Harrington was the first African-American cartoonist to depict African-American subjects. Man, could he draw! If you're not familiar with his illustration, you are in for big, big treat.
Harrington was so aggrieved by American politics that he eventually moved to East Germany, where he published for many years in the 'People's Daily World' and elsewhere. He died there in 1995 at the age of 84.
See www.walteroevansfoundation.org/harrington.html for a foundation in his honor.
'Bootsie' was his only volume of cartoons. It is a wonderful collection with an interesting introduction by Langston Hughes. Regrettably, it is quite scarce (and made even more so by my almost pathological compulsion to acquire copies). 2008 was the 50-year anniversary of its publication.
One day Bootsie will be recognized for what it really is and Harrington will be hailed for his humanistic views.
Ollie Harrington
Harrington
The Runaway Elephant (1950)
The thirteen copies of Bootsie formerly on my shelf and now in storage. I've since acquired twenty-five more.