The 'Ew, I Stepped in Shit' meme is based on a four-panel webcomic by artist Shenanigansen, the creator of Shen Comix (formerly known as Owl Turd Comix). Originally published in 2017, the comic depicts a character walking down the street, stepping in a mess, and expressing utter disgust upon checking the bottom of his shoe. Internet users quickly adapted the format by replacing the mess in the final panel with various logos, unpopular opinions, or cultural trends they find distasteful. It has since become a universal visual shorthand for expressing strong disapproval or mocking a specific subject in a humorous, lighthearted way.