Stephan Franck

Franco-American creator Stephan Franck bridges the worlds of Hollywood animation and independent comics with remarkable versatility. With 27 years of industry experience, Franck has become a distinctive voice in both mediums—bringing his cinematic sensibilities to major franchises while crafting deeply personal creator-owned stories through his Dark Planet Comics imprint.

Animation Career

Franck’s animation credentials read like a who’s who of modern animation. He’s contributed to beloved films including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, How to Train Your Dragon, Wreck-It Ralph, Kung Fu Panda, The Iron Giant, and Despicable Me. In 2013, he received an Annie Award nomination for Best Director for The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow, showcasing his talent for hand-drawn animation that honors classic techniques.

His work with Marvel Studios represents a particularly significant achievement. Franck served as animation supervisor for the first season of Disney+‘s What If…? series, then advanced to directing multiple episodes in seasons two and three, including “What If… Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?”, “What If… the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?”, and the Emmy-nominated “What If… 1872?” In a poetic turn, Franck directs stories that continue the legacy of Jack Kirby and classic superhero comics—work he first discovered as a child.

Creator-Owned Comics

Yet for all his Hollywood success, Franck’s most personal creative work lives in his independent comics. Through Dark Planet Comics, founded in 2013, he crafts stories that explore themes of family, loyalty, and the cost of obsession—often filtered through noir sensibilities.

Silver

Franck’s debut graphic novel series Silver introduced readers to Jimmy Finnigan, a con man and thief who assembles a ragtag team of burglars—including a washed-up actor and a young psychic—to pull off the impossible: stealing Dracula’s legendary treasure. A 12-issue pulp noir adventure set 50 years after Bram Stoker’s seminal novel, Silver earned Franck a 2014 Russ Manning Award nomination. The complete saga is now available in a gorgeous hardcover edition from Abrams ComicArts, and screenwriter Andrew Cosby (Hellboy) was attached to write a feature film adaptation.

Palomino

Franck’s magnum opus is Palomino, a six-volume neo-noir epic set in and around the iconic Palomino country music club in Los Angeles. The series spans two distinct eras: Palomino 1981 (Volumes 1-3) follows former Burbank PD detective Eddie Lang—juggling his nights in the Palomino house band with his P.I. business—and his teenage daughter Liz, as they investigate a case touching their shared tragedy. The narrative leaps forward 14 years for Palomino 1995 (Volumes 4-6), where Liz—now 29 and working as a reporter—reopens the unsolved case.

“PALOMINO is first and foremost a super fun crime mystery, and it’s LA neo-noir like you’ve never seen it before!” Franck describes. “It brings you into a world that—maybe because it is so lived in—feels real, and is populated by characters who feel like actual people that you can place and care about.”

The series earned Franck a 2024 Ringo Award nomination, and the complete saga will soon be available via Kickstarter, with Volume 6 serving as the propulsive finale.

Style and Influence

Franck’s comics benefit enormously from his animation background. He describes his approach as striving for “the energy and presence of a moment” rather than merely illustrating events symbolically. “What I try to do with my drawing is to get past the literal thing that you can describe with words,” he explains. “To get to making you feel the energy.” This philosophy—drawing from the specificity of animation training where every frame captures a character’s precise emotional state—gives his comics a kinetic, immersive quality.

His noir sensibility connects his varied works. “Noir is noir,” Franck notes. “It’s about people who might be driven by an obsession or by an inconvenient sense of justice, and their inability to let things go, no matter the cost.” Yet across Silver and Palomino, family remains the throughline. “Both series are about family—families by choice, or families by birth struggling to survive. It’s about that bond that, once given, can’t be taken back.”

Awards & Recognition

• Annie Award Nomination (2014) – Outstanding Achievement, Directing in Animated TV/Broadcast Production for The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow
• Russ Manning Award Nomination (2014) – Silver Volume 1
• Ringo Award Nomination (2024) – Palomino Volume 2 and 3

Discover More

• Visit Stephan Franck’s Website
• Follow on Twitter/X
• Follow on Instagram
• Dark Planet Comics
• Palomino on Kickstarter
• Silver on Abrams ComicArts

Perfect for fans of hardboiled detective fiction, cinematic neo-noir, and comics that blend genre thrills with genuine emotional depth. Franck’s work will appeal to readers who enjoy the crime sagas of Ed Brubaker, the atmospheric world-building of Brian K. Vaughan, or the pulp adventure of Gene Colan and Jack Kirby.