Randy Dave: Cartoons Verified

As Dave himself wrote in his only public statement, posted as a text file titled “verify_this.txt”: “You want verified? I am the stutter. I am the pixel. Stop sharing the wrong ones.” And with that, the internet’s most reluctant artist signed off—leaving a legacy of chaos, cross-hatching, and a surprisingly robust verification protocol. Share it in the comments below, and the Davex community will help you get it verified—or debunked. Remember: Not every ugly cartoon is a masterpiece. But every masterpiece deserves to be authenticated.

But the stakes are surprisingly high. In late 2023, a non-verified Randy Dave cartoon depicting a violent act against a political candidate was used in an actual threat assessment by the Secret Service. The cartoon was a fake, but by the time the truth emerged, the damage was done.

What does “verified” mean in the context of an anonymous political artist? Verified by whom? And why are thousands of users suddenly demanding authentication for cartoons that look like they were drawn with a single pixel on Windows 95?