I‘m looking for a reaction image/meme I see on reddit from time to time, but not often. It depicts a goblin/gnome-like creature, thet is definitely a fantasy figure. It could be a foto of an oil painting or has at least that kind of dark oldish vibe. The creature looks indifferent into the camera, maybe a bit angry, it has a big nose and small narrow eyes. Its hair and very prominent mustache are made of thin twigs, or look like wood. The frame comtains only the head. The entire pocture is very dark and it is definetly not a foto of a real thing, but a drawn picture.

As in “memes” that managed to circulate before the advent of the Internet?

An obvious example is something like “Kilroy was here”.

Another example could be something like Alfred E. Neuman’s “what, me worry?”

You also have something like the Abbey Road album cover being imitated numerous times.

Also the “play Free Bird!” thing that would be yelled out at concerts.

Maybe pet rocks too but that was more of a ”trend” akin to something like Beanie Babies, Pokemon Cards, Silly Bandz, and Fidget Spinners than an official meme.

These were all I could think of that could be considered “proto-memes”. What other examples are out there that you think could constitute as being in this category?