Here’s an illustration I did for Kayak a few months ago. The illustration was for an article about Lord Franklin’s failed search for an arctic passage. The more I read about the story, the more fascinated I became.

1845. Franklin’s ships, The Erebus and The Terror (who get’s on an arctic-bound ship called The Terror?), became lodged in the ice and therefore trapped. He and his crew attempted the 500 mile trek to the nearest settlement. Despite dozens of searches (some of which continue to this day), neither the ships nor the bodies of the crew were ever recovered. Though travelers to the area, still discover objects and trinkets that belonged to the crew.

Anyway, the more I read on the subject, the more I realized Franklin, himself was an egotistical idiot. He was a prick who didn’t care about his crew and was content to put their lives at risk for personal gain and glory. Sadly, only his name remains in the history books – not those of his crew. To me, their story is much more interesting.