Picture yourself leafing through your favourite comic strip and coming across a wild jumble of symbols like %&^%@ instead of a well-known swear word. While you are instantly annoyed that you don't have a chance to decipher it, you know what it would mean in the context. If you have ever binge-watched a retro cartoon or flipped through a vintage comic strip and noticed a jumble of symbols such as %&^%@ or #$!& plastered over a character’s furious speech bubble or replacing a forbidden word, you have encountered what the world calls today a “Grawlix”. They censor the word and prevent the readers from know the exact swear word. They only give you a context. These symbols are family-friendly and prevent children from learning bad words. These chaotic squiggles are known as grawlixes. Grawlixes had to be invented by someone, can you believe it?
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| Cartoonist Mort Walker |
Behind that playful façade lies a clever workaround for censorship that has been delighting readers for decades. The censors that became useful in PG-era. They are the unsung heroes of comic censorship in the realm of cartoons and comics. Without them, the world would have been less funny. These quirky clusters of characters have become a creative tool for sidestepping censorship while still conveying the full force of a character’s emotions. Oh yeah, they give you impressions of irk and rage of the character. Imagine this – a disgruntled office worker, steam practically whistling from their ears, lets loose a torrent of symbols — %$@!&# — in a speech bubble. One can instantly imagine and mentally fill in with the words. No actual words needed. You feel their irritation. You feel their rage. You can understand the frustration involved.
But this isn’t just a tale of asterisks and ampersands. This tale has a real history. It’s a saga of creativity, censorship and how a doodler from Missouri accidentally created a universal language for fury. Today, there is no place in the comic world where grawlixes are missing. This typographical mischief carries a story as colourful as the Sunday funnies themselves – starring a legendary cartoonist, a master of linguistic genius and a scandal or two for good measure. Grawlixes weren't what the world wanted but it was what the world needed. Buckle up, dear reader because this is the saga of how Mort Walker turned rage into art. It is about a genius who set a bar for the world to follow. We will explore the history, evolution and cultural impact of grawlixes with a particular focus on the ingenious cartoonist Mort. It will be exciting! We will examine how a simple yet ingenious idea transformed the way cartoonists express raw emotion, added a dash of humour to everyday dialogue and even influenced modern communication in the digital age. Let's get started.
Table of contents
What is a grawlix?
At it’s simplest, a grawlix is a series of typographical symbols used to represent swear words or strong emotions. These abstract words can be plastered anywhere in a sentence that needn't be read but understood emotionally. Instead of printing a profane word, a cartoonist may replace it with a string of characters such as %&^#@. They hide an actual bad word or slurs. This practice not only allows the artist to bypass strict publishing guidelines but also adds a layer of humour and visual wit to the artwork. You cannot be publishing vulgar words since that will only earn you a bad reputation along with others involved in your venture. The term itself was born in the creative mind of Mort Walker who is widely credited with coining it in an article written for the National Cartoonists Society back in 1964. He was an American cartoonist and his incredible invention became a life-saviour for all publishers.
But why the #^&@!?
Long before the era of digital filters and smartphones, cartoonists faced a formidable challenge of conveying the explosive emotion of a character without breaching strict censorship rules. They had to trim down the slurs to where it's effectiveness diminished substantially and wasn't delivering the punch. In the early days of comic strips, explicit language was often forbidden by publishers and advertisers alike. Who'd want to read an article with profanities? It was in this climate of restraint that Mort Walker, the brilliant creator behind the long-running Beetle Bailey, recognised the need for a creative solution. He came up with the genius idea of inventing grawlixes. Rather than diluting the impact of a character’s anger or frustration, Walker devised a method that replaced explicit words with a series of seemingly random symbols. It made sense because when your frustrated to the max, your angry words wouldn't be coherent. Thus, the grawlix was born. It set the wheels of innovation rolling.
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| Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey statue |
Walker first introduced the concept in an article for the National Cartoonists Society in 1964 which was a period when comic artists were starting to push the boundaries of what was acceptable in mainstream media. The concept was innovative and life-changing. Walker later expanded on his ideas in his seminal work called ‘The Lexicon of Comicana’ which was published in 1980. It was where he revealed in greater detail about grawlixes. He provided a playful yet systematic explanation of the various symbols that populate the world of cartoons. It began to make sense and was a brilliant idea. The book catalogued the symbols and the visual gags endemic to cartoons. It explained different grawlixes and what they meant. In this book, he not only explained the concept of the grawlix but also introduced a host of other quirky terms used by cartoonists. They are all still in use worldwide.
