Jason Franks's Blog, page 32

New Site

I guess this is the third version of jasonfranks.com. It’s gone from a handcoded place where I posted my travel journals to an out-of-the box wordpress site to this sleek new iteration, designed by the uber-talented Luke Pickett.

Rather than being a place were cruft from my other websites, my twitter, my facebook, and the livejournal blog that I never really wanted people to read accumulates, I’m going to try to make this place the hub of my web presence. This will be the first place to get updated, rather than the last.

So, thanks for stopping by. I will be posting here a lot more often than before. Please let me know what you think!

Next: I think I’m going to write about some of the different projects I have, either currently in print or otherwise underway. And soon: a big announcement!

– JF

Satanism in the Sixsmiths

I get asked this question a lot in email, so I thought I would post my reply here on the Sixsmiths website.

I’m an active member of the Modern Church of Satan. It’s more progressive and less LaVey. There are a couple of Facebook pages that kinda exemplify the Sixsmiths’ portrayal of satanism. They’re pretty funny. All misconceptions, though. I’m just wondering where the ideas in this book came from?

When we came up with The Sixsmiths, Marc and I were looking to do a comedy book and it seemed like is would be funny to make the book about a family of Satanists. Although The Sixsmiths is usually compared to the Addams Family, if you look closely you’ll see that it is a lot more akin to The Simpsons or South Park. It’s a family sitcom as much as it is a religious satire. As for the ideas…

My family is Jewish and a lot of the stuff in the book is based on the various Jewish festivals, although I have taken plenty of inspiration from Catholicism as well. ‘Mammon in the Park’ is a direct play on Channukkah in the Park. Jehovah’s Witnesses did actually canvas me with magazines about how video games make children worship Satan. There are plenty of real elements in the book, but making the story about Satanism lets us dress everything up in horror movie drag. That’s what makes it funny.

When I was writing the scripts I was very conscious of the fact that the central metaphor of the book needs to work if you substitute Islam, Christianity, or any other monotheistic faith for Satanism. What we see in the book is normal monotheistic religion in drag, with a bit of sex and magic for slapstick. One thing that we do not see in the book is proper La Veyan Satanism, or any other variety.

I admit that I’m not familiar with the Modern Church, but I have read all of Anton La Vey’s work. Real Satanism just doesn’t work as the carnival mirror to religion that I wanted, so I went with the PT Barnum version.

In volume 2 we will see some glimpses into about the history and the structure of the Church of Satan that exists in The Sixsmiths’ fictional world, but it is exactly that–a fictional world in which Satanism has a long history as an organized religion, governed in a similar way to the more conventional religions that most Westerners have grown up with.

On Fire

We here at Castle McBlack are pleased to announce that we have a new digital publisher: Graphicly.

In the coming months all of the McBlack books currently in print will become available to across a variety of digital platforms. To begin with, however:

The re-lettered, re-edited first issue of McBlack volume 1 is now available for purchase on web platforms and Kindle Fire. iBookstore, Nook and Kobo are pending.

Point your browsers here and open your wallets:

http://graphicly.com/black-glass-press/mcblack/1

For 99c the first issue of McBlack can be yours!

Blogger Me Sideways

Hey folks,

Feels like a long time since I've blogged about much of anything, and it has been--most of my posts over the past six months have links to reviews of stuff I've written or sales blurbs for new stuff I've had coming out. I apologize; I've had a lot going on this year between my new job, getting married, and the ridiculous number of creative projects I have going on.

Five weeks ago I was  flooded out of my apartment by a  ruptured hot-water heater and, largely due to the not-giving-a-fuckednessof the insurance company, I still have not been able to move back in. Not having access to my home office or my drawing board has been absolutely brutal on my schedule. 

Lots of things going on in the interim. I am now actively pitching some comics projects: BUCKET OF GLASS with Joe Pimienta and KENSUKE, with Tom Bonin. Paul Abstruse and I will shortly begin pitching THE LEFT HAND PATH. We have completed a substantial amoutn of work on all of these projects--between 22 and 40 coloured, lettered pages of art for each one--so that has been a ton of work.

