Oh The Levines We Have Missed

David Levine’s caricaturing career was drawing to a close (pun intended) during Barak Obama’s first term as President, so we all missed what likely would have been deliciously savage renderings of Donald Trump and Joe Biden and those in their respective administrations. The lone Obama by Levine was created after macular degeneration had corrupted his central vision, making it impossible for him to see where lines intersected, so it was done in pencil.

Luckily, we do have Levines of Trump and Hilary Clinton at points earlier in their lives, before they battled for the 45th presidency. We also have extensive Levine presidential galleries of LBJ, Nixon, Reagan, both Bushes, Carter, Clinton and the political figures who surrounded them, all created by a bold hand and piercing mind that never stopped holding accountable those who abused power.

While the scope of Levine’s caricature work is remarkable – covering literature, science, music, economics, sports and just about every topic you can imagine – it is through his criticism of our nation’s leaders that he may be best remembered.

As a self-described red diaper baby (the child of parents who held communist beliefs), Levine went after Democrats and Republicans alike.

His last months were spent shuttling back and forth from visits to the emergency room and stays in a nursing home.

On one of his last visits to the ER he was asked a series of questions by the intake nurse.

“Do you know what day it is?” To which he responded, “Does it matter?”

“Do you know what year it is?” To which he answered, “Vaguely.”

“Do you know who the President is?” To which he immediately replied, “All I know is that I didn’t vote for him.”