Why grawlix? What's gives in this peculiar sounding name or term? Walker never clarified it’s etymology but fans speculate it’s a playful mashup of grawl (an old Scots term for growl) and ix (a non-sensical suffix). It's likely that he made it up himself just for kicks. Fittingly, the word itself sounds like a sound effect from a superhero brawl. It just suits the situation of anger and high irritation of cartoon characters. Or maybe just Mort’s way of trolling linguists. He took the different route. Either way, it stuck like gum to a park bench. Grawlixes were too good and had to be used more often. He was creating an entire language dedicated to the art of visual expression. Of course, the backstories would be wonderful to know. He revolutionised how we see humour. He brought a change that took over the world like hot news. Walker’s inventive spirit continues to influence cartoonists and comic enthusiasts around the globe to this day. All of his grawlixes is now part of the mainstream industry.
The #^&@! maker
Before grawlixes became the hieroglyphs of frustration, there was a man named Addams Mortimer Walker. He was a brilliant cartoonist. The name is so posh that it’s practically a Regency-era lord. A historical kind of name. Born in 1923, Mort cut his teeth drawing for ‘Child Life’ magazine at 9 years old. Early on in life, his drawing was beginning to manifest. By the 1950s, he’d launched Beetle Bailey who was this lazy Army private whose antics dodged more responsibility than a politician in a scandal. It has remained a popular newspaper story for decades. But Mort’s true genius wasn’t just in drawing gags but also was in codifying them. Meaning, the toons were almost cryptic and the reader had to have a knack for reading between the lines. In 1980, he penned The Lexicon of Comicana that was a tongue-in-cheek guide to cartooning’s visual shorthand. It became one of his leading works in the art.
Walker, who passed away in 2018 (aged 94), was more than a
cartoonist — he was a maestro of mischief. His contributions to the comic world is irreplaceable. In a 2003 interview, he quipped…
“I’ve spent my life making people laugh without getting arrested. Grawlixes are my get-out-of-jail-free card”.
His son Brian Walker is a cartoonist too. Brian followed his dad's footsteps in the industry. He recently revealed that Mort kept a swear ledger of grawlix combinations to avoid repeats. He said...
“Dad thought $%& was overused. He preferred mixing in musical notes or zodiac signs for flair”.
But Walker’s legacy wasn’t without drama. They always show up on the road to greatness. In the 1990s, Beetle Bailey faced backlash for outdated tropes, prompting Mort to modernise characters. He was quick to adapt to the changes. Yet, the grawlixes remained timeless. Progressing times made new demands in the market but the grawlix never went out of style.
“They’re the great equaliser!”
Brian mused in a 2023 ComicCon panel. Can't disagree to that because there is no alternative to a better censor than the grawlix. Whether you’re a general or a goofball, everyone curses in symbols. That is a fact which will never change.
A lexicon of ingenuity
The Lexicon of Comicana is far more than a humorous catalogue of cartoon jargon; it is a testament to the inventive spirit that characterises the comic art form. By penning them all down, it became like a law in the cartoon world or a standard if you'd like to. In addition to grawlix, Walker introduced a host of other colourful terms designed to capture the visual shorthand of cartoon expression. They all collectively made the comic world very appealing.
Words such as briffits (puffs of dust indicating speed), hites (motion lines for panic), jarns (spirals that indicate rapid motion), nittles (star-like symbols that suggest intensity or shock), plewds (droplets of sweat conveying stress) and squeans (those twinkly stars around a tipsy character’s head) entered the comic artist’s vocabulary. They all played some other role but as relevant and similar to grawlixes. Each term is a playful blend of meaning and sound carefully crafted to evoke both abstract emotion and literal image. The comic world now had innovative and new styles in their presentations. It made cartoons more meaningful.
