What's in a Name, Grawlix

That is the name we give to a sequence of typographical symbols used to represent a non-specific, profane word or phrase. That is no #@$%*! It is true.

   
The term was coined in 1964 by American cartoonist Mort Walker, who is best known as the creator of the Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois cartoons.

He also created and named an international set of symbols used in comics around the world and called it Symbolia. A few examples:
 briffits: clouds of dust indicating that a character left in a rush
 plewds: drops of sweat indicating that a character is hot or stressed
 squeans: asterisks with an empty center indicating drunkenness or dizziness

Wordology

Grawlix is the term for a string of typographical symbols, especially "@#$%&!", used to represent an obscenity or swearword. Also, a series of violence related images in a speech bubble to represent obscenity or swearwords. It was likely coined by cartoonist Mort Walker in the 1960s. He penned Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois comic strips.