#Karrie Fransman

[laurellynnleake]

Over under sideways down: A comic book story of a refugee fleeing conflict 

[ID: Over under sideways down: A comic book story of a refugee fleeing conflict. Ebrahim, an Iranian teenager, falls through an endless teal inkwashed haze, his ID card and other paper scraps flying off into the void. Text reads: "little did Ebrahim realize/that as his ID vanished, so did proof of his identity" as he tumbles down the page and drops into the back of a truck. He tucks himself into a tiny huddle, crammed between boxes and other terrified refugees.]

A comic by Karrie Fransman based on Ebrahim Esmail’s flight from Iran to England as a teen. Originally made to mark Refugee Week in 2013, the comic can still be accessed on the Internet Archive.

[downthetubes]

2025 First Graphic Novel Competition opens this week

The 2025 First Graphic Novel Award is open for submission between 9th January 2025 and 22nd April 2025. The winner will be offered a contract by publisher SelfMadeHero and a £500 cash prize sponsored by The bks Agency

The 2025 First Graphic Novel Award is open for submission between 9th January 2025 and 22nd April 2025. The winner will be offered a contract by publisher SelfMadeHero and a £500 cash prize sponsored by The bks Agency. The launch event takes place on Wednesday 15th January 2025 at Waterstones Piccadilly, which will be attended by the fabulous panel of this year’s judges and last year’s winner,…

[adarkrainbow]

I want to briefly talk about this book called "Gender-swapped fairy tales", by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett

I first saw it in several libraries translated in French as "Le Bel au Bois Dormant"

And I was quite interested by the idea. Take the classical fairytales, but change the genders, have heroic she-knights and princesses save men in towers and asleep princes. It is always a fun concept - and the illustrations looked weird and cool enough, with their Rapunzel-bears and drag-queen-looking wolves.

But I took a glimpse inside at a bookshop earlier and... Now please tell me if I am wrong but... it is just the fairytales retold with the pronouns changed, right? I mean I excepted a bit more of a rewrite than just copy-paste the tale by changing the pronouns, and yes there's slight changes like Rapunzel's hair being a beard and whatnot but ultimately... I can just take the original text, change myself the pronouns, and I have the content of this book. Right? Its just that?

Which is the whole point, I totally get it, it proves that fairytales in our modern world can exist beyond gender... But I don't think I am willing to spend that much money just to have a retelling I can literaly type at home on my computer.

(And they also did a gender-swapped Greek myths book apparently? And as a Greek mythology fan I can't help but ask... what's the point, beyond cashing on the trend set by this first book?)

At least the pictures are nice... But I think people are over-hyping way too much this book. They are selling it as like "the ultimate answer to fairytale misoginy" and I am like... Again, I can type this on my computer in two minutes. I just copy-paste the text and change the pronouns. Bam! Misoginy solved apparently? But please tell me if I am wrong, I just quickly went though the book...

[princepestilence]

NYReading: April in review

Most of April has been reading things for the thesis, which I’m not counting as part of this list. Maybe after the thesis I’ll share the full works cited list, though. In the meantime...

Nonfiction.

The Modern Bestiary: A Curated Collection of Wondrous Wildlife, by Joanna Bagniewska.

Haunted Nature: Entanglements of the Human and the Nonhuman, edited by Sladja Blazan.

Nature’ Palette: A Colour Reference System from the Natural World, by Davidson, Charwat, Simonini, & Karliczek.

Songspirals: Sharing women’s wisdom of Country through songlines, by Gay’wu Group of Women.

Reading Like an Australian Writer, edited by Belinda Castles.

Imagining Decolonisation, edited by Bianca Elkington.

Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands, by Michael Chabon.

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction, edited by Lee Gutkind.

Fiction.

This All Come Back Now: An anthology of First Nations speculative fiction, edited by Mykaela Saunders.

Unnatural Order, edited by Alis Franklin & Liss Wickramasinghe.

