Meaning
What does Awesome Face mean?
Awesome face, sometimes referred to as epic smiley is a drawing of a yellow smiley face, with an open-mouthed smile, similar in looks to the classic Soyface, famously associated with Beta Males and Beta Orbiters.
Online, the illustration has been used widely on forums and message boards, especially on sites like Something Awful and 4chan.
via MEME
Origin
What's the origin of Awesome Face?
According to the gaming blog site, Driph, “Awesome Face” was initially created by an unnamed illustrator for the Pokemonopolis forum, a few years prior to the emote’s takeoff.
The same face design appeared in a Cyanide and Happiness comic and not long after, by 2007, “Awesome Face” was gaining traction on Something Awful and 4chan.
Spread & Usage
How did Awesome Face spread?
Over the years, “Awesome Face” has experienced drawback and controversy, as its rampant use on image boards was both condemned and embraced in the late 2000’s.
This, however, only led to further its popularity on the web and eventually, in 2011, a fan pang was launched, dedicated to the smiley.
It would inspire browser themes as well as a flash game, published by Newgrounds.
Despite its popularity dwindling in the 2010’s, “Awesome Face” remains an iconic and easily recognizable part of internet culture.
External resources
- Fandom – Teh Meme Wiki
- Themarysue.com – The Origins of the Internet’s Awesomest Smiley