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The cartoonist who created Pepe the Frog has killed off the character in a rebuke to far-right extremists who transformed a benevolent internet meme into a racist, anti-Semitic symbol.

A Pepe cartoon released Saturday in comic book stores shows Matt Furie's creation in an open casket. Furie didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Monday.

In a Time magazine essay last year, Furie described Pepe as "chill frog-dude" who debuted in a 2006 comic book called "Boy's Club" and became a popular online subject for user-generated mutations.

But internet trolls hijacked the character and began flooding social media with hateful Pepe memes more than a year before the 2016 presidential election. Pepe became a tongue-in-cheek symbol of the "alt-right" fringe movement and its loosely connected brand of white nationalism, neo-Nazism and anti-immigration.

Pepe memes promoting Donald Trump's presidential campaign became so ubiquitous that Trump himself tweeted an image blending his likeness with the cartoon frog in October 2015.

The Anti-Defamation League branded Pepe as a hate symbol in September 2016 and promoted Furie's efforts to reclaim the character, with a social media campaign using the "#SavePepe" hashtag.

"That's a huge challenge," said Oren Segal, director of the ADL's Center on Extremism. "It just didn't pick up."

Segal said he doubts Pepe's cartoon death will erode his iconic status with the "alt-right" movement. Richard Spencer, a white nationalist who popularized the term "alt-right," said it could have the opposite effect.

"The artist isn't in control of his work once it enters the culture in the way it has," Spencer said.

Kyle Bristow, a Michigan attorney who founded a self-described "alt-right" nonprofit educational group called the Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas, said he already has seen a meme depicting Pepe as Jesus rising from the dead.

"The Republicans have an elephant. The Democrats have a donkey. The alt-right has a cartoon frog," Bristow said with a laugh.

Furie wasn't amused by how his creation became an "icon of hate," calling it a "nightmare" in his Time essay.

"Before he got wrapped up in politics, Pepe was an inside-joke and a symbol for feeling sad or feeling good and many things in between," Furie wrote. "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."

Fantagraphics, which published "Boy's Club," also published the one-page strip in which Furie killed off Pepe. Fantagraphics spokeswoman Jacq Cohen said she would be surprised if Furie never draws Pepe again, but she hadn't discussed his plans for the character with him.

"This whole Pepe co-opting experience has been pretty rough on Matt as an independent artist," Cohen said.

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Pepe the Frog Killed Off After Becoming Hate Symbol | Time.com

Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press 4:45 a.m. ET May 9, 2017

Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character turned Internet meme, has been added to the Anti-Defamation League's database of hate symbols. USA TODAY

Andrew Knight holds a sign of Pepe the frog, a conservative icon, during a rally in Berkeley, California on April 27, 2017.(Photo: JOSH EDELSON, AFP/Getty Images)

The cartoonist who created Pepe the Frog has killed off the character in a rebuke to far-right extremists who transformed a benevolent internet meme into a racist, anti-Semitic symbol.

A Pepe cartoon released Saturday in comic book stores shows Matt Furies creation in an open casket. Furie didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment Monday.

In a Time magazine essay last year, Furie described Pepe as chill frog-dude who debuted in a 2006 comic book called Boys Club and became a popular online subject for user-generated mutations.

But internet trolls hijacked the character and began flooding social media with hateful Pepe memes more than a year before the 2016 presidential election. Pepe became a tongue-in-cheek symbol of the alt-right fringe movement and its loosely connected brand of white nationalism, neo-Nazism and anti-immigration.

Pepe memes promoting Donald Trumps presidential campaign became so ubiquitous that Trump himself tweeted an image blending his likeness with the cartoon frog in October 2015.

The Anti-Defamation League branded Pepe as a hate symbol in September 2016 and promoted Furies efforts to reclaim the character, with a social media campaign using the #SavePepe hashtag.

Thats a huge challenge, said Oren Segal, director of the ADLs Center on Extremism. It just didnt pick up.

Segal said he doubts Pepes cartoon death will erode his iconic status with the alt-right movement.

READ MORE:

Pepe the Frog declared a hate symbol by Anti-Defamation League

Richard Spencer, a white nationalist who popularized the term alt-right, said it could have the opposite effect.

The artist isnt in control of his work once it enters the culture in the way it has, Spencer said.

Kyle Bristow, a Michigan attorney who founded a self-described alt-right nonprofit educational group called the Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas, said he already has seen a meme depicting Pepe as Jesus rising from the dead.

The Republicans have an elephant. The Democrats have a donkey. The alt-right has a cartoon frog, Bristow said with a laugh.

