3D Memes

2012Format / visual stylesemi-active
3D Memes are internet meme templates transformed into uncanny, volumetric scenes using 3D modeling software, originating in 2012 when DeviantArt user cr8g posted a three-dimensional Computer Reaction Guy.

3D Memes are internet memes that have been recreated or reimagined using 3D modeling and rendering software. The format traces back to at least February 2012, when DeviantArt user cr8g posted a three-dimensional version of the Computer Reaction Guy1. The trend picked up steam in 2017-2018 through dedicated Facebook pages and YouTube creators who turned flat meme templates into uncanny, volumetric scenes2.

TL;DR

3D Memes are internet memes that have been recreated or reimagined using 3D modeling and rendering software.

Overview

3D Memes take well-known internet memes, originally created as flat images or comics, and rebuild them in 3D modeling software like Blender or Cinema 4D2. The results range from faithful recreations with added depth to surreal, off-putting renders that make familiar formats feel alien. The appeal comes from the collision between a recognized meme template and the unexpected visual weight of three-dimensional rendering. Some 3D memes are still images, while others are fully animated videos with camera movement and lighting.

The style overlaps with but is distinct from memes that originated as 3D renders, like Meme Man (the "Stonks" guy), who was created natively as a 3D character rather than being a conversion of a 2D meme3.

The exact origin of 3D memes as a format is unclear. The earliest documented example is a 3D recreation of the Computer Reaction Guy, posted by DeviantArt user cr8g on February 20, 20121. cr8g modeled the familiar rage-comic-adjacent reaction face in 3D software, turning a flat line drawing into a rendered object with depth and shading2.

Before cr8g's post, others may have experimented with 3D versions of memes, but no earlier examples have been catalogued in meme databases.

Origin & Background

Platform
DeviantArt (earliest known example), Facebook / YouTube (viral spread)
Key People
cr8g, community-created format
Date
2012
Year
2012

The exact origin of 3D memes as a format is unclear. The earliest documented example is a 3D recreation of the Computer Reaction Guy, posted by DeviantArt user cr8g on February 20, 2012. cr8g modeled the familiar rage-comic-adjacent reaction face in 3D software, turning a flat line drawing into a rendered object with depth and shading.

Before cr8g's post, others may have experimented with 3D versions of memes, but no earlier examples have been catalogued in meme databases.

How It Spread

The format stayed relatively niche for several years after cr8g's 2012 post. The first major breakout came on August 5, 2017, when YouTuber Paul McLaughlin uploaded a computer-generated parody video that recreated "Loss" by Ctrl+Alt+Del in full 3D. The video pulled in over 226,000 views and 790 comments within 14 months.

Facebook became a key hub for 3D meme content in 2018. On April 29, 2018, the Dimemetional Facebook page posted a 3D version of the "I Don't Feel So Good" meme featuring Shrek. The same page later uploaded a 3D recreation of the He-Man Sings meme on March 5.

The biggest single viral moment came when the 4d3d3d3 Engaged Facebook page posted a 3D Distracted Boyfriend meme on October 21. Within 72 hours, the post racked up over 200,000 shares, 47,000 reactions, and 37,000 comments. Days later, on October 24, Redditor Lozmosis submitted a 3D "Mom Can You Give Me Money?" meme to r/dankmemes, where it earned more than 8,200 points at 95% upvoted within 11 hours.

Separately, the 3D-native Meme Man character gained traction through the "Special meme fresh" Facebook page starting in 2014 and became a staple of surreal memes. On June 5, 2017, the artist behind Meme Man posted the iconic "Stonks" image, which went viral on Reddit and Twitter. By 2021, Meme Man had crossed into mainstream culture through Fortnite's "Diamond Hanz" skin and Elon Musk's tweets referencing "Gamestonk".

How to Use This Meme

The typical process for creating a 3D meme:

1

Pick a well-known flat meme template (rage comic, image macro, webcomic panel)

2

Recreate the scene in 3D modeling software (Blender is the most common free option)

3

Match the original composition but add lighting, texture, and depth

4

Render the result as a still image or short animation

5

Post with the same caption or context as the original meme

Cultural Impact

3D memes occupy a specific niche at the intersection of meme culture and digital art. Dedicated Facebook pages like Dimemetional and 4d3d3d3 Engaged built large followings specifically around 3D meme content, with single posts reaching hundreds of thousands of shares.

