The 'Death at the Claw Machine' meme features an illustration of the grim reaper using a claw machine, but instead of toys, the machine is filled with humans. This meme is typically utilized to comment on celebrity deaths, with variations often humorously portraying Death as mistakenly selecting one celebrity over a more logically expected older celebrity. The grim reaper is shown in a typical dark cloak, operating the claw with an expression of focus or slight disappointment.
The original illustration for 'Death at the Claw Machine' was created by Nacho Diaz. Although the artist initially displayed it through his Naolito Art website, the artwork first gained online recognition through a post by Twisted Sifter on September 18th, 2011. The concept transitioned into a meme format on January 13th, 2017, when an Imgur user named BruisedBananas used it to reflect on the passing of George Michael, marking its first known use as an image macro in response to a celebrity death.[1]
Origin: 2011