Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 117- Jan/Feb 2024 i frankie Magazine

Is it belonging to a supportive run club (page 34)? Is it being skilled in the art of avoiding conversations with people who are members of run clubs (page 43)? Maybe scrawling all your erratic thoughts onto the pages of a journal (page 18) or expressing them through a scrappy zine (page 67) gives you an internal buzz like nothing else can. Perhaps it’s something as simple as watching trashy reality TV while wearing your daggiest duds. Whatever that thing may be – the thing that sends all those happy chemicals surging through your bod – make sure you set aside some time to do that thing this summer. (Unless it’s illegal or dangerous, in which case we suggest giving one of the many activities outlined in this issue a…

real life If I were to measure the early stages of my life according to the three major themes of my diaries, it would go something like this. I find my feet in the written world by religiously cataloguing every swear word I pick up in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. I’m too young to watch this, but I have an older brother, so there. Inscriptions of “shagadelic”, “bastard” and “big crap” grace the scented pages of a journal that features a holographic fairy on the cover. My mum found it for me in a Blue Mountains bookshop. When she clocks what I’ve used it for, she takes it away. I get it – she can’t have her six-year-old walking around reciting the words, “Someone took a shite…

Alexa Leary was training for a triathlon when she fell from her bike in July 2021. Travelling at about 70km/h, Lex hit her head and suffered a brain injury that doctors weren’t convinced she’d survive. Just two years later, Lex had not only relearnt to walk and talk (and dance – one of her favourite pastimes) – she’d also qualified to compete in the World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, England. Then, in August 2023, she won gold. “I was amazed at myself. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, Lex, look what you just did,’” the 22-year-old athlete says of the moment she realised she’d won. “But I didn’t do it alone.” Lex shares her success with her coach Jon Bell, whom she met in early 2022. During her intense…

Tell us about all the elements in this issue's cover.I was thinking about those tropical, sunny, Gold Coast vibes. I wanted to feature the kind of imagery that you associate with this time of year – the fruits you put on a pavlova, hibiscus, frangipanis – and I wanted to go for a feeling of abundance and playfulness. I thought the suitcase could show this feeling that the frankie bumper issue has – it’s overflowing with stuff. We’ve also got the Wicked Witch of the West’s legs in the middle there. Not quite sure how that fits in with the summer vibes, but it was a little bit of fun. The background is in my signature painterly, abstract style, and it gives a lot of energy to the cover. Where…

perfect pressies Giving friends and family members a thoughtful present is a sweet experience – it feels good to spoil the people you love, right? The experience of actually findingthose thoughtful gifts, on the other hand, is totally painful. Where do you even begin to look?! It’s dread-inducing. And worse than that, is the experience of watching your pal unwrap a present and feign excitement when their deadened eyes are clearly communicating that they are significantly underwhelmed. Oh, the horror! But fear not, festive chums, for we have rounded up a top-notch selection of gifts to suit all the folks in your life. THE FOODIE FRIEND Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures – not many people would argue against that. For this person, though, food islife’s greatest pleasure. They…

SPECK COMICS LIAM HANSEN AND STELLA ROPER Liam Hansen jokes that they started a zine to make more friends; and as far as tactics go, it’s a pretty good one. With the support of Jennifer and Aidan from New Zealand mag Rat World , and a mission to empower and foster a community for emerging artists around Aotearoa, Liam launched their independent comic zine, SPECK , in mid-2022. “I’m such an appreciator of comics and animation, without necessarily having the strong skills of illustration that Stella or any of our contributors have,” Liam says. In 2023, uni pal Stella Roper joined Liam in putting together the zine, having contributed to the first couple of issues as an artist. “I find that comics and zines are a great way to express…

fun stuff fill in the blanks can you believe 2023 is coming to an end? let’s take some time to reflect. My happiest memory from this year was _______________ The tastiest meal I ate this year was _______________ My biggest accomplishment this year was _______________ The song I played on repeat this year was _______________ In 2024, one thing I’d love to tick off my bucket list is _______________ The place I’d really like to visit this summer is _______________ The friend I should really call soon is _______________ Now, whip out some pencils or paints, head outside, and doodle a spot of nature. It could be a rose peeking over your neighbour’s fence, a wide-reaching gum tree, or your pup snoozing on the lawn. mood quiz if you’re wondering…

Watermelon has been valued by the Greeks for a few thousand years, not just as a culinary delight, but also as a diuretic and a medical treatment for heatstroke (they recommended placing the wet rind of the watermelon on one’s forehead). Today, watermelon is used copiously in fruit platters and salads, as well as being fried as fritters, baked as a part of cakes and sweets or cooked into delicious glyko karpouzi as a sweet preserve. INGREDIENTS – 1/4 watermelon (about 125g or 4 1/2 oz),peeled and sliced into chunks– 30ml (1 fl oz) ouzo– 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings– 50g (1 1/3 oz) Greek feta, crumbled– 2 tbsp roughly chopped mint– 1/2 bunch basil, torn METHOD Serves 4 Place watermelon in a large bowl and pour over…

