Page 22 - ABILITY Magazine -Cedric Yarbrough Issue

circa 2001
he immediate thing most first-time viewers proba- bly notice about Pelswick, the bright, 13-year-old protagonist of the Nickelodeon cartoon series that
somewhat quirky—family, Callahan’s youth was far from pleasant. Alienated from his adoptive parents, he was a full-fledged alcoholic before he completed high school. At the age of 21 he moved to Los Angeles, and shortly thereafter was a passenger in a drunk driving accident that left him a C5-6 quadriplegic. His alcohol
premiered last fall, is that he uses a wheelchair. It doesn’t take long, however, to discover that what really stands out in the plucky character are his fearlessness, wry sense of humor and talent for getting into—and out of—sticky situations. His means of mobility becomes almost irrelevant, and that is the point series creator John Callahan is trying to get across.
“First and foremost, Pelswick is a unique and funny property for kids. John Callahan has provided us with access to the world of the disability community with heroism and humor,” according to Cyma Zarghami, Nickelodeon’s Executive Vice President and General Manager. “The characters in the series are truly inven- tive, and the message that it’s tough to be a kid no mat- ter what your issues are comes through with comedy and sincerity.”
Callahan is a nationally syndicated newspaper cartoonist and author who has been profiled on 60 Minutes, and has also appeared on the Today Show and ABC World News Tonight. He has created seven collections of car- toons and written two books, his autobiography Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot! and the children’s book The King of Things and the Cranberry Clown.
While Pelswick is a well adjusted boy from a supportive if
22 ABILITY