He christened the jumble of symbols replacing curses as grawlixes. It was never a word in the English language. Although some have speculated that the term itself may have been inspired by or even borrowed from earlier slang invented by Charles D Rice, Walker’s wit and charm ensured that the word grawlix would take on a life of it’s own. Borrowed or not, the usage mattered now in almost all comics.
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| From Mort Walker's collection, this was published in Chicago Herald |
Walker’s system of nomenclature not only helped cartoonists communicate complex ideas with a single panel but also gave readers a glimpse into an entire subculture of visual language. A vital role played in this department was his lexicon. This lexicon quickly spread among comic artists and enthusiasts that formed the basis of an insider vocabulary even in use today. Everyone were weaning off from Walker's creativity. The grawlix, in particular, transcended it’s humble origins to become synonymous with the act of censoring profanity in a way that is both creative and effective. It suddenly became a global success and spread like wildfire in the circle.
A censorship tool with personality
The impact of the grawlix can be seen throughout the history
of comics. If you have copies of old comics, you can find grawlixes. Long before digital keyboards and modern censorship guidelines,
early comic strips embraced the use of typographical symbols in order to mask
taboo language. It was somewhat unpleasant but did the job. Some of the first recorded uses of these characters date back
to the early 1900s. Literature was the big hit in those times. Before grawlixes, comics relied on blanks, dashes or mild
substitutions (darn, heck) to dodge prudish editors. They lacked the marketing appeal that grawlixes did. Comic characters censored
swears with timid dashes like “d--n or bl—dy”. Simple guessworks could easily decipher the slur. Publishers had no other way to censor them. Prudish? Absolutely. Boring?
Criminally. Grawlix was a game changer.
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| Pic credit - WSJ |
But Walker’s grawlixes were different. Grawlixes revolutionized cartooning. They weren’t just censorship. They were something else entirely. They were character. It got the job done and while locking away slurs into something cryptic. Walker’s grawlixes revolutionised censorship by making it funny. You could tell a bad word was shot out but didn't know what it is. A well-placed $%&! wasn’t just a placeholder. That was iconic expression of the mind. It was a wink or a middle finger wrapped in whimsy. Assuming cartoons had life, only they could understand the message. A chaotic burst of symbols could convey frustration, outrage or sheer absurdity without uttering a word. That was the power of grawlixes. Imagine Snoopy’s Red Baron cursing in Wingdings or Popeye muttering sailorman obscenities as #$%&! — it’s censorship with panache. Grawlixes were backed by emotions and weren't empty like the primitive censors. Walker’s innovation caught on faster than a viral meme (pre-internet, mind you). It immediately spread across the world and every cartoons began to display grawlixes.
By the 1970s, grawlixes were a staple in comics worldwide from Dennis the Menace to Mad Magazine. It added wild humour into the stories. Even British tabloids who are never the ones to shy from cheeky humour, adopted them for saucy headlines. Their comics began showing grawlixes. British comics like ‘The Beano’ adopted them for Dennis the Menace’s tantrums while Viz magazine cranked them up to eleven with absurd strings like £%^&!!!. Grawlixes were getting accepted and innovated by the 70s. Even the Daily Mail, in a rare moment of levity, used grawlixes to censor a politician’s expletive-laden rant about NHS queues. It grasped the attention of people.
Over time, the grawlix evolved from a mere workaround to a celebrated aspect of comic artistry. It changed how cartoons and comics began to censor and emote. Modern comic creators still rely on grawlixes to inject energy and humour into their work. To me, it seems that they will never go obsolete unless someone comes up with something more incredible. The symbols have transcended the page to become a part of everyday language. Being simple meaningless fonts, grawlix still screamed out voices. Grawlixes keep symbolising the frustration, excitement or shock of a character. It's perfection has made it to be embraced worldwide. In many ways, a grawlix is more than just a string of random characters. You could play around with it in so many ways. It is a visual metaphor that encapsulates the very essence of expressive art. Today, it is a critical unit of the art industry.
The golden age of %$ @!