BEACH ROAD NATURALS – HEMP SEED OIL & JUNIPER BERRY I liked that this is a family-owned and operated business, started by some siblings and their dad looking for better, healthier options. The company is also zero waste. Nice. The simple textured charcoal packaging appealed to me – it’s something you can leave on the counter without looking like you’re trying too hard (or not hard enough). But I did have to wear my glasses in the shower to read the instructions on the box. Yes, I need to read instructions on shampoo bars. I loved that the bar was grey. On brand. I didn’t love the scent, though. I think it reminded me of my dad’s ex-partner. The product itself was really hydrating. It didn’t have the drying effect…

pick your print! this nifty art card is double-sided. These sweet prints are the work of Philadelphia illustrator Molly Egan. On one side, you’ll find an adorable cowboy that was originally inspired by Sydney creative Sha’an d’Anthes’ (aka @furrylittlepeach) art challenge, Peachtober. “I’ve always been really inspired by nudie suits, so the cowboy prompt felt like the perfect time to paint one,” Molly explains. On the other side, you’ll spot a delightful green house that is based on a real abode. “One of my favourite things to do on a slow work day is to scroll through photos and collect references. I have a whole folder filled with houses!” Molly says. “Over the past year, houses have become one of my favourite subjects to draw and paint. I love experimenting…

There is nothing that fills me with a greater sense of dread than a friend suggesting we do sweat-inducing exercise together. Specifically, that we run together. It’s private! Leave me alone. While this attitude does have a little bit to do with a hip problem I’ve had since I was a teen, it’s also just the vibe . Look, I get it. For them, it’s an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone – a chance to socialise and boost their heart rate for an extended period of time. For me… please just kill me with the stone. Most exercise invitations from mates annoy me, for a moment, until I tell myself off for being an infant. Laps? Hot yoga? A pump class? I know you mean well, my…

By Caro Cooper – I can pinpoint the day that I decided being with my dog was better than being with friends. It was my 12th birthday party. I was big on parties, my parties, as a kid. I’m talking epic parties with every kid invited, the best games, a clown one year, Women’s Weekly cakes, the works. I wasn’t popular and yet the kids still came – that’s how good the parties were. My mum even sewed little pencil cases to use in place of lolly bags, and that was before landfill was something we acknowledged. I was pumped for my 12th birthday party. It wasn’t going to be a huge blowout (I was maturing, you know), but I had a 10-plus person guest list, the forecast was sunshine,…

This artwork really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I made it originally as a gift for some dear friends who live near the beach, and I had promised them something coastal-themed. I don’t usually work with blue or orange colours as I’m more of a pink-and-green kind of person, but I decided to include them in the arrangement because the seedpods looked similar to coral. I was unsure about it and almost didn’t release it, but it has been one of my most popular limited-edition prints. I focus all my energy on collecting or sourcing seedpods from all over Australia and then transform these often-overlooked vessels into unique pieces of art. Each of the seedpods I work with (I have 96 varieties and counting) requires specific tools and…

aries MARCH 21ST - APRIL 19TH Ah, beautiful bold Aries. You’ll have a ball over the New Year. As the proactive, confident sign, you’ll likely find yourself convincing mates to get off the couch and go out. Just don’t take it to heart if they’re not feeling as enthusiastic as you. And please, for the love of God, resist the urge to flip the board if you happen to lose Monopoly to your little sister. taurus APRIL 20TH - MAY 20TH The silly season is your time to shine, Taurus. There’s all that delicious nosh to nibble on, and all those parties to dress up for. (Hello, everything-showers!) Just don’t forget to take a little break between all the social and family outings – otherwise, you might end up snapping…

AP Pobjoy is a filmmaker who credits their lifelong love for the silver screen to being raised within a movie-loving family. Their documentarian grandfather, whose own film collection dates all the way back to WWII, helped inspire their lifelong movie obsession – specifically with British socialist cinema. “I was so amazed that he was able to capture stories in this tangible form,” AP says. “And I knew from then on that I wanted to make films, too.” This love for the moving image, as well as an innate awareness of the filmmaking process, led AP to continue down the path of their family’s legacy of visual storytelling and to develop a keen passion for amplifying LGBT+ voices and shooting through the lens of the transgender experience. AP’s past flicks have…

