"I don't know which is worse - leftists or right-wing Christians," says John Callahan, barely maintaining control of his temper, "They're both paranoid, thin-skinned pussies!"You may be thinking, with opinions like these, who needs assholes? But there's no question Callahan is one of the most upwardly-mobile cartoonists around - every article he sent us listed a progresssively higher number of newspapers that carry him. At last count, he was in over 150 publications across the country. Though he's been drawing professionally for 11 years, it wasn't until recently that he hit the big-time. "5 years ago, when my first book came out, it really kicked up my volume," he says, "Being on 60 minutes didn't hurt, either."
Callahan's drawings are provocative, and tend to consistently ride that fine line between offensive and really offensive. One newspaper cancelled his contract because of complaints about a drawing depicting a dead dog impaled by a large piece of glass. A passer by asks, "How much is that window in the doggie?"
Above all, Callahan likes to make fun of people, concentrating on the darker side of life. The disabled are number one on his hit list, vying for top position with feminists. The National Alzheimer's Association was furious over a drawing that depicted "The Alzheimer Hoedown," where dozens of old people are left confused when the caller shouts out, "Now go to the partner you just left."
But Callahan doesn't stop there. Jews, women, gay people, politics - nothing is safe from the critical scrutiny of a cartoonist who says people are just taking life a little too seriously. "I just have a good time pointing this stuff out," he says, "I bust both sides of the political spectrum, but I shoot left a little more - they have a thinner skin, and it's more dramatic when they explode." Callahan clearly derives a perverted pleasure from pissing people off.
It would have been enough to endure a miserable childhood and a long drinking career that started at the age of 12, But Callahan got a triple dose of Murphy's Law when, at the age of 21, he was paralyzed between his fifth and sixth vertebrae, leaving him quadriplegic. He and his friend had been drinking enough to kill a horse, and then decided to go for a drive. Callahan's friend was driving the car, and escaped with minor cuts and bruises, never to be seen by Callahan again.
- Above all, Callahan likes to make fun of people, concentrating on the darker side of life. The disabled are number one on his hit list, vying for top position with feminists.
He lay in the hospital for weeks - paralyzed, frightened and, above all, angry. His life suddenly turned around, he contemplated suicide, wallowed in misery and, as he had done since he was a child, continued to draw. At the age of 41, Callahan has had time to adapt to his disability, turning it into one of his greatest inspirations, and a source of consternation for untold thousands of readers.
Because he has lost most of the function in his arms and hands, drawing is a difficult process for him - he uses one hand to hold the pen, and the other to keep it steady. He produces three to ten drawings a week.
Callahan is a self-described sexist, though he feels the term is too loaded. Yeah, I'm a sexist," he says confidently, "But I shun the term. 'Sexist' is a label people will throw around to destroy your credibility and pound over your head politically." But, he adds, "Most of the women are such whiners. You look at someone cross-eyed and you're a rapist. I don't go for all ths PC bullshit and kissing women's butts."
Not surprisingly, Callahan is politcally conservative, and says, "If anything has wrecked this country, it's been liberal socialism over the last 35 years." Starting out as a Reagan Democrat, he says he became Republican when he first started listening to Newt Gingrich. He also says he supports Oregon Senator Bob Packwood, "So maybe he went around pinching women's butts 20 years ago. I think someone should pinch Barbara Boxer's head."
Despite his emphasis on the darker side of life, Callahan says, "I guess I'm as happy as the average geek on the street. I'm not sure how many people are truly happy - it's a fleeting thing. Well, Richard Simmons always seems happy, but I think it's just an act." Callahan says his personal life is sometimes slow, but fulfilling.
A certifiable news junkie, he spends a lot of time in front of the television and reading publications. He visits his friend, a local bartender, and his girlfriend who lives nearby and, according to Callahan, gives great back rubs. He also visits with Robin Williams a lot, though it takes a plane flight for either one of them to see each other. Williams and Callahan have been friends for a while, and Williams is making a movie about his life, which wll no doubt boost his popularity further.
- While many people hate his work, others appreciate the humor and the no-holds-barred approach to free expression.
While many people hate his work, others appreciate the humor and the no-holds-barred approach to free expression. He recently got a letter of support from President Clinton, an encouragng phone call from Richard Pryor, and was even mentioned in the OJ Simpson trial, when Judge Ito said, "I feel like I'm in a Callahan cartoon," referring to a cartoon where the people in the courtroom are more concerned with TV ratings than with the judicial process.
Callahan says he'd like to run for political office someday, but expressed some reservations about public speaking from his wheelchair. But, he says, "It Sunny Bono can run for congress, so can I." His biggest problem, it seems, is with people who just can't take a joke, and he trluy seems to revel in the offense some of his readers take. Having a thin skin to Callahan is far worse than being a woman. And any sexist who can still be friends with Camille Paglia can't be all bad.
Generally,when people call to complan about his ridicule of the disabled, they change their tune when they find out Callahan is quadriplegic. His disabled readers admire his frankness, recognizing jokes that often stay isolated in the disabled community. Brace yourself if you're easily offended - hate mail will only strengthen Callahan's resolve.