DeafCartoon.com: German Deaf Comics

English translation provided by D. McClintock, editor.

Correction note: In my post "Polish Deaf Comics" I made an error of saying Luzka Szoz-Ciechaka was CODA. Let me clarify that she is deaf. My apology for a misunderstanding of Polish (how embarassing!). I have just corrected my post "Polish Deaf Comics."

Greetings, folks! I'd like to introduce two German deaf cartoonists, Paul Dinkel and Lucas Kollien. Their artworks can be found at http://www.taubenschlag.de/Karikaturen. Taubenschlag.de is a popular German deaf website.

Paul Dinkel

Paul Dinkel is one of two well-known deaf German cartoonists. He was born on January 9, 1961 as the first of 3 children in Haßfurt. His parents, Karl and Klara, are deaf. From 1967 to 1976 he attended a school for the deaf in Wuerzburg and received a Quali-Abschluß (certificate of qualifications) there.

He trained as a toolmaker from 1976 to 1980 at a company called VDM. Later he continued his training at a vocational rehabilitation center for the hearing impaired in Nuremberg. After his associating examination he was placed at a company named Allmilmö Furniture Work as a machine worker.

His interest in art education began when he was young. He received good marks for his work and it was when he thought of becoming a painter, a restorer or the like. Because of his weak German at that time he was not able to go to the hearing part-time vocational school. He occupied himself nonetheless with studies in art. He learned how to paint oil and painted numerous pictures - mostly in colored pencils - particularly in natural landscapes and female shapes. When someone asked him in the year 1986 whether he was ready to draw the sign language textbooks by the publisher the district federation of the Deaf Lower Franconia, he readily obliged. He illustrated 2 volumes of the books. Later he worked with other fellow draftsmen in Munich doing illustrations for the sign language textbooks.
In the meantime he developed an interest in cartooning drawing and would eagerly draw comic strips out of fun. Feeling more confident of himself, he decided to market his comic strips. Sometimes h was asked to draw "the merry pictures" for his friends or other people. In March 2001 he went to a community college in Darmstadt to study as a Diplom-Karikaturist (master caricaturist) and Comiczeichner (comic book artist) Darmstadt. After one year of studies he successfully completed his thesis with excellent marks.

In the year 2004 Paul Dinkel sold his first book, Das Buch der besten Gehörlosenwitze (the book of the best deaf jokes). He sold 500 copies.

Paul Dinkel is married to his friend Petra (since 1991) and they have a hearing son, who was born in 1993.
Among his hobbies are soccer and chess.

For inquiries or more information on the books he is selling, go to his website:

http://www.pdinkel.de/

"Nooo...I certainly do not have money...he...just look...

he has C.I.!" (cochlear implant)

"We believe...their son is not mentally normal."

"It's a bummer...I have to prepare for amputation of my hands...

that's why I'm using toespells..."

And this one I like...(Pablo Picasso is one of my favorite artists, my Chilean side of my family goes all the way back to Spain, and "Picasso" happens to be my frat nickname.) - D.

"Hello, my friend, Monsieur Picasso...I have a deaf patient here

that I think would be of interest to you..."

Lucas Kollien

Another of two famous deaf cartoonists in Germany, he became an artist at age 3. He discovered his graphic talent at "the desk of his parents, where papers, ball-point pens, lead and felt-tip pens lay about everywhere." He has put out a book of cartoons with another deaf artist named Rudolph Werner. (It is not clear what title is. The editor has not yet received a response after he emailed Mr. Kollien.)