# Apu Apustaja is not Pepe the Frog

> Apu Apustaja is a separate character from Pepe the Frog. Apu began in early 2016 on the Finnish imageboard Ylilauta as a crudely drawn edit of Pepe, then became its own small, childlike "Help Helper" character with its own community. Pepe the Frog was created by American artist Matt Furie in his 2005 comic Boy's Club.

Site: https://itsapunotpepe.com/

## Comparison

| Attribute | Apu Apustaja | Pepe the Frog |
|---|---|---|
| Also known as | Apu, "Help Helper", "Helper" | Pepe, Sad Frog, Feels Good Man |
| Name meaning | Deliberately broken Finnish; "apu" = help; translated as "Help Helper" | "Pepe", the character's name in Matt Furie's comic |
| Origin | Finnish imageboard Ylilauta, early 2016; reached 4chan in March 2016 | Comic Boy's Club by Matt Furie, 2005 |
| Creator | Unknown (anonymous Finnish imageboard users) | Matt Furie (American artist) |
| Drawing style | Crude on purpose, in the style of the Finnish meme Spurdo Spärde | Clean cartoon line art |
| Look | Small and childlike; usually a blue shirt; often full-body with shorts | Large frog head; heavy-lidded eyes; big brown lips; often a blue T-shirt |
| Personality | Shown as innocent, cozy, helpful "fren" | Wide range: "feels good man", sad, smug |
| Speech | Misspelled, childlike English ("food help helper") | Normal English |
| Spin-offs | Peepo Twitch emotes come from Apu | Sad Frog, Smug Frog, Feels Bad Man |
| Relationship | Began as a crude edit of Pepe, then became its own separate character | The original frog character |

## Key facts

- Apu Apustaja and Pepe the Frog are related in origin but are not the same character.
- Know Your Meme lists Apu as a Pepe variation drawn in the style of Spurdo Spärde.
- No source links Apu to Pepe's creator, Matt Furie.
- The Twitch/Discord "Peepo" emotes are based on Apu, not directly on Pepe.

## FAQ

- Is Apu Apustaja the same as Pepe the Frog? No. Apu began as an edit of Pepe but became a separate character with its own look, personality, speech and community.
- Who created Apu Apustaja? No individual creator is known. Apu first spread on Ylilauta in early 2016.
- What does Apustaja mean? Deliberately broken Finnish; "apu" means help; usually translated as "Help Helper".
- How can I tell them apart? Apu is small, childlike, crudely drawn, usually in a blue shirt and often full-body with shorts. Pepe is a larger, cleaner frog head with big brown lips and heavy-lidded eyes.

## Community

- [apustaja.io](https://apustaja.io/): community-run hub linking the community-run Apu Apustaja sites.

## Sources

- [Know Your Meme: Apu Apustaja](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/apu-apustaja)
- [Wikipedia: Pepe the Frog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepe_the_Frog)
- [Know Your Meme: Peepo](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/peepo)
- [Know Your Meme: Spurdo Spärde](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spurdo-sparde)