A decade on, the 'This is fine' creator wants to put the famous dog to rest

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/16/ [login to see] /this-is-fine-meme-anniversary-gunshow-web-comic
Thanks to a ubiquitous meme, the ironic phrase "This is fine" means things are not really that fine at all.

You've probably seen it: A smiling cartoon dog sits at a table, coffee mug on hand, as a room goes up in flames. "This is fine," the dog assures himself.

It's been a decade since its creator put out the comic strip that spawned the meme. Web comic artist KC Green recently marked the anniversary on Twitter.

Now after 10 years of using the famous dog in his comics to project his own thoughts and feelings, Green tells NPR that he might be ready for a new chapter.

"It's a fun challenge to try and embody a different character," he said. "And I would like to try that with some of [my] other characters."

He first published the work in 2013 as part of his Gunshow comic strip. A year later, after the comic's top two frames were posted to Reddit, the meme went viral.

"I remember it first being used on Instagram meme accounts, saying like, 'When finals week starts,' ... this is fine. 'When everyone's yelling at you and you're supposed to keep a smile on at your work,' you know, this is fine," Green said. "It kind of snowballed from there."