Franks and Beans ad in Magic Bullet #8

The Magic Bullet is a free, Washington, DC-based comic newspaper that publishes on a semi-annual basis.  Why, then, am I posting this to the Franks and Beans website?  That’s a great question.  Here are some answers:

1) Because I do what I want.
2) See #1.

Ha HAAA!!  Wow, what witty banter you can expect from the Franks and Beans website.  We’re basically out of control over here.  Seriously, you can ask anyone.

The eighth installment of the Magic Bullet came out a few months ago, and inside was a one-page comic that I wrote titled “I Hate the Moon”, for obvious reasons.  Also included is this Franks and Beans print ad:

Hey, look!  It’s the “Double Delivery” ad that we made a couple years ago for Comic-Con!  I think we’ll be submitting another episode to the Comic-Con Film Festival in 2015, if for no other reason than to create another print ad.

One of the things I enjoy the most about advertising in the Magic Bullet is getting a thank you card in the mail addressed to Franks and Beans, like those are our names.  According to the printed names on the inside of the card, I am one of the creators thanking Franks and Beans.  Well, you’re welcome, Jeff McClelland.  I guess.

Franks and Beans/Beans and Franks DVD artwork

Since the “Beans and Franks” episode played so heavily into our *very collectible* season two DVD design, I thought I’d post some of those images here for all to see.  In fact, now everyone can print and mass-produce their VERY OWN copies of Franks and Beans season two DVD cases!  Won’t that be fun!

Some notes on the above image:

– The baked bean background is a Franks and Beans original.  Mitch Mitchell, he of the camera-owning status, made a trip over to the “studio” to snap some pictures of baked beans that we poured out of a can.  At high resolution, baked beans look kind of gross.

– We added our very own QR code to the back of the case.  Scanning the code brings you right to…this site.

– We should probably come up with a different logo for the show for subsequent releases, as look at this one makes me sad and wistful for the hair I used to have.  It was beautiful, really.

The above and below images are from the DVD insert; on one side is the episode guide, and on the other, a Beans and Franks-specific reference.  The episode guide is obviously a take on the nutritional label on most foods; judging by this list, I’d say we skimped on the commentaries this season.

The special features section includes my favorite joke on the insert: “DVD becomes cheap Frisbee with varied results”.

The other side of the insert is an ad for Franks and Beans Brand Beans and Franks.  Try some today, won’t you?

 

When we decided to streamline the product and go with the slipcases instead, I designed this sticker to go on the back of the sleeves.  It’s basically a condensed version of the above, with a new (and perhaps funnier) slogan.  I managed to keep the QR code and the picture of the can.

Larry and I took these DVDs to Comic-Con in 2012 and – get this – actually sold a few of them.  I’ve got a stack of these sitting in my house at the moment, taking up space and making me consider throwing them off of a bridge.  If Larry and I make it back to San Diego this summer, I think we’ll take a day and hand the rest of them out to innocent and unsuspecting line-goers.  And maybe, just maybe, someone will watch ’em.

The Franks and Beans…uh…half year in review.

2013 has come and gone, and hey!  Franks and Beans, despite all evidence to the contrary, is still around.  The band has not dissolved.  Larry and I do not have creative differences.  There are still stories to be told.  The cat’s in the cradle.

I don’t know if it’s fair to say that Franks and Beans went on hiatus for the second half of 2013, but the fact is I haven’t posted anything new on this site since, what, June?  That’s kind of dumb.  I suppose that there are a few reasons for this, but the prevailing one stemmed from some uncertainty about the F&B domain name and branding.  It’s a long story, and it’s not something that I’ll get into in any great detail, but after some long discussions and some stressful weeks, I needed to take a break, and a few days stretched into a big part of last year.  It was never my intention to let the site go unmanned for so long, but the start of 2014 seems as good a time as any to wind the machine back up and start posting again.  So, you know, tell all of your friends.

