The Shadman meme revolves around the online persona of Shad M. Burkholder, a controversial Swiss-born artist known for his website Shadbase. His distinctive art style, often featuring a skeletal avatar with a signature hat, has become a shorthand for dark humor and boundary-pushing content. On the internet, a 'Shadman' meme usually appears as a reaction to something being 'corrupted' or redesigned in his provocative style. The character is frequently used to represent the moment a user realizes a piece of media is about to take a very dark or questionable turn, making it a staple of shock culture and internet subculture commentary.