Leanne Franson facts for kids

Leanne Franson was born in 1963 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. She is a talented Canadian illustrator and cartoonist. She creates pictures for many different types of books, including picture books for young children, novels for older kids, and school textbooks. She also illustrates pamphlets and magazines. Today, Leanne lives in Martensville, Saskatchewan, which is close to Saskatoon. She can speak both English and French. She has an adopted son from China, who learns at home. She also has two cats named Sadie and Alley.

Leanne Franson is known for her comics that feature a character named Liliane. These comics are often based on Leanne's own experiences. Her comics have been collected in books and included in many different collections of stories.

Early Life and Learning

Leanne Franson shared that when she was growing up, she mostly collected comic books about Betty and Veronica. She also spent a lot of time at the library. There, she enjoyed reading the comics in the Leader Post newspaper.

In 1982, Leanne began studying Fine Arts at Concordia University in Montreal. She graduated in 1985. While she was in school, around 1986, she started drawing her own comics. From 1986 to 1991, she also worked in retail sales at Le Pavillon des Arts. Later, in 1988, she studied ceramics at the Banff Centre, School of Fine Arts, and finished in 1989.

Leanne started working as a professional illustrator in 1991. She created art for both regular books and educational books. In 1992, she published her first comic. Since then, she has self-published more than twenty issues of her mini-comic series called Liliane. In 1994, Leanne moved from Montreal to London to learn more about the comic scene in other countries.

Comic Books and Stories

Leanne Franson is best known for her comic character, Liliane. Liliane is often seen as Leanne's comic alter ego, meaning the character is a lot like her. Leanne has published three books that collect her comics featuring Liliane. These books are Teaching Through Trauma (1999), Assume Nothing: Evolution of a Bi-Dyke (2000), and Don't Be A Crotte (2004). Just like Leanne, Liliane's day job in the comics is illustrating comic books.

Leanne Franson was inspired by the simple drawing style of Ben Wicks. She also liked the characters created by Lynne Johnston. Leanne first created Liliane in 1992. Her comic work has been described as being like a long essay, exploring different ideas. Leanne uses her comic series to discuss various social topics. Even though she tackles important subjects, Liliane the character is drawn in a simple, bright style. Leanne also contributed comics to a British group called Fanny, which started in 1991. This group published comic collections through Knockabout Comics. In the early 1990s, Franson also drew comic strips for a monthly publication called LesboInfo. She took a break from publishing comics between 1999 and 2004.

Liliane's Comic Appearances

Leanne Franson's character, Liliane, has appeared in many comics and collections. Here are some of them:

• Oh...: Her, Comic Quarterly, 1992.
• "Hair... a True Happening...," Zine: Mousie #2, 1992.
• Dyke's Delight!, Issue 1, 1993.
• Real Girl #6, Holiday 1993.
• "Vladmira, The Lesbian Vampire," Gay Comix #18, Spring 1993.
• "Differently Pleasured," Brat Attack, the Zine for Leatherdykes and Other Bad Girls, issue 4. 1993.
• "Race, she said... and Interracial Relationships," Zine: Mousie #3, 1993.
• "Toaster: A Story of Unplanned Parenthood," Gay Comix #22, Summer 1994.
• Strange-Looking Exile #5, 1994.
• Action Girl Comics, Issue 1, 1994
• Dyke's Delight! Issue 2, 1994.
• Action Girl Comics, Issue 2, 1995.
• Gay Comix #24, Fall 1996.
• Assume Nothing: Starring Liliane: Evolution of a Bi-Dyke, 1997.
• Various stories in Assume Nothing, Slab-O-Concrete, 1999.
• Stories like "l'il Liliane in Untimely Hamster Deaths" in Teaching Through Trauma, Slab-O-Concrete, 1999.
• "Old Wives Tales," Don't Touch Me, volume 1, issue 6, 1997.
• Men Are From Detroit, Women Are From Paris, 1999.
• Stories like "A Rental Disaster" in Don't Be a Crotte!, 2004.
• Kirby, Robert. Boy Trouble: 10th Anniversary Issue, 2004.

Stories in Collections

Leanne Franson's work has also been included in many different collections and articles:

• Bell, Brandi Leigh-Ann. Riding the Third Wave: Women-Produced Zines and Feminisms, 2002.
• Camper, Jennifer. Juicy Mother: Celebration, 2004.
• Elfodiluce, Valeriano. Happy Boys & Girls: Storie Sentimentali di Gay e Lesbiche, 2006.
• Camper, Jennifer. Juicy Mother 2: How They Met, 2007.
• "... and Then She Wrote," Women's Review of Books Volume 24, No. 4, 2007.
• Marni, Stanley. Drawn Out, 2010.
• Hall, Justine. "Bof and Buzz in Rip Up those Roles!! (1993)" & "Liliane in the Sensitive Straight Boy (1996)" from No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, 2012.
• Christensen, Charles "Zan." Anything That Loves, 2013.

