Trollface

File:Trollface.png

Trollface or Troll Face is a rage comic meme image of a character donning a mischievous smile, used to symbolize internet trolls and trolling. It is one of the oldest and most widely known rage comic faces.{{cite web|title=Junge Zeiten: Bitte recht freundlich|url=https://www.ksta.de/region/region-archiv/junge-zeiten-bitte-recht-freundlich-5482250|last=Hagedorn|first=Patrick|date=July 5, 2012|website=Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger|language=de-DE|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528103559/https://www.ksta.de/region/region-archiv/junge-zeiten-bitte-recht-freundlich-5482250|archive-date=May 28, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020}}{{cite web|last=Connor|first=Tom|date=March 12, 2012|title=Fffuuuuuuuu: The internet anthropologist's field guide to "rage faces"|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/03/the-internet-anthropologists-field-guide-to-rage-faces.ars|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322130101/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/03/the-internet-anthropologists-field-guide-to-rage-faces/|archive-date=March 22, 2021|access-date=June 13, 2020|website=Ars Technica}}

History

Trollface was drawn in Microsoft Paint on September 19, 2008, by Carlos Ramirez, an 18-year-old Oakland college student.{{cite web|last=Klepek|first=Patrick|date=April 8, 2015|title=The Maker Of The Trollface Meme Is Counting His Money|url=https://kotaku.com/the-maker-of-the-trollface-meme-is-counting-his-money-1696228810|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221101337/https://kotaku.com/the-maker-of-the-trollface-meme-is-counting-his-money-1696228810|archive-date=February 21, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020|website=Kotaku}}{{cite web|title=Trollface: El padre de los memes cumple 10 años|url=https://www.latercera.com/mouse/trollface-memes-aniversario/|last=Christiansen|first=Axel|date=September 20, 2018|website=La Tercera|language=es-cl|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528102309/https://www.latercera.com/mouse/trollface-memes-aniversario/|archive-date=May 28, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020}} The image was published on Ramirez's DeviantArt page, "Whynne", as part of a rage comic titled Trolls, about the pointless nature of trolling.{{cite web|last=Lazzaro|first=Sage|title=The Origin Stories Behind 5 of the Internet's Most Popular Memes|url=https://observer.com/2016/03/the-origin-stories-behind-5-of-the-internets-most-popular-memes/|date=March 30, 2016|website=Observer|access-date=May 28, 2020}}{{cite web|author=Whynne|title=Comic - Trolls|date=September 19, 2008|url=https://www.deviantart.com/whynne/art/Comic-Trolls-98357844|website=DeviantArt|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220030016/https://www.deviantart.com/whynne/art/Comic-Trolls-98357844|archive-date=February 20, 2020|access-date=2020-05-28}} Ramirez posted the image to the imageboard website 4chan, where other users began to share it.{{cite web|title=How the creator of the 'trollface' meme turned an MS Paint cartoon into a six-figure payday|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trollface-carlos-ramirez-100000-kotaku-cartoon-meme-viral-success-2015-4|last=Price|first=Rob|website=Business Insider|date=April 8, 2015|access-date=May 28, 2020}} In the following months, Ramirez's drawing quickly gained traction on 4chan as the universal emoticon of an internet troll and a versatile rage comic character. From 4chan, Trollface spread to Reddit and Urban Dictionary in 2009, eventually reaching other internet image-sharing sites such as Imgur and Facebook.

In March 2021, Ramirez announced his intention to sell a non-fungible token for Trollface.{{cite web|last=Viniacourt|first=Elise|title=Comme le Nyan Cat, les vieux mèmes d'internet s'envolent aux enchères|url=https://www.liberation.fr/lifestyle/hightech/comme-le-nyan-cat-les-vieux-memes-dinternet-senvolent-aux-encheres-20210320_IVHAEU44AFERZHR4GJ6T2WBFMY/|access-date=July 7, 2021|website=Libération|language=fr}}

Usage

Trollface shows an internet troll, someone who annoys others on the internet for their own amusement. The original comic by Ramirez mocked trolls; however, the image is widely used by trolls.{{cite web|last=Macale|first=Sherilynn|date=September 30, 2011|title=7 memes to know: Internet culture at its finest|url=https://thenextweb.com/shareables/2011/09/30/7-memes-to-know-internet-culture-at-its-finest/|access-date=June 13, 2020|website=The Next Web}} Trollface has been described as the internet equivalent of the children's taunt "nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah" or sticking one's tongue out.