In the meantime, let’s talk about the weird stats package that WordPress puts together at the end of each year!  As with last year’s presentation, this one brought out some information that is, at the very least, mildly interesting.  And if there’s any way to describe Franks and Beans, it’s “mildly interesting”, so let’s see some of the highlights!This particular screen made me laugh (well, not out loud, just that kind of Internet laughing where you breath slightly harder out of your nose), because our most popular posts for the whole year are not our videos, and four of the five aren’t even ABOUT our videos.  More people come to this site, apparently, to read about comics than they do to watch our HILARIOUS AND INVENTIVE comedy.  So the plan is working.  Perhaps I need to work on my tagging…I’m sure that’s it.

According to WordPress’s highly personal evaluation, my writing has staying power.  I am not going to argue with this.It’s a relief that a number of people find this site by doing an Internet search for the phrase “Franks and Beans”.  Perhaps they are searching for the canned hot dog accessory, but I’ll take what I can get.  It’s less of a relief that some people come to this site by searching for the phrase “jetgil caton porno”.  Our Jet Boy/Jet Girl Comic-Con photos probably caught a few stragglers (who were immediately disappointed, I’m assuming).  This information makes me want to do a similar search, because I have no idea what “jetgil caton” mean, but I’m fairly certain that I would be scarred and saddened if I took the leap, because whatever the terms mean, I probably don’t want to see the porno version, though I’m willing to admit that there’s a chance I could be wrong.  Some folks also found this site while searching for “Bronson Pinchot shirtless”, and really, haven’t we all done this at some point?

Also, many thanks to Lauren of “Gregarious Girdler” fame, who is our number four referencer, beating out the all-powerful Facebook in that regard.  She didn’t do as well as the Pittsburgh Comicon website, though.  So step it up, Girdler.

2013 was an interesting year for Franks and Beans.  2014, though, should bring bigger and better things.  And also some posts.  Let’s make it happen.

We’re not dead yet!

 

As you may have realized, the F&B blog as taken a bit of a hiatus.  But that doesn’t meant we’ve stopped caring about you, loyal Franks and Beans fans.  Oh no, we still think longingly about each and every one of you right before we go to bed each night.  It’s true!  Why would I make something like that up?

In any case, I’ll start posting content again soon and will try to keep these fallow periods to a minimum.  In the meantime, why not head over to the Teddy and the Yeti blog and read about our costumed adventures at Comic-Con?  Or check out the DukesCollector blog and read about…other things we did a Comic-Con?  The picture at the top of this post is a screen shot from the next new episode of Franks and Beans…so stay tuned!  And thanks for not hating me for ignoring this blog for the last few weeks.  Unless you do hate me.  That might be awkward.

New Franks and Beans DVDs!

We at Franks and Beans have made DVDs before. We have! We’ve even sold a few of them. When Comic-Con rolled around for us this year, though, I wanted to do something different and simpler than before. The DVDs the first time around were in a standard-size clamshell case (I’m sure you can picture it), and those things take up a lot of room, which was at a premium since we were flying out to San Diego and most airlines think it’s okay to charge extra for taking things with you (thank goodness for Southwest!). Also, what’s the deal with airline food? But I digress.

Space wasn’t the only concern this time around, though. While the original full-size DVDs were bulky to be sure, I wanted this new batch to look a little bit different to reflect an image, too. The Wagon Wheel Comics booth was in the small press section at Comic-Con, and these DVDs are about as “small press” as you can get. The show isn’t going to compete with network programs on any level, so the need to make them similar to standard releases just wasn’t there. If anything, I wanted to make these DVDs stand out because of the differences in play.

With that in mind, we ended up with this:

This is obviously the disc for season two; season one has a solid black background with a silver “1” painted on. I’m happy with the results. They’re unique and they don’t just have the name written on them in permanent marker or anything. I used regular DVD-RWs: I laid them all out flat on cardboard, took them outside, and spray-painted the heck out of them. For the season two DVDs, I used two coats of green as a base. For the red, which apparently looks like blood splatter, I held the can paint sideways and just barely pressed down on the nozzle. It was a lucky moment. I used an X-Acto-knife to cut out the numbers in a comic book backing board (versatile little buggers) and used them as stencils.

The DVDs themselves went into paper sleeves. To complete the ensemble, I modified the original case artwork to fit, added quippy new taglines, and ended up with the compact, squarish pieces that you see directly above and at the very top of the post. These were printed out on sticker paper and slapped on the back.

