“This Is Fine” Meme: The Relatable Hound That Stuck With Us For Good?

How often have we been in the middle of what feels like an impossible situation — taking the heat, brushing off embers, and convincing ourselves that this is fine…even when it’s not?

This is Fine meme

The iconic dog meme with a caption reading “this is fine” has ironically become a symbol of keeping it together when things aren’t, in fact, that great. Call it self-denial or acceptance, but we’ve all been that dog, holding steady in the middle of a fiery pit. 

In this piece, we’ll delve into how the lovable hound became an inexhaustible symbol of resilience (or denial) and how it captured the hearts of many to become an internet sensation that defined the generation.

“This Is Fine” Hound Makes Its First Appearance

The “this is fine” dog meme is a comic strip from the webcomic series of illustrator KC Green on “Gunshow (1).” Known as Question Hound, this famous dog became a central figure in Green’s comic series. The character gained popularity much like Green’s other creations, such as “Dick Butt” and “Staredad.”

A colorful cartoon illustration featuring a large group of various characters, including the iconic "This is Fine" dog at the top.

Image credits: gunshowcomic.com

We first see Green’s Question Hound in the burning room on January 9, 2013, as part of the illustrator’s series #648, titled “On Fire” (2). On the webcomic that was originally a six-box strip, we see a cartoon dog wearing a hat and calmly sitting by the table, holding a coffee mug right smack in the middle of a fire. The strip reads: “This is fine. I’m okay with the events that are unfolding currently. That’s okay, things are going to be okay.” It ends with a final box showing the dog engulfed in flames and badly melting from the heat. 

In an interview with Green by John Horn, published by Laist’s The Frame in 2017 (3), Green explains how he came up with the comic strip. Horn writes that Green drew the comic back in 2013 while combating depression. At that time, he was juggling his day job, starting his graphic design career, and feeling overwhelmed. The webcomic strip became an outlet that conveyed his state of mind. 

“This is Fine” Dog Meme Gaining Traction Online

The comic went viral a year later, in January 2014, when Reddit user @theonefoster posted the first two panels of Green’s comic strip. He annotated his post with the phrase: “Accurate representation of me dealing with university stress.”  Redditors could relate to the allusion, and the post got shares and upvotes that pushed it up the charts. While Reddit became the initial staging ground for the “this is fine” dog meme, that original post has since been removed.

Nonetheless, the cartoon comic–turned–meme had enough time to find its way onto social feeds. People resonated with the feeling of being in an extremely dire situation and having to reassure themselves that things are okay because you can’t do much about it anyway. 

The viral meme also hit Imgur’s feeds when user @SPIDER_MAN posted those two panels on the platform. Since it first appeared online on September 22, 2014, @SPIDER_MAN’s post has gathered 72,831 views, with 1,900 plus more posts with #thisisfine tag on the platform and counting.

A two-panel cartoon image featuring a dog calmly sitting in a burning room with a cup of coffee on the table. The first panel shows the dog surrounded by flames with a caption above reading, "Basically how I’m handling life right now." In the second panel, the dog, still surrounded by flames, says, "This is fine." The comic is part of the iconic "This is Fine" meme, symbolizing staying composed in chaotic situations.

Image credits: SPIDER_MAN

The Famous Hound Finds Itself in the Midst of a Political Squabble

Green’s comic hero became political fodder on July 25, 2016, when the Republican National Committee (RNC) tweeted about it on the official GOP X account (4). The tweet was in reaction to the Democratic National Convention. 

The RNC’s use of the internet meme didn’t sit well with Green, who was not a fan of the political party. While he acknowledged that his comic strip had reached meme status, he immediately replied to RNC’s post with a scathing tweet, telling them to “delete their stupid post.”

The day after this online exchange, the political commentary platform The Nib joined the social war and posted an artwork created by Green himself.

. @GOP We actually paid the artist who made this. Here’s what he came up with. pic.twitter.com/4D4bmx9ccp

— The Nib ✒️ (@thenib) July 26, 2016

The Nib commissioned Green to make a version of his iconic illustration, except this new render featured the RNC elephant instead of the illustrator’s famous dog. The image became part of a live exhibit mounted by The Nib in Philadelphia, and the platform also posted the artwork on their social channel. 

“This is Fine” Meme Featured in Online Games

A few days after Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential win, artists and producers created works that expressed their disdain for the country’s political climate.

