Saturday, May 11, 2013

Animation Veteran, Stephan Franck, Announces Dark Planet Comics



Stephan Franck has been working in the animation industry for over two decades.  Franck was the supervising animator on the acclaimed animated film, The Iron Giant, and he was a storyboard artist on such feature films as Despicable Me and 9.  He has also worked on such films as Space Jam and How to Train Your Dragon.  I recently received the following press release from Franck:

COMIXOLOGY PICKS UP “SILVER”, ANIMATION VETERAN’S COMIC BOOK DEBUT

Los Angeles, 5/6/13—DARK PLANET COMICS is proud to announce the digital release of its very first title: SILVER #1, now available for download on ComiXology. Silver, a 12-issue miniseries, marks the comic book debut from animation veteran Stephan Franck (The Iron Giant, Despicable Me).

Set in a direct 1930’s extension of Bram Stoker’s universe, and steeped up to its eyeballs in the pulp tradition, SILVER introduces James Finnigan, a witty but (figuratively) soulless con man, who sets out to separate the living-dead from their silver. As Finnigan assembles the crew of talented but broken misfits needed to pull off the heist of the last ten centuries, personality conflicts, emotional entanglements and character comedy abound.

With SILVER, Franck brings the combination of light tone and character depth that has made him first-call in the animation industry. “Silver is about fathers;” Franck says; “It’s about sons. Sons who had bad fathers, and who carry the fear of not knowing how to be good into manhood. Ultimately, it’s about greed and emptiness versus the elusiveness of feeling alive.”

Comic book luminaries have been enjoying Franck’s debut comic:

“With SILVER, Stephan Franck shows how much excitement can be packed into a fast-moving, thrill-filled story...dynamic, unfussy, black and white art, all in the service of speed and momentum...a really, really fun ride.” — Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween; Batman Dark Victory; Superman For All Seasons)

“A beautifully drawn and masterfully told noir/heist story with a teasing side of the supernatural that constantly kept me surprised with it’s reveals. I was particularly taken aback by the creative camera angles and use of shadows. I was kinda blown away, really.” — Takeshi Miyazawa (Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane; X-Men Unlimited; Runaways)


ABOUT STEPHAN FRANCK:
Stephan Franck is a writer/director/animator who has worked for Disney, Dreamworks, Warner Bros, Universal, Columbia Pictures, and Sony Pictures Animation. He was a supervising animator on The Iron Giant, and contributed story to films such as Despicable Me. He is the co-creator of the cult TV show, Corniel & Bernie (ADA Watch My Chops) (TF1, BBC, ABC Australia), that runs in over 60 countries and just got picked up for a second season. He’s had the giant out-of-body experience of being personally hired by George Lucas to direct a movie so cool and crazy it had to be abandoned, and just directed THE SMURFS: THE LEGEND OF SMURFY HOLLOW for Sony Pictures Animation, which is selected in official competition for the 2013 ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL in the Best TV Special category.

ABOUT DARK PLANET COMICS
Created in 2013, Dark Planet Comics is the home of Stephan Franck’s original comic book properties. “Having a comic book imprint has been a dream of mine,” Franck says, “it’s about authorship. It’s about the commitment to put my stories out into the world in the way they were intended to be. ComiXology’s amazing platform makes this kind of independence possible.”

Silver #1 on ComiXology: http://www.comixology.com/Silver/comics-series/10508

In addition to digital downloads, Silver #1’s print edition is available on the Dark Planet Comics website: www.darkplanetcomics.com

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