Thomas first appeared in The Railway Series books by Reverend W. Awdry before Thomas and Friends brought the character to television in 1984, with a theme composed by Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell. That upbeat intro became deeply familiar to generations of children, which made it perfect material for meme soundboards online. Boosted and distorted copies circulated as a loud version joke, relying on instant recognition followed by a volume shock. It remains popular because the tune signals cheerful innocence right before an edit turns loud, fast and ridiculous.