Fran

Frank

by Jim Woodring

For the past 20 years or so, Jim Woodring's beloved trilobular chuckbuster Frank has enjoyed one mindbending catastrophe after another in the treacherous embrace of The Unifactor, the land into which he was born and from which escape seemed neither desirable nor likely. And then, abruptly, in 2011's acclaimed Congress of the Animals (the second Woodring original graphic novel, following Weathercraft) Frank did leave the Unifactor for uncharted lands beyond--where, after a string of trials, he acquired a soulmate named Fran. This development raised far more questions than it answered. Would Frank become placid and domesticated? Would he be jilted? Would he turn out to be a dreadful cad? Would he become a downtrodden and exhausted paterfamilias staring vacantly into the dimming fire of life as obnoxious grandchildren pulled his peglike ears and stole his porridge? The answers to these fruitless speculations and many more are delivered in a devastatingly unpredictable fashion in Fran, which is in effect part two of Congress of the Animals. Fans of Frank, connoisseurs of bizarre romance, and spelunkers in the radiant depths of graphic metaphysical psychodrama will want to add this singular cartoon adventure story to their lifetime reading list.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Art, Graphic Novels Comics, Comics Manga

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Jim Woodring was born in Los Angeles in 1952 and enjoyed a childhood made lively by an assortment of mental an psychological quirks including paroniria, paranoia, paracusia, apparitions, hallucinations and other species of psychological and neurological malfunction among the snakes and tarantulas of the San Gabriel mountains.

He eventually grew up to bean inquisitive bearlike man who has enjoyed three exciting careers: garbage collector, merry-go-round-operator and cartoonist. A self-taught artist, his first published works documented the disorienting hell of his salad days in an “illustrated autojournal” called Jim. This work was published by Fantagraphics Books and collected in The Book of Jim in 1992.

He is best known for his wordless comics series depicting the follies of his character Frank, a generic cartoon anthropomorph whose adventures careen wildly from sweet to appalling. A decade’s worth of these stories was collected in The Frank Book in 2004. The 2010 Frank story Weathercraft won The Stranger’s Genius Award and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for that year. The most recent Frank book, Congress of the Animals, was released in 2011.

Woodring is also known for his anecdotal charcoal drawings (a selection which was gathered in Seeing Things in 2005), and the sculptures, vinyl figures, fabrics and gallery installations that have been made from his designs. His multimedia collaborations with the musician Bill Frisell won them a United States Artists Fellowship in 2006. He lives in Seattle with his family and residual phenomena.

-Walter Foxglove

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it possible that Woodring is still getting better? What an absorbing, fantastically meaningful trip this was: all the way from romantic bliss to nightmarish breakup to sobering yet life-affirming basics. Wise, dreamlike, gorgeous, touching - when it comes to wordless comics, there is no one quite like Jim Woodring.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is either, Woodring says, a prequel or sequel for Congress of Animals, one of his Frank stories, where Frank is in a relationship with Fran, so it seems, more than other Frank stories, sort of recognizably humane and relatable. But… it just begins with them together. Of course they experience relationship "issues" and then the wild, hallucinatory "fun" begins for Frank who, I am told, has had his own experiences with hallucinations. This is as it always is with Woodring, a wild ride, but for me, it is one of my favorites.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Woodring’s carnival of the fantastique aka his latest creative vision, Fran, is another marvellous and enchanting comic set in his extraordinary world of The Unifactor. In typical Woodring fashion, Fran is billed as both a prequel and a sequel to his last book, 2011’s Congress of the Animals, and actually manages to be both! You can read Congress first, then Fran, or vice versa, or just Fran – all variations work!

Woodring’s long-time character, Frank, gets a girlfriend, Fran, whom he met in Congress of the Animals. Their relationship hits a rocky patch when Fran won’t tell him about her life before she met him. This being a silent comic, ie. wordless, the sequence ingeniously plays out with Frank putting on a movie projector on his head and displaying the images on a white sheet. Fran refuses to do the same, gets annoyed, breaks the machine, and she and Frank have a bust up with Fran walking out on him. After a while Frank realises his error and goes after her, taking him on a journey of crazy backgrounds and weirder people.