I'm also in the process ramping up McBLACK vol.02, LADY McBLACK. The first issue has been pencilled and I'm feeding Dave Gutierrez pages to ink as fast as I can clean them up. I think this book will be serialized, ratehr than going straight to trade the way vol.01 did.

ALSO. FINALLY. I'm working through final edits for my first novel BLOODY WATERS, so expect to start hearing more about that in the coming months.

Peace, love and head explosions, baby,


-- JF

Criminal Element

Hey folks,

Some of you will remember the beleaguered crime anthology, Criminal Element, which was available briefly in March before we discovered some serious misprints and pulled the book from sale. This book ontains a short story called the Delucci Bambino, featuring Old Smiley himself and the resolution to a loose plot point from McBlack Vol.01.

We here at McBlack Central are pleased to announce that it's now available again from Indyplanet, which will make it much more convenient for customers in North America who don't wan to pay exorbitant shipping rates from Australia. I have, in fact, sold copies to the UK through Indyplanet as well, so it's a good option for you folks in Europe, too.

Criminal Element is a multi-genre crime anthology by an international crew of artists and writers and it's my great pleasure to make it finally available to you. c

There is a new Australian edition in the works as well–please stay tuned and I'll let you know once it's available. Also coming soon to Amazon.com and in digital form from Graphicly.

In the meantime, the American edition is available here. Get 'em while they're hot!

http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7410

Criminal Element on Indyplanet

Hey folks,

Some of you will remember my beleaguered crime anthology, Criminal Element, which was available briefly in March before we discovered some serious misprints and pulled the book from sale. I have been working to rectify that and I'm pleased to announce that it's now available again from Indyplanet, which will make it much more convenient for customers in North America who don't wan to pay exorbitant shipping rates from Australia. I have, in fact, sold copies to the UK through Indyplanet as well, so it's a good option for you folks in Europe, too.

Criminal Element is a multi-genre crime anthology by an international crew of artists and writers and it's my great pleasure to make it finally available to you. McBlack fans note: this anthology contains a short story called the Delucci Bambino, featuring old Smiley himself and the resolution to a loose plot point from McBlack Vol.01.

There is a new Australian edition in the works as well--please stay tuned and I'll let you know once it's available. Also coming soon to Amazon.com and in digital form from Graphicly.

In the meantime, the American edition is available here. Get 'em while they're hot!

http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7410

Beardy and the Geek review of The Sixsmiths

Hey, sinners,

Ryan the Geek of Oz and Emmet 'Beardy' O'Cuana of the Momus Report talk about the Sixsmiths in this week's instalment of their collaborative podcast, Beardy and the Geek. They have some very incisive commentary on the book and I recommend it to you highly:

http://www.geekofoz.com/2012/08/podcast-beardy-geek-episode-3-sith.html

Hail Satan!

-- JF

Beardy and the Geek podcast

Hey, sinners,

Ryan the Geek of Oz and Emmet ‘Beardy’ O’Cuana of the Momus Report talk about the Sixsmiths in this week’s instalment of their collaborative podcast, Beardy and the Geek. They have some very incisive commentary on the book and I recommend it to you highly:

http://www.geekofoz.com/2012/08/podcast-beardy-geek-episode-3-sith.html

Hail Satan!

– JF

Scaryminds on McBlack Two Shot

A review of McBlack Two Shot from the ever supportive Scaryminds, who have given our latest outing nine stars and named McBlack as the "best ever Aussie comic anti-hero."

I guess they dig it.

Read the review here:

http://www.scaryminds.com/reviews/2012/comic097.php

And don't forget to buy multiple copies:

http://www.blackglasspress.com/comics/mcblack.html

Kapow!

Beardy and the Geek podcast review of McBlack Two Shot

Beardy and the Geek, a new podcast about Australian comics by Ryan the Geek of Oz and Emmet O'Cuana, of the The Momus Report.

The first episode talks in depth about yours truly. Get into it!

http://themomusreport.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/beardy-and-geek-introduction.html