Nobody can accuse creator Stephen Franck of having a lack of ambition. Whereas many Kickstarter projects will launch a singular comic book, Franck is launching an entire line of graphic novels, including two volumes of his Ringo Award-winning Palomino, and a standalone graphic novel titled Romance in the Age of the Space God.
“Palomino is a mystery which features a complex web of crimes that our heroes try to untangle,” Franck told Comic Book Club over email. “After book three, I needed to make sure that the story would build up to its epic conclusion and would wrap up all its storylines in a satisfying way, so I wrote volume 4, 5 and 6 together, and laid them out too. Then, I did the final art for Volume 4 & 5 as one stretch. As these two volumes are being released, volume 6 is already well underway.”
The three graphic novels are all available through Franck’s Dark Planet Comics label, including the second run of Romance in the Age of the Space God after a sold-out run last year. To find out more about the project, which is live on Kickstarter now, read on.
Comic Book Club: You’ve got a deep background in animation… What sort of muscles do you bring from animation, and what do you have to put on hold when you’re working on a still, comic book page?
Stephen Franck: An animator is an actor with a pencil, so the drawing approach is a little bit more “method” and has a performing arts element to it, because you try to capture the exact energy of an acting moment with your line. For a comic like Palomino, which is a fun Deep Valley neo noir where we follow the adventures of a father/daughter duo of detectives in 1981 Los Angeles, I needed to be super dialed into their emotions and personalities in order to make them come alive as credibly as I could. That’s when my animation background came in handy. “Slice-of-life” meets “The Illusion Of Life”, if you will. That said, it’s a book, it has permanence, so you also have to deliver illustrative qualities.
What is it about Palomino that keeps you coming back? Clearly this is a passion project for you.
Palomino is at the crossroads of themes and life-experiences that are very personal to me. First it’s a story about the parent-child relationship–and it’s told from both points of view. There is also the musical aspect, which–as a former musician myself–I hope feels lived-in and true. Lastly, it’s neo-noir, which is my favorite genre. To me, noir in all its forms is about characters who present as deliciously hardboiled, but who are secret idealists bumping against the edges of a cynical world. And there’s a lot to bump against these days.
You’re releasing two volumes at the same time on Kickstarter – why that cadence?
Palomino is a mystery which features a complex web of crimes that our heroes try to untangle. After book three, I needed to make sure that the story would build up to its epic conclusion and would wrap up all its storylines in a satisfying way, so I wrote volume 4, 5 and 6 together, and laid them out too. Then, I did the final art for Volume 4 & 5 as one stretch. As these two volumes are being released, volume 6 is already well underway.
What can you tell us about the story across the two volumes? It’s a big change to not only jump forward in time, but also to be passing the baton from father to daughter.
Believe it or not, that was not my original plan. In the first three volumes, the relationship between detective dad and his old-soul of a teenage daughter packs quite a punch, and I had every intention to continue with them in the same way. But when I started writing Volume 4, it became clear that the story couldn’t stay there. In real life, 1981 was the high watermark for the Palomino, and 1995 the year that it closed. Everything changes, and the story is about change. Even the parenting relationship, which is at the heart of the story, is about change. By the time I embraced the 14 year time jump, I started finding bread crumbs in the first half of the story comforting me in the notion that this is where it wanted to go all along. Also, there’s a symmetry to both their destinies that feels truly human.
You’ve got one more volume after this, unless plans have changed… What can you tease about the conclusion of the series?
All I can say is that it’s majorly epic, totally insane, and incredibly satisfying!
What can folks expect from the Kickstarter?
We have of course the new volumes, Palomino Vol 4 and 5, as well as all prior volumes if people need to catch up. We are also offering the 1981 boxset/slipcase, that will collect Vol 1-3. Backers will be able to get the full boxset, and to the readers who already have those books, we offer the slipcase independently. Lastly, we’ll have some super fun signed bookplates that are inspired by the handy work of in-world TV producer and syndication king Philip Lamaz. Those are quite fun! Also, keep your eyes peeled for more surprises!
Dark Planet Comics’ 2025 Graphic Novels by Stephan Franck is live on Kickstarter now.
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