Trollface

On September 19, 2008, Oakland artist Carlos Ramirez opened MS Paint with the intention of drawing something called "Rape Rodent." Instead, he created the most recognizable smirk in internet history. Trollface was born—an accident that would define an era.

The crude drawing appeared in a comic about trolling on 4chan's /v/ board. That grin, those eyebrows, that chin jutting forward in smug satisfaction—it captured something primal about the joy of making people angry online. Within months, it had spread from 4chan to every forum and imageboard on the web. "Coolface," some called it. But Trollface stuck.

By 2009, it was inescapable. Rage comics without Trollface were incomplete. The "Problem?" catchphrase became universal shorthand for deliberate provocation. Reddit's f7u12 subreddit exploded with four-panel narratives starring the grinning menace. Tumblr, Cheezburger, Facebook, Memegenerator—every platform fell to the troll.

Ramirez trademarked the face and made over $100,000 in licensing fees, because even chaos can be monetized. He issued takedowns. He defended his intellectual property. The troll had become the trolled.

By 2012, using Trollface unironically signaled that you were hopelessly behind the curve. Rage comics became "Reddit cringe." The grin that once provoked now embarrassed. A brief 2020 revival in ironic "Cover Yourself in Oil" memes couldn't resurrect the original power.

Problem? Yeah. It got old.