Power to the Penis (Poster Reprint/John Sposato/1970)

Power to the Penis — John Sposato, 1970 Poster Reprint

Created by illustrator John Sposato in 1970, Power to the Penis is one of those pieces of counterculture poster art that manages to be funny, filthy, political, and slightly disturbing all at once.

The poster was created during the height of the Women’s Liberation movement, reportedly inspired by Sposato witnessing a man yell “Power to the penis!” at women demonstrating for equality. Sposato took the ridiculous slogan and turned it back on the attitudes behind it—a satirical image of male power, sexual entitlement, and the backlash against feminism.

The original was published in New York by Editions Unlimited/Wespac as a color offset poster under the wonderfully understated subtitle “On Women’s Lib.” Vintage mail-order catalogs later advertised Power to the Penis right alongside psychedelic art, political posters, sex jokes, and other counterculture graphics—the kind of stuff people actually covered their bedroom and apartment walls with.