You’ve seen him. That incredibly round, smug-looking Bugs Bunny. He’s usually plastered on a fake PlayStation 4 box or staring at you from a deep-fried Reddit thread. Honestly, if you’ve spent more than five minutes on the internet since 2018, you know exactly who Big Chungus is.
But where did this absolute unit come from?
It’s not just a random drawing someone made in MS Paint. It’s a weirdly perfect storm of 1940s animation, a British gaming critic’s vocabulary, and the chaotic energy of a bored Redditor. As of 2026, he's even making a comeback thanks to the "Great Meme Reset," proving that some jokes just refuse to die.
The 80-Year-Old Origin Story
The image itself is actually older than your grandparents. Most people think it’s a modern edit, but it’s a 100% real frame from a 1941 Merrie Melodies cartoon called "Wabbit Twouble." In the short, Bugs Bunny is doing his usual thing—harassing Elmer Fudd. At one point, he mocks Elmer’s weight by puffing out his chest and stomach, becoming a "chunky" version of himself for exactly 3.4 seconds. Director Bob Clampett probably had no idea that this specific gag would become a digital deity eight decades later.
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The name "Chungus," however, didn't exist in 1941. We owe that to James Stephanie Sterling (formerly Jim Sterling), a well-known video game critic. Years before the meme blew up, Sterling started using "Chungus" as a nonsense word. It could mean anything. A "chunky anus"? Maybe. A "big, chunky, humongous" thing? Definitely. It was just a weird sound that felt right.
How Who Is Big Chungus Became a Global Phenomenon
The meme didn't just happen; it was manufactured in a classroom. In March 2018, a Reddit user named GaryTheTaco was bored. He took that 1941 frame of fat Bugs Bunny, slapped it onto a fake PS4 game cover, and titled it Big Chungus.
He sent it to a friend. The friend didn't care.
Fast forward to December 2018. Gary posted it to the subreddit r/comedyheaven. Then, the legendary "GameStop Story" hit. A Facebook post went viral claiming a mother had walked into a GameStop asking for a copy of Big Chungus for her son. Whether that actually happened or was just peak internet fiction is still debated, but it was the gasoline the fire needed.
Suddenly, everyone was asking who is Big Chungus, and the answer was "everything."
The Absurd Timeline of Chungus
- 1941: Bugs Bunny mocks Elmer Fudd in Wabbit Twouble.
- 2012: The word "Chungus" is first defined on Urban Dictionary.
- March 2018: The PS4 box art is created by GaryTheTaco.
- December 2018: The meme reaches critical mass.
- October 2019: The U.S. Army posts a photo of a howitzer cannon nicknamed "Chungus."
- March 2021: Big Chungus is officially added to the mobile game Looney Tunes World of Mayhem.
- July 2021: He makes a cameo in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Why We Are Still Talking About Him in 2026
You might think a meme from 2018 would be "dead" by now. In internet years, that’s prehistoric. But 2026 has brought us the Great Meme Reset.
Internet users, tired of AI-generated "brainrot" and hyper-commercialized TikTok trends, have collectively decided to return to the classics. Big Chungus is the poster child for this movement. He represents a time when memes were just stupid, slightly ironic, and didn't require a 20-minute video essay to understand.
Warner Bros. even saw the writing on the wall. They filed a trademark for the name in the European Union back in 2022. They knew then what we know now: Big Chungus isn't just a rabbit; he’s an intellectual property powerhouse.
The Actionable Truth
If you’re trying to understand internet culture, don’t look for logic in Big Chungus. There isn't any. He is a "post-ironic" masterpiece. He’s funny because he shouldn't be.
If you want to dive deeper into this rabbit hole (pun intended), here is what you should actually do:
- Watch the source material: Find Wabbit Twouble (1941) on a streaming service or archive site. Seeing the actual animation helps you realize how much the meme preserved the original's chaotic spirit.
- Look for the "Big Chungus" variations: The meme evolved into "Big Chungus 2," "Big Chungus: The Pre-Sequel," and even "General Chungus."
- Check the 2026 Reset Threads: Visit communities like r/TheGreatMemeReset_ to see how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are currently fighting over whether these old memes should stay in the "Internet Graveyard" or lead the new era.
The bottom line? Big Chungus is a rare bridge between the Golden Age of Animation and the absurdist humor of the 21st century. He’s fat, he’s smug, and he’s probably not going anywhere.