In the early decades of the 20th century, comic strips were establishing themselves as a dominant form of popular entertainment. Televisions were still futuristic in the 1900s-30s timeframe. Artists experimented exaggerated facial expressions, inventive sound effects and visual metaphors to convey action and emotion. Those were the set standards back then. It was during this formative period that the practical need for censorship collided with a burgeoning culture of comic artistry. This was when the grawlix was invented by Walker. Instead of leaving readers to wonder what unspeakable word might be hidden behind a string of symbols, cartoonists embraced the grawlix as a means of inviting the audience to use their imagination. Readers had to guess what they were telling each other on the print.
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| Pic credit - Sockrotation |
One can trace early examples of symbol substitution back to the very beginnings of comic art. They engaged simplistic censors at those times. As comics evolved into a respected medium, the grawlix became a beloved tool in the artist’s arsenal. Grawlixes gained popularity because the readers also loved it. Grawlix was family-friendly too. It became a playful nod to the constraints imposed by society and the publishers of the day. It wasn't offensive and yet offending which works like a paradox. Paradoxes amaze you and provoke your thinking. Walker’s introduction of the term and his subsequent celebration of these symbols not only legitimised their use but also elevated them to a level of cultural significance that endures to this day. The grawlix will remain as the best censorship tool in cartoons and comics.
From comics to crypto-swear | From manga to memes – Grawlixes go global
The grawlix isn’t just a relic of ink-and-paper humour. Grawlix redefined art. It’s infiltrated digital culture and is evolving into a lingua franca for the internet age. Even the internet has made space to accommodate grawlixes. In recent years, the influence of the grawlix has extended far beyond the confines of comic strips. It is comfortably sailing into the future and it's been doing that since over a century by now. It is remarkable to consider how a concept born from the confines of American comic strips has grown to achieve global recognition. The best will never be lost. Grawlixes have seeped into everyday language and pop culture. Many forms of art have embraced this censorship mode. They have adopted this visual language to suggest what cannot be spoken aloud. Like magic, it frolics with your mind. Movies, television shows and even music have borrowed from this art form to create clever censored titles and dialogue. They add a nice visual banter to the messages. Twitter rants, memes and even auto-censored gaming chats now deploy grawlixes to dodge algorithms while preserving the oomph of a good friction. What an awesome thing to have!
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| A grawlix meme |
One notable example is the CBS sitcom that famously used a grawlix in it’s title to hint at it’s irreverent humour or as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the unspoken profanity it had implied. That being a TV show which used grawlix was amazing. This trend shows how the grawlix has become a cultural shorthand and is instantly recognisable to audiences around the world. Like leaping straight out of a comic book this was. Such references have solidified the grawlix as a cultural icon and a symbol of rebellion against the structures of polite society. Grawlix weren't conforming to society but yet conforming. Only creatively rather.
The grawlix isn’t just a Western quirk. Artists from other countries began adapting the grawlix into their works. In countries as diverse as Brazil, Germany and Japan, local adaptations of the grawlix have taken root by each adding it’s own cultural flavour to the original idea. They developed on the grawlix to make their work appealing to the local public. Artists in these regions have embraced the concept and keep blending it with traditional artistic symbols or linguistic quirks to create something uniquely their own. Hence, grawlix was becoming very viral in a way as time rolled by. This international exchange not only enriches the tradition of the grawlix but also demonstrates the universal appeal of a simple visually engaging method of expression. It surpassed linguistic differences which meant that grawlix had an universal reach. Japan’s manga artists use clouds of katakana symbols or gomu gomu (rubber-rubber) effects to mask curses in ‘One Piece’. They made the comic very jolly. Meanwhile in Spain, Mortadelo y Filemón comics deploy ¡¿@!%¡ for slapstick spies. Very very innovative way to display the grawlix.
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| Spain's Mortadelo y Filemón comic |
Evolution of the grawlix in the digital era
The advent of digital communication has breathed new life into the grawlix. Things were beginning to move online by the 2000s. Today, these clusters of symbols are not confined to the printed page and they have become an integral part of our online lexicon. As comics migrated online, they took the grawlix for free along with them. Internet memes, social media platforms and text messages frequently feature grawlixes as a playful alternative to explicit language. They remained funny just as they were on print. In this way, the grawlix has adapted to the modern world, serving as both a creative outlet and a form of digital rebellion. The grawlix is here to stay forever.
