While researching last week's Building Community for Deaf Parents and their Hearing Kids, I heard a lot about a young man named Frank Gallimore. His mom, Laurene Simms, is a professor at Washington, D.C.'s Gallaudet University and the director of the school's deaf education program. Both of his parents are deaf, as is his older brother and sister.

"I am the only hearing member of my immediate family," explains Gallimore. "My mother's family is all hearing but deafness has run in my father's line for at least four generations (that we know of). In each generation of families in my father's line there has been only one hearing child among deaf siblings and parents. That's one of the little odd things about my lineage I haven't quite figured out yet. For example, my father has one hearing brother. My grandfather had five siblings, only one of whom was hearing, and so on."

Now 26, Gallimore also works at Gallaudet University as a sign language interpreter. One of his favorite pastimes has been creating freelance commerical artwork for CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) and KODA (Kids of Deaf Adults) publications. On and off, he has worked on a "KODA, That" comic strip--many folks I interviewed for my story seem to really get a kick out of his observations.

"I was inspired by my cousin Sheila, who is also a CODA, as well as by many of the other CODAs I have come to know and befriend over my life," he says. "I noticed that there was very little literature, art, or study involving the CODA experience specifically. So I thought I'd take a stab at it."

After some positive feedback from other CODAs and other members of the Deaf community, Gallimore has decided to put together a book of strips, including some longer, in-color, comic book style stories. As he is now entering grad school for creative writing at Johns Hopkins, he isn't sure how long the book will take to complete. In the mean time, though, he has graciously offered to answer any questions from CFK readers about his work and/or his life as a CODA. His email address is: fgallimore@hotmail.com

Here's some more of his work: