Biography.guide
Home › People › Comics artist › Vaughn Bodē
Portrait of Vaughn Bodē

Vaughn Bodē

1941 – 1975

American underground comics and graphic design artist

Comics artist Graffiti artistComics writer
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Vaughn Bodē

Lived 1941 – 1975 (aged 33). Vaughn Bodē was an American comics artist, graffiti artist and comics writer.

Career

He was born Vaughn Bode on July 22, 1941.

In 1963, at age 21, and while living in Utica, New York, Created after Bodē's stint in the U.S. Army, Das Kampf has been called "a war-themed spoof on Charles Schulz's 1962 book Happiness Is a Warm Puppy." With money borrowed from his brother Vincent, Bodē photocopied about 100 copies of the 52-page book and (mostly unsuccessfully) attempted to sell it around the Utica area.

Personal life Early life Bodē was born in Utica, New York, the son of Kenneth and Elsie Bodé.

Bodē married Barbara Hawkins at age 20 in 1961. When Mark remarked how beautiful Vaughn looked, Vaughn replied, "You see, Mark, I really am a high priest." Thirty-three years old at the time of his death, Bodē's ashes were dropped from a Cessna airplane over the waters off the coast of Point Reyes. Bodē has been credited as an influence on Bakshi's films Wizards and The Lord of the Rings.

Bodē has a huge following among graffiti artists and his work can often be seen replicated in the world of street art.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Inkpot Award; Will Eisner Hall of Fame; Yellow Kid Award; Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist; List of Eisner Award winners

People in Vaughn Bodē's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Vaughn Bodē's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Vaughn Bodē?

American underground comics and graphic design artist (1941–1975)

When was Vaughn Bodē born?

Vaughn Bodē was born on 22 July 1941 in Utica.

When did Vaughn Bodē die?

Vaughn Bodē died on 18 July 1975 in San Francisco.

What was Vaughn Bodē's occupation?

Vaughn Bodē was a comics artist, graffiti artist and comics writer.

What nationality was Vaughn Bodē?

Vaughn Bodē was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Vaughn Bodē

· Wikidata: Q2004726

· DBpedia: Vaughn Bodē

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Vaughn Bodē. https://biography.guide/vaughn-bode/

MLA: "Vaughn Bodē." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/vaughn-bode/.

Chicago: "Vaughn Bodē." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/vaughn-bode/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:28 UTC