The format also connects to the broader rise of surreal memes in the mid-2010s, where deliberately strange 3D renders became a visual language of their own. Meme Man, the most successful 3D-native meme character, was referenced by Elon Musk multiple times on Twitter and inspired a Fortnite character skin in 2021. During the 2021 GameStop short squeeze, Meme Man became the face of the "stonks" meme on r/wallstreetbets.

Fun Facts

The 3D Distracted Boyfriend meme generated more engagement (200,000+ shares) in 72 hours than many original meme formats achieve in their entire lifespan.

Meme Man's "Stonks" image was tied to real stock market events when Elon Musk tweeted "Gamestonk!!" in January 2021, causing GameStop shares to rise 157% in extended-hours trading.

cr8g's original 2012 DeviantArt post framed the 3D Computer Guy as a response to a creative challenge, suggesting even the earliest 3D meme came from a community prompt.

Fortnite added a "Diamond Hanz" skin based on Meme Man as an April Fools' Day joke in 2021.

Derivatives & Variations

Meme Man / Stonks:

A 3D-rendered bald head character created by "Special meme fresh" in 2014, later becoming the face of the "Stonks" meme and surreal meme culture[3]

Dimemetional page:

A Facebook page dedicated to converting popular memes into 3D renders, including Shrek "I Don't Feel So Good" and He-Man Sings versions[2]

4d3d3d3 Engaged page:

Another Facebook community focused on 3D meme renders, responsible for the viral 3D Distracted Boyfriend that hit 200,000+ shares[2]

Paul McLaughlin's 3D Loss:

A fully animated 3D recreation of the Ctrl+Alt+Del "Loss" comic that became one of the earliest viral 3D meme videos[2]

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

  1. 1
    Computer guy meme by cr8g on DeviantArtarticle
  2. 2
    3D Memes - Know Your Memeencyclopedia
  3. 3
    Meme Manencyclopedia

3D Memes

2012Format / visual stylesemi-active
3D Memes are internet meme templates transformed into uncanny, volumetric scenes using 3D modeling software, originating in 2012 when DeviantArt user cr8g posted a three-dimensional Computer Reaction Guy.

3D Memes are internet memes that have been recreated or reimagined using 3D modeling and rendering software. The format traces back to at least February 2012, when DeviantArt user cr8g posted a three-dimensional version of the Computer Reaction Guy. The trend picked up steam in 2017-2018 through dedicated Facebook pages and YouTube creators who turned flat meme templates into uncanny, volumetric scenes.

TL;DR

3D Memes are internet memes that have been recreated or reimagined using 3D modeling and rendering software.

Overview

3D Memes take well-known internet memes, originally created as flat images or comics, and rebuild them in 3D modeling software like Blender or Cinema 4D. The results range from faithful recreations with added depth to surreal, off-putting renders that make familiar formats feel alien. The appeal comes from the collision between a recognized meme template and the unexpected visual weight of three-dimensional rendering. Some 3D memes are still images, while others are fully animated videos with camera movement and lighting.

The style overlaps with but is distinct from memes that originated as 3D renders, like Meme Man (the "Stonks" guy), who was created natively as a 3D character rather than being a conversion of a 2D meme.

The exact origin of 3D memes as a format is unclear. The earliest documented example is a 3D recreation of the Computer Reaction Guy, posted by DeviantArt user cr8g on February 20, 2012. cr8g modeled the familiar rage-comic-adjacent reaction face in 3D software, turning a flat line drawing into a rendered object with depth and shading.

Before cr8g's post, others may have experimented with 3D versions of memes, but no earlier examples have been catalogued in meme databases.

Origin & Background

Platform
DeviantArt (earliest known example), Facebook / YouTube (viral spread)
Key People
cr8g, community-created format
Date
2012
Year
2012

The exact origin of 3D memes as a format is unclear. The earliest documented example is a 3D recreation of the Computer Reaction Guy, posted by DeviantArt user cr8g on February 20, 2012. cr8g modeled the familiar rage-comic-adjacent reaction face in 3D software, turning a flat line drawing into a rendered object with depth and shading.

