Even if you're younger and don't quite know what it's about, this phrase will probably ring a bell because it belongs to a cartoon drawn three decades ago that already occupies a prominent place in the history of the Internet.
For those of us who are not so young on the net, it is a reference cartoon and a must-quote from the post-meme era that ended up becoming a ditto.
Bob Mankoff explains it this way in Cartoonstock:
july 5, 1993, was a simpler time. Facebook, Google, the iPhone and the term "social networking" had not yet been invented. The "World Wide Web", also known as the "Internet", already existed, but it was only used by technicians who knew how to operate a dial-up modem.
Cartoonist Peter Steiner was not among them. And yet, in that week's issue of The New Yorker, he was somehow able to distil an essential truth of what, for better or worse, or perhaps both, the Internet was, is, and always will be.
As the Internet grew, so did the popularity of the cartoon. By its tenth anniversary, it was already one of the most reprinted cartoons in the history of The New Yorker magazine.
With the cartoon's thirtieth anniversary in the rear-view mirror, its relevance continues to grow and transcends the category of "New Yorker cartoon". It is undoubtedly one of the most famous cartoons in history.
The most expensive cartoon in history
And befitting that status, the original of this iconic cartoon is now one of the most valuable cartoons in history, having sold at auction on 6 October for a whopping $175,000, the highest price for a single cartoon joke ever recorded.
Limited edition copy signed by Peter Steiner
To mark the cartoon's 30th anniversary, CartoonStock has released an exclusive signed and numbered edition of this classic drawing, scanned in high resolution directly from the original sold at auction. A limited edition of 100 pieces carefully reproduced in their original 9×12 size on 100% acid-free cotton archival paper. Each piece is hand signed and numbered by Peter Steiner himself and includes a letter of authenticity from Bob Mankoff. It is the highest quality reproduction available and the best version of the cartoon you can buy, along with the $175,000 original.
Printed on Moab Rag Natural paper, made from 100% cotton fibre, it offers excellent ink handling and a traditional feel. It also forgoes all optical brighteners for natural brightness and whiteness. In addition, the 22.5mm thick sheets are acid and lignin free, water resistant and buffered with calcium carbonate to ensure true archival longevity.
You can get your hands on one of these 100 exclusive prints for 500 euros, but you'll have to figure out how to order and receive it because it 's only available in the US.
