The meme that started it all - "Magic internet money Join Us!"

[rdbase]

Where did this iconic magic internet money meme came from?
A simple request by theymos to post their submission on a 7 year old thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/18smyy/ideas_for_rbitcoin_ads


Transformed into:

I like what bitcoin has transformed into and to a more modern 8k version of it's mspaint days.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/izoto0/never_forget_where_we_came_from

From what I understand by reading all the comments on this reddit from a day ago it's creator: u/mavensbot l33t user.
You can find out from their posts on reddit who the user is on the forums.
I just went to an older post of theirs and came to the conclusion it is this user:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3313
From this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/1q3e17/300_btc_coding_contest_distributed_exchange

Also from this Mt.Socks was formed:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/dpoypo/hi_were_mtsocks_and_as_a_tribute_to_rbitcoin_weve/f5yihmb/?context=3




Links to the backstory of how this all came to fruition:
https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-at-10#the-history-of-bitcoin-as-told-by-its-7-most-iconic-memes


https://rhythmofbitcoin.substack.com/p/bitcoin-is-magic-internet-money

[Stalker22]

Who made the updated version?
It reminds me of a scene from The Lord of the Rings when Gandalf stood in front of the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad Dum. I like it very much.

[bL4nkcode]

I remember this new wizard graphics as dumbledore casting a fire spell in the harry potter film series , I can't remember what actual scene it is though.

[HeRetiK]

Maybe I'm an OG magic internet money wizard maximalist but nothing will ever come close to the original painting. Nothing.

[FlightyPouch]

The first thing that reminded me of this is the avatar of mk4. I've seen this before but right now what quickly comes to my mind is his avatar. Either way, it is great how those people in Reddit reminisce the past price of bitcoin. All I can remember is that I am struggling with how to double my satoshis in Freebitco.in then my friend gave me some mbtcs that he's regretting now.

[nancy]

Sometimes one meme is enough for really big movement

[rdbase]

Maybe I'm an OG magic internet money wizard maximalist but nothing will ever come close to the original painting. Nothing.

It was made in simpler times hence the simplistic look of it and it took him all of 5 minutes to do.
No filters or all that nonsense was needed.

Who made the updated version?
It reminds me of a scene from The Lord of the Rings when Gandalf stood in front of the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad Dum. I like it very much.

That I am not sure of but I sure there is a watermark or a tag of some sort so they can see who is trying to copy or manipulate his work.
I think it was (the original one that is) intended to be dumbledore from the Harry Potter books actually not Gandalf the grey->white later on in the L.O.T.R trilogy.
But that is just me. What do I know. The first time I have seen it was on Mk4's profile as his avatar too.

[yulchatar]

In the new version, this is definitely Gandalf the Gray, that is what he was in the trilogy. Remember Dumbledore, he is a good-natured old man and he looks more like picture number 1. Although the hat on Gandalf is definitely from Harry Potter.
And, of course, both versions are commendable.

[TedMosby]

When you look at the comment here https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/izoto0/never_forget_where_we_came_from,
you will see there are many early adopters of bitcoin on that comment section.
and if you are one of them (early adopter at least you saw bitcoin price at $200-$400), you will instantly miss that moment.
ah... I wanna cry.

by the way, where can I get the high-res version of the OG pic?

[bimbidingdong]

From this:
https://i.ibb.co/C0Yfz48/vm-Tk-TGh-Al-I6l3-Qe-P6-SN-yfu-K-Ns-DUlu-Airmkp-Pk-Ma-W0.jpg
To what it has transformed into:
https://i.ibb.co/7kWcLds/7MSIJpH.jpg
I like what bitcoin has transformed into and to a more modern 8k version of it's mspaint days.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/izoto0/never_forget_where_we_came_from

From what I understand by reading all the comments on this reddit from a day ago it's creator: u/mavensbot

Also from this Mt.Socks was formed:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/dpoypo/hi_were_mtsocks_and_as_a_tribute_to_rbitcoin_weve/f5yihmb/?context=3

https://i.ibb.co/ZX1jgLP/disneydollars.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/jZvNvhF/202.jpg

Wow! That is really a dope art! From a zero-valued mspaint art to a 10K-valued one. The meme -> The MIM -> The Magic Internet Money

[cryptoperkele]

Original version is still far more sympathetic. It's even more artistic as it takes more freedoms with the style and the best part is, it doesn't take itself too seriously, it's the best kind of meme; something you can take sarcastically, playfully while still being powerful.

