Your Favorite Memes Are Getting Turned Into Toys With A 3D Printer

If you could place a physical incarnation of any Internet meme on your night stand, what would you pick? Would you want a tangible, figurine version of a Doge? How about a Nyan cat?

Though there is obviously an IRL Grumpy Cat (and most memes are based on real-life photos and people), 3D printing company, Shapeways, is changing the scope of online fad phenomena. The New York-based group is printing and selling physical versions of "Sad Keanu" (designed by Nancy Liang), the legendary meme inspired by a photo of the Matrix actor eating a sandwich by his lonesome.

Yup, for $45, you can have your own plastic action figure of Reeves looking melancholic and depraved, ensuring that this web-based joke is fully burnt to the ground. One second thought, you could literally burn this meme to the ground, similar to how we used to melt our toy soldiers with magnifying glasses when we were little kids.

Seriously, though, it's cool that 3D printers allow us to extend the value of a meme--but do you think people really want to see these viral tidbids outside of their 13" Macbook screens? At least Shapeways proves that their product can be used for some creative applications, as the below photos illustrate. We'd love to see someone use this mini-Keanu for a stop-motion animation video. Internet, please help us out with this one!

Here are some creative scenes that include the 3D-printed meme:

Here's the original photo of Keanu, in case you're wont to avoid these type of things. That sandwich must have been so mediocre…

Hat-tip to The Guardian and My Modern Met

@zachsokol