Frank (comics) - Description

Description

The Frank stories are almost entirely wordless (words very occasionally appear on signs or in other places, but the characters themselves never speak and there are very few sound effects), and are usually done in a distinctive black-and-white, pen-and-ink style, but are sometimes rendered in bright colors in paint, and occasionally computer colors. They follow Frank's adventures in an unusual world called "The Unifactor", which is at once idyllic and full of grotesque dangers. Some of the stories are about violent slapstick conflicts with the unscrupulous Manhog (a creature who is literally part man and part hog, typified and described by Woodring as "a lamentable father figure") or the Satan-like Whim; in others, Frank encounters a strange object, place, or creature, and tries to determine the rules governing its behavior; a few more meditative stories simply follow Frank through his daily routine as explores the countryside and observes various happenings. Except for the occasional introduction of new characters – many of which, such as Frank's loyal pet Pupshaw, became regulars – there has been no overall continuity or chronology; both Frank and Manhog have been apparently killed several times, although they always return in the next story good as new. On several occasions we have seen other, very Frank-like creatures, suggesting that we may not be following the same Frank through these stories. One creature strongly resembles Frank but travels on all fours and has long whiskers; this creature typically has sinister intent and appears in a strip entitled "Frank's Faux Pa," giving rise to the idea that it is an agent of Whim passing as Frank's father and attempting to lead him astray.

Woodring has described Frank's character as "naive but not innocent", and Frank does possess a childlike wonderment mixed with a capacity for sometimes astonishing cruelty. His demi-godling associate/pet, Pupshaw – a creature shaped like a house and sporting a striped tail – has occasionally exhibited godlike powers and her better judgment often saves Frank after he's gotten himself into trouble, but she also has a mischievous streak and, goaded on by her boyfriend Pushpaw, sometimes gets into serious trouble herself. In times of great stress Pupshaw has been known to birth a litter of smaller Pupshaw pups from her mouth, which she can then command to attack. Pupshaw has uttered the closest thing to dialogue in the strip, by growling "LLLLLL..."

The characters of the Frank stories are generally morally ambiguous (even Manhog has his good side), but Whim is a genuinely evil character. He is generally depicted as a tall, reed-thin figure with a large, ever-grinning, mask like head, though he occasionally takes other forms. Whim has a palace filled with creepy gadgets, where he entices various characters to experiment with awesome forces, often leading to their death or disfigurement. Frank has been drawn into Whim's schemes several times, generally escaping long-term ill through Pupshaw's protection. Whim forces Manhog to work in a dank dungeon, and also has a lackey called Lucky who is a human-ish creature with a very, very long face.

Other inhabitants of the Frank universe include a group of geometrically-shaped wiseguy chickens called the Jerry Chickens, as well as many large, brightly colored, multi-eyed predators and various siren-like female creatures Frank has been smitten with. Also frequently appearing are the flying, spinning, top-like, and colorful Jivas, soul-creatures that are neither vaporous nor altogether benevolent.

Woodring has written that many of Frank's attributes are inferred from feedback from his readers, such as "that he is 11 years old, covered with short, dense fur like a mole's, that he is innocent but not noble, and that he is mortal and must some day die."

Though the stories are often described as "dreamlike", Woodring has said that they are his most consciously and deliberately created work. The characters of the Frank stories are rarely named within the stories themselves, but Woodring usually reveals their names in his responses to reader letters, in interviews, and elsewhere. A relatively full listing of the characters of the Frank world are given in The Frank Book, along with brief, somewhat confounding descriptions of their personalities and backgrounds.

Shapes play an important role in Frank's world—the reader will quickly notice how some shapes recur and often signify some kind of special rank or power. Eyes are also a ubiquitous presence.

In 2003 Woodring told The Comics Journal that comics just weren't lucrative enough to continue and he'd probably said all he needed to with the Frank stories. In that year The Frank Book was published, compiling all of the published material to date and concluding the unfinished "Frank's High Horse" storyline. However, in 2005 a new comic, The Lute String was published, and later Woodring's first full-length graphic novels were released, featuring the Frank characters: Weathercraft in 2010, followed by Congress of the Animals in 2011.