Malcolm Hancock

Malcolm "Mal" Hancock (May 20, 1936 – February 16, 1993) was an American magazine cartoonist, most notable for his work in National Review.^[1]

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Hancock's work was also seen regularly in such publications as Playboy, The Saturday Evening Post and the Washington Post. He drew many comic strips, including 'Nibbles' (1961–63), 'Patrick' (1965–69), 'The Fantastic Foster Fenwick' (1968–72), 'Fenwick' (1977-1979), 'The Lumpits' (1970–78) 'Pig Newton' (1983), 'Malfunction Junction]' (1990–93), and 'Hi and Jinx' (1991–93). His work was notable for its sharp satire.^[2]

Hancock was paralyzed from the waist down and used a wheelchair after a fall he suffered as a teen. He was vacationing with his family in Wisconsin. He and his dad decided to play a round of golf. Mal was looking for a lost ball and didn't realize he was so close to the unmarked edge of a limestone cliff. He slid about 15 feet and then free fell the additional 35 feet. He credits his handicap for realizing his potential. He said, "You have to play with the hand you are dealt. Everyone has a handicap--with some it is physical; with others, it is psychological, mental or whatever. Sometimes a handicap is an advantage because it focuses your attention on your talent. I was lucky because I had a particular talent that could be focused--and it wasn't tied to my legs."^[3] He died at the age of 56 of cancer.^[1][2]

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