It’s hard to describe Woodring’s comics to people unfamiliar with them. Using words like crazy and weird can be off-putting as new readers might think it means his work is abstract and unapproachable but while his imagery is certainly strange and bizarre (in the best possible ways), he’s such a good cartoonist that his stories are absolutely easy to follow. The meanings of the stories are ambiguous, utilising a dream logic and feeling unanchored from reality but they’re no less fascinating to read and enjoy. The scope of his imagination is simply astonishing and his Unifactor world is breathtakingly unique.

One thing you can say about a Jim Woodring book is that you never know where the story’s headed because one second Frank’s painting a picture and the next he’s chasing a little mummy to an underground cave of treasures. And that’s just part of the setup! He also has one of the best “Author’s Note” sections on the inside cover that I’ve ever seen. Anyone who loves comics should experience Jim Woodring at least once but from my own experience you’ll come back again and again – it’s too good not to read.

[Hamish · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Mr. Woodrings suggested that this both preceeds and continues Congress of the Animals, I thought it was a typical flight of oblique Woodring fancy. So I just re-read Congress of the Animals and then read Fran. Then I understood. He was not exaggerating. You'll understand too. So then I decided to follow Woodring's advice, and read Fran again, followed by Congress of the Animals. It works both ways, though for best results follow the same pattern I did. In the dusk jacket of Congress, Jim talks about how change never comes to Frank's world, no matter what events transpire, until the events of that graphic novel. And in Fran we see that those changes have indeed stuck, until they unhappen, only to happen again? It's an unexpected play on the immutability of Frank's world. But if I had a criticism, it's that it follows the structure of Congress a little too closely. In both, some strange events happen that result in Frank going on a very bizarre journey and seeing a number of very bizarre things. But again, it seems like a play on what we usually expect from a Frank story: Frank's journey in Congress ends with actual change while Frank's journey in Fran ends with that change being undone. And as usual there's a lot of imagery that I can only begin to grasp at the meaning of, but confusion and uncertainty have always been the principle joy of Woodring's comics.

And as usual, it's magic. Not quite as Magical as The Frank Book or Weathercraft, though then again it might just be that his work is so familiar now that I take that magic for granted. I've generally had a really difficult time explaining Woodring's work to other people, as it always comes across as too reductive and describes only the most superficial aspects without getting at what makes it so special. So let's just say that it's magic and that it's unlike anything that anybody else is doing in any art form and that I genuinely believe that Jim is one of the greatest creative minds working today. We're incredibly privileged that he's working at the rate he is right now and I hope everyone will go buy this book to ensure that he's financially able to produce more.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should not have said "whooooa" at the end of this, as if Frank could get weirder and more amazing, but it did, it got weirder and more amazing. Maybe not quite as good as Congress of the Animals, but omg the thing it does, it does.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dunno what to say apart from what tf did I just read

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always with Woodring:
->There's far too much occurring "outside-the-box"
->The art is fantastic in manner and taste

What?s, Why?s, Who?'s and How?s constantly abound- yet there's logic, enough sound, carrying the narrative around! The interplay of two non-sideshow characters engenders so much plot possibility denied Frank alone.

Beautiful orchestration of aesthetics in a strictly thick&deep black -no real gray- on pale yellow pages scaled down from the Frank 8.5" x 11" to 7.5" x 9.75" that's all wonderfully done, but I'm more an in-color "less blotted" Woodring guy.

[XenofoneX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woodring is a genius and a visionary. If he started a religious cult based on the Mysteries of the Unifactor, I'd probably end up drinking the Kool-Aid... and I'm an atheist.

[Gabriel Infierno · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my favorite character so far, I want a Fran tattoo now.

[Vanni Santoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tutti i lavori recenti di Woodring sono capolavori; questo forse è il migliore.

