From Marvel to Making His Own Comics | Stephan Franck
What happens when a filmmaker who has worked on Marvel's What If…?, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Despicable Me decides to build his own comic book universe?This week on the Cosmic Sans Podcast, I'm joined by comic artist, animation director, and storyteller Stephan Franck for a fascinating conversation about creativity, independence, and the art of storytelling.
Growing up in his parents' comic book store outside Paris, Stephan developed a lifelong passion for comics and animation. That passion eventually brought him to Hollywood, where he's contributed to some of the biggest animated projects in entertainment.
But alongside his studio career, Stephan has been building something entirely his own.
We dive into his graphic novel series Palomino, a neo-noir crime mystery set against the forgotten country music scene of Los Angeles, and explore what it really takes to create, publish, and grow an independent comic series.
We also get into the importance of human connection in art, the realities of building an audience without going viral, and Stephan's fascinating (and occasionally spicy) thoughts on artificial intelligence.
In this episode:
- Growing up surrounded by comics in France
- Breaking into the animation industry
- Directing Marvel's What If…?
- The creative freedom of independent comics
- The story behind Palomino
- Building an audience through conventions and Kickstarter
- Stephan's comic creation workflow
- Why AI-generated art doesn't worry him
- The importance of keeping humanity in storytelling
Explore Stephan's comics: https://darkplanetcomics.com
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00:00 Meet Stephan Franck
00:54 Growing Up in a Comic Book Store
04:07 The Comics That Shaped His Childhood
07:26 How His Parents Encouraged His Creativity
11:20 From Music to Animation School
14:33 How Roger Rabbit Changed Animation
16:17 Breaking Into Hollywood
22:37 Directing Marvel's What If…?
26:31 What Does an Animation Director Actually Do?
31:47 The Art of Storyboarding
34:31 Stephan's Dream Superhero Project
38:28 Can Indie Comics Become the Next Batman?
41:42 Why You Have to Love What You Create
44:21 Stop Waiting for Permission to Publish
47:45 Breaking Into Comic-Con
50:12 Building an Audience Without Going Viral
55:40 The Story Behind Palomino
58:24 The Forgotten Country Music History of LA
62:41 Why Palomino Became a Six-Volume Series
65:07 Why Kickstarter Matters for Comics
68:06 How Stephan Builds Trust With Supporters
73:16 Switching From Paper to Digital
77:19 Creating Comic Books With 3D Sets
82:06 How AI Fits Into His Workflow
84:09 Stephan's Biggest Fear About AI
88:07 Can AI Replace Comic Artists?
90:53 Why Art Is About Human Connection
95:23 AI, Propaganda, and Storytelling
97:35 The Future of Comics and Animation
100:00 Where to Find Stephan and Palomino Receive SMS online on sms24.me
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