The following is an interview with Annie Award-nominated animator/writer/director/comics creator Stephan Franck regarding the recent launch of his Kickstarter campaign for the returning graphic novel series, Palomino. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Franck about where readers will find Lisette in Volumes 4 and 5, his creative process in returning to the neo-noirish world and characters, the backer rewards available to those supporting the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You will soon be returning to Kickstarter for your critically acclaimed graphic novel series, Palomino. The fourth and fifth installments of the series have a significant time jump forward to the 1990s. Where will readers find themselves with Lisette in a 1995 Los Angeles?
Stephan Franck: We do find ourselves in a brand new era. Lisette–now 29 and going by Liz– works as a reporter at a Free Weekly newspaper and takes the lead in the investigation that Eddie, her father, started in 1981 but never closed. Teenage Lisette was a really fun character to write and draw, because she was an old soul who was arguably even more hardboiled than her dad. At 29, she’s still a badass, only with the full agency of adulthood. What’s more, the tragic events in her past have somewhat stunted her emotional growth, so her attitude problem hasn’t gotten any better.
BD: In light of the story’s jump in time to the ‘90s, what was your experience in adjusting your visual approach to the world and characters?
SF: While the book’s art style remains the same, the jump from 1981 to 1995 brings us to a world that has been profoundly transformed. From emails to cell phones, the texture of people’s everyday experience is beginning to change. It was a blast to try and capture the feeling of that specific moment in time through objects, and sets, and the characters’ interaction with them. In that context, having Liz be a contrarian, borderline luddite was super fun. In other words, the digital revolution is here, and Liz is having none of it. Her sense of fashion, however, is definitely of her time!
BD: Palomino’s message acknowledges the impermanence of our surroundings and communities in life. How do you feel that its themes might resonate with today’s readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that the story might initiate?
SF: As soon as I started writing volume 4, it became absolutely clear that this was a story about change. For instance 1981 was the high-water mark for the Palomino, and 1995 is the year it actually closed after almost 50 years–an eternity in LA terms. Beyond the page, that is a theme that is present in everyone’s life as of this conversation. From cultural landmarks to institutions, to even forms of government… All the things we once thought permanent are not to be taken for granted anymore. At the end of the day, it’s worth asking what is it that remains, and my guess is that it is the moral fabric of people, passed down from one generation to the next. A need for justice and the appetite to seek it, even when it’s inconvenient. Being a moral person is easy in easy times.
BD: Why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensure the success of today’s comic book creators?
SF: It is so rare to have a marketplace where creators can forge a direct relationship with their audience, and where the audience can be an active participant in shaping their own cultural landscape, that it’s hard to imagine doing without. In short, crowdfunding gives everyone a lot of agency in a world where agency is hard to find.
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards or tiers that you would like to highlight for our readers?
SF: This campaign features not only Palomino Vol. 4 and 5, but also the first wide edition of ROMANCE IN THE AGE OF THE SPACE GOD, a graphic novella, which saw a very, very limited run last year. I call it a weird comic for and about weird times, and I think it is super fun and cool! On the Palomino side, I might highlight a groovy set of book plates that are all “in-world” posters, from fictional TV producer Philip Lamaz’s catalog–Lamaz’s name might be familiar to the reader because he’s been pulling the strings from the shadows since volume 1. Those book plates are cool and ironic, and really fun world building! And then, we have cool “1981” slip cases that will turn your existing Palomino volume 1-3 into a stylish boxset!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to support the Kickstarter campaign and your other work?
SF: The best way to get acquainted with these rad new books is to visit our campaign here or visit our website: Dark-Planet-Comics.com
