Panel 1: The question, “Who is Joan Murray?” appears inside a cloud. Below the cloud, the text reads, “In September of 1999 in Charlotte, North Carolina, experienced skydiver Joan Murray jumped from 14,500 feet.” Under this text we see a skydiver leap headfirst from a single-engine propellor plane resembling a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. In a cloud underneath the aircraft are the words, “Her parachute failed.” Panel 2: A female skydiver with an anguished look on her face reaches up toward the parachute cords. To the right is the following text, “Her reserve parachute opened at around 700 feet, but then deflated.” Panel 3: At the top of the panel is a drawing of an ant climbing a slope. Below, the text reads, “She hit the ground hard, landing on top of a mound of fire ants, whose stings may have helped keep her heart beating.” Panel 4: At the top of the panel is the following text, “In a coma for two weeks, Joan was well enough to leave the hospital six weeks later.” This text appears above a drawing of a woman unconscious in a hospital bed who is receiving fluids into her right arm. A vase of flowers is on a table to her left. Below, the text reads, “By July of 2001 she had begun skydiving again, completing her 37th jump.” This cartoon is part of a series called Falling. It is written and drawn by Jim Hamilton who can be found on Instagram at Green Harbor Publications (all one word, greenharborpublications).
Published On: April 7, 2025

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