{{short description|Internet meme}} [[File:First Rage Comic.jpg|thumb|The very first rage comic, originally published on 4chan in 2008. The caricaturistic face exaggerates the annoyance felt by someone when the toilet water splashes right into the butt of said individual.{{dubious|date=June 2024}}]] A '''rage comic''' is a short cartoon strip using a growing set of pre-made cartoon faces, or '''rage faces''', which usually express rage or some other simple emotion or activity.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/technology/personaltech/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html |date=May 9, 2012 |last=Boutin |first=Paul |title=Put Your Rage Into a Cartoon and Exit Laughing |work=The New York Times |access-date=February 28, 2017 |archive-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314141449/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/technology/personaltech/rage-comics-turn-everyday-stress-into-laughs.html |url-status=live }}</ref> They are usually crudely drawn in Microsoft Paint or other simple drawing programs, and were most popular in the early 2010s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=rage%20comics,troll%20face,rage%20guy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515103729/https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=rage%20comics,troll%20face,rage%20guy|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 15, 2021|title=Google Trends|website=Google Trends|access-date=2017-10-01}}</ref> These webcomics have spread much in the same way that Internet memes do, and several memes have originated in this medium. They have been characterized by Ars Technica as an "accepted and standardized form of online communication".<ref name="ars">{{cite web |last=Connor |first=Tom |title=Fuuuuuuuu: The Internet anthropologist's field guide to "rage faces" |publisher=Condé Nast |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/03/the-internet-anthropologists-field-guide-to-rage-faces.ars |date=11 March 2012 |access-date=12 March 2012 |archive-date=22 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322130101/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/03/the-internet-anthropologists-field-guide-to-rage-faces/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The popularity of rage comics has been attributed to their use as vehicles for humorizing shared experiences.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hoevel |first=Ann |title=The Know Your Meme team gets all scientific on the intarwebs |work=GeekOut |publisher=CNN |url=http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/11/the-know-your-meme-team-gets-all-scientific-on-teh-intarwebs/ |date=11 October 2011 |access-date=9 December 2011 |archive-date=13 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213125509/http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/11/the-know-your-meme-team-gets-all-scientific-on-teh-intarwebs/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== History == [[File:Rage guy cosplay.jpg|thumb|A man cosplaying as Rage Guy at Anime Los Angeles 2012]] Although used on numerous websites such as Reddit, Cheezburger, ESS.MX, Ragestache, and 9GAG, the source of the rage comic has largely been attributed to 4chan in mid-2008. The first rage comic was posted to the 4chan /b/ "Random" board in 2008. It was a simple 4-panel strip showing the author's anger about having water splash into their anus while on the toilet, with the final panel featuring a zoomed-in face, known as Rage Guy, saying "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-". It was quickly reposted and modified, with other users creating new scenarios and characters.<ref name=weirdworm>{{cite web | title=Our 8 Favorite Rage Comic Characters: a Case Study | url=http://www.weirdworm.com/our-8-favorite-rage-comic-characters-a-case-study/ | author=Ben Dennison | date=28 March 2012 | publisher=www.weirdworm.com | access-date=March 30, 2014 | archive-date=30 March 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330233159/http://www.weirdworm.com/our-8-favorite-rage-comic-characters-a-case-study/ | url-status=usurped }}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2024}}
Google Trends data shows that the term "rage guy" peaked in February 2012 while the terms "rage comics" and "troll face" both peaked at the same time.<ref name=":0" />
