Touch me someplace I can feel

I thought that would get your attention. :-) Actually, it is the title of a new documentary about John Callahan, the provocative artist who bills himself as the quadriplegic cartoonist. The Jan/Feb Utne Reader had a brief article about the new documentary from Dutch director Simone de Vries. Utne calls it an "intimate profile of an artist whose work cuts through hypocrisy with minimalist simplicity and outrageous political incorrectness."

The documentary won best short documentary at the Dutch Film Festival in Oct. 2007 and is now available on DVD. But unfortunately for us Americans, it must be purchased in Euros so is almost double the cost. Here's the web site with more info about the film and some pictures and cartoons from the film: http://www.selfmadefilms.nl/eng/callahaneng.htm.

The documentary weaves together interviews with Callahan and famous friends like Robin Williams and Tom Waits, along with his cartoons and complaints about his cartoons, according to Utne. Callahan also has begun a new career as a singer/songwriter, and he is featured on the soundtrack of the film.

A number of years ago I heard that Robin Williams was set to star in a Hollywood film about Callahan's life. (That's apparently how they got to know each other.) It could have been a great project because if it had truly portrayed Callahan's life, it should have been irreverent and bawdy.

For everything Callahan, visit: http://www.callahanonline.com/index.php.