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 cartoon concerning Middle East Peace Agreement
‘25 years and he still thinks I’m on his leash.’
Uncaptioned cartoon regarding request for tapes
Uncaptioned cartoon about Nixon campaign slush fund
“Welcome to the slow learner’s club.”
‘Quick! Another $222 million and we can prop this thing back up again!’
‘The war is over for us, too!’
Welcome home!
‘Now that’s the kind of platform I can live with!’
Mainliner
‘But I was only following orders!’
‘Well, whatta you know! We’ve been invited into the democracy we’re defending.’