2channel (2ちゃんねる, ni channeru^?, 2ch for short) is a Japanese Internet forum, thought to be the largest Internet forum in the world.^[3][4][5] Launched in 1999, it has gained significant influence in Japanese society, comparable to that of traditional mass media such as television, radio, and magazines.^[

check out the the amazing ASCII art on one of their threads:
http://live24.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/eq/1254224828/