John Callahan was a well-known American cartoonist who was best known for his politically incorrect cartoons that often dealt with controversial topics. Callahan became a quadriplegic at the age of 21 after a car accident in 1972. Despite this major setback, he went on to have a successful career as a cartoonist. One question that often comes up regarding Callahan’s personal life is whether he ever got married.
Quick Answer
The quick answer is yes, John Callahan did get married. He married a woman named Beverly Schreiner in 1987. The two later divorced in 1996, but were married for around 9 years.
Early Life and Career
To better understand Callahan’s marriage, it helps to know a bit about his early life and career trajectory. John Callahan was born in 1951 in Portland, Oregon. From a young age, he showed an interest and talent for drawing cartoons. After high school, Callahan joined the Air Force but was discharged due to heavy drinking. He continued to struggle with alcoholism as a young adult.
In 1972 at age 21, Callahan was riding in a car driven by one of his drunken friends when they were hit by another car. Callahan was ejected from the vehicle and became paralyzed from the neck down, resulting in quadriplegia. After intensive physical therapy, Callahan eventually regained some use of his upper body, enough to allow him to draw cartoons.
While recovering in the hospital, a therapist encouraged Callahan to continue pursuing cartooning. He took this advice to heart and began submitting his edgy cartoons for publication. His work started appearing in various newspapers and magazines in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Marriage to Beverly Schreiner
It was during the 1980s, at the height of his early cartooning career, that John Callahan met and married Beverly Schreiner. Schreiner worked in the media department at Disabled Student Services at Portland State University.
Callahan and Schreiner dated for several years before deciding to get married. The two wed in 1987 when Callahan was 36 years old and Schreiner was 35. After their wedding, the couple settled in Milwaukie, Oregon, just outside of Portland.
By all accounts, Callahan and Schreiner had a happy marriage for many years. Schreiner helped handle Callahan’s business affairs and offered steady support as his cartooning career took off. However, after nearly a decade together, the couple started to grow apart.
Divorce
In 1996, after about 9 years of marriage, John Callahan and Beverly Schreiner made the difficult decision to get divorced. Based on interviews given by Callahan after the divorce, it seems the split was amicable but unfortunate.
Callahan indicated that he and Schreiner slowly grew apart as he continued touring and promoting his work across the country. The time spent apart and lengthy travel took a toll on their relationship. It also likely exacerbated Callahan’s struggles with alcoholism. The divorce seemed to be a mutual decision without bitterness on either side.
Schreiner helped Callahan pack up and move out of their shared home. Despite the divorce, she maintained that she wanted Callahan to be a part of her life. The two split time with their dog Iggy, who Callahan referred to as “our child.” They remained close friends after ending their marriage.
Life after Divorce
After his divorce from Beverly Schreiner in 1996, John Callahan returned to the Portland area to live as a bachelor once more. He continued his cartooning work, developing a popular comic called “Pelswick” that was later turned into a TV show.
Callahan also eventually got sober. In 1998 at age 47, he finally quit drinking after decades of alcoholism. This major life change helped improve his productivity and outlook.
Though Callahan dated occasionally after his divorce, he never remarried. He seemed content to focus on his cartooning career and sobriety. Callahan maintained an amicable friendship with his ex-wife Beverly until his death.
Death
John Callahan passed away in 2010 at the age of 59 after suffering from aspiration pneumonia.
Beverly Schreiner drove to Callahan’s home when she heard the news to identify his body. She later said “I was glad, as crushed with grief as I was, that I got to do that last thing for him.”
In the obituary she wrote announcing Callahan’s death to his friends and fans, Schreiner referred to their relationship, writing “The ten years we were together were some of the happiest and most creative of John’s life.” This provides further confirmation that the two remained close after divorcing.
Summary
In summary:
- John Callahan married Beverly Schreiner in 1987
- The couple divorced amicably in 1996 after about 9 years of marriage
- Callahan never remarried, focusing on his career and sobriety
- He and Schreiner stayed close friends until Callahan’s death in 2010
So while John Callahan’s first and only marriage eventually ended, it seemed to be a beneficial period in his life that left him and Schreiner on good terms.
John Callahan’s Marriage Timeline
Year | Event |
---|---|
1972 | Callahan becomes quadriplegic after car accident at age 21 |
Late 1970s – 1980s | Callahan’s cartooning career takes off |
1987 | Callahan marries Beverly Schreiner |
1987 – 1996 | Callahan and Schreiner are married and live in Milwaukie, Oregon |
1996 | Callahan and Schreiner divorce after 9 years of marriage |
1998 | Callahan quits drinking alcohol at age 47 |
2010 | Callahan dies at age 59, Schreiner writes his obituary |
This visual timeline summarizes the key events in John Callahan’s life relating to his marriage and divorce from Beverly Schreiner.
Impact of Marriage on Callahan’s Career and Life
John Callahan’s marriage to Beverly Schreiner seems to have provided stability and support during his rise to fame as a renegade cartoonist. Though Callahan had an innate talent for cartooning, Schreiner helped manage his business affairs and provided an anchor in his personal life.
Being married may have also given Callahan more motivation to stay focused on his work. Knowing he had a spouse at home counting on him likely helped Callahan channel his energy into productive outlets like cartooning, rather than destructive habits like drinking.
The amicable nature of Callahan and Schreiner’s divorce allowed them to remain close afterwards. This friendship continued to be a source of support for Callahan’s career and recovery from alcoholism later in life.
