“This project is an effort to re-rebrand Pepe the frog as a symbol of love, peace and acceptance,” Furie said in a Kickstarter video. “And my aim for the project is to create a brand new zine in the spirit of the original ‘Boy’s Club,’ and tell the story of Pepe’s resurrection and rebirth and the story that follows.”

The fundraiser has raised more than $17,000 so far, nearly doubling its initial goal.

“It is a very messy situation,” Jason Furie, Matt’s brother who is helping with the project, told MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Sunday. “And him as the creator of the image is the most upset by this, but at the end of the day we’re trying to symbolically rebrand him into something more positive.