Across the globe, artists and writers are reinventing the grawlix for the digital age. They were experimenting with different ideas. In some non-English speaking countries, local adaptations have emerged. They wouldn't realize English fonts, so artists had to innovate and spice the grawlixes up. Think global, act local? Exactly. They feature traditional symbols with region-specific characters. It worked and worked really well, so it continues to be used that way. This cross-cultural exchange has enriched the visual language of censorship and further established the grawlix as a universal means of expression. The people love it.
As our means of communication continue to evolve, it is likely that the grawlix will adapt alongside them by finding new forms and meanings in an ever-changing world. Younger generation will keep grawlixes involved and innovated.
When symbols sparked outrage – The great grawlix scandals!
But not all was rosy. There were those little bumps and potholes in the road. Of course, no cultural phenomenon is without it’s share of controversy and the grawlix is no exception. I can't believe that even artwork that had no meaning ran into some trouble! There will always be fault-finders huh?
In the year 1997, Walker faced backlash when Beetle Bailey introduced
a female soldier called Lt. Flo. She was a new character fresh into the story. Traditionalists howled but Mort stood firm and
kept updating his strips while keeping grawlixes gloriously unchanged. He felt ignoring those stuck in the past was good. Symbols
don’t discriminate. So, he persisted in his work. He quipped in a 2005 Guardian interview...
“A $@! is a $@! whether you’re a sergeant or a suffragette”.
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| From a museum in Brussels |
In recent years, a few cartoonists have found themselves embroiled in scandals for overusing grawlixes in their work. They make the comic appear unpleasant to enjoy. There have been moments when it’s creative use has sparked heated debates among both comic professionals and the general public. They were creating a concern that the public eventually brought up. Some critics argue that an excessive reliance on these symbols can detract from the narrative and turn what was once a clever device into a visual crutch. It was pointless to find grawlixes after grawlixes while perusing through a story. It was reducing a cleverly crafted line of dialogue to a mere placeholder for unspeakable language. Excessive grawlixes were like fillers when the creative was taking a toll. They claim that excessive use of grawlixes may lead to a loss of subtlety, turning what should be an artful nod to censorship into a lazy crutch for uninspired writing. Fillers don't make a good article or story.
Then came the 2020s. With the internet culture in full swing, all hell were breaking loose anyway. Heated debates have erupted on online
forums with some veteran artists lamenting the loss of subtlety in modern
comics while others defend the grawlix as a playful and essential part of the
comic tradition. The hostility between new gen and veterans over the use of grawlix was prevelant on the internet for a long period of time. Linguists began debating whether grawlixes perpetuate ‘lazy
censorship’ or empower creativity. It's all relative and depended on who felt what. Dr. Priya Shah of Oxford University
argued in ‘The Times’ that grawlixes let readers project their own
naughtiness and makes them complicit in the joke. This was an unique argument if you think about it. Take that, Shakespeare.
One memorable interview with a long-time cartoonist who found himself at the centre of a scandal after a prominent publisher publicly denounced his latest series. It was shocking! He revealed that he once received a letter from a publisher, chiding him for what was described as an ‘veritable barrage of symbols’ in his latest strip. The publisher had problems with so many grawlixes. The artist retorted that each grawlix was chosen with care and intended to evoke a specific emotion. He assured that they held meaning and purpose at wherever they were used. The ensuing uproar ignited a passionate debate within the comic community. Lots of banter were being hurled back and forth. Supporters of the artist argued that each grawlix was a deliberate artful choice that is intended to encapsulate the raw emotion of the moment. So, they stressed on the necessity of grawlixes whether excessive or not.
Detractors, however, maintained that the overuse of symbols compromised the integrity of the work and undermined the narrative. They felt that it reduced the quality of work and people would notice it. The dread of low quality and declining reputation because of excessive grawlixes got them concerned. This clash between commercial pressures and creative expression serves as a microcosm of the broader struggle between artistic freedom and the constraints of commercial publishing. Nowhere has it become more noticeable than in the age of the internet. They remind us that art is often a battleground for differing opinions where debates continue to shape the world of comics today. Such things will help the world find the best and tune up everything for the better.
