March 26, 2026
Seven squirrels, one hot take
Chicago artist creates tourism posters for city's neighborhoods
Fans swoon, skeptics cry cliche, and CTA squirrel memes crash the comments
TLDR: A Chicago illustrator is selling retro-style posters celebrating neighborhoods citywide, from Wicker Park to Englewood. Comments split between buying multiples and calling it a local cliche, while a viral CTA-squirrel joke steals the spotlight—mixing pride, sarcasm, and why seeing every neighborhood represented still matters.
Chicago’s newest art drama isn’t about AI or billionaires — it’s retro tourism posters celebrating every pocket of the city, from Englewood’s Yale Building to Wicker Park’s Blue Line. Illustrator Steve Shanabruch, a Beverly-born designer, has been making WPA-style (New Deal-era) neighborhood art for years, totally self-driven and sold on his shop. One commenter even dropped an unpaywalled link, because of course. The vibe? Civic pride collides with side-eye.
On one side, locals are swooning — a buyer flexed “Just bought 4!” while a San Francisco transplant said the posters made moving week feel exciting. On the other, a well-known Chicago voice rolled in with a reality check: these prints are “kind of a cliche,” and if you’re booking a scenic Galewood getaway off a poster… good luck. The clash is peak Chicago: love your block, clown your block.
Then the thread went full Chicago comedy. A throwback to “SquirrelTruth,” a prank campaign that warned CTA riders that at least one “person” on your train might actually be seven squirrels in a trench coat, stole the show. It’s the perfect companion meme for these posters: earnest nostalgia, big city sarcasm, and a little chaos. Fans also cheered that lesser-hyped areas get love, echoing Shanabruch’s mission to make every neighborhood feel seen.
Key Points
- •Chicago illustrator Steve Shanabruch creates and sells WPA-inspired posters depicting Chicago neighborhoods and landmarks.
- •The project began in 2011 as a personal initiative to design neighborhood logos while he worked a less creative job.
- •Logo designs drew on neighborhood-specific imagery reflecting local history and landmarks (e.g., Humboldt Park’s arch, Robie House glass, Superdawg).
- •After burnout on logos, he shifted to neighborhood posters around 2012, emphasizing representation of often-overlooked areas.
- •Shanabruch lives in Portage Park and continues producing posters regardless of sales, prioritizing community pride and creative fulfillment.