As I mentioned before, the focus for the show was on selling comics like Teddy and the Yeti and FUBAR, and some of the other stuff, the DVDs included, took a back seat out of necessity. But we did sell a good handful of them! I wonder if those who bought it realize how giddy that makes both Larry and me. Even if they sit in the Comic-Con swag bag for months on end before being sorted. Even if someone takes it out of the bag, looks it over quizzically, wondering “where the hell did I get this?”. Even is someone throws the disc like a Frisbee, trying to stick it into a watermelon. Someone has it! And they might even watch it. To those people, I apologize for the episodes that are a little bit dumb.

This is a close approximation of what the booth looked like. I say “close approximation” because it was taken at the show and is exactly what it looked like. So perhaps “close approximation” is the wrong phrase. Whatever. Regardless, you can see the DVDs on the table, in their place of honor, waiting to find a home. We still (a hem) have a few left, and would be willing to part with them, if anyone is interested. If such a person exists, leave a comment! And I might be willing to send them to you for free, and also take a picture of you and post it on this blog as our first official “fan of the millennium.” Think about it.

Franks and Beans go to Comic-Con

The great state of California has an event so big that people there will even buy Franks and Beans memorabilia.  It is true!  I kind of have proof.

The big trip to the San Diego Comic-Con is now behind us and it’s time to get back to serious, adult things, like blogging about Franks and Beans.  But don’t worry, pictures are involved.

Larry and I made our way to the Golden State for Comic-Con 2012, and it did not disappoint.  While the primary mission was to sell comics like Teddy and the Yeti and FUBAR, we also took the time to run around the show floor (literally) once or twice and partake in some of the festivities.

Before the show, I made some new discs of F&B seasons one and two.  Previous versions were in a clamshell case and on a Lightscribe DVD.  This time around, I wanted to do something a little different and made painted DVDs such as the one above.  I’ll post more about these gems later.

If you look to the left of this picture, you might see the DVDs on sale.  Or you may not.  But they are there!  And at quite a reasonable price, too!  We sold a handful of these and handed out dozens of cards to both willing and unwilling attendees, so hopefully there’ll be some more traffic checking out our videos.  Also, if you are new to this site and found us because of Comic-Con, let me know and I’ll send you a dollar.

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to dress up as Jet Boy and Jet Girl from the Venture Bros. cartoon.  And when you look good, people stand up and take notice.  The top picture features VB creators Doc Hammer and Jackson Public, and directly above, here we are with Matt Atchity, EIC of the Rotten Tomatoes website that we all love so very much.  What began as an innocent lunch of burritos from the nearby Taco Truck (TM) turned into an interview with Sirius/XM Radio.  We plugged comics and FRANKS AND BEANS OH YEAH WOO!  So at one golden moment, for but the briefest of moments, you could hear us talk about our stupid Internet sketch comedy show across the globe.  I’m sure the world stopped for a moment to recognize the occasion.

After the show, Larry and I toured the Warner Bros. studio and some stuff.  Along the Way, we visited the FRIENDS set, where we took this very intimidating picture.  Perhaps the WB would like to pick up a great series based on an Internet comedy show made by guys who probably aren’t that young anymore, at least in Hollywood terms?

Comic-Con was overwhelming and successful on many different levels.  There are things we could have done better, but overall I think it went well.

This blog wasn’t as funny as it should have been, and for that I apologize.  But what can you do?  I’m only one man.

Awards? BAH! Recognition? Fame? Who needs ’em?

Well, the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival (*heavy breathing*) recently released its schedule for the 2012 show!  That’s exciting, because…wait, what the hell?

Wh…Franks and Beans isn’t on the list?  Franks and Beans isn’t on the list!  But that mean…Double Delivery…and…it’s not…

Heck.  Well, I guess the word is out and our much anticipated episode didn’t make the cut.  Looking at the list, it seems that the IFF went with longer films this year, as opposed to years prior, when there was more of a mix between long and shorter films.  I was hoping that the short length of our episode would help it squeeze in to a slot: if there were five or ten minutes out there to spare, hey!  Why not throw in Franks and Beans!  But it was not to be.

