Alexis Kestler
Hey friend! Have you seen those funny Extra Hell memes floating around social media? You know, the ones sending annoying people to a terrible underworld as punishment. Pretty hilarious, right? But I bet you‘re wondering – what exactly is the deal with Extra Hell?
As a long-time webcomic fanatic and meme connoisseur, I decided to do a deep dive on the origins and impact of the Extra Hell meme template. Get ready for a wild ride into the fiery (and funny) world of Extra Hell!
Unpacking the Extra Hell Comic
Extra Hell comes from the creative mind of cartoonist Michael Ashton, creator of the webcomic series Light Roast Comics. The specific strip that kicked off the meme first appeared in May 2019. Let‘s break down what exactly happens in this comic:
The first panel shows a generic, confused looking guy in a yellow shirt. He tells a demon administrator "There must be some mistake. He doesn‘t belong here."
Next panel – the reveal. Yellow shirt guy declares "I‘m a mega church preacher with multiple private planes." He seems to expect this should grant him access to heaven.
The demon admin drops a bomb in response: "Yeah, you‘re not on my list. Let me take you somewhere more appropriate."
Finally, the man stands panicked before a portal to "Extra Hell," realizing he‘s made a terrible miscalculation.
With this simple four panel narrative, Ashton delivers a scathing commentary on hypocrisy, wealth inequality, climate change impact of private jets, and accountability in the afterlife. The oblivious preacher expects his luxurious lifestyle to earn heavenly rewards. Instead it earns condemnation to Extra Hell‘s deeper layer of punishment.
As a webcomic fan, I admire Ashton‘s concise joke-telling through minimalist illustration. He uses clean lines, sparse background, and clear expressions to focus attention on the joke and characters. Really crisp, effective visual storytelling.
So in summary, Extra Hell depicts a seemingly pious but ultimately corrupt character being damned to a sinister underworld for his misdeeds. This clearly struck a chord with audiences, which brings us to…
Why the Extra Hell Meme Resonated
Soon after Ashton posted the original Extra Hell comic on Reddit‘s r/LightRoast community, it earned over 1.8k upvotes. The dark humor of imagining an even worse place than hell clearly delighted readers.
But I think it also tapped into some deeper feelings many of us share. Haven‘t you sometimes encountered someone so obnoxious, you felt they deserved harsher judgement than typical? We‘ve all known that narcissistic friend, rude customer, or corrupt politician that made us think "there should be an Extra Hell for people like that!"
This meme captured that feeling – and finally gave us the Extra Hell we deserve! No wonder it took off across social media. It was incredibly cathartic to have this imaginary place to condemn the worst behaviors.
Personally, I think it also shows our desire for justice. We want to see some fairness and punishment in a world where obnoxious jerks often get away with their behavior. Extra Hell memes right those wrongs in a fictional setting.
Now let‘s explore how the original comic turned into a full viral meme template.
The Extra Hell Meme Template Spreads
It didn‘t take long for creative meme-makers of the internet to see potential in Ashton‘s Extra Hell concept. Soon edit versions started appearing on Reddit and Twitter, altering the preacher‘s dialogue in the second panel. This allowed people to call out whatever behavior or person they thought deserved condemnation to this sinister underworld.
Some especially hilarious and relatable examples I saw included:
"You‘re looking at someone who enjoys and actively shares Minion memes."
"You‘re looking at the person who microwaves fish at work every day."
"You‘re looking at the guy who takes the last slice of pizza without asking."
Pretty soon the meme was everywhere. It spread to Target, Walmart and airline employees venting about annoying customer habits. Teachers joined in bemoaning apathetic students. I even saw some great edits about behaviors in specific game communities. Like this gem:
[Image]KnowYourMeme currently has over 15 pages documenting examples of the Extra Hell meme. Clearly it tapped into a shared annoyance with certain behaviors that people wanted to call out!
Next I‘ll walk you through making your own Extra Hell meme. Then we‘ll look at what makes this comic meaningful beyond a silly meme.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Extra Hell Memes
Want to condemn something to Extra Hell? Making your own meme template only takes a few simple steps:
-
Find a clean Extra Hell meme template to download. I recommend grabbing one from Imgflip, Imgur or Reddit.
-
Edit the text in the second panel to call out whatever person, behavior, company etc. you think deserves judgement. Get creative and humorous with it!
-
Share the meme on social media or Reddit. For extra impact, tag the offender so they know eternal damnation awaits them in Extra Hell!
-
Watch the hate mail roll in! Kidding. But your meme might really resonate if it taps into a shared annoyance.
Some tips for making effective Extra Hell memes:
-
Tailor your complaint to relevant subcultures for bigger impact. A gaming meme will land better in r/gaming than with general audiences.
-
Absurdist exaggerated humor often works better than sincere complaints. Like saying "You‘re looking at someone who eats the brown M&Ms first."
-
When in doubt, pick a mildly annoying behavior most people can relate to on some level.
Now that we‘ve broken down the meme, let‘s look at what commentary the comic makes beyond just silly jokes about annoyances.
The Message Beyond the Meme
On the surface, Extra Hell is just a funny meme about petty problems warranting exaggerated punishment. But I think Ashton‘s original comic makes some poignant societal commentaries:
On hypocrisy and injustice – The oblivious preacher highlights hypocrisy in how we judge others more harshly than ourselves, even for the same behavior. A classic "do as I say, not as I do" situation.