[Ludwig Aczel · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10
Jim Woodring's signature feature is the 'ink wave'. His cartooning is, on a primal level, a composition of wobbly lines, each having a more or less constant frequency and a more or less constant high of crest. These lines are used for cross-hatching (create tone and shadows), but also to abstractly represent wind, sky, and so on. It took me a moment to realise that the real peculiarity is not the wavy lines per se, but the fact that they are often very horizontal. Basically, a 'Frank' story is a sinusoidal comic dream (nightmare?).
The story is whimsical non-sense, clearly put down with little to no planning, as per declared writing approach of the author. From what I understand from this interview, Woodring regretted giving his usual protagonist Frank a girlfriend - the titular Fran - in a previous story, so he wrote this one to get rid of her. He also explains that here he intended to show Fran as

a vast cosmic creature, a slumming goddess.

Maybe I am the slow one, but this was not conveyed to me by the story. Fran felt more like either a subject of a powerful phantasmagoric entity, or a victim herself of such entity, replaced by a copy to trick Frank. Where is it conveyed that she was the whole thing? In general, I would say that Woodring is a very good dialogue-free comics storyteller, but now his own interview is making me second guess myself a bit. Whatever. Still, cute little comic.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Woodring allows the reader to reflect on what would happen if you got into a really nasty argument with your girlfriend while on acid. And because it's also Jim Woodring, the story allows the reader to enter into a realm of pure possibility where one is left constantly wondering what is real, what isn't, what is the foundation of being, how does one maintain sanity when faced against near constant oddity, and what is the joy of returning home after said previous girlfriend tricks you into passing through a vortex back to your original plane of being.

I love Fran and can't wait for more.

[Juan Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totalmente diferente a cualquier cosa que hayan leído antes. Muy recomendable.

[Amanda Esthelm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting and fun artwork

[Derek Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book on a couple of different levels. First, it concluded (I guess) the story that Woodring first began with The Congress of Animals, which came out in 2011. This is the second half of the story, basically picking up where that book left off. In Congress, Frank meets Fran (whom we don't yet know of as "Fran"), and that's how the narrative ends. The book Fran, as a second installment of this longer narrative, even turns back on itself, with visual references on the last page of the scene that opened Congress. But I also appreciate this book because it's perhaps one of the most psychologically engaging that Woodring has created. I love his Frank stories, and his hero's relationship with Pupshaw and Pushpaw does bring some "human" drama. But with the introduction of the character Fran, a companion and love interest, the stakes are higher in the area of interpersonal relations. As such, we see a more complex and complicated side of Frank. Reading these most recent Woodring books now has me wanting to go back and rereading those earlier Frank comics.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This comic depicts an incredibly bizarre and imaginative world. The story has some cute moments, a few memorable scenes, a bit of adventure, and a cozy ending. Unfortunately, I find the book as a whole poorly story-boarded and rather dull. I don't feel that the comic panes lead into each other effectively or clearly enough in many cases. It also feels as if the author did a stream-of-consciousness artistic effort with various similar black and white semi-metaphorical creatures and creations. These creations, while freakish, are -- overall -- not very interesting. I find most of them aesthetically unpleasant, and the globules, amoebas, collections of eyes, and curvy-wavy lines just don't do it for me and are repetitive by the book's end.

A flight of fancy, certainly creative and worth a 'read' (wordless) -- particularly if you are looking for artistic inspiration.

True Rating: 2.4 Stars

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion volume to Congress of the Animals (from the same author), Fran completes a circular journey of discovery, a process that is new for Frank, Woodring's best-known protagonist. Where the previous volume ended on something of a happy note, the beginning of Fran reveals that there has simply been a pause in the flow of events, and there are many adventures and predicaments to be experienced before Frank can find his way home again. Once again, Woodring extends the possibilities of the graphic novel format, and the reader cannot help but be simultaneously comforted and overwhelmed by the author's extraordinary vision.

