If you aren’t already acquainted with the  gritty, beautiful photography of Franklin Crawford, here’s your opportunity.  His new show, “Shooting the Gun: The Ithaca Guns Factory in its Decline” opens today in Ithaca and runs through the end of February. *

*If you can’t make it to the show, check out his photos on his Flikr stream.

One thing I deeply admire about Franklin is that he can tell a damn good story.  His photography focuses on the story of his hometown, Ithaca, NY.  His individual insights are simple, direct, and often times heartbreaking, and the entire collection builds a rich narrative that I find fascinating.  The best of his photos make me hurt- I don’t know whether it’s sadness or wonder or envy.

As much as I love his photography, I love his written storytelling even more.  Franklin has the incredible ability to distill a complex narrative, creating a forceful impact using only a few well-timed sentences.  Which makes him a perfect partner for one of my favorite pastimes: making comics.

Here’s one of our collaborations: “Weed Atcheson”.  Most of the work is Franklin’s, I just went in and pretty-fied it a bit.  Look out for more comix collaborations with Franklin– the man has got so many good stories to tell.  Read the comic here.

Thanks to everyone this year for such overwhelming support.  It’s been a wonderful year, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead– new artwork, new experiments, new challenges.   In the meantime, let me leave you with a comic I drew recently about a current challenge.  I know I’m not alone in facing this one!