On accountability – The meme demands accountability, suggesting every action big or small deserves equal punishment eventually. It brings catharsis by righting perceived wrongs.
On human flaws – Ultimately, Extra Hell comments on the universal human traits we all share to some degree – hypocrisy, pettiness, selfishness, lack of self-awareness. We‘ve all got a bit of Extra Hell in us!
On moral complexity – While the meme sets up a simple just world where bad behaviors clearly lead to punishment, real life morality is more complex. Could even the worst sinners merit redemption? Can any human avoid all flaws or bad acts? The meme format reduces morality to clear binaries, when truth often lies in shades of gray.
So while the comic first appears to just be biting humor, we can also reflect more on our own judgments, sense of justice, and relationship with morality through Extra Hell. But it all originates with one creative mind…
Inside the Mind of Creator Michael Ashton
California-based cartoonist Michael Ashton has cultivated a loyal following for his Light Roast Comics series since starting it in 2018. He never expected his silly comics to blow up so widely.
When interviewed by BoredPanda about the viral success of his Extra Hell meme, Ashton admitted:
"I had absolutely no idea it would take off. I was expecting maybe a couple hundred upvotes on Reddit at the most. I‘m just grateful the community has embraced my sense of humor."
I reached out directly to Ashton to learn more about his creative process and inspirations. Here are some highlights of our conversation:
On starting Light Roast Comics:
"It began as just a way to make my friends and family laugh. I never expected complete strangers to enjoy it too."
On his illustration style:
"I like using clean lines, minimal backgrounds, and simple expressions so the focus stays on the jokes and characters."
On the meme popularity:
"It‘s always amazing as an artist when your work spreads far and wide. But for me, the fulfillment comes in the creative process itself. I just want to keep getting better at the art form."
On future plans:
"I‘m working on building Light Roast Comics into a brand, developing merchandising deals, starting a Patreon community. But new viral memes aren‘t really the goal. I just want to keep improving as an artist."
Ashton seems humble but truly talented. And he confirms that his passion is in the craft – not just chasing fame with meme-able moments. Based on teaser images he shared with me, future Light Roast comics will explore other absurdist realms like "Extra Purgatory", "Ultra Heaven" and "Bonus Stage Hell."
I don‘t know about you, but I think his unique comedic voice has only begun to resonate for webcomic fans. There are surely many more viral hits still to come from this promising creative talent.
The Webcomic Renaissance and Rise of Memes
Beyond just Extra Hell, Ashton‘s success points to some fascinating trends in the evolving landscape of webcomics and internet culture.
Webcomics like Light Roast are the modern evolution of newspaper comic strips. But unlike printed comics, the internet allows creators to easily distribute their work, build fandoms, and get rapid feedback.
Platforms like Reddit, Instagram and Webtoon make it possible to share comics to millions overnight. User comments and upvotes provide valuable data to help creators refine their work.
It‘s also easier than ever to take an existing comic and remix it into meme templates. Memes have become the new cultural currency of the internet – a way to feel part of an in-joke.
For creators like Ashton, memes can help grow their brand and author identity. Well-known webcomic artists increasingly cultivate their work into merchandise, speaking gigs, Patreon accounts, and even TV deals.
So in summary, we‘re living in a new golden age of webcomics. Creators have direct access to fans, and users immerse themselves in participatory meme culture. All the elements aligned perfectly for the Extra Hell comic to catch fire.
But in the end, does it really matter if a comic goes viral as a meme?
Viral Success vs. Artistic Integrity
Ashton‘s blasé reaction about Extra Hell going viral highlights an important question – at what point does meme popularity undermine the art? Are creators obligated to keep making content designed to meme-ify?
In Ashton‘s case, he seems to view memes as an added bonus, but not his core purpose. Yet for other artists, the relentless need to produce viral-friendly work can undermine creativity.
The current mark of success for many webcomics and other online media is memeification. But chasing trends and engineering virality rarely results in meaningful art.
True artistic integrity demands creators stay focused on their unique voice and honing their craft. Ashton demonstrates that integrity in how he talks about future comics. His ambition seems centered on improving as an artist – not just chasing the next big meme.
So while magic moments like Extra Hell‘s rise will occur organically, they shouldn‘t become a metric for success. As consumers, we too must look beyond memes to appreciate the deeper creative gifts artists offer.
Which brings us to the big lesson here…
Conclusion: judging Less, Understanding More
When all is said and done, the ultimate message buried in Extra Hell memes is about compassion.
These memes tap into our instinct to judge and punish those who cross moral lines big and small. Yet part of growing in wisdom means looking at behavior from broader perspectives.
Are we judging someone by their worst moment, not their full humanity? Do we allow room for redemption? Are we applying standards equally to ourselves and others?
Extra Hell memes will come and go, as the internet moves rapidly from one viral joke format to the next. But hopefully the underlying call for compassion remains alive.
So next time you‘re tempted to condemn someone to Extra Hell, take a moment for empathy. As the old saying goes, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." We‘ve all got a bit of Extra Hell in us, after all.
Thanks for going on this wild meme journey with me! Let me know if you have any other webcomic curiosities I should explore next. Now go enjoy those funny Extra Hell memes with a little more context.