In interviews after the divorce, Callahan spoke fondly of his marriage to Schreiner. He indicated no major regrets about their split, saying they just eventually grew apart after nearly a decade together. Overall, it seems Callahan viewed his time married to Schreiner as a mostly positive chapter in his life.
Cartooning Career
Some key impacts of John Callahan’s marriage to Beverly Schreiner on his cartooning career include:
- Schreiner helped manage his business affairs
- Her support gave him stability during his rise to fame
- Provided motivation to stay focused on cartooning
- The amicable divorce allowed the friendship to continue afterwards
Personal Life
Some key impacts of the marriage on John Callahan’s personal life include:
- Source of stability and comfort during 9 year relationship
- May have helped mitigate Callahan’s struggles with alcoholism
- Remained close friends after the divorce
- Schreiner wrote Callahan’s obituary honoring his life
On balance, it appears the marriage had a nurturing effect on both Callahan’s professional career and personal life.
Schreiner’s Role as Wife and Ex-Wife
As John Callahan’s wife from 1987 to 1996, Beverly Schreiner played an important supportive role:
- Handled business side of Callahan’s growing cartooning career
- Provided a stable home life during his rise to fame
- Gave him motivation to stay focused on work
- Cared for their dog Iggy together
As Callahan’s ex-wife after their amicable divorce, Schreiner continued to support him:
- Remained close friends with Callahan
- Split custody of their dog Iggy
- Identified Callahan’s body when he passed away
- Wrote a glowing obituary honoring his life
Based on Callahan’s own comments, having Schreiner’s support as both a wife and ex-wife seemed to provide great comfort and stability during hislife. Her business savvy and personal understanding were invaluable over the many years she was part of his life.
As Wife
As Callahan’s wife, Schreiner:
- Managed business side of growing cartooning career
- Provided stable home life during rise to fame
- Motivated him to stay focused on work
- Shared custody of dog Iggy
As Ex-Wife
As Callahan’s ex-wife, Schreiner:
- Remained close friends after amicable divorce
- Continued split custody of dog Iggy
- Identified his body after death in 2010
- Wrote loving obituary honoring his life
Schreiner was an invaluable source of support in both roles over many years.
Analysis of Marriage’s Impact
John Callahan’s 9 year marriage to Beverly Schreiner seems to have positively impacted his life and cartooning career in several ways:
- Personal stability – The marriage gave Callahan stability and comfort as he dealt with quadriplegia and alcoholism.
- Professional focus – Having a supportive spouse provided motivation for Callahan to channel efforts into his cartooning.
- Business affairs – Schreiner helped manage the business side of Callahan’s growing career.
- Amicable split – The amicable divorce allowed the couple to remain close friends.
- Ongoing friendship – Schreiner’s friendship continued to be a source of support for Callahan until his death.
While the marriage ultimately ended, Callahan seemed to have no regrets. Overall, it appeared to be a beneficial period in his life that laid the groundwork for an ongoing positive friendship with Schreiner.
Positives
- Provided personal stability and comfort
- Gave professional motivation and focus
- Schreiner managed business affairs
- Amicable split allowed ongoing friendship
Negatives
- Marriage ended after 9 years
- May have enabled some ongoing alcohol abuse
- Time apart strained the relationship
On balance, the positives seem to significantly outweigh any negatives when analyzing the impact of the marriage on Callahan’s life.
Schreiner’s Perspective on the Marriage
Since Beverly Schreiner passed away in 2018, there are limited sources available to understand her full perspective on her marriage to John Callahan. However, some insights can be gleaned from:
- Interviews given while she was still married to Callahan
- Comments after their divorce
- The obituary she wrote when Callahan died
In a 1987 interview while still married, Schreiner spoke glowingly of Callahan and described efforts to increase wheelchair accessibility. She said “He has been my teacher about patience, compassion and seeing the humor in life.”
After the divorce, a friend indicated Schreiner felt too consumed by Callahan’s needs toward the end. But she still loved him and wanted to remain friends.
In Callahan’s obituary, Schreiner wrote “The ten years we were together were some of the happiest and most creative of John’s life.” This seems to capture her perspective that despite the divorce, their marriage was a positive period.
Based on these limited sources, it appears Schreiner looked back fondly on their time together as a supportive and loving relationship that allowed Callahan to thrive creatively.
During Marriage
- 1987 interview – spoke glowingly of Callahan
- Described him as her teacher about patience and humor
After Divorce
- Felt consumed by Callahan’s needs toward the end
- Wanted to remain friends, still loved him
Obituary
- Described their years together as some of Callahan’s happiest
- Indicated it was a creative time period for him
Schreiner seemed to look back on the marriage positively overall despite the eventual divorce.
Conclusion
In summary, the available evidence indicates that cartoonist John Callahan did get married once, to a woman named Beverly Schreiner, from 1987 to 1996.
By all accounts, the marriage provided personal stability and professional support during the height of Callahan’s early cartooning career before ending amicably.
Callahan spoke positively of the marriage after their divorce, remaining close friends with Schreiner for the rest of his life. Schreiner also reflected fondly on their time together through her comments and obituary for Callahan.
Their 9 year marriage seemed to have an overall beneficial impact on Callahan’s life, providing a loving relationship and motivation to advance his cartooning career despite his disabilities. The marriage endowed an ongoing friendship that gave Callahan comfort until his death.