Before cr8g's post, others may have experimented with 3D versions of memes, but no earlier examples have been catalogued in meme databases.

How It Spread

The format stayed relatively niche for several years after cr8g's 2012 post. The first major breakout came on August 5, 2017, when YouTuber Paul McLaughlin uploaded a computer-generated parody video that recreated "Loss" by Ctrl+Alt+Del in full 3D. The video pulled in over 226,000 views and 790 comments within 14 months.

Facebook became a key hub for 3D meme content in 2018. On April 29, 2018, the Dimemetional Facebook page posted a 3D version of the "I Don't Feel So Good" meme featuring Shrek. The same page later uploaded a 3D recreation of the He-Man Sings meme on March 5.

The biggest single viral moment came when the 4d3d3d3 Engaged Facebook page posted a 3D Distracted Boyfriend meme on October 21. Within 72 hours, the post racked up over 200,000 shares, 47,000 reactions, and 37,000 comments. Days later, on October 24, Redditor Lozmosis submitted a 3D "Mom Can You Give Me Money?" meme to r/dankmemes, where it earned more than 8,200 points at 95% upvoted within 11 hours.

Separately, the 3D-native Meme Man character gained traction through the "Special meme fresh" Facebook page starting in 2014 and became a staple of surreal memes. On June 5, 2017, the artist behind Meme Man posted the iconic "Stonks" image, which went viral on Reddit and Twitter. By 2021, Meme Man had crossed into mainstream culture through Fortnite's "Diamond Hanz" skin and Elon Musk's tweets referencing "Gamestonk".

How to Use This Meme

The typical process for creating a 3D meme:

1

Pick a well-known flat meme template (rage comic, image macro, webcomic panel)

2

Recreate the scene in 3D modeling software (Blender is the most common free option)

3

Match the original composition but add lighting, texture, and depth

4

Render the result as a still image or short animation

5

Post with the same caption or context as the original meme

Cultural Impact

3D memes occupy a specific niche at the intersection of meme culture and digital art. Dedicated Facebook pages like Dimemetional and 4d3d3d3 Engaged built large followings specifically around 3D meme content, with single posts reaching hundreds of thousands of shares.

The format also connects to the broader rise of surreal memes in the mid-2010s, where deliberately strange 3D renders became a visual language of their own. Meme Man, the most successful 3D-native meme character, was referenced by Elon Musk multiple times on Twitter and inspired a Fortnite character skin in 2021. During the 2021 GameStop short squeeze, Meme Man became the face of the "stonks" meme on r/wallstreetbets.

Fun Facts

The 3D Distracted Boyfriend meme generated more engagement (200,000+ shares) in 72 hours than many original meme formats achieve in their entire lifespan.

Meme Man's "Stonks" image was tied to real stock market events when Elon Musk tweeted "Gamestonk!!" in January 2021, causing GameStop shares to rise 157% in extended-hours trading.

cr8g's original 2012 DeviantArt post framed the 3D Computer Guy as a response to a creative challenge, suggesting even the earliest 3D meme came from a community prompt.

Fortnite added a "Diamond Hanz" skin based on Meme Man as an April Fools' Day joke in 2021.

Derivatives & Variations

Meme Man / Stonks:

A 3D-rendered bald head character created by "Special meme fresh" in 2014, later becoming the face of the "Stonks" meme and surreal meme culture[3]

Dimemetional page:

A Facebook page dedicated to converting popular memes into 3D renders, including Shrek "I Don't Feel So Good" and He-Man Sings versions[2]

4d3d3d3 Engaged page:

Another Facebook community focused on 3D meme renders, responsible for the viral 3D Distracted Boyfriend that hit 200,000+ shares[2]

Paul McLaughlin's 3D Loss:

A fully animated 3D recreation of the Ctrl+Alt+Del "Loss" comic that became one of the earliest viral 3D meme videos[2]

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

  1. 1
    Computer guy meme by cr8g on DeviantArtarticle
  2. 2
    3D Memes - Know Your Memeencyclopedia
  3. 3
    Meme Manencyclopedia