by supporters of Donald Trump during the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.{{Cite web|last=Simon|first=Mallory|date=2021-01-09|title=Decoding the extremist symbols and groups at the Capitol Hill insurrection|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/capitol-hill-insurrection-extremist-flags-soh/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516174538/https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/capitol-hill-insurrection-extremist-flags-soh/index.html|archive-date=2021-05-16|access-date=2021-01-09|website=CNN}} Self-identified Kekistanis have created a fictional history around the meme, including the invasion and overthrow of other fictional countries such as "Normistan" and "Cuckistan". Kekistanis have also adopted Internet personality Gordon Hurd (in his "Big Man Tyrone" persona) as their president and the 1986 Italo disco record "Shadilay" as a national anthem.{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/meet-big-man-tyrone-the-president-of-kekistan-not-a-real-country/|title=Meet Big Man Tyrone, the president of Kekistan (not a real country)|last=Spector|first=Zeke|date=2017-11-03|website=Vice News|access-date=2017-12-20|archive-date=2019-05-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524012227/https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/mb9pn4/meet-big-man-tyrone-the-president-of-kekistan-not-a-real-country|url-status=live}} The record gained attention from the group in September 2016 because of the name of the group (P.E.P.E.) and art on the record depicting a frog holding a magic wand.

{{Main|Groyper}}

A variation of Pepe known as "Groyper" or "Easter Toad" was used as early as 2015, and became popular in 2017. Groyper is depicted as a rotund green, frog-like creature with its chin resting on interlocked fingers. There is some disagreement around the specifics of Groyper: it has been described as a depiction of the Pepe character,{{Cite web|title=Why alt-right trolls shouted down Donald Trump Jr.|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/11/20948317/alt-right-donald-trump-jr-conservative-tpusa-yaf-racism-antisemitism|last=Coaston|first=Jane|date=November 11, 2019|website=Vox|language=en|access-date=May 22, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112152101/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/11/20948317/alt-right-donald-trump-jr-conservative-tpusa-yaf-racism-antisemitism|url-status=live}} a different character from Pepe but of the same species,{{Cite web|title=Why Donald Trump Jr. Was Heckled by 'America First Nationalists'|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/11/why-donald-trump-jr-was-heckled-by-america-first-nationalists/|last=Kupfer|first=Theodore|date=November 14, 2019|website=National Review|language=en-US|access-date=May 22, 2020|archive-date=May 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523122708/https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/11/why-donald-trump-jr-was-heckled-by-america-first-nationalists/|url-status=live}} or a toad. The Groyper meme is the namesake for Groypers, a loose group of white nationalist activists and followers of Nick Fuentes.{{Cite web|title=The Far Right's New Toad Mascot Is a Fatter, More Racist Pepe the Frog|url=https://slate.com/technology/2017/12/groyper-the-far-right-s-new-meme-is-a-more-racist-version-of-pepe-the-frog.html|last=Mak|first=Aaron|date=December 4, 2017|website=Slate Magazine|language=en|access-date=May 22, 2020|archive-date=May 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522152200/https://slate.com/technology/2017/12/groyper-the-far-right-s-new-meme-is-a-more-racist-version-of-pepe-the-frog.html|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |title=Among the Insurrectionists |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/01/25/among-the-insurrectionists |first=Luke |last=Mogelson |magazine=The New Yorker |date=January 15, 2021 |access-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118180312/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/01/25/among-the-insurrectionists |url-status=live}}

File:2019-09-15 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protest 006.jpg

In August 2019, it was reported that various demonstrators at the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were using Pepe as a "resistance symbol".{{cite web |last1=Caldwell |first1=Don |title=Activists Adopt Pepe Memes in Hong Kong Protests |url=https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/in-the-media/activists-adopt-pepe-memes-in-hong-kong-protests |website=Know Your Meme |date=16 August 2019 |publisher=Literally Media Ltd. |access-date=August 18, 2019 |archive-date=March 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320013206/https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/in-the-media/activists-adopt-pepe-memes-in-hong-kong-protests |url-status=live}}{{cite web|last1=Ko|first1=Christina|date=August 17, 2019|title=How Pepe the Frog became face of Hong Kong protests – despite cartoon being a symbol of hate in US|url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3023060/how-pepe-frog-became-face-hong-kong-protests-despite-cartoon|access-date=November 17, 2019|website=South China Morning Post|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221165111/https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3023060/how-pepe-frog-became-face-hong-kong-protests-despite-cartoon|url-status=live}}

