Long-time Portland cartoonist, writer and songster, John Callahan died on July 24th, 2010 from complications due to his paralysis.

I remember seeing John in his wheelchair, cruising through the streets of North Portland. He was quite a character and completely unmistakable with his shot of bright red hair. His oh-so politically incorrect cartoons is what John was most known for. Since he was a quadriplegic himself (resulting from an alcohol-related car accident when he was only 21), he was allowed and boy were they funny.

The man had absolutely no problem making fun of himself and the handicapped, taking every opportunity he had to do so. Those who don’t take life so seriously (myself included) looked forward to his contributions to the world of cartoons and humor in general. John Callahan did a lot more, but I wasn’t privy to much of his other works. Perhaps I’ll take some time to discover more about him now. His single box cartoons is what I knew him best for.

John died at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 59. He will be missed.

You can visit John Callahan online at http://www.callahanonline.com