Current Work

Today, Leanne Franson mostly works as an illustrator for children's books. She works with several Canadian publishers, creating books in both English and French. Some of the French publishers she has worked with include Soulières Éditeur and Les éditions de la courte échelle. For English books, she has worked with Scholastic Canada, Bayard Canada, Orca Press, and Annick Press.

Leanne Franson's main focus is now on her illustrations. Scholastic, a well-known publisher, says that she has illustrated nearly 80 different books! Her artwork has also appeared in magazines, textbooks, and even a commercial.

When Leanne creates her art, she often starts with a pencil. Then she uses a technical pen and a dip pen. She adds layers of color using acrylic ink or India ink. She also uses digital tools, drawing on a Wacom Cintiq touch monitor.

In early 2016, Leanne Franson started making ceramic items again. She works in her home studio. Both she and her son enjoy working with stoneware and porcelain. Leanne likes to hand-build her small ceramic pieces, but she also uses a pottery wheel.

Books Illustrated in French

• Brousseau, Linda. Marélie de la mer: roman, 1993.
• Anne Legault, Une fille pas comme les autres, 1997.
• Jasmine Dubé, L'ourson qui voulait une Juliette, 1997.
• Legault, Anne. Une première pour Étamine Léger,1998.
• Manjusha Pawagi, La petite fille qui détestait les livres, 1998.
• Girard, Éric. Drôle de singe!,1999.
• Therrien, Maurice. Éloïse et le cadeau des arbres,1999.
• Legault, Anne. Un message d'Etamine Léger, 1999.
• Therrien, Maurice. Éloïse et le vent, 2000.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne. Le mystère des nuits blanches: roman. 2000.
• Chrystine Brouillet, Une chauve-souris qui pleurait d'être trop belle, 2000.
• Boisvert, Nicole M. Crapule, le chat, 2000.
• Gagnon, Cécile. Le chien de Pavel: un roman, 2000.
• Bergeron, Lucie. Bout de comète!, 2000.
• Desrosiers, Sylvie. Au revior, Camille!, 2000.
• Andrée-Anne Gratton, Simon et Violette, 2001.
• Brochu, Yvon. Sauvez Henri!, 2001.
• Desrosiers, Sylvie. Le concert de Thomas, 2001.
• Andrée-Anne Gratton. Simon et Violette, 2001.
• Sylvie Desrosiers, Ma mère est une extraterrestre, 2002.
• Raymond Plante, La curieuse invasion de Picots-les-Bains par les zèbres, 2002.
• Louise-Michelle Sauriol, Siara et L'oiseau d'amour, (French and Inuktitut), 2002.
• Desrosiers, Sylvie. Ma mère est une extraterrestre, 2002.
• Rose, Indiana. Benten et le dragon, 2003.
• Gagnon, Cécile. Justine et le chien de Pavel: un roman, 2003.
• Desrosiers, Sylvie. Je suis Thomas, 2003.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne. Le secret de Simon: roman, 2003.
• Plante, Raymond. Un canard entre les canines, 2004.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne, Un espion dans la maison: roman, 2004.
• Sauriol, Louise-Michelle. Les trouvailles d'Adami, 2004.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne. Simon, l'as du ballon: roman, 2004.
• Plante, Raymond. La vedette de la ronflette, 2005.
• Blanchette, Chantal. Les chaussettes de Julien: roman, 2005.
• Robert Soulières, Le chien de Léopold, 2006.
• Plante, Raymond. Le chaud manteau de Léo, 2006.
• Bertrand, Nathalie. Les pieds dans les plats, 2006.
• Gagnon, Cécile. Justine et Sofia, 2006.
• Sauriol, Louise-Michelle. Les aventures du géant Beaupré, 2006.
• Desrosiers, Sylvie. Audition de Thomas (L'), 2006.
• Nathalie Bertrand, Les Pieds dans les plats, 2007.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne. Mission chocolat pour Simon: roman, 2007.
• Poirier, Nadine. Au voleur!, 2008.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne. Simon et Zizou: roman, 2008.
• Cécile Gagnon, Justine au Pays de Sofia, 2008.
• Jarry, Marie-Hélène. À la recherche du tikami, 2009.
• Somain, Jean-François. Le béret vert: un roman, 2009.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne. Simon est amoureux: roman, 2009.
• Mativat, Geneviève. La sonate des chatouilles, 2009.
• Brousseau, Linda. Marélie de la mer: roman, 2010.
• Bergeron, Alain M. Le petit maître, 2010.
• Gagnon, Cécile. Justine et Sofia au pays des bleuets: un roman, 2010.
• Brousseau, Linda. Le vrai père de Marélie, 2010.
• Luca, Françoise de. Jason et la tortue des bois: un roman, 2011.
• Brousseau, Linda. Marélie et les sanglots de l'oie bleue: roman, 2011.
• Gratton, Andrée-Anne. Simon et les grands cornichons: roman, 2012.
• Sauriol, Louise-Michelle. Les ogres du printemps, 2012.
• Renaud, Anne. Les pierres d'Emma, 2012.
• Hughes, Susan. Adorable Choco, 2013.
• Hughes, Susan. Gentille Mirabelle, 2013.
• Sauriol, Louise-Michelle. Le mysterère du trésor noir: roman jeunesse, 2014.
• Hughes, Susan. Incroyable Zorro, 2014.
• Arsenault, Marie-Andrée. Les souvenirs du sable, 2014.
• Papineau, Lucie. Petit Écureuil à l'école des couleurs, 2014.
• Hughes, Susan. Houdini a disparu, 2015.
• Bellingham, Brenda. Les princesses ne portent pas de jeans, 2015.
• Brien, Sylvie. Valentin, ni trop petit, ni trop grand, 2015.
• Canciani, Katia. Le voyage en Chine, 2015.
• Brien, Sylvie. Jérôme et son fantôme, 2015.
• Hughes, Susan. Cajou en spectacle, 2015.
• Héloua, Laïla. La disparition de monsieur Bonjour, 2015.
• Hughes, Susan. Fripon le curieux, 2015.
• De Repentigny, Myriam & Pratte, Guy. Le mur de feu, 2016.
• Brien, Sylvie. Les têtes coupées, 2016.
• Hughes, Susan. Muscade s'ennuie, 2016.
• Arsenault, Marie-Andrèe. La traversée des mers, 2017.
• Pratte, Guy. Ted et les oiseaux de paradis, 2018.
• Labrie, Francine. Dans la peau des autres, 2019.