Recent news and updates
In November of the year 2022, a landmark moment occurred when both Merriam-Webster and a leading board game manufacturer Hasbro decided to include the word in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. Grawlix was now officially an English word. This inclusion not only validates the grawlix as a recognised part of modern lexicon but also highlights it’s enduring relevance in an era where language is constantly evolving. From nothing, it became something. The fact that a term born in the drawing rooms of cartoonists now appears alongside everyday words in mainstream dictionaries is a testament to it’s transformative power. It goes to show how quality is the most superior.
But not everyone’s a fan. Some hate the inclusion as new English word. The term has even sparked lively debates on blogs and social media platforms. There are people who discouraged the inclusion. In the same year of 2022, linguist Dr. Eleanor Griggs sparked debate by calling grawlixes lazy censorship in a Guardian op-ed. She pushed for uncensorship in a way.
“Why let symbols do the heavy lifting when creativity thrives under constraints?”
She argued. She might have been leaning on free speech. Cue outrage from cartoon purists, memelords and Walker’s estate who fired back with…
“Grawlixes aren’t lazy — they’re the Swiss Army knife of comedic expression”.
However, it is not every day that a piece of cartoon slang finds a home in such an esteemed reference work which makes this news a landmark moment for fans of comic art and language enthusiasts alike. The impact of grawlix is so great that the term had to become official. How else are we going to address it?
As censorship debates rage, grawlixes had even become protest tools. Yes, they outgrew comics eventually. Artists use them in political cartoons to mock censorship. You couldn't criminalize or penalize someone without knowing what they were saying. In the year 2023, artist Banksy-Esque collective ‘The Censor’s Anarchists’ projected a giant $%&!s onto the Parliament in order to mock speech laws. It was there for the whole world to see.
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| An art by Banksy-Esque and nobody knows who he/she is |
Even emojis have joined the fray! They are the children of grawlixes in a way. From the year 2021, TikTok trends have donated this modern hieroglyphic meltdown. Facebook and YouTube followed suit with Reels and Shorts. In the year 2023, TikTok’s #GrawlixChallenge saw users “translate” symbols into 🔥💩🤬 or %&!@ becoming 🔥💢🗯️. Crazy innovations! It created a visual scream which even hieroglyph enthusiasts would applaud. They gave images to grawlixes. But the digital age brings new headaches. It's not a world problem or anything but a headache for the acutely detailed in the cyber world. In 2022, an AI-generated comic by The Pigeon Gazette accidentally turned a grawlix into a barcode that prompted Reddit threads titled ‘Can Robots Swear?’. Even bots were swearing now. Spoiler – Not convincingly.
Furthermore, the influence of the grawlix has even seeped into the realm of academia. The grawlix has had immense effect on our world. Scholars of linguistics and visual communication study the evolution of the grawlix as a fascinating example of how language adapts to societal pressures. They study the history, innovations and trends of grawlixes. It is now recognised as a legitimate form of visual rhetoric and one that encapsulates the interplay between language, art and culture. Truly a marvellous turn of events!
Comic enthusiasts and linguists alike discuss whether alternative names such as maledicta or obscenicon might better describe the practice. They are trying to find a better term and feel the old name is kind of outdated. Despite the discussions, grawlix remains the term that has captured the collective imagination much like the colourful characters who use it on the pages of our favourite comics. It will have a different aura if a name change comes into effect. The grawlix stands as a prime example of how a seemingly frivolous invention can have profound implications for our understanding of communication. It changed the way comics were made.
The future of @ $%&! – Grawlixes in the age of AI and cancel culture
In an era of cancel culture and content filters, grawlixes have become subversive tools. It's easy to fire them across screens and that too instantly. Gen Z repurposes them as ironic decor (Etsy sells Grawlix Throw Pillows). It is a happy thing that they have embraced something so iconic from a century before their time. Gen Z sells Grawlix Merch on Depop — think tote bags reading ‘Keep Calm and %$ @! On’. Really wicked innovation if you ask me.
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| A grawlix T-shirt on sale |
Yet, AI still stumbles. Hope they adapt themselves soon. Even AI art generators like DALL-E struggle to render them correctly that often produces benign squiggles. In the end, the results are not even remotely a grawlix. When asked to draw a grawlix, DALL-E 3 produced a polite row of 🌸🍄🌈. Nah, that is so totally wrong!
