credit: Feels Good Man
In 2016, after a nasty election cycle exposed a cultural rift, many Americans were left asking, “what the hell just happened?” For underground cartoonist Matt Furie, the question was more surreal: his character Pepe the Frog had become a political pawn — tweeted by Donald Trump, condemned by Hillary Clinton, and declared a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League.
The film looks at how Pepe’s transformation—from stoner cartoon frog in 2007, to extremist icon in 2016—runs parallel to America’s own transformation into a more divisive, mean-spirited, and tribalist place. It’s a Frankenstein monster story of an artist battling to regain control of his mutated creation.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Director
Credits
Contact
Submarine