Posthumous Exhibit Honors Local Artist and Disability Advocate Francis J. “Frankie” Bernard

A special posthumous exhibit will honor the life and work of Francis J. “Frankie” Bernard (1965–2018), a beloved Chelsea cartoonist and disability advocate, in recognition of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Funded by the Chelsea Cultural Council and presented in partnership with the Chelsea Disability Commission, this exhibit will feature a series of original Funny as a Crutch comic strips. It will open on July 29 at the Chelsea City Hall Gallery.

Bernard was the creator of Funny as a Crutch, a comic strip chronicling the misadventures of Frankie, a young boy who walks with crutches, and Sharpton, his loyal porcupine companion. The strip offered a humorous yet poignant look at disability through the eyes of its creator, who lived with spina bifida.

A graduate of Chelsea High School, Bernard attended the Massachusetts College of Art for two years. He launched Funny as a Crutch with the hope of encouraging readers to feel more comfortable around people with disabilities and to foster greater empathy and inclusion. The strip ran weekly in The Chelsea Record.

This exhibit not only celebrates Bernard’s artistic legacy but also serves as a reminder of the importance of visibility in the ongoing movement for disability rights and inclusion, especially during July, which is Disability Pride Awareness Month.