I've noticed that a lot of sites have a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section. I think that's a good idea and decided I should have one also. Unfortunately I ran into one little problem with this idea, no frequently asked questions to provide answers for. Then it hit me, instead of a FAQ section I would include a TFA (Thanks For Asking) section. It's basically the same as a FAQ except that I came up with the initial questions. So without any further delay, TFA.

Who's the cute feline?

Her name is Tabby and she's the official mascot for SOMETHING DIFFERENT. She came into being a few years ago in a drawing I did for my first trip to DUCKON. At the time I didn't know who she was yet. She told me who she was last year and she's been the mascot ever since. She has only one quirk and that is the fact that she always wears something purple. She'll probably show up in alot of the new art so get used to her.

Who the heck are you?

In case I haven't all ready introduced myself, my name is Louis Frank and I'm a not quite starving artist working out of Minneapolis. I've been drawing since grade school, mostly super heroes. Not a big surprise when you consider that I've also been reading and collecting comics since about the same time. My interest in art almost lead to my going to the University of Minnesota for art. Fortunately that didn't work out and I ended up taking a two-year commercial art course the following year. Since then I've provided art for several local conventions and a heckuva lot of character illustrations. That was all well and good but it didn't get me any closer to a career in comics. I finally decided that it's time to get my act together and get busy.

If you want to get into comics, then why put up Something Different?

Something Different exists for several reasons. The first is peer pressure. People kept asking me if I had a web page or telling me that I should get one. Well I have one now, I hope you're all happy. The second reason is monetary. This site is an attempt to supplement what little income I all ready have until I get that high paying job at one of the BIG companies. The third reason is feedback. This site will give me an opportunity to show my art to a much larger audience and get feedback from all over. So please feel free to E-mail me to tell me what you like or don't like about my art. The last reason is the simplest of all. Why not.

What's with the name?

As you may have noticed by now, Something Different isn't really any different from other sites on the web. Well Something Different doesn't represent any bold new approach to web pages, Something Different represents the fact that I've never done something like this before. Thus it's "something different' to me. If the name sounds familiar, Something Different was also the title I used for my portion of Eroica, a Champions inspired APA.

Have you actually been published?

I've been lucky enough to have been published several times. I say lucky because I got those jobs through no effort on my part. I've provided art for several Champions sourcebooks including Allies, Golden Age of Champions and Horror Hero. My first comic related work was in Necromancer from Anarchy Press, I inked the second and third issues. My most recent work can be found in Star Run, currently appearing in FURRLOUGH. It can be found in issues 41-43 and the following odd numbered issues thru 61. I did the covers for issues 41 and 57. I've also put together a couple of mini-comics of my own (which may show up on this site).

Who do you consider your influences?

It would be impossible to list them all but here's a few. Mike Mignola, Steve Rude, Alan Davis, Paul Smith, Alex Ross, John Byrne and Matt Howarth. My art style has also been influenced by tons of anime and the recent Batman and Superman animated series.

How long have you been into anthropomorphic art?

Probably since the early 80's, though there was a stretch when I didn't really want anything to do with it. I got burned out for a while when this person who shall remain nameless got A LOT of furry art from me over a short period of time. Looking back, it was my own fault for the "furry burnout", I should have said no once in a while. Currently that interest has returned, probably because I've been able to see more of what other people are creating. I also feel the time is right to throw my hat into the ring so to speak and see what other people think of my art.

You've told us a little about your history as an artist, how about telling us a little about yourself.

There's not much to say. I'm a Leo/Dragon (shouldn't I be a god or something?) who doesn't always like to be the center of attention. I guess that's why I'm an artist. Some of my interests include: Comics that don't rely on the 3B's, like Hellboy, Starman and Leave it to Chance. Contemporary fantasy novels like War for the Oaks and several books by Charles de Lint. Most anime and some manga, though I find I prefer the more action oriented titles. Hong Kong action films, I really like the fantasy/action films. Role-playing games, I'm still looking for a system that fits what I'd like to run. Cool action figures. Legos, hey, who doesn't like Legos. Most music, though I currently prefer alternative. And last but not least, bad super hero movies. I think I'll stop there before this starts to sound like a personal ad. Besides, anything else either isn't worth mentioning or isn't any of your business.

One last question, just what are the "3B's"

The 3B's refer to a trend in recent comics that I'm not too fond of. The 3B's are: Big Guns, Bulging Biceps (or in the case of female characters Bodacious Bust lines) and Body Counts. Now don't get me wrong. I don't think these are bad things, I just think that creators shouldn't fall back on the 3B's to sell comics.

More?

If you have any further questions, feel free to email me at: wom-bat@visi.com. I have no life so I'll probably go out of my way to answer each and every question.