Noel Franklin, an award-winning Seattle Cartoonist who formerly lived in Kent, shares her craft with the public at the Kent Regional Library on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The talk is free. The library is at 212 2nd Ave. N.
Franklin, who attended Kent public schools and graduated from Kentwood High, will share her graphic novel project, Girl On The Road. Attendees will get a free sample chapter of the novel as part of Franklin’s fulfillment of the 4Culture Artist Project Grant she received for her memoir-in-progress.
The story, Girl On The Road, is based on Franklin’s friendship with fellow Western Washington University art student, Deborah Penne. They travelled together frequently and moved to Chicago after graduation. The development of their friendship is traced through road trips, a shared aversion to settling down, and then the impact of losing Penne when she died due to the mechanical failure that led to the crash of Alaska Flight 261 in 2000.
Thematically, Franklin draws her lived experience as a woman from the working class, with a focus on stories that are underrepresented in the arts world – particularly that of friendships between women and travel. Girl On The Road explores both themes.
During her visit to the library, Franklin will discuss her story, themes and process. The appearance is sponsored by 4Culture, with additional support from the King County Library, and the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Artist Trust.
Franklin spent the majority of her childhood attending public schools in Kent, returning previously to produce literary arts programs in grade schools there as part of the Seattle Poetry Festival programming.
Franklin is an internationally published cartoonist. In early 2013, she chose to apply her degree in fine arts from WWU, and her modest success in literary ventures toward making fine comics. She attributes her unique style – building dark and light shapes from densely knotted lines – to her experience with stone lithography.
Franklin has recently been awarded a 4Culture Projects Grant, Artist Trust GAP Grant and City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Artist Project Grant. In 2017, she received a Cartoonist Northwest Toonie award for Best Comic Book for Coyote and Butterfly Woman, was illustrated by Franklin and written by Anne Bean.
For more information, including publication listings, sample artwork and select press highlights, visit noelfranklinart.com.
Read Franklin’s recent interview with New York’s Design Arts Daily.
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Noel Franklin’s graphic novel project, Girl On The Road. COURTESY IMAGE
