Gophers: Ashley McNamara's Go Community Artwork Collection

What the Repository Contains and Who It Is For

The Gophers repository is a flat collection of PNG image files stored directly in the repository root, alongside GitHub Actions workflows that check links and validate images on each push. There is no code to install or run. The repository is a resource library for the Go programming language community.

The README states the purpose plainly: the PNG files are print-ready artwork for use in community contexts. The target users are Go meetup organizers who need stickers for events, conference speakers who want themed presentation slides, open-source project maintainers who want a Gopher avatar for their GitHub repository, and community members who want to celebrate specific Go events, languages, or themes with illustrated art.

The collection is not official Go mascot artwork from the Go team or Google. It is community artwork created and curated by Ashley McNamara, building on the design of the original Gopher created by Renee French.

The Artwork's Origins: Renee French and Ashley McNamara

The README credits two contributors directly. Renee French created the original, iconic Gopher artwork that became the Go programming language mascot. Steve Francia is also thanked for inspiration and dedication to the Go community.

Ashley McNamara expanded on French's original design to create hundreds of themed variations. The collection as it exists in the repository is the result of community contributions that went into creating Gopher illustrations for specific events, conferences, languages, frameworks, and cultural references. The images in the repository root include named files for conferences (GOPHERCON.png, GOPHERCON_ICELAND.png, GOPHERS_FRANCE.png), cities (GOPHER_CHICAGO.png, GOPHER_DENVER.png, GOPHER_ORLANDO.png), themes (BLOCKCHAIN_GOPHER.png, DOCKER_GOPHER.png, DEATH_METAL_GOPHER.png), and characters (BATMAN_GOPHER.png, DOCTOR_STRANGE_GOPHER.png, DOCTOR_WHO_GOPHER.png).

This breadth means the collection serves both recurring conference needs (a conference Gopher for GopherCon each year) and one-off community moments.

Accessing and Using the Artwork

The README gives two instructions for working with the artwork. To access the PNG files, download and unzip the gophers.zip archive from the repository. The archive contains all the PNG images in the collection.

For physical use, the README specifically recommends Sticker Ninja for high-quality, color-accurate sticker printing, describing the PNG files as print-ready. This is the primary documented use case for the physical output.

The repository has no build system, no package.json, no Gemfile, and no requirements.txt. It is a flat image store with a README and GitHub Actions configuration. Two workflows run on each push: a link checker and an image validation check. These automated checks indicate the repository is maintained to keep the images accessible and intact, with the last push occurring on 2026-06-27.

Because all PNG files live in the repository root, there is no subdirectory organization by theme or year. Navigating the collection means scrolling through the repository file listing or downloading the full zip archive and inspecting the files locally.

What the Collection Covers: Themes and Variations

The top-level repository entries show the range of the collection. Conference and event Gophers include GopherCon, GopherCon Iceland, Gophers France, and a 7th Birthday Gopher. Geographic Gophers cover Chicago, Denver, Orlando, Norfolk, and Australia. Cultural reference Gophers span Batman, Doctor Strange, Doctor Who (with both male and female variants), Star Wars, and Death Metal.

Technology-themed Gophers include Docker, Webpack, and Blockchain variants. Community-occasion Gophers include a mic-drop version, a beach Gopher, a racing Gopher, a viking Gopher, a cowboy Gopher, and a learn-themed Gopher. Azure-branded Gophers appear in Azure_Bit_Gopher.png and Azure_Gophers.png, created for cloud community events.

The collection also includes a GIRL_GOPHER.png and a BABY_GOPHER.png, addressing the full range of representation that community members have asked for. GOPHER_AVATARS.jpg provides a sheet of avatar-sized versions.

Because files are added over time for specific events or requests, the collection is uneven: some themes have multiple variations while others have a single file. There is no official catalog or index beyond the file listing in the repository.

License Constraints: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The README specifies that all artwork is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International. Two usage guidelines are stated explicitly.

First, non-commercial use only: the artwork may not be used for any commercial purposes, including activities where revenue is generated. The README gives examples: advertisements and product sales. This means printing and selling Gopher stickers, using a Gopher in a paid product's marketing, or including a Gopher in a conference sponsor booth commercial display all fall outside the license.

Second, share-alike: if you remix, transform, or build upon any image in the collection, you must distribute your contributions under the same Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. This prevents creating commercial derivative works by modifying the art.

The repository's listed license type in GitHub is NOASSERTION. The authoritative license terms are in the README itself, which states the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license clearly. Anyone relying on these images for a project should read the Creative Commons license terms directly rather than relying on the GitHub license badge.

How This Compares to Official Go Mascot Resources

The Go team at Google also maintains official guidance on using the Go mascot and Gopher image. That official channel provides usage guidelines tied to the Go brand, which apply to anyone using the Gopher in association with the Go programming language trademark.

Ashley McNamara's collection and the official Go mascot resources serve different purposes. The official resources define how the mascot may be used in relation to the Go brand and trademark. McNamara's collection provides creative variations for community expression: conference stickers, event art, and themed illustrations that go beyond what a trademark policy document covers.

For a Go meetup that wants a Gopher sticker for a specific city or a conference that wants a custom Gopher avatar for their speaker badges, McNamara's collection provides ready-made art without requiring original illustration work. For any use case that is clearly commercial or that involves the Go brand in a trademark-sensitive way, the official Go trademark guidelines take precedence and McNamara's collection's non-commercial clause applies independently.

Editorial conclusion

The Gophers repository is the right resource for Go conference organizers, meetup groups, and open-source project maintainers who need themed Gopher artwork for non-commercial purposes. The Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license prohibits commercial use, including selling printed stickers or using the artwork in advertisements, so anyone considering commercial applications must seek separate permission or use other artwork. Before downloading, verify that your intended use is non-commercial and that the share-alike clause is acceptable if you plan to modify or build on the designs. The repository image-validation workflow keeps file integrity checked on each push, and the last push was on 2026-06-27.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. ashleymcnamara/gophers on GitHub
2. Issues
3. README