Like most other kids, I accidentally stumbled on some adult material when I was a kid. Unlike most kids, who were digging through their parents’ hidden Playboy magazines, I had found myself checking out erotic comic books, especially some by the amazing Vaughn Bodē.
It didn’t really stop with his “Erotica” series; I was super into his Cheech Wizard comics as well. Completely rude, unapologetic, and absolutely unlike anything else out there, this was the stuff of absurdity and blasphemy. This weird little lizard like creature would walk around with his ding dong hanging out, in an oversized wizard hat, kicking folks right in the nuts, and hanging out with beautiful curvy women. Zooks!
I’m unsure if Bodē was a bridge from comics into street art for me, but he certainly played a role in it. Later in life, growing up in different big cities, I kept running into his art as depicted by others, and his son Mark as well. I loved finding murals in his style in Paris, London, NYC, and even oddball locations in the middle of nowhere across the North American continent.
What’s amazing about Vauhn was that he didn’t just stick to being an illustrator. At some point he started touring the country, voicing over images of his work being projected on stages. A true story teller. And in a time (the 70s) before the internet and mass media, the need to share his work in creative new ways is highly respectable in my opinion. It takes a lot to get out of your comfort zone and be wild and different in front of strangers.
I’ve always been a big fan of artists that are going against the grain, and exploring what they are drawn to instead of sticking to trends. Vauhn’s style is so unique, it’s impossible not to identify it, even in the work of others. While his son has picked up his dad’s legacy and established his own style and flavor with it, the ode is forever present to his father. A family of legends.
In an age where we are starting to lose the thread on the source of so many art styles, I am curious to see which artists will stand the test of time. I am equally frustrated by our ability to lose history in the sea of mass media, and enthusiastic about the ease with which these technological tools allow us to find and discover art with. What a time to be alive.
Check out the official Instagram from Vaughn Bodē’s body of work here, on instagram. It’s worth the dive if you’ve got some time to get a smirk on your face with some cheeky art from another era.