The latter/newer one is just too cringe for my taste. Yeah, creator obviously has put more effort to it but it's not bringing anything new or worthy that could be used as a meme marketing.

[hatshepsut93]

What exactly did this meme start? It's just fan art for the /r/Bitcoin subreddit, this meme isn't even known outside of Bitcoin community.

Maybe I'm an OG magic internet money wizard maximalist but nothing will ever come close to the original painting. Nothing.

The original version is clearly superior. Sometimes less is more. While this new version is clearly very well made, it lacks some "hook" that makes the original so memorable. It's just like with any other meme, when someone tries to redraw it in higher quality, it never replaces the original.

[Harlot]

The original version of the picture is better compared to the remake simply because of its history and how Bitcoin has started. Sure the looks of the remake inspired by the original Bitcoin Wizard is better but this won't really be created without the original. TBH I'm not an early adopter and the only time I have seen the Bitcoin Wizard is from this post for the Bitcointalk anniversary coin proposal and during that time I imagined that people thought Bitcoin was a joke but the good thing is we just proved them wrong.

[pixie85]

Maybe I'm an OG magic internet money wizard maximalist but nothing will ever come close to the original painting. Nothing.

The original has this this unmatched vibe to it. That unique artistic detailing, that coloring! Truely a masterpiece of mspaint.

[buwaytress]

Maybe I'm an OG magic internet money wizard maximalist but nothing will ever come close to the original painting. Nothing.

Not even an OG here so I saw a lot of others BEFORE I saw that original, and yet I was still converted to the good old magic. Not sure if anything to do with my age, or simply that the original actually has real magic powers.

Internet points for everyone on this forum, here here and here.

[Zionatin]

Who made the updated version?
It reminds me of a scene from The Lord of the Rings when Gandalf stood in front of the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad Dum. I like it very much.

I was thinking the same thing. LOTR is definitely a great influence in this artist's work but I wish the OP would put the artist's name and source here. I wonder what other work the artist has done and if any more of it is bitcoin related? Man, that would look cool on a shirt don't you think?

[rdbase]

What exactly did this meme start? It's just fan art for the /r/Bitcoin subreddit, this meme isn't even known outside of Bitcoin community.

Maybe I'm an OG magic internet money wizard maximalist but nothing will ever come close to the original painting. Nothing.

The original version is clearly superior. Sometimes less is more. While this new version is clearly very well made, it lacks some "hook" that makes the original so memorable. It's just like with any other meme, when someone tries to redraw it in higher quality, it never replaces the original.

It did start from the Bitcoin subreddit from no other than Theymos himself.
Mavenbot, the original artist, responded and here is the first image which I believe possibly is the most hi-res you will get of this original image.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/18smyy/ideas_for_rbitcoin_ads/c8hmtr2/?context=3

Who made the updated version?
It reminds me of a scene from The Lord of the Rings when Gandalf stood in front of the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad Dum. I like it very much.

I was thinking the same thing. LOTR is definitely a great influence in this artist's work but I wish the OP would put the artist's name and source here. I wonder what other work the artist has done and if any more of it is bitcoin related? Man, that would look cool on a shirt don't you think?

Will add links to what I have come across from doing some casual searching to the original post.
It is a quite intriguing story of how this all came about.

[Vatimins]

     Plain and simple. Not too much effort but not less also, just the right amount. Very playful and eye catching. All the people who have seen it at the time can clearly say it was an interesting and fun image with simplicity all over but despite these, the message was clear. It truly is perfectly fit at that time. A simple meme that made a huge impact that stretches to this day.

[snipie]

     Plain and simple. Not too much effort but not less also, just the right amount. Very playful and eye catching. All the people who have seen it at the time can clearly say it was an interesting and fun image with simplicity all over but despite these, the message was clear. It truly is perfectly fit at that time. A simple meme that made a huge impact that stretches to this day.

Yeah I remember it long time ago, it was good and simple. I like it. Since I didn't visit reddit from some time, I was wondering where did I saw it before, before reading the rest of the topic. I believe it was posted in another site, faucet maybe, I forgot..

[inbox]

We should add this to the history of the legend

https://www.bitcoinwizard.com/



and the NFT

https://foundation.app/mavensbot/magic-internet-money-bitcoin-wizard-5252