Crankshaft’s visit to Winnipeg, from start to finish

Cranky bus driver Ed Crankshaft and his son-in-law Jeff Murdoch are back at home after a whirlwind trip to Winnipeg.

The pair — who have sported Winnipeg Blue Bombers gear in the Crankshaft comic strip for several years — set off in late July on a month-long story arc to visit the Manitoba capital to see a football game.

The story started July 21 and was published in the Free Press and nearly 500 other newspapers that carry the strip, including the Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, Dallas Morning News and Seattle Times.

Ohio-based Crankshaft creator Tom Batiuk first tuned in to the CFL during an NFL lockout in 2011. He took a shine to the Blue and Gold and has followed the team since. He visited Winnipeg last summer to research the city and took in a game at Princess Auto Stadium, as a guest of the Bombers — even running out on the field with the team before the game.

Winnipeg landmarks appear in several of the strips, along with the Mounties, poutine, Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea and mascots Buzz and Boomer.

Ed Crankshaft and Jeff Murdoch arrived home from their trip in Saturday’s paper. Here’s a recap of their adventures in the ‘Peg.

—With files from Kevin Rollason