Members' Mausoleum => Calendar Events / Announcements Archive => Calendar Events / Announcements '24 I => Calendar Events / Announcements '16 II => Topic started by: Uncle Roger on August 23, 2016, 10:06:24 PM
Title: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Uncle Roger on August 23, 2016, 10:06:24 PM
Remember Frenchy, the artist whose work was featured in 16 Magazine as Frenchy's Freakies? She did several DS pieces, as well as other teen faves like the Monkees, the Beatles and others who have fallen into obscurity. I was wondering what ever became of Frenchy. Her art stopped appearing sometime in the mid 1970's. The person who runs a Gloria Stavers tribute page on Facebook said that she was an art student somewhere in the Midwest but had no other information. I suspect that the name Frenchy Blanche was a stage name. Even if it was her birth name, she could have married several times now. So the trail seems pretty cold. Anybody else have any information?
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: dom on August 24, 2016, 12:51:36 AM
You know, Unc, someone from 16 would have made a fun guest at a DS Fest.
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Uncle Roger on August 24, 2016, 01:19:54 AM
I was thinking that myself. Chief among those would have been Gloria Stavers herself who seemed to have a genuine feel for what the next big thing would be and knew how to make (and conceivably break) the newest teen idol. Stavers also seems to have written most, if not all, of the magazine's copy. Her unique hyperbole was unmistakable.
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: dom on August 24, 2016, 01:51:19 AM
I bought 16 strictly for DS. Good goddess how I loved the glossy color photo's!!
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Uncle Roger on August 24, 2016, 02:07:27 AM
So did I! The photos were absolutely top notch. Though I do remember having to wade through a lot of stuff that I had no interest in. Remember Sajid Khan?
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: dom on August 24, 2016, 02:10:28 AM
Yes, and I finally saw him in something - a rerun of The Patty Duke Show - I couldn't believe it! lol
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: dom on August 24, 2016, 02:13:09 AM
NO! It was The Big Valley!
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Uncle Roger on August 24, 2016, 03:11:10 AM
Correct! He was featured in 16 quite a lot back then!
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: dom on August 24, 2016, 11:58:12 AM
He sure was.
There was a magazine dealer at an "auction" where I lived that used to sell back issues of magazines, that was where I bought the back issues of 16 that featured the pre Petofi Dark Shadows I had missed. They kind of served as teasers - I never dreamed decades later I would have a chance to see the show in it's entirety. By then, I was well primed. The auction was named Collingswood!
Good luck, finding out about Frenchy!
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Uncle Roger on August 24, 2016, 02:30:41 PM
I saw some of her art posed on a page dedicated to the band The Association, so I posted an inquiry. One of the members of the band actually responded but had no information. [ghost_sad]
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Gothick on August 26, 2016, 01:23:53 PM
Somewhere, maybe on a Facebook DS group, I saw Frenchy's very first DS drawing from 1967. It was really well done and included Roger and Elizabeth, I think. I don't believe she ever featured them much in the work she did from the later period, which is the material more often seen on Shadows fan sites.
It would have been really fascinating to have Gloria Stavers guest at a Shadows event.
G.
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on August 26, 2016, 06:06:35 PM
Gothick, would that be the drawing of them with the broom?
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on September 03, 2016, 08:43:18 PM
A few days ago I tracked this down and scanned it but forgot to post it. Oops!
(http://www.dsboards.com/images/Frenchy-1.jpg) (http://www.dsboards.com/images/Frenchy-1.jpg) Click on the image for a 808X1079 version.
I presume this is the one you referred to, Gothick. [ghost_smiley]
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Josette on September 04, 2016, 06:29:48 AM
I never even heard of any of this - this is wonderful!
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on September 04, 2016, 07:00:36 PM
Frenchy's drawing were all top notch, but I definitely have a soft spot for all the drawings she did for DS. If you've never seen them, Josette, perhaps the next time I'm digging through my stuff for something, I'll pull out a few more, scan them, and post them here. [ghost_smiley]
And speaking of Frenchy's drawings, one thing I noticed when I was searching for the one above is that she also did a lot of drawings to accompany many of 16/Spec's DS articles. And I could tell this because they're all signed by her. But there are other drawings for some other 16/Spec's articles (like the Whole True Story of Dark Shadows series) that are not signed by anyone. I wonder if she also did those (many do look like they're in her style) or if someone else did them? But why sign some and not sign others? And if she didn't do them, why didn't the person who did do them not sign them? [hdscrt]
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Uncle Roger on September 04, 2016, 09:07:41 PM
I didn't see the one that MB posted until relatively recently but two pieces especially stand out for me. One has Maggie looking out the window into the night, with Amy and David in the background. Outside are Barnabas, Quentin, Chris and Angelique. The other is a 1968 piece that has Angelique removing the Cassandra persona as if it had been a mask.
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on September 04, 2016, 09:30:29 PM
One has Maggie looking out the window into the night, with Amy and David in the background. Outside are Barnabas, Quentin, Chris and Angelique.
Hmmm - I have no memory of that one at all. [hdscrt]
Quote
The other is a 1968 piece that has Angelique removing the Cassandra persona as if it had been a mask.
And the version of that that I remember was part of The Whole True Story of Dark Shadows series.
The other full page installments that I definitely remember featured Jonathan Frid as Barnabas, David Selby as Quentin, and Chris Pennock as a few of his roles. There may also be one of Don Briscoe. But because I haven't gone through all my stuff in years, I've completely lost track of all the ones that she did for the various DS articles.
Title: Re: Off Topic: Artist Frenchy Blanch
Post by: Gothick on September 05, 2016, 03:24:04 AM
I didn't remember the Cassandra drawing at all, but just as I was typing this, an image floated in to my mind and I think I did have the mag long ago that had it. I bought 16 religiously when the show was on because it had such good coverage. When AfterNoon TV started up towards the end of '68, it also had several fab features on the show. And it even covered my beloved STRANGE PARADISE in at least one issue.
Great detective work in tracking down the 1967 drawing, MB! I don't care for her portrait of Liz, but other than that, it's very good work.