I probably saw Mark Bodé's work for the first time in an issue of his 80s comic Miami Mice. But I'm not sure. I know I saw his work later in his 90s Tundra comic Cobalt 60, which was a massive expansion of his father's original 1960s comic Cobalt 60.
His father. So, for most artists, you can talk about their influences and maybe they draw a lot like so-and-so. In the case of Mark Bodé, he is in fact carrying on a family tradition. His father, Vaughn, died far too young in 1975 while Mark was still a child. Mark would very soon become a great cartoonist in his own right, taking up the mantle of the great cartoon universe started by Vaughn.
But it isn't correct to say Mark is just doing what his dad did. He's doing his own thing, just in that strong and unique Bodé tradition. He is the Bodé.
He got started early doing comics like Miami Mice, working with Kevin Eastman and others, and becoming both a tattoo artist and a graffiti artist. An amazing life of art. If you can get your hands on it, I recommend his Big Book of Bodé Tattoos.
I have that Shell of the Dragon comic. I found it years ago stuffed behind a sofa in a hostel. I had no idea who Bodé was at the time, but the style jumped out at me, so I rescued it. I'm glad I did!
ReplyDelete