For example, developer Nick Kamam released a free web-based game on his website. “This game [was] an attempt to capture how I felt and how those around me felt after the results of the 2016 election. I was inspired by kcgreen’s legendary comic,” said Kaman (5).

The game looked almost like a replica of Green’s illustration, where players assume the role of the cartoon dog and use a fire extinguisher spewing hearts to put out the flames engulfing the house.

A screenshot from a video game featuring the iconic "This is Fine" dog in a room that is on fire. The dog, holding a coffee mug, stands in the center of the room with flames surrounding it. The game interface shows various controls and indicators, including a timer, a health bar, and icons for actions. The setting mimics the famous "This is Fine" meme, where the dog appears calm despite the chaotic environment.

Image credits: thisisfinegame.com

Other gamers eventually caught on and contributed further to the meme’s spread. Green’s cartoon also appeared in producer Andris Gauracs’ gamified version of the ubiquitous dog (6).

In Gauracs’ game, the player assumes the role of the pup who puts out fires in a burning house by throwing cups of coffee over the flames. Gauracs says his creation is essential “a fan art project,” which celebrates Green’s original cartoon, the cute little doggo. 

The Cultural Resonance of KC Green’s Comic

Green believes that his illustration became immensely popular because of its innate simplicity. In a 2023 interview with NPR News reporter Emma Bowman, Green divulges that he made the illustration as “vague as possible,” saying his cartoon was “like any good piece of art, people interpret it how they want to (7).”

Indeed, the comic meme possessed timelessness that people could easily resonate with. It emerged as an authentic representation of strength during turbulent times. People defined their tragic situations via the cartoon character and assumed the resigned stance of the calm canine. 

Instagram has more than 94,000 posts with the #thisisfine tag. The platform features lively animated adaptations of Green’s webcomic, user-created references, and intriguing illustrations by talented artists. Users add captions to the memes to express their situations, allowing their followers to instantly relate to their experiences and emotions.

A two-panel cartoon image featuring the "This is Fine" dog. The first panel shows the dog calmly sitting in a burning room, now dressed in all black, with a coffee mug on the table. The caption above reads, "When you wear all black and it’s summer." In the second panel, the dog, still surrounded by flames, says, "This is fine." The meme humorously illustrates the discomfort of wearing black clothing in hot weather while maintaining a composed facade.

Image credits: wolfpackclth

A two-panel cartoon image featuring the "This is Fine" dog. The first panel shows the dog calmly sitting in a burning room with a coffee mug on the table. In the second panel, the dog, still surrounded by flames, says, "This is, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee." The meme humorously highlights the dog's focus on enjoying the coffee despite the chaotic and fiery surroundings.

Image credits: memehollanddrive

A two-panel cartoon image featuring the "This is Fine" dog. The first panel shows the dog calmly sitting in a burning room with a coffee mug on the table. The caption above reads, "When one kid is crying, the other lost a shoe, the dog got out and the washing machine is broken. But you have a full pot of coffee." In the second panel, the dog, still surrounded by flames, says, "This is fine." The meme humorously illustrates staying calm amidst household chaos due to the comforting presence of coffee.

Image credits: notsocooldad

The adorable hound meme became such an online sensation that Time magazine writer Raisa Bruner reported in 2018 that the US Senator referred to “this is fine” meme in one of his official speeches (8). More specifically, US Sen. Richard Burr used the meme to reference the situation regarding the investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 US elections.

Mainstream media also rode the meme’s raging wave. Viacom’s “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” used the “this is fine” dog meme, watermarking Green’s illustration to promote one of their shows.

Green told NPR News that while “The Daily Show” had contacted him to pay for the use of his illustration on their tweet, he would have hoped producers would be more considerate of artists like him when they use their creations, saying, “all I wanted was someone to ask, someone to treat me like a business, because this is what I do for a living.”

The Most Iconic “This Is Fine” Memes of All Time

Since Green published his webcomic in 2013, we’ve seen countless meme versions on various platforms. Memes express inescapably chaotic school circumstances, stressors at work, and even frustrations about politics and society.

Ignoring how the meme’s relatability made it extremely popular is impossible. Here are our favorite memes with Green’s celebrity hound that have captured the most attention.

