John Callahan (cartoonist)
| John Callahan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
John Michael Callahan February 5, 1951 Portland, Oregon |
| Died | July 24, 2010 (aged 59) Portland, Oregon |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Known for | Creator of Pelswick and Quads! |
John Michael Callahan (February 5, 1951 – July 24, 2010) was a cartoonist, artist, and musician in Portland, Oregon, noted for dealing with macabre subjects and physical disabilities.
Callahan became a quadriplegic in an auto accident at 21. The accident happened in Callahan's car after a day of drinking. His car was being driven by a man with whom he was bar hopping.
Following his accident, he became a cartoonist, drawing by clutching a pen between both hands. His visual artistic style was simple and often rough, although still legible. It has been likened to that of William Steig, James Thurber, Richard Condie, and Ben Wicks.
Callahan's cartoons dealt with subjects often considered taboo. His black humor may be exemplified by the title of his "quasi-memoir", Will the Real John Callahan Please Stand Up?. The subject matter and treatment of his cartoons shares something with the work of Charles Addams, Gahan Wilson, and especially Charles Rodrigues, although it is much more aggressive than even the Playboy cartoons by these cartoonists.
For 27 years until his death, Callahan's work appeared in the Portland newspaper Willamette Week, whose cartoons occasionally led to boycotts and protests against the paper.
Callahan scoffed at the reactions of critics who labeled his work politically incorrect, while he delighted in the positive reactions he received from fans with disabilities. "My only compass for whether I’ve gone too far is the reaction I get from people in wheelchairs, or with hooks for hands." Callahan said. "Like me, they are fed up with people who presume to speak for the disabled. All the pity and the patronizing. That’s what is truly detestable."
Two animated cartoon series have been based on Callahan's cartoons: Pelswick, a children's show on Nickelodeon; and Quads, a Canadian-Australian co-production, which retains the violence, joie de vivre, and political incorrectness of his cartoons.
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