The Inland Echo

John Callahan, a Portland, Ore., cartoonist and musician, has died at age 59 on Saturday after a lengthy hospital stay. Callahan was best known for cartoons that stepped beyond the boundaries of political correctness and have appeared in nearly 100 newspapers and magazines for over 20 years.

Callahan, a quadriplegic since a traffic accident at age 21, also was the author of 10 books including an autobiography called, “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot: The Autobiography of a Dangerous Man.”

Actor Robin Williams bought the rights to a movie based on the book, according to The Oregonian, but it has never been produced.

Callahan had numerous other roles, including songwriter, English teacher, filmmaker and creator of two animated television shows. He campaigned in 1996 for a Republican seat in the Oregon House of Representatives before health issues interrupted his run.

“He offended a lot of handicapped people, and they wrote nasty letters to the editor not knowing that Callahan himself was tragically handicapped,” said Bill Plympton, a two-time Oscar-nominated animator who was among the first to see Callahan’s drawings.

Callahan’s health was declining in recent months, but he never lost his sense of humor, friends said.

“His personal struggles never seemed to affect his funnybone,” said Kathleen Triesch Saul, Pacific Northwest magazine’s associate editor. “The guy could make you laugh out loud.”

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