KYM Review: Webcomic Exploitables of 2017

Editor’s Note: This article is part of Know Your Meme’s annual review series looking back at some of the most memorable and popular memes, events and people that defined internet culture in 2017 as we know it.

ike 2012 was the year of advice animals image macros, 2017 was the year of webcomic edits.

Two standout series that were heavily represented in the realm of exploitables were Deathbulge and Owl Turd, which each spawning numerous photoshopped parody variations of their work on sites like Tumblr, Reddit and 4chan. Near the end of the year, Shenanigansen, the creator of Owl Turd, even became a bit of a meme himself following the spread of his infamous "Bike Cuck" comic.

On the relatable content side, Problems, Stress, Pain was used to share comforting sanctuaries from life's turmoil. The comics Das Good Shit and I Sure Wish I Had Some Bread revealed memers deepest desires, while Coffee You're My Only Friend watered down many of life's brutal truths.

But if there was one type of exploitable that just wouldn't die, it was the dreaded "Things I Don't Like" memes. These low effort, unoriginal edits have shown no signs of abatement, and are typically used to make superficial criticisms of opposing political or philosophical beliefs. Over the course of the year, the meme economy was flooded with an avalanche of these webcomics, including Stress Powered Lightbulb, Self Aware Robot, Get Better Material, As a Father, To Survive in the Wild, All Life Is Precious and Your Mother and I Will Always Love You.

In order of appearance, let's examine the top 10 comics to make a splash online this year.

Buenos Dias, Mandy

The year started off strong once the internet got their hands on a page from a hilariously bizarre pornographic comic based on the children's animated TV series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. In the comic, the character Billy slaps Mandy on the rear end while saying "Buenos dias, Mandy," leading her to swiftly punch him to the ground where a car runs over his outstretched arms.

The absurd premise mixed with its amateurish illustration style created a perfect storm for memes, spawning countless photoshopped variations combining the comic with other popular exploitables, including The Trolley Problem, How to Talk to Short People and, of course, Loss. By the end of the year, over 110 submissions had been added to the gallery on Know Your Meme.

The Scroll of Truth

In February, artist Tate Parker published a comic in which a tenacious explorer discovers a magical "Scroll of Truth," which proceeds to inform him that no one reads his "rants" on social media.

Oddly enough, a comic with a nearly identical premise had been tweeted by artist Nathan Pyle in 2016, in which the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones hunts down a crystal that "utters only truth. Unlike the Pyle comic, the "Scroll of Truth" inspired the creation of numerous creative edits, with new additions popping up throughout the entire year.

First Class

British artist Dan Martin, the creator of the webcomic series Deathbulge, jumped on the internet meme scene in February with the release of his comic "First Class," which features a smooth-talking young student who aces his class on "flirting."

As the opposite of a "Things I Don't Like" meme, the Deathbulge comic was a breath of fresh air to many online, with numerous edits reaching the frontpage of various subreddits and even 4chan's infamous /pol/ board. However, it didn't take long for variations changing the teacher's "A+" stamp into an "F" to predictacly take hold.

How to Talk to Short People

What started as a simple illustration created to scold those who patronizingly crouch when talking to short people reemerged this year to spawn some of the most bizarre comic photoshop series the internet has ever seen. Titled "How to Talk to Short People," the original 2014 drawing gave clear instructions on proper etiquette for socializing with the vertically challenged.

After being discovered this year, the comic took a turn for the absurd with some of the year's more creative, and even disturbing, fifth world-style variations, including an "unholy abomination" from some horrific other-worldly dimension. "God save us," indeed.

The Cuck Comic

In an attempt to destigmatize the cuckolding kink, commonly associated with the emasculating pejorative "cuck", artists Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan created a comic titled "What the Fuck's a Cuck?" explaining the sexual preference through the character Joe, Kate and Craig.

While it may have intended to be a serious exapliner about the alternative sexual lifestyle, the comic was just begging to be parodied. The most memeable panel of the bunch showed a hilarious scene in which Craig orders Joe to "shut up and get the fuck out" so he can have sex with his wife. Photoshops superimposing all sorts of popular characters from television shows, anime and video games into the panel took over Tumblr and Twitter, fillling up our image gallery with nearly 60 different examples.

Hey Man You See That Guy Over There

A newcomer to the internet meme scene, artist Florkofcows popped up in late April with an anime-themed comic featuring a pair of socks who aren't fans of the anime Sword Art Online.

The comic exploded in popularity due to its simple setup and easily customized artwork, culminating in an impressive animation created by Imgur user Reckreations.

I Will Now Buy Your Game

A common complaint regarding characters in today's video games criticizes the stark differences in how men and women are portrayed. In early July, Twitter user @glitchedpuppet published a comic urging game developers to avoid using designs relying on sexual dimorphism, using a pair of anthropomorphic rodents to illustrate the point.

The comic was immediately met with a slew of parody variations, predictably combining the premise with other exploitables like Loss and Buenos Dias, Mandy. However, Know Your Meme user WhyMe began creating original illustrations of the rodent characters as companions in a role-playing game, inspiring Know Your Meme user JamJelly to create an amazing pixel art animation.

Conflict in Literature

Longing for a different kind of webcomic to meme, a 2014 illustration by artist Grant Snider titled "Conflict in Literature" was repurposed this year as the perfect template for a variety of internet fandoms.

Initially popping up on Tumblr in October, the series quickly spread to Tumblr and Reddit, grabbing the attention of the experts over at /r/MemeEconomy.

My Bike Got Stolen Recently

There seems to be something about Owl Turd Comix that are ripe for parody, but none of Shen's works have been quite as popular as his infamous comic about a boy, a thief and a bike. In mid-November, a comic in which Shen recounts how he was able to make peace with having his bike stolen by thinking about how the thief's happiness caused "the total happiness in the world" to increase exploded online, with many mocking the outlook on theft as absurd.

After a cuckolding-themed parody began circulating on Twitter, people began referring to Shen as "Bike Cuck." In the end, Shen managed to reclaim the meme by creating his own parody variation on the subject of net neutrality, in which a future version of himself goes back in time to warn him about the dangers of his outlook on life.

I Will Survive

Just before the end of the year, a new challenger appeared in the form of a Zootopia fan comic bizarrely focused on the issue of abortion. In the comic, the anthropmorphic animal characters Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps have a blowout break up while discussing the termination of Hopps' pregnancy, leading to a melodramatic ending of epic proportions.

Due to the intense dialogue and heavy handed delivery, many interpreteded the comic as some sort of anti-abortion screed, leading to rapid mockery in the form of photoshopped edits. When confronted on DeviantArt about the purpose of the comic, creator Borba bluntly denied being pro-life or writing the comic to push an anti-abortion agenda. Just one day after being submitted to Know Your Meme, the entry accumulated more than 210 image submissions.