ShamCow! graffiti artist says he’ll paint over his tags - if he gets a beer named after him

On the faces of concrete traffic dividers, bus stops, and portable toilets around Philadelphia, a colorful graffiti tag featuring cow print and the word “ShamCow!” has been popping up.

The artist behind ShamCow!, who requested anonymity to discuss illegal activity, says he’s hoping to partner with a local brewery to create a beer named after his work, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity.

In exchange for a brewery’s support, the artist is offering to remove all of his graffiti within a two-week period. “They could be a champion of the tag or a champion of cleaning the city.”

“It started as a joke, and people liked it and encouraged it so I kind of got sucked into it,” the artist said. “But the goal is to have a ShamCow! IPA produced.”

If the IPA gets produce, the artist hopes to donate about 10% of the sales to a charity, ideally one based in Manayunk or Roxborough.

“It’d be cool to have a ShamCow! IPA and I think it’d be an accomplishment,” he said. “But also then I get to give back to the people who need it most, because I do feel like at the end of the day, [graffiti] is criminal — I wasn’t invited to paint on these walls.”

The ShamCow! tag first popped up on a concrete divider in 2023 on Venice Island near Manayunk. Since then, it’s been spotted mostly in the Manayunk and Roxborough area, with some tags in South Philly, and Grays Ferry. “You can’t get in or out of the area without seeing it,” he said.

With a background in rock climbing, the ShamCow! artist began his graffiti work by rappelling off bridges while balancing his day job in materials acquisitions for defense contracts. A “champion” of the ShamWow! towel’s 2006 commercial, he painted tags of the brand’s name in “dangerous places” like bridges and overpasses.

Later, he created his own brand name, rhyming words with “wow.” After considering options like ShamMeow! and ShamMao! (a reference to Mao Zedong, former chairman of the People’s Republic of China), he settled on ShamCow!

“With the cow print behind it and the colors, it really had a nice contrast and look to it,” he said. “I approached this one from not necessarily something that would appeal to traditional graffiti artists, but something that would appeal more to the public — almost like a business logo.”

ShamCow! tags are usually found on concrete traffic dividers to avoid areas where people might “see something that’s going to ruin their morning” and can be easily removed if someone, like a city official, objects.

From social media comments to Reddit posts, the tags have drawn fans and critics online. There’s even a ShamCow! fansite, not affiliated with the Philly artist, featuring photos of the cowprint graffiti tag.

Folks can also find the artist’s work on his Instagram page, @delta.foxtrot.alpha.romeo.

“I was just running around having a good time doing something I thought was kind of funny that would make people wonder and guess — I didn’t necessarily expect it to turn out the way it has,” the artist said.