Copyright

On April 8, 2015, Kotaku ran an in-depth interview article with Ramirez about his now-iconic rage comic character. In the article, Ramirez estimated that since registering Trolls with the United States Copyright Office on July 27, 2010, he had earned more than $100,000 in licensing fees and other payouts associated with Trollface, including from licensing for shirts emblazoned with the face being sold by the retail chain Hot Topic, with monthly revenues reaching as high as $15,000 at its peak.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In addition, Ramirez also offered a backstory behind the removal of the video game Meme Run for Wii U for copyright infringement for including Trollface as the main character.{{cite web|last=Whitehead|first=Thomas|date=March 4, 2015|title=Copyright Owner of 'Trollface' Image Explains Role in Getting Meme Run Taken Down|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/03/copyright_owner_of_trollface_image_explains_role_in_getting_meme_run_taken_down|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516015343/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/03/copyright_owner_of_trollface_image_explains_role_in_getting_meme_run_taken_down|archive-date=May 16, 2021|access-date=May 28, 2020|website=Nintendo Life}} Trollface is protected by copyright, but is not trademarked.{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Phil|date=July 24, 2015|title=5 faces you never realized were trademarked|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/7/24/9022381/trademarked-faces|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515105145/https://www.vox.com/2015/7/24/9022381/trademarked-faces|archive-date=May 15, 2021|access-date=May 28, 2020|website=Vox}}

Impact

File:Trollface makeup.jpg 2011|alt=Man cosplaying as Trollface]]

Trollface was described by {{lang|es|La Tercera}} as "the father of memes". A bust of Trollface was exhibited at the Mexico City museum Museo del Meme.{{cite web|date=December 8, 2018|title=Museo del Meme estará abierto solo este fin de semana en la Ciudad de México|url=https://www.infobae.com/america/mexico/2018/12/08/museo-del-meme-esta-abierto-y-estara-abierto-solo-este-fin-de-semana/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209114007/https://www.infobae.com/america/mexico/2018/12/08/museo-del-meme-esta-abierto-y-estara-abierto-solo-este-fin-de-semana/|archive-date=December 9, 2018|access-date=May 28, 2020|website=infobae|language=es-ES}}

In March 2012, a viral video showed a banner emblazoned with Trollface and the word "Problem?" being used by fans of the Turkish Second League football team Eskişehirspor to protest a rule change.{{cite web|title=Problem? Turkish soccer fans protest rule change with troll face|url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/problem-turkish-soccer-protest-troll-face/|last=Eördögh|first=Fruzsina|date=March 3, 2020|website=The Daily Dot|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528102324/https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/problem-turkish-soccer-protest-troll-face/|archive-date=May 28, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020}}

In the Black Mirror episode "Shut Up and Dance", the blackmailers send Trollface photographs after they leak the victims' secrets in spite of their compliance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/black-mirror/black-mirrors-shut-up-and-dance-is-a-nauseating-ta/|title = Black Mirror's "Shut up and Dance" is a Nauseating Tale of Online Crime and Punishment|date = October 24, 2016|work=Paste}}

In February 2021, Rebecca Black released a remix of her 2011 song "Friday" to celebrate its 10th anniversary, with the song's music video featuring several rage comic characters, including Trollface.{{cite web|date=February 11, 2021|title=Rebecca Black Reclaims 'Friday'|url=https://www.papermag.com/rebecca-black-friday-remix-anniversary-2650431797.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2?rebelltitem=2|access-date=March 24, 2021|website=PAPER}}

In March 2022, as a reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hackers intercepted the Russian military radio frequencies and broadcast a series of trollfaces on military radio transmissions.{{cite web|title=Anonymous hacking group troll Russia with meme on military radio broadcast|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/anonymous-hacking-group-troll-russia-with-meme-on-military-radio-broadcast-1501848|date=March 7, 2022|access-date=January 24, 2021|website=The i Paper}}