A cartoon image featuring the "This is Fine" dog sitting calmly at a table in a burning room with a coffee mug. The caption above reads, "Current World Population 8,000,000,916." The dog, surrounded by flames, says, "This is fine." The meme humorously comments on the state of the world and population growth, emphasizing a sense of calm amidst chaos.

Image credits: explosion12345

A cartoon image featuring a scene similar to the "This is Fine" meme. In this version, the central character is a fire flame with a face, sitting at a table with a coffee mug, saying "This is fine." Surrounding the flame are multiple versions of the iconic "This is Fine" dog, sitting or lying around in various relaxed positions. The setting is calm, without the usual flames and chaos, creating a humorous twist on the original meme.

Image credits: thez1337

A six-panel cartoon image featuring the "This is Fine" dog. The sequence begins with the dog sitting calmly at a table in a burning room. In the first panel, the dog is surrounded by flames. In the second panel, the dog says, "This is fine." The third panel shows the dog drinking coffee with the caption, "I'm okay with the events that are unfolding currently." In the fourth panel, the dog continues to drink coffee as the flames get closer. The fifth panel has the caption, "That's okay, things are going to be okay," while the dog appears calm. In the final panel, the dog is visibly melting and distressed, engulfed by flames, representing the collapse of its previous composure.

Image credits: GlitchyMic

A four-panel cartoon image combining two different memes. In the first panel, a firefighter character kicks open a door amidst flames, saying, "Fear not, lady! I'll save you!" The second panel shows the "This is Fine" dog sitting calmly at a table in a burning room with a coffee mug. In the third panel, the firefighter looks confused, standing in the doorway. The fourth panel has the "This is Fine" dog saying to the firefighter, "You are in the wrong meme," humorously blending the two distinct scenarios.

Image credits: Piotrek9t

A two-panel cartoon image featuring the "This is Fine" dog. The first panel shows the dog calmly sitting in a burning room with a coffee mug on the table. The caption above reads, "That moment when you have a rock in your shoe, but you can’t stop walking." In the second panel, the dog, still surrounded by flames, says, "This is fine." The meme humorously illustrates the experience of enduring discomfort while trying to maintain composure.

Image credits: shivap111

Green’s Farewell With His Beloved Brainchild

A little more than a decade after the famed illustrator published his comic strip and after thousands upon thousands of posts and shares, Green says it’s time for his hound to retire. 

Green told NPR News that while his canine character Question Hound brought his work viral recognition that led to royalty deals, he’s ready to try something new:  “It’s a fun challenge to try and embody a different character. And I would like to try that with some of [my] other characters.”

Maybe Green’s 2016 contribution to The Nib foretold the future of Question Hound and possibly shows a shift in today’s sentiments (9). In a succeeding comic strip by Green that uses the same cartoon dog, we see the previously calm canine in a different light. In the alt illustration, instead of resignation and resilience, the dog is in full-blown panic mode in a still-burning room. Finally, the dog admits, “This is not fine!”

References

1. KC Green. “Gunshow.” | https://www.gunshowcomic.com/
2. KC Green. “On Fire.” Gunshow, January 9, 2023. | https://gunshowcomic.com/648
3. John Horn. “The Surprising Ubiquity Of Artist KC Green’s ‘This Is Fine’ Meme.” The Frame on LAist, August 29, 2017. | https://laist.com/shows/the-frame/the-surprising-ubiquity-of-artist-kc-greens-this-is-fine-meme
4. Neeman Zimmerman. “Artist Gets Back At GOP for Using His Meme to Mock Dems.” The Hill, July 26, 2016. | https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/289237-artist-gets-back-at-gop-for-using-his-meme-to-mock-dems/
5. Nick Kaman. “This Is Fine Game.” | https://smashynick.itch.io/thisisfine 
6. Andris Gaurac. About the Game. This is Fine: The Video Game. | https://thisisfinegame.com
7. Emma Bowman. “A decade on, the ‘This is fine’ creator wants to put the famous dog to rest.” NPR News, January 16, 2023. | https://www.npr.org/2023/01/16/1149232763/this-is-fine-meme-anniversary-gunshow-web-comic
8. Raisa Bruner. “A US Senator Just Invoked the Popular ‘This Is Fine’ Meme.” Time.com, August 1, 2018. | https://time.com/5355468/this-is-fine-senator/
9. KC Green. “This Is Not Fine.” The Nib, August 3, 2016. | https://thenib.com/this-is-not-fine/

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!