Kathleen Haselmann

So You Want to Be a Cartoonist?!! Kathleen Haselmann

Ralph, Jr. was a very prolific poet, writer, editor and cartoonist. In 2001, he had a serious auto accident in which he suffered a torn aorta. The surgery to repair the aorta left him a quadriplegic. After a 3 month coma and an arduous recovery, Ralph regained the use of his arms and upper torso. His mind remained sharp and as brilliant as ever. Like the contents of the 2 poetry books he published, the cartoons in this book were all created before his accident. They reflect his quirky view of life, the irony in situations and lets us see what he thought was funny. Most quadriplegics suffer from respiratory and circulatory problems, which eventually do them in. Ralph passed away February 2, 2006, 4 1/2 years after his accident. We are pleased to publish this book in memory of our beloved son, Ralph, Jr. We thank the many friends and relatives who contributed to the publishing fund.