I didn't invent it! But as I can't find the original code, here is my own version. The idea was most likely inspired by the somewhat cleverer, but no more useful analogue literals.

Create your own ASCII art, drawing it directly in the source code. Can you think of anything more beautiful?!

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <algorithm>
#include <iterator>

struct AsciiLiteral
{
    AsciiLiteral() : n(false) {}
    AsciiLiteral& operator--() { val += "  "; return *this; }
    AsciiLiteral& operator-() { val += ' '; return *this; }
    AsciiLiteral& operator++() { val += "**"; return *this; }
    AsciiLiteral& operator+() { val += '*'; return *this; }
    AsciiLiteral& operator~() { val += '='; return *this; }
    AsciiLiteral& operator!() { if (n = !n, n) val += '\n'; return *this; }
    AsciiLiteral& operator*() { val += '@'; return *this; }
    operator bool() const { return false; }
    std::string const& value() const { return val; }
private:
    std::string val;
    bool n;
};

std::ostream&
operator<<(std::ostream& o, AsciiLiteral const& l)
{
    std::copy(l.value().rbegin(), l.value().rend(),
            std::ostream_iterator<char>(o));
    return o;
}

int main()
{

    std::cout <<
    !--------------------------------*+********+*-----------------------------------!
    !-----------------------------******************--------------------------------!
    !----------------------------+*******************+*-----------------------------!
    !---------------------------************************+---------------------------!
    !--------------------------+*************************+--------------------------!
    !--------------------------***************************+-------------------------!
    !--------------------------***+++********++++*********+-------------------------!
    !-------------------------***+---++*****+-----+********-------------------------!
    !-------------------------+**--**--****+--***--********-------------------------!
    !-------------------------+**-***--****+-****--+*******-------------------------!
    !-------------------------~**-~**--****+*-**~--********-------------------------!
    !--------------------------**-++++++**+++++*---********-------------------------!
    !--------------------------**+++++*++++*+++++++********-------------------------!
    !--------------------------+*~++++~++++~+++++~+**********-----------------------!
    !--------------------------+***++++++++++++~---**********-----------------------!
    !--------------------------+**+-~++++++++~-----+***********---------------------!
    !-------------------------***-----~++++~--------~***********--------------------!
    !-----------------------*****---------------------~**********-------------------!
    !---------------------*****-------------------------~**********-----------------!
    !-------------------******+--------------------------***********----------------!
    !------------------******+~--------------------------************---------------!
    !-----------------*******+++*-----------*-------**++++***********+*-------------!
    !----------------********~~------~+++~~------------~~++*************------------!
    !----------------******------------+------------------~++************-----------!
    !---------------+****+~------------+--------------------~************+----------!
    !--------------******--------------+---------------------++************---------!
    !--------------****+~------------------------------------++************---------!
    !--------------****---------------*----------------------++*************--------!
    !----------*+******---------------+----------------------++************++-------!
    !----------********---------------+----------------------++*************+-------!
    !----------********---------------+----------------------++*************+-------!
    !----------~+******---------------~----------------------++************+~-------!
    !------------*+*-**+*-----------------------------------*+*************~--------!
    !----------++++++*~**+*------------+------------------*++-***********~+---------!
    !--*+++++++++++++++*~*****----------------------------++++~********~+++*--------!
    !--++++++++++++++++++*~*****--------------------------+++++*~****~++++++*-------!
    !--++++++++++++++++++++*~****+*-----------------------+++++++*~~+++++++++-------!
    !--~+++++++++++++++++++++*~**+~---------------------*~++++++++++++++++++++**----!
    !----+++++++++++++++++++++*~**--------------------*++-+++++++++++++++++++++++---!
    !--*+++++++++++++++++++++++*-**---------------*++****-+++++++++++++++++++++++---!
    !--+++++++++++++++++++++++++*~*****--------*++*******-++++++++++++++++++++~-----!
    !--~+++++++++++++++++++++++++-***********************-+++++++++++++++++~--------!
    !----~+++++++++++++++++++++++-***********************-+++++++++++++++~----------!
    !--------~++++++++++++++++++++******++~~~++**********-~++++++++++++~------------!
    !-------------~~+*++++++++++~-------------------------*+~++++++~~---------------!
    AsciiLiteral();
}

Warning: some compilers can't handle the number of chained function calls needed to compile the code. GCC can.