Vaughn Bodé

Vaughn Bodé (pronounced “bo-dee”) was easily one of the most influential artists of the underground generation — although he’s possibly the least comfortable fit in that seminal movement in comics history. One of the few underground artists to work predominantly in science fiction and fantasy (and in color), Bodé is an unwitting hero to a generation of graffiti artists.

"When Vaughn Bodé, the maverick cartoonist and graffiti guru, died in 1975 at 33, he left a son and some of the most original and influential cartoon art done in the 1960s and 1970s. […] Vaughn Bodé’s characters have had a seminal influence, and it was often rite of passage for graffiti artists to do a Bodé character, making the artist an unwitting guru of urban street culture." – The New York Times

"I’m like Vaughn Bodé, I’m a Cheech Wizard, Never quitting, So won’t you listen." – Beastie Boys, "Sure Shot"

"Vaughn Bodé was the wizard who would be king. He earned fame, could burn you with his eternal collection of crazy characters and had mad styles that influenced many graffiti legends. In the world of aeresol art, he was at the top." — Rap Pages

See also:
• Artist Bio
• Blog posts relating to Vaughn Bodé on FLOG! The Fantagraphics Blog