WOOK #17

About

“Wook #17” is the name given to a picture of a hairy hippie named Dan Patchcomb after his image appeared as image #17 on the site w00ks.org in 2002. (note: the image has been removed.) His face has been edited onto a number of image macros on a number of forums, particularly those centered on jamband concerts.

Background

As many well know, a Wookie is a hairy species of alien from the Star Wars franchise, but the word has also evolved into a slang term referring to particularly hairy, dirty, jamband-loving hippies. There is evidence of the word Wookie carrying such meaning on Passed Out Wookies.

This point is also evident on the Star Wars wiki, Wookieepedia.

Fans of jam bands are sometimes classified as “Wooks” or “Wookiees” due to their stereotype of having unshaven faces, long hair, and lack of personal hygiene.

Spread

The majority of the photo editing has taken place on the Ween forums. On October 25th, 2003, Purplewalrus created the thread The official Wook #17 picture thread which has amassed over 125 pages of responses over the last 7 years. It is rare to find a thread that has had such longevity, in any forum.

Search

Searches for Wook 17 peaked again in 2006, dying down again, peaking again in 2008, then dying down. Attention seems to fluctuate, possibly with new audiences.