Books Illustrated in English

• Allen, Eleanor. Ghost From the Sea, 1995.
• Bennett, Leonie. Pattern and Rhyme, 1996.
• Snihura, Ulana. I Miss Franklin P. Shuckles, 1998.
• Pawagi, Manjusha. The Girl Who Hated Books, 1998.
• Tregebov, Rhea. What-If Sara, 1999.
• Larose, Linda. Jessica Takes Charge, 1999.
• Martenova Charles, Veronika. Don't Open the Door!: Easy-To-Read Spooky Tales, 2000.
• Marlowe, Pete. The Trailer Park Princess, 2000.
• Adler, David A. Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by Police, 2001.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Big Book Special Edition, 2001.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! World's Weirdest Critters, 2001.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Amazing Escapes, 2001.
• Roberts, Ken. The Thumb in The Box, 2001.
• Ross Enderle, Judith & Jacob Gordon, Stephanie. School Stinks, 2001.
• Martenova Charles, Veronika. Don't Go Into the Forest!, 2001.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Creepy Stuff, 2001.
• Poploff, Michelle. Pajama Party, 2002.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odd-inary People, 2002.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Bizarre Bugs, 2002.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Awesome Animals, 2002.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Weird Science, 2003.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Blasts From The Past, 2003.
• Packard, Mary. Ripley's Believe it or Not! X-Traordinary X-Tremes, 2003.
• Sauriol, Louise-Michelle. Les trouvailles d'Adami, 2004.
• Il était une fois: 12 histoires à raconter, 2005.
• Adler, David A. It's a Baby, Andy Russel!, 2005.
• Roberts, Ken. Thumb on a Diamond, 2006.
• Wishinsky, Frieda. Far From Home, Canadian Flyer Adventures #11, 2008.
• Wishinsky, Frieda. Lost in the Snow, Canadian Flyer Adventures #10, 2008.
• Wishinsky, Frieda. All Aboard!, Canadian Flyer Adventures #9, 2008.
• Roberts, Ken. Thumb and the Bad Guys, 2011.
• Pierce, Jacqueline. The Mystery of the Missing Luck, 2011.
• Pierce, Jacqueline. Flood Warning!, 2012.
• Hughes, Susan. Bailey's Visit, 2013.
• Hughes, Susan. Riley Knows Best, 2013.
• Hughes, Susan. Murphy Helps Out, 2014.
• Hughes, Susan. Bijou Needs a Home, 2014.
• Hughes, Susan. Piper's First Snow, 2015.
• Bellingham, Brenda. Princesses Don't Wear Jeans, 2015.
• Hughes, Susan. Cricket's Close Call, 2015.
• Gjenero Bilich, Mary. Marko Gets a Puppy, 2015.
• Hughes, Susan. Nutmeg All Alone, 2016.
• Hughes, Susan. Houdini's Escape, 2016.
• Hull, Maureen. Rainy Days with Bear, 2016.
• Renaud, Anne. Emma's Gems, 2019.
• Hughes, Susan. Puppy Pals, 2019.
• Alistair, Gwynevere. Calm Before the Test, 2020.

Awards and Recognition

In 1997, Leanne Franson was a finalist for a special award called the Governor General's Award. This was for her amazing illustrations in the book L'Ourson qui voulait une Juliette.

Art Exhibitions

Leanne Franson's work was shown in an art exhibition called "She Draws Comics." This exhibition was put together by Trina Robbins. It started in 2002 in Vienna at the Secession Gallery. That same year, it traveled to Gijon. The exhibition then went to San Francisco in 2003. It finally ended in 2006 in New York City at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.