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Get to Know Paul Frank
Posted Courtesy of The Post and Courier (http://www.charleston.net)
BY MINDY SPAR
Of The Post and Courier Staff
What do you do when everybody thinks you are a monkey?
Get in a brightly colored Winnebago and set out on a cross-country tour.
That's exactly what Paul Frank is doing this month with his Get to Know Me Tour, which makes a stop at Nula, 320 King St., today. Frank, creator of Julius the monkey, is out to set the record straight.
"I started to hear things like people think I'm a monkey," says the 37-year-old Frank. "I get mail like that and I hear things around like, 'Paul Frank, that monkey.' The monkey's name is Julius and I'm Paul Frank, a real person. I work really hard designing all these things, thousands of things a year, and my staff works really hard, too.
"It's sort of an injustice, if you will, for people to think that the monkey's face is Paul Frank. I figured more people needed to see my face and see there's really a guy who is really a designer and an artist."
Frank says he doesn't like to call himself an artist because it seems pretentious, so he'd probably balk even more at the term "renaissance man," but that's what he is.
Musician, designer, artist and cartoonist, Frank has many talents. He started out with one sewing machine, making clothes for his bandmates in The Moseleys (they still play occasionally when Frank has time to do bookings). He also used his artistic talents to create fliers to advertise the band that generated interest in more than the band's music.
From that talent grew Paul Frank Industries.
From his first handmade wallets to men's and women's clothing lines and more, Paul Frank Industries has grown from a three-man operation begun in 1997 with Frank and his partners, Ryan Heuser and John Oswald, to one that now employs 140 people and is known around the world for its fun designs, interesting materials and bold use of color.
PFI started out as an accessories company using vinyl to create colorful, distinctive bags, handbags and wallets that became wildly popular with his twentysomething following. And because Frank likes to experiment with new ideas, the line has continued to expand, encompassing everything from sleepwear to swimwear to eyeglasses and more. He has even partnered with John Deere and Pro Keds. The sky's the limit for Frank.
"I think of myself as a maker," says Frank. "I like to make things. I'm a real late bloomer. My parents didn't kick me out, so I didn't move out until I was 32. I had time to do what I wanted to do and find out what I liked."
Still a kid at heart, Frank is a firm believer in fun. One gets the impression that Frank is having a grand time coming up with constant new ideas and creating one-of-a-kind characters and items.
"The whole reason for getting that first sewing machine was to make things nobody else has," Frank says. "I want to do things differently. It's like picking out socks. You want to wear socks that are a little different, that show when your pants leg goes up. If you have to wear a suit to work, you should have cool socks.
"There's always a way to push it, no matter what. I'm about finding that way. It's like making someone laugh in church without anyone else knowing what the joke is."
Next up for Frank is a new line of bedding that he is excited about. "My mom used to make us comforters out of flannel sheets," he says. "I like the idea of homeware. More and more I like the home, so bedding is the first step."
Frank wants to work on more art projects. He recently held a show of his work in California, but says a one-man show is too time-consuming and he'd rather participate in a group show.
He also wants to work more on his cartoons, which are his favorite creations.
"My cartoons have real personalities," he says.
He is talking about expanding his cartooning into perhaps a full-length movie. You can check them out on his Web site www.paulfrank.com.
Frank says he might want to be on TV as well, perhaps decorating on Discovery Channel's "Monster House." "I want to decorate a room or make some custom furniture," he says. "I do that anyway so why not show it on TV? I'd love to do a kid's pirate room."
But Frank does not take his success for granted. On every stop of his tour, he asks the local storeowner or manager to find a charity to donate proceeds from the sale of his merchandise.
"I wanted to set it up to be more than just a signing," he says. "I wanted to benefit something. I don't like the idea of just commerce. I do a lot of charity work because it's good karma. I've been blessed, so I like to share it."
Tonight's event will benefit Darkness to Light. Frank will be meeting and greeting at Nula from 6 to 8 p.m.
Mindy Spar is The Post and Courier fashion editor. Contact her at mindys@postandcourier.com.
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