Frank and Ernest
By Thaves | 19.3K FollowersAbout Frank and Ernest
"Frank & Ernest" continues to generate smiles, groans, and guffaws after more than three decades. From perspectives that range from above it all to below it all, "Frank & Ernest" touches on a variety of subjects, ranging from airplanes to zoos, and the characters can be anything in any time period. The variety helps to keep this enduring comic strip fresh.
The constant element in "Frank & Ernest" is its frank and earnest attitude: The strip’s subject diversity is addressed with a timeless and intelligent sensibility. Wordplay often adds extra amusement to keep readers interested and involved. The result can be a twisted phrase or a skewed outlook that manages to be empathetic and ironic yet never mean-spirited. As one journalist noted, “It is a safe bet that many ‘Frank & Ernest’ enthusiasts extract more from the strip than mere amusement. Thaves’ irony-laden, pithy brand of observational humor is often inspired by the average Joe’s interaction with perplexing cultural, political, legal, and theological questions.”
"Frank & Ernest" has a readership that cuts across demographics to include parents and children, teachers and students, managers and employees, young and old, male and female. "Frank & Ernest" is read daily by an estimated 25 million readers of 1,200 newspapers.
Meet Thaves
"Frank & Ernest," created by Bob Thaves, chronicles the antics of two "everyman" characters who are anything but ordinary! They appear in different settings and time periods—and even manifest as things and creatures other than people. The variety in the strip extends to their observations about a wide number of subjects.
Tom Thaves produces "Frank & Ernest." He began to work with his father, Bob, the strip’s creator, in 1997. Tom assumed more and more responsibility until he took over full-time upon Bob’s death in 2006.
The strip is known for innovation, having been the first panel presented in a strip format. It was the first to be nominated for a Reuben category award for both syndicated panel and comic strip, and it has won category Reuben awards three times.