Spreading vandalism or joy? Shamcow graffiti evokes a range of emotions in Roxborough

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After Emily Keine spotted black-and-white cow print graffiti on an Interstate 76 on-ramp leaving Roxborough, it wasn’t long before she started noticing similar street art around the area and began texting friends about each new sighting. “I would be driving to work and I would see (the cow graffiti) and it would be a miserable day and it just got a little brighter,” said Keine, 26, from East Falls. “It just adds a little levity.” MORE: Beloved MLK mural in West Philly will be restored on the building that obstructs it The graffiti — which features a white background with black spots and the word “Shamcow” (a play on the ShamWow towel once advertised on a late-night infomercial) written in neon orange lettering with blue shadowing — has become a hot topic on the Roxborough neighborhood’s Rants & Raves Facebook page.  While some advocate for the illegal artwork to be painted over by the city, for others it sparks joy. It’s become so popular that it’s inspired commissioned paintings on trash cans and a barber pole, and there’s Shamcow merchandise for sale at the Pretzel Park Farmers Market in Manayunk. Mentions of Shamcow in the neighborhood Facebook group became so...

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