After The Storm, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Learning The Ropes, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

The Art of Boytoy Maintenance, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Cross My Heart, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

The Witness for the Dead, by Katherine Addison.

The Grief of Stones, by Katherine Addison.

Dirt Town, by Hayley Scrivener.

Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth.

Daughter of the Empire, by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts.

Brumby Stories, by Elyne Mitchell.

The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean M. Auel.

Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee.

White is for Witching, by Helen Oyeyemi.

A Magic Steeped in Poison, by Judy I. Lin.

Mamo, by Sas Milledge.

Poetry.

Whereas, by Layli Long Soldier.

Killernova, by Omar Musa.

Icaros, by Tamryn Bennett.

Other.

The Singing Bones, by Shaun Tan.

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales, by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett.

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, by Brian Froud & Terry Jones.

[queerographies]

[Fiabe d’altro genere][Karrie Fransman][Jonathan Plackett]

Immagina un mondo in cui patrigni malvagi scagliano incantesimi contro neonati principini, dove il lupo cattivo è femmina e le principesse superano una sfida dopo l'altra per andare a salvare bei principi addormentati…

Da secoli raccontiamo ai nostri figli le fiabe della tradizione, e da sempre qualcuno ha provato a riscriverle, perché i bambini potessero immaginare un mondo in cui gli eroi fossero loro. Anche Karrie e Jonathan leggevano le fiabe alla loro bambina, quando si sono trovati di fronte a un dilemma: mancava qualcosa di fondamentale in quelle storie, e così hanno deciso di fare qualche cambiamento……

[darkmatterzine]

Gender-swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett

Gender-swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett: a #review of Andrew Lang's fairy tales gender-swapped for a new generation

A review by Nalini Haynes A husband-and-wife/wife-and-husband team created Gender-swapped Fairy Tales. Plackett wrote an algorithm to change male pronouns to female and vice versa. They plugged this algorithm in to some of Andrew Lang’s fairy tales then fixed some of the linguistic problems that arose. However, according to their Author’s Note, they did not fix any of the other issues even though…

[uwmspeccoll]

Staff Pick of the Week

My staff pick is The House that Groaned by Karrie Fransman. This graphic novel tells the stories of six inhabitants living in the same apartment building. What stands out the most about this novel is how unconventional the storytelling is. The characters in this book have personalities and habits that represent the dark and strange sides of our individual natures. I think almost everyone can find a little bit of themselves represented in each character, even if those characters have quirks that are bizarre and exaggerated. What also stands out is the color palette, consisting of just black, white, and shades of blue- I was surprised how many emotions can be conveyed in a scene that is entirely in blue hues. As the story went on,  I found myself becoming more disturbed but thrilled. I haven’t read something so grotesque, sexual, and very, very strange in a long time-but those elements are what makes this graphic novel an excellent read. 

Summary:

“The House That Groaned is a graphic novel that explores bodies and the spaces they inhabit. It is set in an old Victorian tenement housing six lonely individuals who could only have stepped out of the pages of a comic book. There is the retoucher who cannot touch, a grandmother who literally blends into the background and a twenty-something bloke who’s sexually attracted to diseased women. Yet, as we learn the stories behind these extreme characters, it becomes apparent that we may share similar issues – as individuals and as a society.”

View more of our Staff Picks.

– Megan, Special Collections undergraduate assistant

[cheshirelibrary]

The Best Gender-Flipped Retellings 

[via Book Riot]

The beauty of retellings is the princess can do the rescuing and the swash-buckling pirate can be a woman setting out to save her kidnapped love. And we see all that and more in these twelve retellings of fairytales and classic novels.

