I was saddened to hear of the passing of cartoonist Phil Frank, whose whimsical strip, “Travels with Farley” was a favourite of mine when I lived in the Bay Area. It was a fluke that I even heard the news – it was a small item in the Globe and Mail that mentioned a celebration of his life that was held recently in San Francisco, where people dressed up as some of Phil’s many beloved characters. I’d have been there if I was still in the area! “Farley” was pretty unique – the only single-city daily comic strip in the U.S. It covered the gamut of topics, including (but not limited to) local Bay Area politics. It was whimsical and charming – though there were some barbs directed at local political figures, most notably Mayor Willie Brown. There’s a great video of the Phil Farley memorial celebration on the Chronicle website. Check it out, and also the archive of Farley comics.