According to the creator, Michael Howe, Terrible Maps was actually born out of frustration. He originally ran a social media page dedicated to amazing, beautiful maps. However, internet users constantly nitpicked minor data inaccuracies or slight border imperfections.
As a joke, he decided to give the internet exactly what it was complaining about: completely, unapologetically terrible maps. By leaning into total inaccuracy, it took the power away from the internet critics.
The page began as a social media account in 2015, and it now has over 1.7 million followers on X and about 1.3 million on Facebook. Its popularity grew so much, that the creators even came out with a full-fledged humor book.
“After posting interesting, sensible, factual maps on social media for a few years as Amazing Maps it became clear that humans inherently like to whine because every comment section was full of complaints, arguments and general negative feedback. I was struck with an idea. Why not post maps that aren’t meant to be good, that defy rational criticism, that transcend the boundaries of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’? Terrible Maps was born,” writes Michael Howe.
We usually think of maps as helpful tools that give us accurate facts, show us where to go, and help us make decisions. They also tell exciting stories, stir up memories, and make us think of wild adventures.
Terrible Maps subverts this by using the official, serious visual language of mapmaking such as legends, shading, and color keys to present absolute nonsense. For example, a map of train routes in Antarctica (which is completely blank) or the world depicted as a cat playing with Australia.
Research shows that funny maps “destabilize the rigid scientific basis” of geography. They offer a social commentary rather than just dry geospatial facts.
They prove that how we feel about a place — the jokes we share and the stereotypes we hold — is often a more honest reflection of our world than precise coordinates on a grid.
Experts believe that old, funny maps, like postcard maps from the 1940s poking fun at different US states, act as historical snapshots. They show us exactly what the dominant culture, local inside jokes, and social stereotypes were at that exact moment in time.
They capture human culture in a way a boring highway map never could.
Research found that when students were handed a funny or completely ridiculous map, their critical thinking skills immediately lit up. Looking at funny maps actually trains our brains to question data and remember that all maps are constructed by people with biases.
Modern internet culture is exhausting, flooded with endless charts, data streams, and doom-scrolling. Reviewers note that these maps are a perfect “palette cleanser” for the brain. They don’t try to be smart, political, or meaningful. Instead, they offer pure, unadulterated dad-joke style silliness.
Readers of the book also point out that it makes the ultimate coffee table book because you don’t actually have to read the whole thing to enjoy it. It functions like an instant, low-stakes icebreaker — something guests can flip through for thirty seconds, laugh at, and use to spark a completely ridiculous conversation.
