Reilly O’Reilly, a foul-mouthed drunk who also happens to be a quadriplegic, is the world’s ultimate—if reluctant—anti-hero with a disability. Along with the dysfunctional little family of “differently-abled housemates” he’s assembled to share the mansion purchased for him by the millionaire whose car ran over him, Reilly is also the star of the darkly-hilarious animated comedy, Quads! from the brilliant mind of animator John Callahan.
Reilly’s housemates at “Maimed Manor” are the blind and black (but not musical) Fontaine, the head-on-a-skateboard Blazer, and the former masseur with hooks for hands named Lefty. Reilly also has an air-headed, hemp-wearing, VW minibus-driving, new-age hippy girlfriend Franny as well as a belching, Irish barkeeper friend called Griz.
“Disabling” Stereotypes
The humor is mature and, on paper, Quads! might sound little more than distasteful. In reality, though, the Canadian-Australian co-production is refreshing, honest, and hilarious while simultaneously being obscene, inappropriate, and rude (just what adults want in a cartoon). It also succeeds at putting disability in perspective, poking fun at stereotypes, and humanizing people with disabilities by portraying them as selfish and manipulative. That’s a far cry from the media’s tendency to cast them as the objects of automatic, monotonous sympathy.
From the Experience of a Quadriplegic
This makes sense when you learn that the mind behind the series, acclaimed and infamous cartoonist Callahan, is a C5-6 quadriplegic himself. He has been since the age of 21 years old when the car in which he rode shotgun plowed into a light pole at 90 miles an hour. Callahan first greeted his injury with rage and alcohol before entering treatment, returning to school, and eventually channeling his warped sense of humor into the world of cartoons.
To date, his creations have appeared in everything from Hustler to The New Yorker. And his autobiography, Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot, an unflinchingly honest account of his accident, his alcoholism and his search for his birth mother, made it to the New York Times Best Seller List. TriStar has also reportedly purchased the movie rights to his story as a vehicle for Robin Williams and director Gus Van Sant.
“By the time Robin Williams makes that movie, we’ll all be in wheelchairs,” Callahan quipped to Portland’s Willamette Week. In the meantime, he’s stuck to writing books and focusing not only on Quads! (which Callahan calls “balls-out cripple humor”) but also on a TV series for kids called Pelswick.
Pelswick Eggert is an ordinary (but animated) kid who, unlike his friends, gets around via a cool set of wheels and refers to himself as “permanently seated.” He goes through everything most kids do (school, zits, friends, and yes, girls) but Pelswick refuses to follow the flock. He’s his own dude indeed.
In both Quads! and Pelswick, Callahan’s sharp sense of humor seems to break all boundaries. He adds his unique blend of razor-sharp wit, heart, and real-life experience to both of these shows, making them collectively a “don’t-miss” for anyone living with (or without) a disability.