[Carlos Jungstedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim does it again.
This one works together with Congress of the Animals to form a sort of Möbius Strip of a comic story, there seems to be some sort of commentary on the nature of time and causality here, but I'll be dammed if I can articulate it in words.
Learning to deal with situations as they arise instead of trying to make sense of everything is a lesson that always comes to mind as I read Frank's stories, everything sort of flows and conclusions (vague as they may be) seem to come in the form of visual, instead of literal, thoughts.

[Juju · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Woodring is amazing. Imagine Samuel Becket on a steady psychedelic diet making up his own Loony Tunes cartoon universe, then imagine it better. What always blows my mind is how Jim can craft these amazing parables about the screaming insanity of our seemingly mundane existence, and have it look so ridiculously gorgeous. Absolutely amazing.

[Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review sums up my thoughts on the book perfectly. Woodring is an all time master. This is must read if you like him or weird / experimental / artistic / literary, or just flat out beautiful comics.

[Val Lattanzio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fumetti di Jim Woodring sono muti e non hanno mai avuto bisogno di parole. Con dei tratti tanto precisi, visionari, ricchi, la parola sarebbe quasi un indebolimento, un deterioramento della ricchezza del disegno. Woodring è probabilmente uno degli autori che più riesce a valorizzare la mancanza di linguaggio: con dei personaggi così espressivi il dialogo è tutto, inevitabilmente, nella mente del lettore. E questo è vero anche per le sequenze narrative: è lisergico, surreale, eppure chiarissimo. Il suo universo, quello che è noto come Unifactor, è perfettamente coerente, finché resta all’interno delle sue opere. Del resto è un mondo che lui è abituato a ritenere plausibile, costretto come è sin da bambino ad allucinazioni d’ogni sorta che hanno poi ispirato i suoi lavori. L’Unifactor è un posto simbolico e teatrale che vede come protagonista, tra gli altri, Frank, il più noto personaggio di Woodring. Frank è un animale antropomorfo dentuto e di specie non certa. Assomiglia a un orso, a un coniglio, a un cane, a un gatto. Ad ogni modo, esiste e se ne va in giro per l’Unifactor mentre accadono cose irreali e terribili – ogni tanto, anche ironiche. Frank sembra un qualcosa che potrebbe essere stato ugualmente creato da Disney (o dai primi esperimenti d’animazione di Max Fleischer), da Salvador Dalí, da Joan Miró, da Edvard Munch o da un sogno simile a un incubo. Frank è “innocente ma non magnanimo, mortale e che un giorno dovrà morire”. L’abbiamo visto in “Weathercraft” (quello che è riconosciuto come il suo capolavoro) e ne “Il congresso degli animali”, e adesso Coconino Press porta in Italia anche un altro volume, “Fran”, da intendersi come terzo della trilogia ma leggibile in fondo anche a sé.
Fran è la controparte femminile di Frank, la sua anima gemella. L’aveva incontrata ne “Il congresso degli animali” e la ritroviamo qui. Somiglia a lui anche fisicamente (coerentemente con l’ispirazione disneyana di cui sopra), ha soltanto le orecchie più lunghe e appare più delicata e sottile, anche nei movimenti. La loro storia è un carnevale fantastico che, come al solito, a un certo punto s’interrompe. Si frantuma l’idillio assieme a uno strano proiettore trovato da Frank sottoterra che permette, collocato sulla testa, di osservare le proprie esperienze passate. Al rifiuto di lei d’indossarlo, Frank perde le staffe e Fran, dopo aver rotto il marchingegno, fugge infastidita abbandonandolo. Frank capisce quindi di aver sbagliato e parte per il suo viaggio fatto di strani paesaggi, specchi e mostri plurioculati. “Fran” è forse il lavoro più maturo di Woodring, a oggi, almeno per quanto riguarda l’aspetto puramente narrativo: si ha infatti la sensazione di trovarsi davanti a una storia non soltanto illustrata magnificamente, ma coerente e ben delineata. Mai era stato possibile entrare così a fondo nella psicologia di Frank, nei suoi sentimenti che apparivano più come un qualcosa di imposto che di (appunto) sentito. Non è qui, allora, soltanto antropomorfo, ma “antropo” in tutto, dotato cioè di un’umanità straordinaria e complessa. La gelosia, il pentimento, la ricerca. Azioni tipicamente associate alle persone. Il tutto unito a senso dell’ironia e del grottesco.
“Fran” è una storia che attraverso una narrazione che assomiglia a quella di un corto, o di una favola macabra, ci parla del compromesso necessario in amore, del rimpianto, dell’analisi, della scoperta di sé e, di conseguenza, degli altri. Nella sua follia è prodigiosamente coeso e, per qualsiasi amante del fumetto, necessario. Coi suoi tratti incisi alla Gustave Doré e muti, non c’è una sola vignetta di “Fran” che non faccia rumore.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set adjacent to Woodring's previous Frank entry, "Congress of the Animals", Fran details a story of lost love and heartbreak. Amidst the vividly surreal dreamscapes of Woodring's many Frank stories, we follow Frank and his romantic interest have a falling out due to a heated argument. Since Woodring's Frank stories are silent, the nature of the argument remains cryptic to the reader, but we do see that Frank's temper gets borderline violent. Despite the comfort of Pupshaw and Pushpaw, Frank mourns the loss of his relationship and pines for her return. A series of eccentric sequences involving chase sequences through vivid landscapes and alternate dimensions leads Frank closer to his love, only to have his own ill-fated luck work against him. Fran toes the line of hopeful and dreary well, and demonstrates just how skilled a cartoonist Woodring is to convey complex narratives within a series of abstract forms.

