Slenderman originated in 2009 on the Something Awful forums during a Photoshop contest to create paranormal images. Created by Eric Knudsen under the pseudonym Victor Surge, the character is depicted as a tall, thin, faceless entity in a black suit who stalks and traumatizes his victims. The mythos exploded through the 'Marble Hornets' YouTube series and the viral game 'Slender: The Eight Pages,' cementing him as the first truly digital urban legend. While primarily a horror figure, the meme version often humorously represents social anxiety, feeling out of place, or the sensation of being watched in awkward everyday situations.