This is a shame, of course, but it’s not entirely unexpected.  The IFF has become increasingly competitive in recent years, which *actual* actors starring in some of the submitted films.  I suppose that’s the mark of a growing, successful film festival.  It’ll be interesting to see what some of the selected films are like.

Regardless of this disappointing news, Larry and I will still be at Comic-Con, flying the F&B flag.  I think we’ll be able to get a few more people to take a look at the website and check out some of the episodes.  Maybe someone will even (gasp!) leave a comment on this website!  It’s coming up soon…if you’re going to be at the show, come and say hello to your mustache buddies.  Best of luck to all of the 2012 Comic-Con IFF selections!

Happy June!

June is already upon us, and you know what that mean – pretty soon, Comic-Con will contact us and let us know that Franks and Beans didn’t get selected for their film festival! What’s that?  I’m being overly negative about the chances of “Double Delivery” showing in San Diego?  Well, PROVE ME WRONG, COMIC-CON!  That would be a pleasant surprise.

By the way, what’s going on with those red jumpsuits?  Those looks pretty awesome and pretty film-able.  I’m just sayin’.

It’s that time of year again…

Perhaps you’re a regular Franks and Beans viewer who enjoys coming to this site to watch videos and read about exciting happenings with the show.  Perhaps you are an NFL mascot with a weakness for non-alcoholic whipped cream-themed desserts.  My point is, you’ve perhaps been disheartened with this blog in recent weeks, because there have been few updates and even fewer that aren’t simply episodes or production blogs.

In the weeks ahead, that will hopefully change.  The good news: my semester of teaching is officially over.  Once I turn in grades (mostly without making them up!), I’ll be free and clear until August, at which point I’ll be so busy you may never see me again.  But until then!  Oh, the possibilities are endless.  Between now and July’s big San Diego Comic-Con, Larry and I are going to be pounding the ground, hitting the phones and performing other cliche actions that make it sound like what we’re doing has a great level of urgency and importance.

This means that new episodes will be filmed.  This means that the blog will be updated with increasingly regularity!  This means that my hair will begin to grow back!  Well, two out of those three are likely (and the other was worth the wishful thinking).  It’ll be a big seven or eight weeks coming up.  Exciting times await.  The end.

“Double Delivery” mini update and creator bios!

Here’s a tiny update on our entry to the San Diego Comic-Con Independent Film Festival: it got there.  Hooray!  But that’s not all; not only did it arrive in sunny San Diego, but it also apparently broke the laws of time in doing so.  As you can see by the above image, our entry packet was delivered on February 1st at 11:43 am local time.  It’s expected to be delivered by February 2nd.  Perhaps that means on someone from the postal service got to take the package home for a day, tossing it up and down in a playful manner, before returning it to the PO box in time to be picked up.

Or perhaps not.  In either case, the film festival committee got our submission before the deadline!  Now the real waiting begins.

In the meantime, it was mentioned to me that displaying the creator bios necessitated by the festival might be a good idea.  And who am I to stand in the way of a good idea?  I’m considering pasting these to the Franks and Beans “About” page, but we’ll see.  In lieu of a better introduction, here are the official Franks and Beans Comic-Con International Film Festival Creator Bios!

Jeff McClelland (writer/director/actor) once saw two alligators rip a man in half, and he’s never been the same since: what had been a promising career in tromboning quickly gave way to comic books and Internet television.  Jeff currently lives in southwestern Pennsylvania where he writes the comic book Teddy and the Yeti, contributes to the New York Times best selling FUBAR series of graphic novels and creates Franks and Beans videos with his good friend Larry Franks.  He also showed up in One Tree Hill a couple times.  Find Jeff online at www.teddyandtheyeti.com and www.franksandbeansonline.com.

Larry Franks (producer/director/actor) threw a hot dog as part of the Dukes of Hazzard movie in 2005, thereby justifying his Master’s Degree in Multimedia Technology from California University of Pennsylvania.  Now that I think about it, I suppose that it also contributed to his video editing skills and camera work on productions such as Franks and Beans.  Larry lives in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, hopes to one day open a Dukes of Hazzard museum, and unrepentantly makes fun of Jeff McClelland’s hair loss.  Find Larry online at www.dukescollector.com and www.franksandbeansonline.com.