A Look Into The Work Of Local Wantagh Artist, Francis Bonnet

By Natalie Almeida

Francis Bonnet is a local artist and a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where he earned a degree in Illustration. From a young age, Francis was always drawn to the world of cartoons. Growing up, he recalls a used bookstore around the corner from him, which he visited regularly to buy Peanuts, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes books with the money he earned from his allowance. These were some of his favorite comic strips and it was in those moments in which he knew that this was something he wanted to do. He soon began making his very own comics in grade school, which served as a foundation that helped him learn and improve upon since then. During his time at FIT, he has also developed his skills further in graphic design and painting, which helped his career tremendously.

In 2003, Francis first published a comic called Crunchy, which ran both online and in print for two years. Afterwards, he began focusing his efforts on Suburban Fairy Tales. This comic series follows fairy tale characters in a modern, suburban Long Island setting. The series has evolved over the years and has since narrowed down its characters to primarily focus on The Three Little Pigs. Today, eight Suburban Fairy Tales books have been published and are available for purchase on Amazon. The newest book, All’s Fair In Love and Wolves, was published this past September and it introduces a new character, Wolfette, who will become the love interest of one of The Three Little Pigs. The series has also been featured on GoComics, Kidjutsu, Raytoons Cartoon Avenue, Global Comix, Webtoon, and The Funnies.

Francis Bonnet also freelances for a variety of other comic series. He began working for Archie Comics Publications in February 2015 and provides stories and cover ideas for various Archie Digests. Francis has also contributed to other comic strips such as Rhymes with Orange by Hilary Price and Frank and Ernest by Bob Thaves.

For up-to-date content on Suburban Fairy Tales, visit www.suburbanfairytales.com or follow along on Instagram @suburbanfairytales. To contact Francis directly, email francisbonnet@yahoo.com.