Danny Hellman (born August 2, 1964) is an American freelance illustrator and cartoonist. Since 1989, his illustrations have appeared in publications including Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal and others, and his comic book work has appeared in DC Comics publications.
Early life
Danny Hellman was raised in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York City, New York. He graduated from the High School of Art & Design, in Manhattan, in 1982, and took figure drawing classes throughout the 1980s at the Art Students League. and began working as a bicycle messenger, while drawing and distributing posters for the rock music band Floor Kiss.
In the early to mid 1990s, Hellman self-published a number of minicomics, which included Coffee Drinkin' Man, (written by Hellman's friend, East Village painter Geoff Gilmore); the original version of Legal Action Comics, which reprinted strips of his from Screw that parodied Superman, The Simpsons, and The Cosby Show; and Peaceful Atom and the Mystery Mice.
Ted Rall lawsuit
Hellman has been described as a "veteran prankster". Following an August 3, 1999 Village Voice cover story criticizing Maus author Art Spiegelman by editorial cartoonist Ted Rall, Hellman created an email list called "Rallsballs@onelist.com" and sent a satirically self-agrandizing letter entitled "Ted Rall's Balls", impersonating Rall, to at least 35 cartoonists and editors, including The New York Times. Rall filed a lawsuit, claiming among other things, libel, lost employment opportunities and emotional distress, and asking damages of US$ 1.5 million. Eventually four of Rall's five claims were dismissed, leaving only libel per se. The case had still not gone to trial in 2005, when Rall's attorney died.
To defray legal costs, Hellman published two charity anthologies designed to raise funds. What was to be a third issue became the summer anthology Typhon.