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John Michael Callahan (February 5, 1951 – July 24, 2010) was a cartoonist, artist, and musician noted for dealing with macabre subjects and physical disabilities. ==Accident and career== 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 simplistic 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 Willamette Week, whose cartoons occasionally led to boycotts and protests against the newspaper. 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. The main character, who "walked out of a bar and into a car," as the theme song relates, is a quadriplegic who won a large settlement from the rich driver who ran over him, and lives in a mansion with his buxom girlfriend, gay Australian physical therapist, and a cast of fellow handicapees. Their outrageous adventures infuriate the neighbours, which include an angry nun, the milquetoast millionaire who originally ran over the main character, and his domineering, Joan Riversesque wife. Friends said Callahan realized that his cartooning was a form of counseling, which led to him pursuing a master's degree in counseling at Portland State University. However, his deteriorating health prevented him from finishing his first term.〔Dungca, Nicole; and Molly Hottle, "Cartoonist kept humor to the end", ''The Oregonian'', 26 July 2010, p. B6.〕 In 2005 Dutch film maker Simone de Vries made a documentary on Callahan, 'Raak me waar ik voelen kan' ('Touch me someplace I can feel').〔http://www.hollanddoc.nl/hollanddoc/kijk-luister/documentaire/r/Raak-me-waar-ik-voelen-kan.html〕 Callahan died on July 24, 2010, following surgery for chronic bed sores, although his brother stated the causes of his death were complications of quadriplegia and respiratory problems.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Callahan (cartoonist)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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