Hong Kong protestors began to use depictions of Pepe the Frog as a symbol of liberty and resistance against the extradition bill and police brutality in the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. New images of Pepe the Frog surfaced showing Pepe with an injured eye after a young female first aider had her eye injured by a projectile fired by police; the incident spurred a new protest campaign called "An eye for an eye". A sign with Pepe with an injured eye held by a young nurse with one eye covered gained international media attention.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html|title=Hong Kong Protesters Love Pepe the Frog. No, They're Not Alt-Right.|last=Victor|first=Daniel|date=2019-08-19|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-08-22|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2020-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502231237/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-pepe-frog.html|url-status=live}} Furie responded in an email with a protester, stating "This is great news! Pepe for the people!".{{Cite web|url=https://www.hk01.com/熱爆話題/365848/青蛙pepe曾被指極右象徵-今常見香港示威現場-創作者咁回應|title=青蛙Pepe曾被指極右象徵 今常見香港示威現場 創作者咁回應...|last=向樂高|date=2019-08-20|website=香港01|language=zh-HK|access-date=2019-08-22|archive-date=2020-02-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215014721/https://www.hk01.com/%E7%86%B1%E7%88%86%E8%A9%B1%E9%A1%8C/365848/%E9%9D%92%E8%9B%99pepe%E6%9B%BE%E8%A2%AB%E6%8C%87%E6%A5%B5%E5%8F%B3%E8%B1%A1%E5%BE%B5-%E4%BB%8A%E5%B8%B8%E8%A6%8B%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%A4%BA%E5%A8%81%E7%8F%BE%E5%A0%B4-%E5%89%B5%E4%BD%9C%E8%80%85%E5%92%81%E5%9B%9E%E6%87%89|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/141813/pepe青蛙成逆權運動文宣-網民去信告知原作者-原作者-pepe-for-the-people|title=Pepe青蛙成逆權運動文宣〜網民去信告知原作者, 原作者: 「Pepe for the people!」|website=Holiday 假期日常|language=zh-Hant-HK|access-date=2019-08-22|archive-date=2020-02-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228014750/https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/141813/pepe%E9%9D%92%E8%9B%99%E6%88%90%E9%80%86%E6%AC%8A%E9%81%8B%E5%8B%95%E6%96%87%E5%AE%A3-%E7%B6%B2%E6%B0%91%E5%8E%BB%E4%BF%A1%E5%91%8A%E7%9F%A5%E5%8E%9F%E4%BD%9C%E8%80%85-%E5%8E%9F%E4%BD%9C%E8%80%85-pepe-for-the-people|url-status=live}}

In the Hong Kong context, Pepe the Frog is not perceived as being connected with far-right ideology.{{cite news |last1=Bourke |first1=India |title=Hong Kong protesters transform alt-right Pepe the Frog into pro-democracy symbol |url=https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/10/03/hong-kong-protesters-transform-alt-right-pepe-frog-pro-democracy-symbol/ |work=Hong Kong Free Press |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=3 October 2019 |access-date=26 November 2019 |archive-date=5 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205105850/https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/10/03/hong-kong-protesters-transform-alt-right-pepe-frog-pro-democracy-symbol/ |url-status=live}} Hong Kongers were also generally unaware that Pepe the Frog had been appropriated by the alt-right and white supremacists in the United States.

A rare Pepe or RarePepe is a variation on the "Pepe the Frog" internet meme. The related Rare Pepe crypto project, created by various artists worldwide between 2016 and 2018, was based on the aforementioned meme and traded as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) recorded on the CounterParty platform. A total of 1,774 official cards were released for the project across 36 series.{{cite web |title=Rare Pepe Directory – Rare Pepes on the Bitcoin Blockchain |url=http://rarepepedirectory.com/ |website=rarepepedirectory.com |access-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-date=March 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324104746/https://rarepepedirectory.com/ |url-status=live}} On October 26, 2021, a rare Pepe, PEPENOPOULOS, sold at a Sotheby's auction for $3.6m USD.{{cite web |title=Debut Sotheby's 'Metaverse' auction sees record-breaking NFT sales |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/debut-sotheby-metaverse-auction-sees-102103038.html |access-date=November 19, 2021 |website=Yahoo! Finance |first=Sean |last=Dickens |date=October 27, 2021|archive-date=November 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101183200/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/debut-sotheby-metaverse-auction-sees-102103038.html |url-status=live}} Amongst other icons, it was featured on a Fortune magazine cover dedicated to a special report about cryptocurrency.{{Cite web|date=29 July 2021|others=pplpleasr1|title=August/September 2021 magazine cover art by @pplpleasr1.|url=https://twitter.com/fortunemagazine/status/1420803860336152577|url-status=live|access-date=18 January 2022|website=Fortune|via=Twitter|archive-date=6 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106040043/https://twitter.com/fortunemagazine/status/1420803860336152577}}