It’s a bit funny to think of Seattle as ‘off the beaten track’. After all, the Emerald City is home to 3.5 million people, not to mention Nirvana, Starbucks, Drs Meredith Grey and McDreamy, Frasier Crane and Tom Hanks’ insanely picturesque houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle . But Seattle and the surrounding state of Washington (not to be confused with Washington, D.C.) is a rather unusual stop for US-bound Australians and Kiwis, who tend to make a beeline for other West Coast locales like Los Angeles and Las Vegas. But head ever-so-slightly farther north and you’ll find a holiday destination that’s the perfect combination of urban and outdoorsy. Though Seattle is one of America’s coolest cities (there’s top-notch food, coffee, craft beer and music), it’s also the gateway to the…

What are the themes and ideas behind this series? If I’m No Longer Here, I Wanted You to Know is a series I created during the pandemic. During this time, I thought a lot about my mortality and the importance of expressing love and appreciation while we still had the chance. After losing my father in 2010, I had already begun thinking about how one day my children would have to navigate life without me, and the pandemic heightened those thoughts. I thought about people who were losing their lives to this virus, whom we didn’t know much about; I thought about George Floyd, who went to the store one day, whose life was stripped away from him by the knee of a police officer. I started to wonder, “If…

When I turned 20, I was at university in Adelaide, living in a sharehouse. I’m sure I felt incredibly mature, but I had absolutely no fucking idea what I wanted to do with my life. I got really involved in the student newspaper, which consumed me for the rest of my university days. I technically went to university to do an arts degree, but I really devoted all my time to student media. I liked having more control over the words on the page than I felt like I had in my own life. Being part of this community of student media types felt exciting in the way that the rest of my life didn’t seem particularly exciting. We were all nerds, who had probably done very well in the…

stick these labels to your jars of homemade jam. we recommend using the découpage technique. WATERMELON AND MINT JAM Makes 1.5L / 6 cups of jam INGREDIENTS – 1kg watermelon flesh – 1kg jam setting sugar – 3 stems mint, leaves removed – Juice of 1 lemon HOW TO Chop the watermelon flesh into large chunks. Place in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Strain the watermelon puree through a sieve into a large pot (the mixture will bubble up four times the volume, so choose accordingly), using a spoon to push the last of the mixture through. You should have approximately one litre of watermelon juice. Finely chop the mint leaves into small flecks and add to the pot, along with the sugar and lemon juice.…

Ever wondered what a mermaid’s abode might look like? Well, according to Japanese designer Tsumori Chisato, it’d be decked out with a collection of pearls and scallops, as well as lace and jacquard motifs that feature an array of aquatic chums. This kind of blissful daydreaming inspired Tsumori’s 2024 spring/summer collection, Mermaid Room – a whimsical line of dramatic garms that are fit for salty-haired prima donnas and preppy princesses alike. “I imagined a mermaid’s room at the bottom of the bright sea, where a girl’s dreams are fulfilled,” Tsumori says of the collection. To create Mermaid Room, Tsumori sketched the designs and patterns, while an assistant and patterner constructed the silhouettes of the garments. “The silhouettes of the clothes are updated while referring to our past collections,” Tsumori says.…

What exactly is cyanotype? Cyanotype is a photographic printing process invented in the 1840s. To create a cyanotype, you prepare your paper with a light-sensitive solution, place a transparent negative on top, and expose it to UV light – typically from the sun. You then wash the print in water and allow it to dry and oxidise to its distinctive Prussian blue. It’s romantically unpredictable with many variable elements. This makes each hand-printed cyanotype unique with its own special properties. While creating this series, Phantasmagoria, where did you find creative inspiration? A lot of my ideas come to me during meditation, rather than external influences. I usually have a loose concept and am more motivated by the mood or feel that I want the artworks to have. From here I…

level of difficulty: easy Surprise your guests with a small gift they can open when sitting down for dinner or coffee. Why not sit some chocolate pralines in a bed of confetti? This paper gift box is guaranteed to be appreciated at your table. MATERIALS thicker paper in a colour and/or pattern of your choosing METHOD Cut a square of paper. The finished gift box will be about half the size. In the above images, we have used a square that is 22 x 22cm, which means that the gift box will be 11 x 11cm. Fold the paper into a triangle by aligning two opposite corners. Fold the triangle in half. Cut one of the tips on the longest side into a half star. At the other tip on…

little forest bat These extremely cute, flying balls of fluff are found in various forest types of south-eastern Australia, and sometimes don’t emerge from their roosts for several weeks if it’s a bit nippy out. (We can relate!) While the bats probably don’t have a cooking roster (they snack on flying insects by locating prey with sound and trapping them on their wings), they are rather fond of communal living and roost in colonies of up to 50 bats in timber stacks, buildings and old trees. They’ve even been known to share a nest with possums. Unlike human neighbours, little forest bats are very chill with disturbances. They’re also pretty happy to live in whatever habitat is available to them if there’s no woodland around. This is probably why they…