Gorgeously hallucinogenic in quality, you can't go wrong with any Jim Woodring comic. Despite the ethereal and almost alien quality to Woodring's works, there is something deeply nostalgic and sentimental to his approach that crafts a rather unnerving reading experience.

[Jeff Lewonczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's no world like the wordless, cutesy-eldritch, organic-ornamental, mock-allegorical, exquisitely delineated world of Jim Woodring's Frank. When you open one of his books, you more or less know what you're going to get, but this one does something just a little different. Stepping away from the usual plotline of "Frank goes outside and encounters something really weird," this one lunges (in a perplexing, oblique way) towards a relatable human relationship. Frank's companion and counterpart, Fran (introduced in the previous volume to which is this billed as either prequel or sequel; reader's choice), leaves him after a nasty argument, and, in the usual Woodringian fashion, it's unclear entirely what the results are. But by putting the fallout of a partnership in the center, he brings a new emotional wrinkle into this bizarre world.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully drawn and interestingly executed. I am not as literate graphically as I am verbally, so wordless books are difficult for me to follow, but I was able to understand this, thanks to the simple cast and clear drawing style. I'm not sure what I think of the story, and especially of its ending, but overall the book deserves kudos as a well-done piece of art.

[Francesca Giardiello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sicuramente qualcosa mi sfugge, ma proprio non riesco a comprendere questo fumetto. Il disegno anni '30 in bianco e nero è molto apprezzato come anche lo è il fatto che l'intera opera sia wordless (quindi senza parole), però davvero non sono riuscita a coglierne il senso o l'emotività che avrebbe dovuto trasmettere.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely goes alongside congress of the animals. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I'd read this first. Either way - better together.

[Saransh Solanki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind-boggling, trippy, bizarre and dreamlike. This is a must read if you like Jim Woodring's work, or just flat out beautiful wordless comics.

[Petr Nakasharal Fabián · Rating 4 out of 5]

Z tohohle mám stejný pocity jako z Noci v Lisabonu. Miluju to a nenávidím :D Každopádně asi nejslabší z Unifactoru ale pořád solidní 4*.

[Matthew Kilpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that is equal parts beautiful and existentially terrifying.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bizarre