In 2015, a subset of Pepe memes began to be referred to as 'rare Pepes', with watermarks such as "RARE PEPE DO NOT SAVE", generally meaning that the artist had not previously posted the meme publicly. In April 2015, a collection of rare Pepes was listed on eBay where it reached a price of $99,166 before being removed from the site.{{cite web |title=Pepe the Frog |url=https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pepe-the-frog |url-status=live |website=Know Your Meme |date=March 26, 2015 |access-date=October 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011141748/https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pepe-the-frog |archive-date=October 11, 2021}}

In September 2016, the very first rare Pepes were mined in block 428919 on Bitcoin, pre-dating popular Ethereum-based NFTs. A Telegram chat group dedicated to discussing the Counterparty NFT was created shortly after.{{cite interview |title=Rare Pepe Wallet & The Birth of CryptoArt|url=https://www.artnome.com/news/2018/1/23/rare-pepe-wallet-the-birth-of-cryptoart|access-date=2021-10-14 |website=Artnome|language=en-US|interviewer=Jason Bailey|first=Joe|last=Looney|date=January 23, 2018|archive-date=2021-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028165652/https://www.artnome.com/news/2018/1/23/rare-pepe-wallet-the-birth-of-cryptoart|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=What Is CryptoArt?|url=https://www.artnome.com/news/2018/1/14/what-is-cryptoart|access-date=2021-10-14|website=Artnome|date=January 19, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028150402/https://www.artnome.com/news/2018/1/14/what-is-cryptoart|url-status=live}} By 2017, a community had grown around the digital collectables,{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/collectors-are-using-the-blockchain-to-keep-rare-pepes-rare/|title=Meme Collectors Are Using the Blockchain to Keep Rare Pepes Rare|website=Vice.com|first=Corin|last=Faife|date=January 27, 2017|access-date=August 12, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807093418/https://www.vice.com/en/article/aejvdb/collectors-are-using-the-blockchain-to-keep-rare-pepes-rare|url-status=live}} spurring developers to build platforms for the purpose of cataloging and exchanging these images, thereby creating the first crypto art market in 2016.{{cite news |last=Ostroff |first=Caitlin |title=The NFT Origin Story, Starring Digital Cats |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-nft-origin-story-starring-digital-cats-11620446425 |url-status=live |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=May 8, 2021 |access-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212195446/https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-nft-origin-story-starring-digital-cats-11620446425 |archive-date=December 12, 2021 |issn=0099-9660 |language=en-US}}

On January 13, 2018, a live auction of rare Pepes took place in New York City, including one based on Homer Simpson which sold for $38,500, watched by representatives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and Sotheby's Institute of Art in the audience.{{cite web |first=Jessica |last=Klein |title=I Went to the First Live Auction for Rare Pepes on the Blockchain |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-went-to-the-first-live-auction-for-rare-pepes-on-the-blockchain/ |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=Vice.com |date=January 18, 2018 |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321233804/https://www.vice.com/en/article/ev57p4/i-went-to-the-first-live-auction-for-rare-pepes-on-the-blockchain |url-status=live}} The buyer sold it three years later for $312,000.{{cite interview |title=Peter Kell Recounts The Story Of Buying 'Homer Pepe,' The Most Valuable Rare Pepe Ever, And How He Sold It For Over $300,000 Three Years Later |url=https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/interviews/peter-kell-recounts-the-story-of-buying-homer-pepe-the-most-valuable-rare-pepe-ever-and-how-he-sold-it-for-over-300000-three-years-later |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=Know Your Meme |first=Peter |last=Kell |archive-date=2022-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321235829/https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/interviews/peter-kell-recounts-the-story-of-buying-homer-pepe-the-most-valuable-rare-pepe-ever-and-how-he-sold-it-for-over-300000-three-years-later |url-status=live}}

