During his 32-year professional career, Bill Sanders drew thousands of editorial cartoons, capturing the follies and occasional triumphs of nine presidential administrations from Eisenhower to Clinton. Passionate about civil rights and keenly interested in national and international affairs, Sanders used his cartoons to skewer politicians on both sides of the aisle when he felt they deserved it. His philosophy of cartooning? “Each cartoon should be drawn for one purpose, to convey a message or opinion. It might be flavored with humor or be bitter with sledgehammer seriousness, but the opinion should reach out and grab the reader by the collar.”
That 70’s Show presents an overview of Sanders’ opinions on some of the more critical and controversial issues and figures of the 1970s. Drawn using his trademark philosophy of “go for the jugular,” the thirty-eight cartoons in the exhibit represent Sanders’ views on the War in Southeast Asia, the Nixon Administration and the Watergate scandal, presidential politics, civil rights and social justice issues, arms control, international affairs, and economic and environmental policy.
Uncaptioned editorial cartoon concerning the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights
Uncaptioned cartoon about Title IX
“You Gotta Hand It to Our Northern Brothers! They Don’t Mess Around!”
Hostage
‘I would have preferred a hearing myself.’
Pentagon Propaganda Machine
‘Kearful thar fella. That thang might go off and hurt somebody.’
‘That takes care of the press, student unrest, Michigan State University, Yale, Spock, permissive middle class parents, ministers and the National Council of Churches. What’s your schedule for tomorrow?’
To Whom It May Not Concern
Charmer
‘We regret your side provoked an incident by running into our axes!’
‘Caution, comrades! He’s armed with the most dangerous weapon in the Soviet Union!’