Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Franco.
Hi Tony, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up with a love of comics, cartoons, and drawing. I followed and collected everything comics, comic books, comic strips, tv cartoon, and animated features, all the while teaching myself to draw and write. At age 16, I was allowed to take the Famous Artists correspondence course, given by many notable comic strip artists (e.g., Milt Caniff, Al Capp) , even though the admission age was 18. Though I wanted to go to college for art, I was always told that cartooning is a nice hobby, but not a career. Fortunately, I also had an interest in criminology and law. I went to college for my BA at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ for sociology and psychology and went to John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City for my Masters Degree in criminology. A problem that developed with my Masters thesis turned my life around. I always had a penchant for philosophy and theory and wanted to do my thesis researching a theoretical premise. After doing hours of research, I couldn’t get a professor to sponsor my thesis and was forced to take the test to graduate. I was determined not to let my thesis go by the wayside, after all the research that I did. A thought occurred to me that you can get more people’s attention with a cartoon, than the written word. The cartoonist in me realized that this thesis would make a great premise for a comic strip and I created my first comic strip, a fantasy adventure strip called LIBERTERIA! At that moment, I knew that the only reason I couldn’t make cartooning a career is because I never tried. It was around 1979 that I started submitting numerous comic strips that I developed to newspaper syndicates and doing various freelance work. To satisfy the criminologist in me (and for a steady paycheck) I got a position in the Hudson County Probation Department that same year. (My new bride in July 7th of that year, Mary Ann, has always been a staunch supporter of my Cartooning career, but was greatly appreciative of the regular paycheck). Over my years as a probation officer, working in Family Court, Criminal Court, the Diagnostic Unit (where I was supervisor), and Child Support, I continued my freelancing. Over my freelancing career, I worked at Marvel Comics (writing and drawing for their Star line of juvenile comics), DC Comics (drawing for their Bugs Bunny magazine), Harvey Comics (writing for their New Kids on the Block comic), and doing character designs for DIC Animation Studio for their Camp Candy TV series. What I loved most, though, was creating my own characters and concepts, so, when I retired from Probation, I dedicated myself to promoting my own characters and concepts, which I continue to do now on my website, tonyfrancoandfriends.com. I really felt confirmed as a cartoonist, though, when I was accepted as a member of the Graphics Artists Guild and the National Cartoonists Society.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been far from a smooth road, but exciting and challenging. There were numerous times when I’ve asked myself, “How can I do this?”, but the answer always comes back, “How can I NOT do this!”
It was easier when I was working the two careers, because they balanced each other. When one became particularly stressful, I had the other for a “respite”. The most difficulty came when I retired from the Probation Department and I was focused solely on the cartooning. It’s like trying to climb a mud slide. You climb up a few feet, then slide down, climb up a little more, then slide down again. You find a hopeful opportunity and it falls through, so you look for another opportunity. It’s also difficult finding the right people to work with, as well. I’m not a businessman and I’m not a “Tech Wizard”, I’m not good with technology, i.e. the computer. I work strictly “Old School”. I create, not on a screen, but with pencils, pens, markers, and bristol board, so I’m always looking for someone to help with the promotion and technology. It’s difficult over the years finding someone with your vision to work with and that you can depend on. For example, I just finished self-publishing issue number 2 of my comic series, IT’S A DOG’S LIFE. I’m working with a very talented guy, who will hopefully help me promote the book and revamp my website. (Stay tuned) Most importantly, I’ve always felt that my talent was a Gift from God that was given to me for a reason, to touch people, to give them laughter and inspiration. This makes it nigh impossible for me to give up and keeps driving me on. I have a very retro style in my characters and stories, like the classic cartoons and comics which I’ve always loved as a kid, and have tried to bring that kind of heart and humor to a new audience. The greatest obstacle I face is that my style doesn’t seem to be in vogue at this time, so I continue my quest for the right audience. (Maybe it’s in Texas!)
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As I’ve said, my greatest joy in what I do is creating characters and storylines of substance. I named my website “Tony Franco and Friends”, because I present my characters to prospective fans as “friends you haven’t met yet”. I remember the characters that I saw in cartoons when I was growing up as having substance, personalities that brought them to life. I can tell you the time that I first knew that I wanted to become a cartoonist. As a boy, when I went to see Snow White in the theater. I was so touched by the scene at the end, when Snow White is in the glass coffin and the dwarves are around the coffin mourning her. Grumpy is in the back, scowling, as usual. Suddenly, his expression changes and he turns away and starts to cry. I was so moved, that I knew then that I wanted to touch people that way with my characters. The magic that I treasure watching the original Disney animated features is that, for me, after a while, you’d forget the characters are animated. That’s the kind of “reality” I want to infuse in my characters. What I also love about the creation of new characters and storylines is that, no matter who you meet or where you go, everything is fodder for the imagination. It keeps the mind sharp and life exciting.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Unfortunately, I’m ill-equipped to answer that, since I’m a “Joisey” boy from back East. That being said, I’ve always had an affinity for your great state, because I’ve always been a Cowboy at heart. One of the great loves of my life is my horse, a dun mare named Princess, and her disposition matched her name. She was a real Diva, but my Sweetheart. I’m also a proud member of the Single Action Shooting Society, a Cowboy organization dedicated to the Cowboy way of life. Though my good friend, Alan Simberg, who I worked with in the Diagnostic Unit in the Probation Department, is a Jersey transplant to Houston, I never had the pleasure of visiting your fair state, but always had the “hankerin’ “!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tonyfrancoandfriends.com
- Instagram: tony franco and friends
- Facebook: tony franco and tony franco and friends
- LinkedIn: Tony Franco
