Pepe the Frog originated as a comic character created by artist Matt Furie in 2005, featured in his comic book "Boy's Club." Initially, Pepe was a laid-back, stoner-like figure with a catchphrase, "Feels good, man," reflecting a carefree lifestyle common among young adults. His image became popular on the internet, especially on platforms like 4chan, Myspace, and Reddit, where users began to use it as a meme to express various emotions and situations.