The range of expression and standardized, easily identifiable faces has allowed uses such as teaching English as a foreign language.<ref name="english">{{cite web |last=Wolford |first=Josh |title=Teaching The English Language With Rage (Comics) |publisher=WebProNews |url=http://www.webpronews.com/teaching-the-english-language-with-rage-comics-2011-11 |date=2 November 2011 |access-date=10 November 2011 |archive-date=24 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224101516/http://www.webpronews.com/teaching-the-english-language-with-rage-comics-2011-11 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Trollface === {{Main|Trollface}} One of the most widely used rage comic faces is the Trollface, drawn by Oakland artist Carlos Ramirez in 2008.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://kotaku.com/the-maker-of-the-trollface-meme-is-counting-his-money-1696228810|title=The Maker Of The Trollface Meme Is Counting His Money|last=Klepek|first=Patrick|work=Kotaku|access-date=2017-10-01|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-02-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221101337/https://kotaku.com/the-maker-of-the-trollface-meme-is-counting-his-money-1696228810|url-status=live}}</ref> Originally posted in a comic to his DeviantArt account Whynne about Internet trolling on 4chan,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whynne.deviantart.com/art/Comic-Trolls-98357844|title=Comic - Trolls|website=DeviantArt|access-date=2017-10-01|archive-date=2009-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515123049/https://whynne.deviantart.com/art/Comic-Trolls-98357844|url-status=live}}</ref> the trollface is a recognizable image of Internet memes and culture. Ramirez has used his creation, registered with the United States Copyright Office in 2010, to gain over $100,000 in licensing fees, settlements, and other payouts.<ref name=":1" /> The video game ''Meme Run'' for Nintendo's Wii U console was taken down for having the trollface as the main character.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nintendoenthusiast.com/blog/2015/03/04/heres-why-meme-run-was-taken-down-from-the-eshop-2/|title=Here's Why Meme Run Was Taken Down From the eShop - Nintendo Enthusiast|date=2015-03-04|work=Nintendo Enthusiast|access-date=2017-10-01|language=en-US}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/03/meme_run_disappears_from_the_wii_u_eshop|title=Meme Run Disappears from the Wii U eShop|date=2015-03-03|work=Nintendo Life|access-date=2017-10-01|language=en-GB|archive-date=2017-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001075013/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/03/meme_run_disappears_from_the_wii_u_eshop|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== "Y U NO" guy === Another character that is frequently used in rage comics is the "Y U NO" (shorthand for "why you no"<ref name="Dictionary.com_2018-03-01">{{Cite web|title=Y U NO Meme {{!}} Meaning & History|url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/memes/y-u-no/|website=Dictionary.com|date=2018-03-01|access-date=2023-11-26|language=en-US}}</ref>) guy, a character with a big round head, deep wrinkles, thin arms and a look of intense annoyance. He is also often used in image macro form.<ref name="Ars Technica_2012-03-10">{{Cite web|title=New iPad, Y U no have name? The Ars Open Forum discusses Apple's iPad event|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/03/new-ipad-y-u-no-have-name-the-ars-open-forums-discusses-apples-ipad-event/|website=Ars Technica|date=2012-03-10|access-date=2023-11-26|language=en-us|first=Cesar|last=Torres}}</ref> He was used on a billboard on the 101 to advertise a chat platform in 2011<ref name="TechCrunch_2011-04-23">{{Cite web|title=Y U NO HAVE LAME BILLBOARD HIPCHAT?|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/04/22/y-u-no-have-lame-billboard-hipchat/|website=TechCrunch|date=2011-04-23|access-date=2023-11-26|language=en-US|first=Alexia|last=Tsotsis}}</ref> and on the cover of ''The Gap'' in 2012.<ref name="thegap2012">{{Cite magazine|url=https://issuu.com/the_gap/docs/thegap127|magazine=The Gap|issue=127|page=20|first=Dalia|last=Ahmed|title=Memes Y U NO coverstory yet?!|date=July 2012}}</ref><ref name="Yahoo Finance_2013-06-28">{{Cite web|title=Y U No Go Viral: The New Science of Memes|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/y-u-no-viral-science-142158752.html|work=The Atlantic|date=2013-06-28|access-date=2023-11-26|language=en-US|first=Christopher|last=Mims}}</ref>
== See also == * List of Internet memes * Wojak – a similar meme which also uses derivative copies of a black-and-white MS Paint face illustrations.
== References == {{Reflist|2}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Rage comics}} {{Webcomics}} {{4chan}}
Category:Webcomic formats Category:2008 webcomic debuts Category:Internet memes introduced in 2008 Category:2008 drawings Category:4chan phenomena Category:2000s in Internet culture Category:2010s in Internet culture Category:2000s fads and trends Category:2010s fads and trends Category:Comedy webcomics