If you’ve spent any time on the web throughout the previous 10 years, then you recognize about the “This Is Fine” comedian. We’ve all seen it: a two-panel strip of a canine in a bowler hat, holding a mug, and calmly saying “this is fine” as the room is swallowed up by flames. Although the canine has a reputation (Question Hound), he has grow to be collectively often called the This Is Fine canine. He is a now a meme, and has come to characterize a really specific state of thoughts – and a world state of fixed disaster.
Not all people has seen the full comedian (it’s comprised of six panels, not two) or is conscious of its historical past. In truth, as tends to occur with memes who tackle a life of their very own, most individuals don’t know the creator’s title. But KC Green is one thing of a rarity: he has managed to carry onto his creation in a approach that enables him to make a residing off his artwork.
Wonder how? Keep studying for a short historical past of the “This Is Fine” comedian.
Timeline of the “This is Fine” Comic
2008
KC Green, the artist and creator behind Dick Butt and Staredad, begins a brand new webcomic collection known as Gunshow. The very first strip incorporates a canine named Question Hound.
2013
On January 9, a brand new Gunshow strip appeared: it featured Question Hound in a burning room, sitting at a desk and holding a mug. He says, a brilliant smile on his face, “this is fine.” As he picks up the mug to drink, he continues: “I’m okay with the events that are unfolding currently.” As the flames develop and start to lick over him, he reassures himself: “That’s okay, things are going to be okay.” He’s then fully engulfed by the fireplace, his face melting.
This might need remained a enjoyable comedian and nothing else had it not made it to social media. In April, the first two panels have been posted to a thread on 4chan’s /vr/ board. But it will take a couple of extra months and a pair of Reddit customers to make it a cultural sensation.
2014
The Reddit board r/humorous noticed the first two panels of this webcomic posted twice: as soon as in January and as soon as in September. The former, posted by person theonefoster and titled “Accurate representation of me dealing with university stress”, absolutely transformed it right into a meme. From there on, it took on a life of its personal.
Ironically, this was additionally the 12 months when the Gunshow collection got here to an finish.
2016
This was an enormous 12 months for Question Hound and his denial (optimism?) in the face of his burning room. To start with, cable channel Adult Swim animated the full strip, after requesting permission the 12 months earlier than.
Then, the Republican National Committee tweeted the meme on the official GOP account, mocking the first day of the Democratic National Convention and including the hashtags #DemsInPhilly and #EnoughClinton. Green was…not amused. He replied with a tweet of his personal, saying “everyone is in their right to use this is fine on social media posts, but man o man, I personally would like @GOP to delete their stupid post.”
Within a month of the GOP’s tweet, Green had created a follow-up to the unique comedian: the illustrious This Is Not Fine comedian. In this strip, Question Hound snaps to his senses and begins to place the fires out. On the similar month, Green launched a Kickstarter so as to make Question Hound plushies (they usually’re the loveliest factor I’ve ever seen).
2019
I stand corrected: the mini variations of the Question Hound plushies are the loveliest factor I’ve ever seen.
2020
How many non-superhero comics get Funko Pops? Not many. But Question Hound is amongst the honored few.
2021
Question Hound joined a brand new solid when Green launched the syndicated strip Funny Online Animals.
2023
As of January, Question Hound isn’t lengthy for the Funny Online Animals world. His newest storyline will “have kind of an eerie, noir turn. After that, I may lay him to rest for a while.”
Will he be again? Only time (and KC Green) can inform.
This Is Fine (Until It Isn’t)
Over the final ten years, I’ve spent so much of time on-line. I’ve seen numerous memes come and go. But the “This Is Fine” comedian stays as firmly entrenched in the cultural consciousness as ever. Chris Plante explains what that makes this meme distinctive: “(…) two reasons. One, while sometimes modified, it’s most commonly used in an unaltered state. On Twitter, for example, someone might write some troubling news and attach the image. Second, it’s still climbing in popularity and usage, despite now being nearly two years old.” It has now been ten years. And not per week goes by that I don’t see this cute and resigned canine cross my social media timelines.
It can be a captivating case research for the numerous methods wherein any individual can interpret the similar textual content. Although I’ve all the time seen the Question Hound as a paragon of denial, that’s not what Green had in thoughts in any respect. In the interview with Chris Plante quoted above, he stated: “I think I was still struggling with myself — with getting my anti-depressants and stuff right. You know, every now and then you have these off days where shit is worse, but you’re trying to ignore it. It’s just a feeling you have. I wrote this comic and that was all there was to it.”
The sequel, on the different facet, was now not a few private challenge: the burning room now not represents Green’s psychological well being, it represents a whole nation. He identified that “ALL of 2016 inspired this. Every bit of insane news piece and the political climate made this follow up happen. It’s been a weird year and I think the election is not helping. Everyone’s on EDGE. There’s a breaking point, and I think we’ll find it this year. Also, the Nib asked me if I had any comic ideas to send to them and this one has been in the back of my head for a couple months, more so since the GOP tweet thing.”
It was time to douse the flames. As he advised Emma Bowman, he’s “still got plenty of people telling me they’ve gotten comfort from that dog. Being seen in that way is helpful. But, I like to say, we’re not just accepting it, but working past it, trying to grow from it.”
A Decade Later
It is difficult to quantify simply how influential the “This Is Fine” comedian has been. But one factor is evident: this canine, each in his resignation and in his horror, has come to characterize a whole nation. Maybe a whole planet. Will we sit round reassuring ourselves that every thing is okay, or will we get away the fireplace extinguisher?
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