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett (Retelling: various fairytales)

Rogue Princess by B. R. Myers (Retelling: Cinderella)

The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning (Retelling: The Princess Bride)

Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu (Retelling: The Outsiders)

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim (Retelling: The Count of Monte Cristo)

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke (Retelling: Beowulf)

[jenjenphotography]

THE HOUSE THAT GROANED Karrie Fransman

© Jen-Jen Photography

[downthetubes]

PostiveNegatives partners on London event spotlighting comics role in amplifying research

London-based and interested in finding more out about PositiveNegatives.org’s work using comics and animation to amplify research? They have a free event coming up at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green soon – with free drink and food!

London-based and interested in finding more out about PositiveNegatives.org’s work using comics and animation to amplify research? They have a free event coming up at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green soon – with free drink and food! At Humanising Narratives Around Migration, taking place at the Rich Mix in Bethnal Green on Wednesday 18th September, you’ll be able to enjoy the short films and discuss…

[theselkiesea]

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag - 2020

Once again this is a YouTube tag but I need a distraction so lets review the reading year so far and some plans (that I can guarantee I won’t stick to) for the rest of 2020. Take these questions and do your own!

1. Best books you’ve read so far in 2019.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

The House that Groaned by Karrie Fransman

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019.

I’ve only read one sequel technically and it is volume eight of Deadly Class. I’ve ignored a lot of series so far this year and I’ve no idea why. I think it’s because most of the series are fantasy that I find intimating and because of everything happening in the world I just wanted shorter, easy stuff to get through.

But I’m gonna try and change that now for the rest of the year.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

Honestly, too many for me to want to list cause I’ll get sad.

You are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It  by K.J. Parker

Ruinsong by Julia Ember

5. Biggest disappointment.

The Furies by Katie Lowe

The Gigantic Beard that was Evil by Stephen Collins

Bluestar’s Prophecy by Erin Hunter

6. Biggest surprise.

The One by John Marrs

The Driftwood Girls by Mark Douglas-Home

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)

Amy Engel

8. Newest fictional crush.

Same as last year, I just don’t get crushes on fictional characters anymore. I mean, I did reread one of my favourite books of all time earlier this year which has a character I just love with all my heart but he ain’t new. Billy, love yah always.

9. Newest favourite character.

Ok so, she was a real person but I read a Joan of Arc retelling and I just love this girl so that’s my pick.

10. Book that made you cry

A few made me teary but not full on sobbing yet. However, with my reread of The Diamond of Drury Lane, this was the first time I cried at it because one of the quotes really hit me hard. But here a couple that made ma eyes water.

Worlds of You: Poetry and Prose by Beau Taplin

The Language of Fire: Joan of Arc Reimagined by Stephanie Hemphill

11. Book that made you happy.

I’ve read a lot of dark stuff this year y’all and I really like dark humour. This was hard to pick out some!

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding

Shutter, Vol 1: Wanderlost by Joe Keatinge

Och Wheesht and Get Oan Wae It by Lewis Dawson

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler but a bunch of folk have contributed to it. I first found out about this book from a booktuber I watch but then my friend read it so I had to purchase it!

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

My Dark Vanessa by  Kate Elizabeth Russell

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Shadow Saint by Gareth Hanarahan 

Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

[princepestilence]

NYReading: March in review

Didn’t read much (or anything at all, I think?) in February, but caught up in March. Keen to find time for more.

Strikethrough: read Single asterisk: started Double asterisk: reread Exclamation mark: intended next in line / high priority

Nonfiction.

The Modern Bestiary: A Curated Collection of Wondrous Wildlife, by Joanna Bagniewska.

Haunted Nature: Entanglements of the Human and the Nonhuman, edited by Sladja Blazan.

Songspirals: Sharing women’s wisdom of Country through songlines, by Gay’wu Group of Women.

Reading Like an Australian Writer, edited by Belinda Castles.

Imagining Decolonisation, edited by Bianca Elkington.

Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands, by Michael Chabon.

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction, edited by Lee Gutkind.

Fiction.

This All Come Back Now: An anthology of First Nations speculative fiction, edited by Mykaela Saunders.

After The Storm, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Learning The Ropes, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

The Art of Boytoy Maintenance, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Cross My Heart, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Dirt Town, by Hayley Scrivener.

Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth.

Daughter of the Empire, by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts.

Brumby Stories, by Elyne Mitchell.

The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean M. Auel.

Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee.

White is for Witching, by Helen Oyeyemi.

Poetry.

Whereas, by Layli Long Soldier.

Killernova, by Omar Musa.

Icaros, by Tamryn Bennett.

Other.

The Singing Bones, by Shaun Tan.

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales, by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett.

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, by Brian Froud & Terry Jones.

[sparehed]

Ephemerist: North Star Fading zooms indefinitly Comics are about storytelling with images in sequence, which is translated traditionally in rows of images that are read side by side, one after the other.

[brokenfrontier]

'Medieval Comics' Exhibition at Orbital - Karrie Fransman's Collaboration with King's College London Results in a Fascinating Series of Historical Re-Creations

‘Medieval Comics’ Exhibition at Orbital – Karrie Fransman’s Collaboration with King’s College London Results in a Fascinating Series of Historical Re-Creations

The gallery space in London’s Eisner Award-winning Orbital Comics has hosted a number of must-see exhibitions over the last few years. Some of them have been topical and covered more recognisable, iconic characters like the recent ‘Beyond 2000 AD‘ 40th anniversary tie-in while others have celebrated the exciting rise of the UK indie scene as with their 2015 Avery Hill Publishing show, ‘Lords of…

[cosbrarian]

What if Rapunzel was a boy locked in a tower? And if the witch was a warlock with a green thumb who just wanted a child? And what if a princess saved him? Thanks to Faber & Faber, Karrie Fransman, and Jonathan Plackett for giving me permission to share a selection from their delightful work GENDER-SWAPPED FAIRY TALES. --- Hi, I'm Liz, aka the Cosbrarian.  I'm primarily known for "F*cked Up Fairy Tales", a series I popularized on TikTok, celebrating the funny, dark, twisted, and saucy side of folk and fairy tales. ~* More About Liz*~ On the Web: https://ift.tt/6GqPWrO Tiktok: https://ift.tt/2eO9fpA Instagram: https://ift.tt/hnIv6G4 Twitter: https://twitter.com/cosbrarian ~* Support My Work *~ Patreon: https://ift.tt/FhUD9ST Ko-fi or Paypal: @cosbrarian ~* Production Info *~ Adapted and performed by: Liz aka Cosbrarian Theme orchestrated by Danny K. Bernstein Logo by MarvelRevision #effedupfairytales #cosbrarian #rapunzel #andrewlang #fairytales #folktales by Cosbrarian (F*cked Up Fairy Tales)

[alternative-illustrations]

Karrie Fransman Brief:

For this brief we were asked to tell a visual story based on our surroundings and where we live, and where else would be more appropriate then the flat I’ve called home since the pandemic? I decided to base this brief on my housemates since i see them regularly.

Now for me personally i split this brief into two, the first being the very first week i got this brief (see first image), and quite a few weeks afterwards with a better perspective. When doing the first set of images i wanted to focus on the personality of my housemates, and how i could translate that into a visual form. How i attempted to show this was by the colour palette and the background. Each one of my housemates are different in a unique way and i wanted to portray that, even though this told a story about the individual collectively however, the artworks did not tell a story.I decided to then take a break from this brief with a fresher perspective later on.

Upon returning (see second image) i took inspiration from what i had already created and decided that i wanted each illustration to connect with each other rather then each illustration to be separate. To do this i picked a day when everyone was together -which was a tough enough task as everyone has their own schedules- and figured that i would draw the people in my flat when they’re at their most comfortable, so the piece could feel authentic. I decided to call this artwork ‘A lazy Sunday morning’, and i wanted there to be a calmness to the art. You wouldn't have guessed that we all stuck though a global pandemic and that we’ve all been through so much.On this morning we all got together and just spent time with one another, which is something we all need after a year and a bit of isolation.