I'm not sure "Framed" counts as an autobiographical strip, though. It's more like comic book journalism; man-on-the-scene reporting in a cartoon format. It's something you just don't see very often, which is just more points in its favor.

"Framed" features a doll convention, a beauty school, a factory staffed by the blind, and a pet night at the mall, with dogs, cats, and the occasional snail getting their holiday photos snapped with Santa. In a phrase, a first-hand portrait of Greensboro. It's quiet and unassuming, and lends Greensbor, a cozy, small town feel. Chris serves as the city's ambassador, but instead of trotting his audience off on a stage-managed tour of monuments and museums, directs them instead to Greensboro's people. And it's a joy to get to know them. Strange as it sounds, it's rare that "true life" comics manage to make people feel this real.

You see, when I began my own non-fiction journalism comic, CulturePulp was the only thing out there to look at for inspiration. Needless to say, I stole... er, localized the idea with abandon. For that, Mike's forgiven me....

Maybe he realizes how high a bar CulturePulp sets --- with each installment Russell expertly condenses his first-hand experiences into a throughly entertaining, surprisingly informative, and often hilarious strip. It helps that he's a master at cartooning, conveying a depth of action, detail and character through a small set of squiggly lines. It's enviable how well he retells an event in so short a space, a skill too few comics artist possess.

Unfortunately, early in our careers a CulturePulp strip led to the death of my fiance, and my resulting campaign of vengeance through cartooning ruined Russell's marriage and consumed both our lives. Be sure to check out Culturepulp from the beginning, before our death feud claims us all.