In March 2022, a buyer who spent $537,084 on a rare Pepe filed a lawsuit claiming fraudulent misrepresentation, alleging that only one copy was to be sold whereas 46 copies were subsequently given away, devaluing his investment.{{cite web |date=March 17, 2022 |title="Rare" Pepe NFT Buyer Claims Issuers Misrepresented Terms in New Lawsuit |url=https://www.thefashionlaw.com/pepe-nft-buyer-claims-issuers-misrepresented-terms-in-new-lawsuit/ |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=The Fashion Law |language=en-US |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318000319/https://www.thefashionlaw.com/pepe-nft-buyer-claims-issuers-misrepresented-terms-in-new-lawsuit/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |date=March 25, 2022 |title=Rare Pepe NFT is not rare enough, $500k lawsuit alleges |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/rare-pepe-nft-is-not-rare-enough-dollar500k-lawsuit-alleges/ |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=Vice |language=en-US |first=Matthew |last=Gault |archive-date=2022-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325131418/https://www.vice.com/en/article/dypj37/rare-pepe-nft-is-not-rare-enough-dollar500k-lawsuit-alleges |url-status=live}}

Two components, created simultaneously, both support each other to enable interaction and asset exchange among both contributors and market participants:

• "Rare Pepe Wallet" is a web-based, encrypted wallet developed to allow users to buy, sell, and store rare Pepes using a medium of exchange called PepeCash.{{Cite web|date=February 21, 2017|title=The Rare Pepe economy is real, and there's serious money behind it|url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/rare-pepe-frog-meme-economy/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Daily Dot|language=en-US|first=Jay|last=Hathaway|archive-date=2021-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305181943/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/rare-pepe-frog-meme-economy/|url-status=live}} The backbone of the Rare Pepe Wallet is the Counterparty platform, which is built upon the bitcoin network.
• "Rare Pepe Directory" was a directory built to catalog all known rare Pepes, with specific guidelines for submitting the images for inclusion. The Rare Pepe Foundation removed any offensive images that were submitted before they became visible.

Crypto artists used these resources to publish their work as digital tokens with a fixed circulation and then issued the art to collectors who then sold, traded, or stored their collections.

Collectors use the 'Rare Pepe Blockchain Trading' channel on the Telegram instant messaging platform to discuss with other collectors.{{cite web|last=Roeder|first=Oliver|date=March 6, 2018|title=People Are Paying Thousands Of Dollars To Own Pictures Of Pepe The Frog|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pepe-the-frog-symbolism-cryptoart-blockchain/|access-date=2021-11-16|website=FiveThirtyEight|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309234616/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pepe-the-frog-symbolism-cryptoart-blockchain/|url-status=live}}

A 2020 documentary, Feels Good Man, relates the story of Pepe's origins and co-option by the alt-right, and Furie's attempts to regain control over his creation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/sundance/sundance-2020-spree-feels-good-man|title=Sundance 2020: Spree, Feels Good Man {{!}} Sundance {{!}} Roger Ebert|last=Allen|first=Nick|website=www.rogerebert.com|date=27 January 2020 |language=en|access-date=2020-02-15|archive-date=2020-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204161025/https://www.rogerebert.com/sundance/sundance-2020-spree-feels-good-man|url-status=live}}

{{div col}}

• Meme hack
• "Moon Man", a similarly appropriated by white supremacists version of McDonald's advertising mascot "Mac Tonight"
• Parody religion
• Religion and the Internet
• Religious satire
• Toad worship

{{div col end}}

• Related to Rare Pepe and similar NFTs:
• CryptoKitties
• CryptoPunks
• Bored Ape
• EtherRock
• List of most expensive non-fungible tokens
• Meme coin
• Trading card#Digital trading cards

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite news |title=Pepe the Frog Creator: I'm Reclaiming Him. He Was Never About Hate |first=Matt |last=Furie |date=October 13, 2016 |magazine=Time |url=https://time.com/4530128/pepe-the-frog-creator-hate-symbol/}}
• {{cite magazine |url=https://nymag.com/selectall/2016/09/how-internet-trolls-won-the-2016-presidential-election.html |title=How Internet Trolls Won the 2016 Presidential Election |date=September 16, 2016 |magazine=New York |last=Singal |first=Jesse}}

• {{Know Your Meme|pepe-the-frog}}
• [http://www.rarepepedirectory.com Rare Pepe Directory]
• [https://www.rarepepewallet.com Rare Pepe Wallet]

{{4chan}}

{{alt-right footer}}

{{2019 Hong Kong protests}}

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