:User:Jmegeelees/sandbox

Founded in 2017, Jank Words & Pictures was established to bridge research, visual storytelling, and cultural memory through immersive, story-based formats. The studio blends photography, writing, illustration, and game design, aiming to both entertain and inform. Its creative tagline—Entertain, Educate, Inspire Through Storytelling—reflects the company's commitment to original, form-breaking storytelling.

Prior to founding the company, co-founder Jamie Lees led a range of creative development workshops aimed at helping individuals reconnect with their creative voice, often after years of disuse or personal setbacks. One such program, a 12-week course titled Unblocking and Expanding Creative Potential, encouraged participants to explore their personal stories and creative expression. It was featured in the Windsor Star and Greater Windsor News Magazine. She also taught Writing Your Life Story Through Personal Stories through the Continuing Education department at St. Clair College in Windsor. These experiences laid the foundation for Jank's ongoing commitment to educational storytelling, which continued in 2022 with a Jank-led book study based on Julia Cameron's It's Never Too Late to Begin Again.

Launched in December 2024 and fully funded on Kickstarter by January 2025, Synopsis is a fast-paced tabletop game *Synopsis* is a fast-paced tabletop game.\"Could game nights feature a game that was created in Amherstburg?\" Rivertown Times, January 2025. https://www.jank.ca/press/rivertown-times that encourages storytelling, recall, and collaborative play. Players build narratives using themed "Element Cards" across genres like Mystery, Romance, Fairytale, and Situation. The game's flexible design makes it ideal for classrooms, senior centres, family game nights, public speaking practice, and team-building in business training environments.

Synopsis received regional media coverage and was featured on CKBG 107.9 Radio Amherstburg, CKRT Border City Radio, and in the Rivertown Times newspaper. Its tagline is Spin Tales. Forge Heroes. Create Worlds.

Blood Sucking Lawyers is a 200-page graphic novel parodying the legal system. Originally written as a screenplay by Frank D'Angelo and Matthew St. Amand, it is illustrated using Jank's proprietary photo illustration method—staging and photographing a cast of over 60 models and composing the pages using cinematic layouts. The project received media attention for its unique production approach and darkly comic tone.

The novel was featured on CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive,The novel was featured on CBC Radio's *Afternoon Drive*.\"Blood Sucking Lawyers,\" CBC Radio Afternoon Drive, January 2025. Archived at Jank Words & Pictures. https://www.jank.ca/press/cbc-radio-afternoon-drive CBC Windsor News (TV), and was presented during a creative talk at The Windsor Centre for Film, Digital Media & the Creative Arts.

In September 2024, Jank produced a month-long exhibition at the Central Library in Dundee, Scotland,In September 2024, Jank produced a month-long exhibition at the Central Library in Dundee, Scotland.\"Left at the Wellgate: Exhibition explores family secrets and migration,\" The Scotsman, September 2024. Archived at Jank Words & Pictures. https://www.jank.ca/press exploring the story of Mary Petrie Smith, Jamie Lees' great-grandmother who left her children behind in 1911 to immigrate alone to Canada. The exhibit blended historical research, family archives, and visual storytelling, and included interactive talks and related community events.

The exhibition was supported by Leisure and Culture Dundee and included a series of public talks:

• "Women Moving On: Living Conditions, Work, and Emigration in the Early 20th Century" presented by Dr. Esther Breitenbach, Honorary Research Fellow in History at the University of Edinburgh, a widely published expert on women in Scotland and the impact of empire on Scottish society.
• "Childbirth and Women's Mental Health in Scotland: A Conversation" with Dr. Morag Allan Campbell, author of the doctoral thesis "This distressing malady: Childbirth and mental illness in Scotland 1820–1930" (University of St Andrews, 2020), and Caroline Brown, Archivist at the University of Dundee.

The exhibition received coverage in:

• The Scotsman
• The Scottish BannerThe exhibition received coverage in *The Scottish Banner*.\"Left at the Wellgate: The Untold Story of Mary Petrie Smith,\" The Scottish Banner, September 2024. Archived at Jank Words & Pictures. https://www.jank.ca/press
• Tay FM Radio Dundee
• Leisure and Culture Dundee
• An exhibition review by author Peter Aitchison
• The Scots Canadian (Scottish Studies Foundation newsletter)

A picture book adaptation of the exhibition is slated for release in winter 2025, followed by a theatrical version in 2026.

Jank's work has been featured in Canadian national and regional media, as well as in international outlets in Scotland and across the Scottish diaspora. Highlights include:

• CBC Radio (Ontario Morning, Afternoon Drive)
• CBC Windsor News (Television)
• CKBG 107.9 Radio Amherstburg
• CKRT Border City Radio
• Tay FM Dundee (Scotland)
• The Scotsman (Scotland's national newspaper)
• The Scottish Banner
• Rivertown Times (Ontario)
• The Scots Canadian – Scottish Studies Foundation newsletter
• Leisure and Culture Dundee
• Peter Aitchison, author of Black Friday: The Story of the Eyemouth Fishing Disaster
• The Windsor Centre for Film, Digital Media & the Creative Arts

Beyond its original projects, Jank Words & Pictures offers creative consulting, storytelling strategy, narrative development, visual design, and workshop facilitation. Their work is often collaborative and focused on connecting people to meaningful stories—whether personal, historical, or cultural.

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.jank.ca/ Official Website]
• [https://www.bloodsuckinglawyers.com/ Blood Sucking Lawyers]