Loss (Ctrl+Alt+Del)

"Loss", sometimes referred to as "loss.jpg", is a comic strip published on June 2, 2008, by Tim Buckley in his gaming-related webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del. It is part of a storyline in which the main character Ethan and his fiancée Lilah are expecting their first child. Presented as a four-panel comic with no dialogue, the strip shows Ethan entering a hospital where he sees Lilah weeping in a hospital bed after suffering a miscarriage. Buckley cited events in his life as inspiration for the comic. It has received negative reception from critics and webcomic creators, especially for the shift in tone in the webcomic, and as an example of "fridging"—showing a killed or injured female character with the intention of provoking a male character. It has been adapted and parodied by numerous other creators and garnered a legacy as an internet meme, usually by activating the viewer's pattern recognition, where the comic is simplified and made overly abstract and minimalist, often with objects placed in similar positions as the characters.