The Graphic Interchange Format, or GIF, is a 256-color, 8-bit digital image format that was created in 1989 by CompuServe, but it was not until the early '90s, when Netscape created a code to enable animation of several GIFs within the frame, that a meme-enabler was born. Like all things set afloat in the web-o-sphere, the animated GIF format has exploded and been recondensed into a twisted silent reliquary of Internet memes, moments, and freakish, fresh hell. A walk through the cult-curated halls of the animated GIF museum is like journeying through a time capsule of the Internet and everything it has become: an archive of human information and entertainment prioritized by the democracy of the click. Come with us on a walk through the halls and history of the animated GIF, but beware! The Internet can be a scary place. If you don't like it, listen to the Shadez Dog and just deal with it. One last thing we'd like to say before we begin: Fair use, dudes.