The man behind the meme: KCLBanter on what it’s like to run a uni meme page

If you’ve been following us on Instagram (if not, do that right now), you’ve probably noticed a frequent guest in our comment section: KCL Banter.

It is a respectable creative giving King’s students and beyond quality memes ranging from exposing the uni life to trashing the short men of KCL (turns out that’s a thing).

So, the London Tab interviewed the not-so mystery man behind KCLBanter’s humble beginnings and dished the dirt on why yet another misguided student thinks UCL will never live up to King’s.

We won’t hold grudge only because the meme is funny (credit: @kclbanter)

Birth of a seasoned memer

Clearly a brave person not caring if any opps come for him, the man behind KCL Banter has allowed us to disclose his identity.

CJ (full name Charel Junior) is doing a programme in Biomedical Engineering, currently hopping through his second year. Despite being a busy STEMer, he’s the mastermind behind what’s “officially the most active KCL meme page” – or at least that’s how he brands it.

Similar to how loneliness made people leave 2020 with one more pet than they went into it with, KCLBanter is a result of CJ feeling “super bored” during the lockdown.

He said: “To me, uni had to be more than just the four walls of my accommodation.

“I started KCLBanter, which used to be named Juan@kcl, as a way to meet people who also wanted something more out of uni, and there was nothing better than memes to do so.

“Now, it is has grown into something much bigger. I like to think of it as a melting pot of all interests and ideologies, a smaller scale of society.

“It is beautiful seeing how humour makes people of all backgrounds come together,” he said.

A truly touching message, and we’re sure lots of people have appreciated KCLBanter from preventing their pandemic IG feeds from becoming saturated with Joe Wickes workouts.

But seriously we have to ask: who in the world is Juan??

credit: KCLBanter

Memes and more

CJ said he’s made “probably over 95 per cent” of the memes on KCLBanter, with the rest being reposted ones that are just as relatable.

Having a paternal connection to his creations, he thought “it is hard to say which ones are my favourite.”

But clearly his followers knows which ones: “The ones I sometimes enjoy doing do poorly numbers wise, and some memes I quickly make do insanely well.”

One of CJ’s favourites (Credit: KCLBanter)

The LondonTab also couldn’t help but ask if there’s any beef between him and kingscollegeloldon, another popular KCL meme page.

CJ began his answer humbly: “We have a very different style in terms of memes. As a page they are doing quite well and they do reach their audience I believe.”

And, as expected: “I still think I am a funnier meme page.”

A king of King’s

How we got to know CJ is a not-so-complicated story: it seems that only students at a uni topping medical imaging in Europe can banter about KCL.

But this especially applies to UCL students, as CJ thinks “there are many aspects in which KCL is better than UCL.

“But to sum it all up perfectly, UCL will never stand a chance unless it takes our spot as the #one medical imaging school in Europe.”

Adding onto being a king of King’s, he was chosen as The London Tab’s Big Name on Campus (BNOC) 2022. A truly CV-worthy award if you ask us.

He said about this honour: “It was honestly super unexpected, but it sure felt well. It was as much of a roller coaster to me as to anyone who followed the progression of the votes.

“For a week after the votes, I kept on being recognised more even during parties. It was super funny, and I love everyone who voted for me.”

And if you love CJ’s memes, follow KCLBanter on IG to be regularly reminded of the (inaccurate) ideology of King’s supremacy.

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