Stephan Franck

{{Short description|French-American animator and writer}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}

{{Infobox person

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| image = Stephan Franck by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Franck at the 2024 WonderCon

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| nationality = French – American

| other_names =

| occupation = Animator, writer, director, comics creator

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| notable_works = Corneil & Bernie
The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow
Silver
What If...?

}}

Stephan Franck is a Franco-American animator, writer, director, and comics creator. In 2013, he received an Annie Award nomination for Best Director for a direct to video or TV broadcast for The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow.{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-hill/why-stephan-franck-was-drawn_b_3943610.html|title=Why Stephan Franck Was Drawn to Use Hand-drawn Animation on The Legend of Smurfy Hollow|first=Jim|last=Hill|website=HuffPost |date=September 17, 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/stephan-franck-talks-legend-smurfy-hollow|title=Stephan Franck talks 'The Legend of Smurfy Hollow'|website=Animation World Network}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/director-stephan-franck-returns-the-smurfs-to-their-hand-drawn-roots-88256.html|title=Director Stephan Franck Returns 'The Smurfs' To Their Hand-Drawn Roots|date=September 19, 2013|website=Cartoon Brew}}{{cite web|url=https://www.etonline.com/tv/138249_Classic_Smurfs_Return_The_Legend_of_Smurfy_Hollow|title=Classic Smurfs Return in 'Legend of Smurfy Hollow'|website=Entertainment Tonight|date=September 10, 2013 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/people/rising-stars-animation/|title=Rising Stars of Animation|first=Ramin|last=Zahed|date=September 14, 2013}} Franck supervised the animation of the first season of the Disney+ Marvel Animation series What If...?.{{Cite web |last=Arrant |first=Chris |date=April 15, 2020 |title=Work on Marvel Studios' What If...? Continues During Coronavirus Pandemic |url=https://www.newsarama.com/49833-work-on-marvel-studios-what-if-for-disney+-continues-remotely-during-coronavirus-pandemic.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417203613/https://www.newsarama.com/49833-work-on-marvel-studios-what-if-for-disney+-continues-remotely-during-coronavirus-pandemic.html |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |website=Newsarama}}{{Cite web |date=December 21, 2023 |title=What If 2 production brief Final with cast |url=https://assets.dam.gettyimages.com/74wrmnvc589nw2hsr7gmvjq/v/1158838430/original/WHAT%20IF%202%20production%20brief%20FINAL%20with%20cast%2012-21-23.pdf?Expires=1703381251&KeyName=gcs-bfldr-prod&Signature=1Hy9vdrYz0I4cWNUjY6D4JUZFp0= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223014648/https://assets.dam.gettyimages.com/74wrmnvc589nw2hsr7gmvjq/v/1158838430/original/WHAT%20IF%202%20production%20brief%20FINAL%20with%20cast%2012-21-23.pdf?Expires=1703381251&KeyName=gcs-bfldr-prod&Signature=1Hy9vdrYz0I4cWNUjY6D4JUZFp0= |archive-date=December 23, 2023 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |publisher=The Walt Disney Studios |page=9}} He directed the season two episode "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?",{{Cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/12/tune-in-marvels-what-if-returns-with-jeffrey-wright-boarding-roster-of-mcu-stars/|title=Tune In: Marvel's 'What If...?' Returns with Jeffrey Wright Boarding Roster of MCU Stars|first=Mercedes|last=Milligan|date=December 22, 2023}} as well as the season three episodes "What If... the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?", "What If... Howard the Duck Got Hitched?","What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?", "What If... 1872?" (co-directed with Bryan Andrews), and "What If... the Watcher Disappeared?".{{Cite web |date=December 18, 2024 |title=What If Season 3 Final Production Brief |url=https://dam.gettyimages.com/thewaltdisneystudios/whatifseason3/#!asset/cj6k6j427gvrn4wjtp7fn59 |access-date=December 19, 2024 |publisher=Walt Disney Studios |pages=3–5}}

In 2014, Franck was nominated for the Russ Manning Award{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/nominees-announced-for-2014-russ-manning-award/|title=Nominees announced for 2014 Russ Manning Award – CBR|website=cbr.com|date=May 30, 2014 }} for the first volume of the graphic novel series Silver which he writes and illustrates.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsarama.com/22752-best-shots-comic-reviews-all-new-captain-america-1-batman-36-more.html|title=Best Shots Comic Reviews: ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA #1, BATMAN #36, More|website=Newsarama|date=March 31, 2021 }}{{cite web|url=https://nerdist.com/article/you-need-to-read-this-crowdfunded-comic-about-the-plot-to-steal-draculas-silver/|title=You Need to Read This Crowdfunded Comic About the Plot to Steal Dracula's Silver|website=Nerdist}}{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/05/03/603652979/free-comic-book-day-2018-a-guide-to-the-best-bets-and-the-best-avoided|title=Free Comic Book Day 2018: A Guide to the Best Bets and the Best Avoided|publisher=NPR}} In 2017, it was announced that writer Andrew Cosby was attached to write a movie adaptation of the Silver series.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/10/silver-stephan-franck-andrew-cosby-graphic-novel-movie-1202182792/|title='Silver' Mettle For 'Hellboy' Scribe Andrew Cosby|first1=Mike Jr. |last1=Fleming|date=October 5, 2017}} In 2022, the publishing of Silver moved from Dark Planet{{Cite web|url=https://www.freecomicbookday.com/Article/207174-FCBD18-Interview-Gothic-Drama-Frames-Dark-Planets-Silver|title=FCBD18 Interview: Gothic Drama Frames Dark Planet's Silver|website=www.freecomicbookday.com}} to Abrams Books's ComicArts Imprint.https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4197-5859-1 Franck's neo-noir graphic novel series Palomino debuted in 2020,{{Cite web|url=https://laist.com/news/entertainment/palomino-country-music-comic-book-graphic-novel-stephan-franck|title=The Plan To Bring North Hollywood's 'Palomino' Country Music Club Back To Life -- In Comic Form|date=April 17, 2020|website=LAist}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/cowboy-comic-palomino-launches-crowdfunding-campaign-1289845/|title=Cowboy Comic ‘Palomino’ Launches Crowdfunding Campaign|first=Graeme|last=McMillan|date=April 13, 2020}} with 2 more volumes released in 2023, earning Franck a 2024 Ringo Award nomination.

Franck is also the co-creator of the animated TV show Corneil & Bernie.