“Machines don’t get anger. They’ve never had a printer jam at 2 AM”.
Sighed Brian Walker at London’s 2023 Cartoon Museum exhibit. An air of disappointment due to the lack of performance.
It’s a proof that human mischief still outwits machines. For now, we cannot be replaced or our emotions duplicated. As
Brian Walker aptly put it later on…
“Dad’s grawlixes are like the Beatles of comics. Everyone copies them but nobody does it better”.
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| Mort Walker's son Brian Walker |
Looking ahead, the grawlix appears set to remain a staple in the language of comics and far beyond. There is no better tool for censoring words than the grawlix as of now. As digital media continues to evolve and new media platforms emerge while censorship rules are constantly renegotiated, artists are finding innovative ways to incorporate grawlixes multimedia formats and into their works. They still need grawlixes for the effectiveness that they can convey. From animated webcomics to interactive graphic novels and even augmented reality projects, the grawlix is adapting to the modern age while staying true to it’s roots in cartoon satire. The grawlix is gunning strongly into the future.
Moreover, the rise of global communication and technological
advances has led to interesting cross-cultural interpretations of the grawlix. Such creativity keep grawlixes relevant for all times. They are providing artists with new tools for creative expression. As better and more software are produced, they help in elevating the use of grawlixes. Customisable
digital fonts, dynamic text effects and even user-generated grawlix generators
are empowering a new wave of creators to experiment with this age-old
technique. The message via grawlixes is like no other. With every innovation, the humble cluster of symbols takes on new
life. They will keep on going even after this century for sure.
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| Japan's gomu gomu | Pic credit - DeviantArt |
In some non-English speaking countries, local adaptations of the grawlix have emerged. They are totally different to the English grawlixes. This dynamic evolution only adds to the term’s appeal and ensures that it will continue to spark creative debate for years to come. Foreign countries embracing and renovating the grawlix shows it's versatility. It is clear that the grawlix is not a relic of the past but a dynamic evolving symbol that will continue to influence the world of communication. You will need it in life. Grawlixes aren’t going anywhere. They will stay relevant always.
A new generation of grawlix enthusiasts
As the digital revolution continues to reshape the way we interact with language, a new generation of grawlix enthusiasts is emerging. They are going to push grawlixes into the new age. Young cartoonists, meme creators and social media influencers are reimagining the classic grawlix who are infusing it with experimental design and modern sensibilities. By showing grawlixes in their content, the censorship tool will not be forgotten.
In creative communities and online forums, discussions about the perfect sequence of symbols to capture a particular emotion are both fervent and frequent. Sometimes I feel that a sequence would make it nice. The debate over whether a string of @$%& should end with an exclamation mark or a question mark is a topic of playful yet passionate discussion. Hmm, well it's part of a sentence, isn't it?
One particularly amusing example comes from a recent online interview with a budding cartoonist who declared that every grawlix should be treated like a signature. Why hadn't it been said earlier! It had to be a unique mark that not only hides a profanity but also tells a story. He isn't wrong when he said that. In his view, a well-crafted grawlix is akin to a secret handshake among those ‘in the know’ which is a clever nod to the rich history of comic artistry and a symbol of creative defiance in the face of censorship. Couldn't have said better than that.
Mort’s secret swear ledger — Because knowledge is power (and great pub chat)
- A webcomic titled ‘The Oatmeal’ once used a 47-symbol string to censor antidisestablishmentarianism (arguably a swear word if you’re a tired student). Wow, that's extremely long!
- Japan’s gomu gomu substitute – Manga uses katakana symbols (e.g., グミグミ) or mosaic boke effects for censorship which show grawlixes have global cousins. To be honest, this is a bit difficult for the non-Japanese readers.
- AI struggles – When asked to generate grawlixes, ChatGPT once the output as $^ @%&?¿ that prompted Reddit threads debating robotic profanity. Could bots swear at us soon?
- The Swear Vault – Brian Walker (Mort’s son) revealed in a 2023 podcast that his dad kept a grawlix ledger to avoid repetition. He’d jot down combos like %$!£? for “blimey” and &@ !+ for “cor blimey”. The ledger became very memorable to Brian.