Furie wasnt amused by how his creation became an icon of hate, calling it a nightmare in his Time essay.

Before he got wrapped up in politics, Pepe was an inside-joke and a symbol for feeling sad or feeling good and many things in between, Furie wrote. I understand that its out of my control, but in the end, Pepe is whatever you say he is, and I, the creator, say that Pepe is love.

Fantagraphics, which published Boys Club, also published the one-page strip in which Furie killed off Pepe. Fantagraphics spokeswoman Jacq Cohen said she would be surprised if Furie never draws Pepe again but she hadnt discussed his plans for the character with him.

This whole Pepe co-opting experience has been pretty rough on Matt as an independent artist, Cohen said.

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Pepe the Frog croaks: Cartoonist kills off character that ...

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: The creator of Pepe the Frog has symbolically killed off the cartoon frog, effectively surrendering control of the character to the far right. Matt Furie, an artist and children's book author, created the now-infamous frog as part of his "Boy's Club" series on MySpace in 2005. Pepe took on a life of its own online as a meme, before being eventually adopted as a symbol by the "alt-right" in the lead-up to last year's U.S. election. In September, Hillary Clinton identified Pepe the Frog as a racist hate symbol, and Pepe was added to the Anti-Defamation League's database of hate symbols. Furie launched a campaign to "Save Pepe," flooding the internet with "peaceful or nice" depictions of the character in a bid to shake its association with white supremacy and antisemitism. But he now seems to have conceded defeat, killing the character off in a one-page strip for the independent publisher Fantagraphics' Free Comic Book Day. It showed Pepe laid to rest in an open casket, being mourned by his fellow characters from Boy's Club.

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Pepe the Frog Is Dead - Slashdot

Forbes

How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred Forbes Regardless of who you are, you've probably seen Pepe's smug, fat-lipped face smirking at you from your monitor. Perhaps he randomly popped up on your Facebook timeline, headlining a meme, or even made an unlikely appearance as the main headline in ... Cartoonist kills off Pepe the Frog after character linked to racism, anti-SemitismCBS News Pepe the Frog Is Dead, or So His Creator HopesNew York Times Pepe the Frog 'dies' at age 12New York Post Vox -Washington Post -BBC News -TIME all 115 news articles »

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How 'Pepe The Frog' Became A Symbol Of Hatred - Forbes

It's all over. Pepe the Frog and his chilledsmirk are no longer.

Created by cartoonist Matt Furie more than a decade ago, the drowsyfrog went on tobecome the poster boy of pro-Trump legions due tosome obscure mechanism only the internet can generate. Today, the once peace-loving frog has been symbolically killed off by his own creator.

Over the weekend, Matt Furie shared online a somberdrawingshowing the amphibian alone in a coffin with only his most iconic portrait looming over him.

A symbolicway toexpress his frustration and disgust with his character's parallel life which had become synonymous with racism and xenophobia Pepe's deathis above all a defeat for Furie.

Faced with internet trolls and the rise of white supremacism, the cartoonist had no choice but to let the characterpass on.

Pepe the Frog was born on MySpace in 2005 asone of the main characters ofthe comicBoy's Club.Starting off life as a simple cartoon, Pepe was then shared all over the web as the "feels good, man" meme whichshowed him quietly taking a leak with his pants around his ankles.

The innocent frog was then disfigured at the hands of the extremist groups populating 4chan, who decorated him with Nazi symbols orTrump's (and, more recently, Marine Le Pen's) haircut.

In turn, this led to Pepe being included in the Anti-Defamation League's blacklistof hate symbols, despite Furie's attempts toreclaim the spirit of his artwork from the clutches of the far-right thieves.

In November 2016, a few days before Trump's final victory, Matt Furie launched an initiative to "save Pepe," encouraging users to flood Twitter with images of the original Pepe via the #SavePepe hashtag. Unfortunately, it didnt work, the alt-right being particularly active and coordinated on social networks.

By putting an end tohis creation's tumultuous life, Matt Furie hasacknowledged the overwhelming power of online communities. With a heavy heart, he describes his characterescaping from him as "a nightmare,"and says that Pepe was once just a "peaceful frog-dude".

Farewell Pepe, martyr of the internet: we will neverforget your sacrifice.

Read More ->ZARA Causes A Scandal With A Skirt Design That Looks Like 'Pepe The Frog'

Science, data, culture et galjades. Internet est mon glise.

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Pepe The Frog Killed Off By Creator Following Alt-Right Appropriation - Konbini US