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Vaughn Bodé Collection

An inventory of his collection at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Steffi Chappell
Date: 2014

Biography

Vaughn Bode

Vaughn Bodé (1941-1975) was an American cartoonist and illustrator who graduated from Syracuse University in 1970.

Born on July 22, 1941, in Syracuse, New York, Bodé became interested in art at an early age and drew his first cartoon at the age of five. In 1957, he dropped out of high school to join the United States Army but left the military and returned to Central New York less than two years later.

Bodé began attending Syracuse University in the fall of 1964 as an illustration student, funded by a G.I. Bill scholarship. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in fine arts in 1970.

As a student, Bodé gained recognition on campus from his cartoons published by The Daily Orange, including The Man, a comic strip about a caveman who made philosophical observations about the world around him. One of Bodé’s best-known creations, Cheech Wizard, made its first appearance in The Daily Orange in 1966. Cheech Wizard would later be published in National Lampoon, starting in February of 1972. In addition to his contributions to The Daily Orange, Bodé also published comics and illustrations in Syracuse 10, the University's literary magazine; the Syracuse New Times; and the underground publications Vintage and the Sword of Damocles. Bodé signed his earliest cartoons as "Von," a shortened version of his first name, but began signing his name in full in 1966 at the recommendation of fellow American cartoonist Milton Caniff.

While studying at Syracuse University, Bodé also worked as a commercial illustrator. In 1966 he was named the art director of Frank Burgmeier Co., a public relations firm in Syracuse. In this position, he published a short comic book for the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. In the comic book, a power mower salesman transforms into the superhero Powermowerman to prevent accidents caused by the misuse of power mowers. During this time, Bodé also produced illustrations for science fiction publications such as Galaxy Magazine.

In addition to his student and commercial work, Bodé was also a regular contributor to underground comics magazines. In 1969, he helped to found Gothic Blimp Works, one of the first underground publications consisting entirely of comics. In the same year, the magazine Cavalier began publishing Bodé's cartoons, starting with a reprint of a strip of The Man in their April 1969 issue. The following month, Bode’s comic strip Deadbone premiered. The strip was set millions of years in the past and concerned the lives of residents of a remote mountain village. Deadbone featured regularly in Cavalier until 1975.

In 1972 Bodé developed his Cartoon Concert, a live act that he performed at college campuses and comic conventions in the United States and Europe. The performance consisted of slide projections of Bodé’s cartoons which he voiced and provided sound effects for live. The Cartoon Concert proved popular with audiences, and Bodé gave more than fifty performances of it, including one at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Bodé received a number of awards over the course of his career. In 1966 he won second place in the annual Society of Illustrators national competition for college cartoonists for his Cheech Wizard series of "The Race to the Moon." Bodé won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 1969 at the World Science Fiction Convention. In 1974 he won the Yellow Kid Award at the International Comics Congress in Lucca, Italy, for his performances of the Cartoon Concert in Europe.

Scope and Content Note

The Vaughn Bodé Collection is divided into four series: Biographical materials, Correspondence, Original artwork and performances, and Published artwork.

The Biographical materials series contains information about Bodé's life and career as a cartoonist and illustrator. These materials include clippings and Syracuse University press releases.

The Correspondence series contains letters written by Richard Wilson, director of the Syracuse University News Bureau, to various individuals concerning Bodé's artwork. The series also contains letters from Leslie Hudson looking for information on Bodé from University faculty and staff.

The Original artwork and performances series contains original works of art produced by Bodé, prints of unpublished artwork, and recordings of a Cartoon Concert which was performed by Bodé's brother, Vincent Bodé, at Syracuse University in December 1975 following the artist's death.

The Published artwork series contains original publications featuring Bodé's cartoons and illustrations. The series also contains photocopies of some of Bodé's work, including cartoons published in The Daily Orange.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus. Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Further information on Vaughn Bodé can be found in the Syracuse University Clipping Files and the Syracuse University Portrait Collection. Copies of publications containing Bodé's artwork, including Syracuse 10, Vintage, and the Sword of Damocles can be found in Syracuse University Student Publications Collection and The Daily Orange Collection.

The Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University also holds Bodé materials. Please visit their finding aid for the Vaughn Bodé Collection for more details.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Bodé, Vaughn, 1941-1975.
Syracuse University -- Alumni and alumnae.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Cartooning.
Comic book fans.
Comic books, strips, etc.
Comics artists.
Fan magazines.
Science fiction fans.
Science fiction illustrators.
Science fiction.
Underground comics.

Types of Material

Audiotapes.
Brochures.
Cartoons (humorous images)
Comic strips.
Drawings (visual works)
Fanzines.
Magazines (periodicals)
Paperbacks.
Posters.
U-matic.
Videotapes.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Vaughn Bodé Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Dr. David Tatham, Amy S. Doherty, Richard Wilson, Bruce McCardy, David Johnson, Marc Von Arx, Richard Gruender, Mike Schafer, and David Perk between 1976 and 2025.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders in acid-free boxes.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged in alphabetical order.

Table of Contents

Biographical materials

Correspondence

Original artwork and performances

Published artwork

Inventory