grawlix
A series of images or symbols used in speech bubbles in comic strips to indicate one or more swear words. — An image resembling an illegible scribble used for this purpose.
There is a wealth of comicana waiting for the student with enough drive and depth of understanding. Once he masters the secret of the waftarom, the solrad, and the grawlix, he can mix in any art circle but he's own his own from here on.
A series of images or symbols used in speech bubbles in comic strips to indicate one or more swear words. — A string of typographical symbols (such as "@#$%&!") used for this purpose.
The work in this first section also involved identifying the purpose of grawlixes, the visual representation of swearing in comic strips. […] The students discussed the aim of grawlixes, raising their awareness of the effectiveness of graphic displays.
A series of images or symbols used in speech bubbles in comic strips to indicate one or more swear words. — A series of violence-related images (such as bombs, daggers, and skulls) used for this purpose.
Where it comes from
A meaningless word coined by the American comic strip writer Mort Walker (1923–2018) in a humorous article entitled “Let’s Get Down to Grawlixes” published in The Cartoonist (1964), possibly influenced by growl.
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry grawlix (CC BY-SA 4.0).