HOWARD BRODIE : RENOWNED WAR ARTIST, COURTROOM ARTIST 1915-2010

Today begins a series of mini bios on the artists in the upcoming book,
Illustrated Courtroom: 50 Years of Court Art, leading up to the book's release in March.
We start with Howard Brodie considered by many to be the "dean of courtroom art" and who was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame with notable artists Rockell Kent and Norman Rockwell.

From the New York Times obit. 

Howard Joe Brodie was born on Nov. 28, 1915, in Oakland and attended high school in San Francisco. After winning a drawing contest sponsored by The San Francisco Examiner, he was sent by the newspaper to study at the California School of Fine Arts in preparation for a job as a staff artist. He later worked for The San Francisco Chronicle and Life magazine.

Mr. Brodie was a staff artist at TheSan Francisco Chronicle when he enlisted in the Army during World War II. He was sent to the South Pacific as a combat artist and covered the last days of the Guadalcanal campaign.

Below are Brodie's Guadalcanal scenes from 1942-43. 

These drawings are in the Library of Congress

    Soldiers going up the Matanakau River  - Guadalcanal by Howard Brodie  1943

 Inscribed on drawing: 
"3 Soldiers carrying a Jap prisoner who wouldn't walk and wanted to die"
 Howard Brodie 1942-43

Patrol in Action by Howard Brodie

• Inscribed on cover sheet: This was witnessed across the 
• ridge upon which I was standing. I also used field 
• glasses. Guadalcanal.

Howard started working for CBS news covering the  trial of 1964 Lee HarveyOswald

 assassin, Jack Ruby. Prior to that he covered the trial of Tokyo Rose in San Francisco.  He’s 

illustrated numerous notable courtroom battles including those of Charles Manson, Klaus 

Barbie, the Watergate players, the Chicago Seven and Patty Hearst. His work is in the 

Library of Congress and the Air Force Art Collection.

Below are select courtroom drawings 

Charles Manson seated during trial 1970 by Howard Brodie

HR Haldeman during Watergate by Howard Brodie 

First Juror Max Causey during the trial of Jack Ruby 1964 by Howard Brodie