Vaughn Bodé (July 22, 1941 - July 18, 1975), was an influential artist involved in and inspirational to underground comics, graphic design, and graffiti. He is perhaps best-known for his comic strip character Cheech Wizard, an anthropomorphic hat with almost no scruples; and artwork depicting voluptuous women. His works are noted for their psychedelic look and feel. July 22 is the 203rd day (204th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 162 days remaining. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... The term underground comics or comix describes the self-published or small press comic books that sprang up in the US in the late 1960s. ... Graffiti is a type of deliberately inscribed marking made by humans on surfaces, both private and public. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... This dog has been dressed in human accessories for humorous effect. ... This entry pertains to the word psychedelic, its origin and uses. ...

He was born in Utica, New York and started drawing as a way of escaping a less-than-happy childhood. Utica was a Phoenician colony, on the African coast, near Carthage. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ...

In 1969 he moved to Manhattan and joined the staff of the underground newspaper the East Village Other. It was here that Bodé met Spain Rodriguez, Robert Crumb and other founders of the quickly-expanding underground comics world. At EVO, he introduced Gothic Blimp Works, a comics supplement to the magazine, which ran for eight issues, the first two edited by Bodé. 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Manhattan is an island bordering the lower Hudson River. ... The East Village Other (often abbreviated as EVO), was a leading underground newspaper in New York City during the late 1960s. ... Manuel Spain Rodriguez (born 1940 in Buffalo, New York) is an underground cartoonist best known for his character Trashman. His experiences on the road with the biker gang the Road Vultures provided inspiration for his work as did his left-wing politics. ... Robert Crumb (born August 30, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an artist and illustrator who signs his work R. Crumb. Crumb was one of the founders of the underground comics movement, and is often regarded as the most prominent figure in that movement. ...

The Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist was bestowed upon him in 1969, and he was nominated for Best Professional Artist the following year. Additionally, he won the Yellow Kid Award, Italy's award for illustration, in 1975. Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist. ...

Bodé’s most memorable comic creation is Cheech Wizard, a limp yellow wizard’s hat with big red feet who is constantly in search of a good party, cold beer, and attractive women. Many people feel that Ralph Bakshi cribbed the Cheech Wizard art style for his film Wizards. Albus Dumbledore, from the Harry Potter series, is a traditional wizard. ... Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938, in Haifa, Palestine) is a director of animation and occasionally live-action films. ... An animated post-apocalyptic Science Fiction/Fantasy epic movie written, produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi in 1977. ...

It is never actually revealed what Cheech Wizard looks like under the hat, or exactly what kind of creature he is. Characters pressing the issue generally are rewarded with a swift kick to the groin by Cheech.

In an early comic, "Captured by Morton Frog", 1967, Cheech takes off his hat for a policeman, a priest and a political leader. You can clearly see him holding his hat in his hands, off the rest of his body. The face is hidden by the speech balloon, but you can see glimpses of hair on top. All three persons witnessing his face fall into cataleptic states forever. Cheech walks away their fortress claiming that "Their primitive minds couldn't accept the truths". In a later comic, "Who is C.W.?", 1974, One of Cheech's lovers insists on seeing his true face. Cheech claims that she will die instantly or go insane. After having her sign a waiver freeing him of legal responsibilities, he agrees to take off his hat. The comic ends abruptly at mid-page with Cheech screaming "Okay! Here goes, But I bet you go blind!"

Other creations include Deadbone, the adventures of the inhabitants of a solitary mountain a billion years in the past; and War Lizards, an often unflinching look at the Vietnam War, told with anthropomorphic reptiles instead of people. The Vietnam War was fought from 1957 to 1975 between communist and Vietnamese national forces and an array of Western and pro-Western forces, most importantly the United States. ...

Common themes in Bodé’s works include the use of lizard-like creatures as stand-ins for "real" humans (though most of his female characters are quite human) and the use of urban dialects and slang for the speech of the inhabitants of his cartoon worlds. Like those of other underground cartoonists, Bodé’s comics illustrate many aspects of the counterculture: sexual experimentation, drug use, and an overall relaxing of social taboos, just to name a few. The term urban means cities and towns as distinct from rural areas. ...

Though some sources list Bodé's death as caused by a motorcycle accident, his death was actually due to an experiment in autoerotic asphyxiation. He left behind a veritable library of sketchbooks, finished and unfinished works, paintings, and comic strips. Most of his art has since been published in a variety of collections. Autoerotic asphyxiation is the practice of self-strangulation, typically by the use of a ligature, while masturbating. ...

His son Mark Bodé (born 1963) is an artist in his own right, often producing works similar to the elder Bodé’s style. Recently Mark completed one of his father’s unfinished works, The Lizard of Oz, a delightfully lecherous send-up of The Wizard of Oz, starring Cheech Wizard one more time. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... See: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum The Wizard of Oz (1939 movie) starring Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz (stage) Stage versions starting in 1903 The Wizard of Oz (animated series) The Wizard of Oz (game) The Wizard of Oz (movie) Various film versions See also...

Notable Publications

• Das Kampf, self-published in 1963, considered to be one of the first underground comic books.
• Deadbone appeared monthly in the science fiction magazine Galaxy from 1969 to 1971.
• Junkwaffel. Issues 1-4 first ran in Print Mint from 1971 to 1974. The final issue, number 5, appeared in Last Gasp along with reprints of the first four.
• Cheech Wizard ran monthly in National Lampoon from 1971-1975.

Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Galaxy Science Fiction magazine was the creation of noted pulp magazine editor Horace Leonard Gold, generally known as H. L. Gold. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The National Lampoon began in 1970 as an offshoot of the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine. ...

Quotes

• "Once upon a time at 2:30 in the afternoon, there was a wise and benevolent wizard who wore a big hat and went by the handle Cheech Wizard."

The intro text for the Cheech Wizard comic strips, the time allegedly references when Bodé first drew Cheech, 2:30 pm on September 27, 1957

• "Cheech was my father’s alter ego, a bad-mouth hat with no respect for anyone, completely the opposite of Vaughn, who was charismatic, but shy."

Mark Bodé, on Cheech Wizard

The terms PM, Pm or pm, when used by itself can refer to: Particulate Matter, fine dust and soot suspended in the air. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External Links

• Official Vaughn Bode Site (http://www.cheechwizard.com)
• "Da Vaughn Bodé Site" (http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~jdavies/bode/), a collection of many of his comic strips