The Cartoon Art of Andrew Bodine The front-page cartoons of Andrew Bodine greeted the amused, serious, and sometimes angered readers of the Marion (Indiana) Daily Leader during the years 1906 to 1920. Young "Andy Bodine" captured for posterity the life and times of his fellow citizens. No subject was spared his prolific pen as he drew from politics, sports, religion, and the robust community life of his thriving midwestern hometown. A keen observer, Bodine through his cartoons manages to distill the complex issues of the day into their essential elements. Remarkably free of the more egregious prejudices of the time, Bodine reflects the mildly progressive views of the Daily Leader. His pen is sharpened when dealing with Republican politicians with the exception of the idolized Theodore Roosevelt. Local GOP officeholders as well as the city's other newspaper, the editorially Republican Marion Chronicle are constant targets of his scorn. A life long bachelor, Bodine reflects the commonly held sentimental view of romantic relationships between men and women as portrayed in popular songs and theatrical productions of the period. While he could not be classified as a feminist, many of his drawings evince sympathy for the desire of women to have a greater role in community life. Men come into his harsher glare often times pictured as incompetent in dealing with family matters. Bodine was a Marion booster in truest sense of the word. Many of his drawing celebrate the growth and development of his hometown. The figure of a prosperous and forward looking "Father Marion" was employed to promote the commerce and culture of city engaged in fierce competition with surrounding cities. The following is a sampling of the work of Andrew Bodine. The Community History Project is currently engaged in the compilation and digitization of the cartoon art of Andrew Bodine Next > > [ Home ]    [ Life ]    [ Women,Men ]    [ Education ] [ Reform ]    [ Labor ]    [ Politics ]