- Guinness glory – Webcomic ‘Cyanide & Happiness’ holds the record for the longest grawlix. They managed to pull it off. It had a 63-symbol monstrosity censoring floccinaucinihilipilification (the act of deeming something worthless). Ironic? Absolutely. Now someone needs to break that record with a century.
- Royal approval – Rumour has it that Prince Philip once sent Mort a fan letter praising grawlixes as the only acceptable way to swear in front of corgis. The praise, if true, is very humourous.
How to grawlix like a pro
Want to channel Mort Walker’s genius? Follow these tips…
- Mix & match – Combine symbols ($, !, &) with emojis (💥🤬) for hybrid fury.
- Context is king – Use ¥ in Japan, € in Europe or 🌶️ in foodie rants. Context is key.
- Go meta – Use a grawlix to censor grawlix itself. It’s censorship inception.
- Less is more…or not – A single grawlix can hint at mild irritation. But why stop there? A full £$%^&!!! screams that I’ve just stepped on Lego.
- Cultural savvy – A grawlix over a tea-sipping grandma hit’s different than one over a raging dragon.
- Subvert expectations – Place a grawlix over a nun’s speech bubble. Comedy gold.
Personal reflections on grawlix
Many of us can recall the first time we encountered a grawlix in a comic strip. Possibly, we were kids at the time. On a personal note, I recall the first time when I encountered a grawlix in a comic strip. It made me laugh. I remember as a youngster sitting cross-legged on the living room floor with eyes wide in anticipation as a character’s speech bubble erupted in a cascade of symbols. Insults were funny and well-timed back then. I was mesmerised by how a simple cluster of symbols could convey the intensity of a character’s emotion without uttering a single explicit word. I didn't know what they were called but I enjoyed seeing them. There was a sense of secret delight as if I had been let in on a private joke that adults were too prudish to reveal. Recollecting those grawlixes brings joy now that I write this blog on it. It was as if I had been let in on a secret code, one that only the truly observant could decipher. Grawlixes were funny to me then and still are whenever I find them.
Over the years, that sense of mischief and tricky subversion has remained with me. They made me laugh to see a character getting frustrated. Grawlixes have become a source of both amusement and inspiration in my own creative endeavours. At times, I myself rely on them. I have often joked about a well-placed grawlix. The timing is everything. It signals to the reader that something explosive is happening beneath the surface. If you don't know the context, the grawlix is just gibberish.
In interviews with fellow comic enthusiasts, many have confessed that they sometimes use the term as a badge of honour in proudly declaring their love for the artistry behind these symbolic swears. Grawlix deserves all the love coming it's way.
Conclusion
The journey of the grawlix from a simple tool for circumventing censorship to a celebrated element of modern pop culture is a testament to the creative ingenuity of Mort Walker and countless comic artists who followed in his footsteps. He gave to the world something that seems to be everlasting. With it’s roots firmly planted in the history of comics and it’s branches reaching out to influence modern language, the grawlix remains an enduring symbol of artistic rebellion and humour. It keeps getting innovated and remixed over time. The grawlix invites you to look beyond the surface. It compels you to read between the lines and find the actual message. It challenges us to appreciate the art of suggestion and the power of visual language. Nothing else holds such power in the world of arts.
As the world continues to change, one thing is for certain - the grawlix will forever be a quirky colourful reminder that even our most profane thoughts can be expressed with a wink and a nod to the art of comic satire. Grawlix has got your thoughts covered. For anyone keen to explore the whimsical world of comic artistry, a deeper dive into Mort Walker’s work is highly recommended. They are aplenty. His legacy not only includes a beloved comic strip but also an entire lexicon that has enriched the language of visual storytelling. Be sure to get a copy.
The next time you spot a %&^%@ anywhere or you unleash a
mental %$@! in a work email, tip your hat to Mort Walker – the man who taught
us that sometimes, the best way to express rage isn’t with words but with a
beautifully chaotic jumble of symbols. The man was just brilliant. And if anyone questions your newfound
grawlix expertise, just hit them with a well-placed $%&@!. Join the
conversation, share your favourite grawlix moments and let us celebrate the
enduring charm of this brilliant invention.
#grawlix #mortwalker #cartoon #bio #life #story #funny #brianwalker #us #unitedstates #america #toon
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