Satirical journalist, commentator P.J. O'Rourke dies at 74

P.J. O'Rourke, a journalist, author and commentator known for his political cracks and satirical witticisms, died on Tuesday. He was 74.

O'Rourke's publisher, Grove Atlantic, confirmed his death was from complications with lung cancer in a statement released on Twitter. Morgan Entrekin, the CEO and publisher of Grove Atlantic, called O'Rourke "one of the major voices of his generation."

"He was also a close friend and partner for more than 40 years," Entrekin said in a statement. "His passing leaves a huge hole in my life both personal and professional."

Throughout his career, which spanned more than five decades, O'Rourke worked for various magazines and publications and wrote more than 20 books on topics ranging from politics to cars and economics.

But he was primarily a conservative commentator who poked fun at the conservative movement and the state of politics in the U.S.

"I believe in original sin and politics may be its name," he said in a 2010 video address. "I observed politics down through history - does it look like God has been involved? No, when it comes to political activism, that would be the other fellow."

O'Rourke is perhaps best known for the books "Parliament of Whores" and "Give War a Chance," both of which hit No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The former, published in 1991, is a conservative look at U.S. politics written by, as the subtitle says, "a lone humorist [who] attempts to explain the entire U.S. government."

Patrick Jake O'Rourke was born in 1947 in Toledo, Ohio, "into a family so normal as to be almost a statistical anomaly," he wrote on his Grove Atlantic biography page.

After college, O'Rourke worked for various newspapers until 1973, when he joined National Lampoon, the humor magazine that ran until 1998. O'Rourke would become editor-in-chief of the magazine in 1978.

The journalist went on to work for Rolling Stone magazine and The Atlantic, and he even co-wrote Rodney Dangerfield's first movie "Easy Money."

"I swear that when my co-writers and I handed in the script it had an ending," he quipped on his bio page.

The author eventually retired to New Hampshire to be with his family. In his later years, O'Rourke still provided his vivacious commentary, writing for The Weekly Standard and World Affairs. He also appeared on the panel of NPR's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" quiz show.

Appearing on CBS in 2010 ahead of the release of his book "Don't Vote! It Just Encourages the Bastards," O'Rourke reflected on American politics - something he came to both embrace and criticize with good humor throughout his life - and the direction it was headed.

"We're making politics part of everything," he said. "I've been writing about politics for 40 years, and what do you expect? I sort of feel like I'm the guy that cleans up the elephant house, and I am not shocked at what I have to clean up."

O'Rourke is survived by his wife, Tina, and three children.