Who is the Milverine, Milwaukee's most famous pedestrian?

John Hamann is hard to miss.

He’s without a doubt Milwaukee’s most famous pedestrian — often spotted power-walking through Bay View or the lower east side, shirtless.

You probably know him as “The Milverine.” The nickname was coined by Milwaukee residents who noticed Hamann bears a striking resemblance to Marvel Comics character “Wolverine.”

Hamann’s swaggering walk and his Milwaukee pride have earned him a large fan base.

In 2020, Hamann officially joined the pantheon of Milwaukee legends, when the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame Museum unveiled a Milverine bobblehead.

By now, Hamann is unfazed by the attention. He’s been a viral sensation for more than a decade, and he’s routinely hit up by reporters asking for interviews. He was even the subject of a Vice documentary.

Around Milwaukee, citizen journalists report Milverine sightings on a Google Map.

After Hamann tore his meniscus in 2017 and cut back on his walks, local fans began to worry. But when the Journal Sentinel tracked him down for an interview in 2018, The Milverine confirmed he was going nowhere.

“I’m never going to get old,” he said.

Hamann didn’t ask to be Milwaukee’s unofficial mascot, but he’s proud to represent his hometown. In his Vice documentary, Hamann declared Milwaukee the best city there is:

“It’s where all the intelligent people are, you know? Better than Los Angeles and New York.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is the Milverine, Milwaukee's most famous pedestrian?