Pepe the Frog began as a laid-back comic character created by Matt Furie and first appeared in the Boy's Club comic in 2005, before internet users turned his relaxed expression into one of the web's most shared reaction images. As the character spread across forums, streams and social media, short Pepe clips became a shorthand for smug amusement, awkward humour and ironic approval. That instant recognition is why the sound still works today, even for viewers who have never read the original comic.