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Frank went to the University of Arizona to study math and art, and told Urban Outfitters in a rare interview (granted in 2012, when the retailer began selling vintage Lisa Frank pieces online) that when she made the decision, “my dad said 'That's fine, but you're going to support yourself.' ... I am sure that if I failed, he would have been there for me, but it was a sort of a tough-love situation.” To get by, she started her own business, according to the Arizona Daily Star [ PDF], by buying “pottery and jewelry from area Indian tribes and [bringing] them home to Michigan to sell. Once the network of artists she met grew, she began to represent them and sell their handmade work.”
In her chat with Urban Outfitters, Frank did offer a sliver of insight into her personal life by revealing that she has two sons, who each served as inspiration for her big kitten creations Hunter and Forrest. "Well, my two favorite characters are Hunter and Forrest, who are based off my kids," she explained. "Forrest is based on my 13-year-old, and Hunter is a 17-year-old character who was named the day Hunter was born. We had created both characters before the boys were born, and then when they were born, we thought, 'Oh my gosh, they really do fit their personalities!'" Simonson, Scott (January 24, 2006). "Ruling due in lawsuit: Lisa Frank vs. spouse". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020 . Retrieved May 7, 2020. There, the company stored copies of everything it had ever made, plus the original artwork that was done before computers. Known as The Library, it held thousands of products. “I think we made so many products because I get bored easily,” Frank told Urban Outfitters. “So as soon as we would master a category, I would want to do a different category. I'm trying to think what we HAVEN'T done. There is hardly something we haven't really done.” 17. At one point, there was a Lisa Frank app. Frank partnered with Reebok to release two versions of limited-release Reebok Classic Leathers shoes in 2017. [11]Lisa Frank Movie in the Works With 'Air Force One' Producer". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved March 3, 2018. Prendergast, Curt (May 18, 2018). "Tucson's Lisa Frank sues to protect her empire of rainbow unicorns, surfing dolphins". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020 . Retrieved May 10, 2020.
Dollinger, Arielle. "The Colorful World of Lisa Frank Goes Silent". University of Arizona: The New York Times Student Journalism Institute, Tucson, Arizona 2013. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019 . Retrieved March 3, 2018. Lisa Frank (born April 21, 1955) is an American businesswoman, the founder of Lisa Frank Incorporated, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. She is known for producing whimsical commercial design for school supplies and other products that are primarily marketed to children. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Lisa Frank was the epitome of cool. Here are a few things you might not have known about the brand, and the woman behind it. 1. There’s a real Lisa Frank. They're the rainbow print leopard and tiger cubs named Hunter and Forrest, “who are based off my kids!” Frank told UO. “Forrest is based on my 13-year-old, and Hunter is a 17-year-old character who was named the day Hunter was born. We had created both characters before the boys were born, and then when they were born, we thought, ‘Oh my gosh, they really do fit their personalities!’” 7. Most of the Lisa Frank characters are named after real people.
Morphe first announced a collaboration with the '90s brand Lisa Frank last year
The gumball machine comes from when I was little,” Frank told UO. “My dad gave me an antique gumball machine, so that was my original logo ... And also, you know how when your friends find out you're into something, they start sending it to you? So I probably have a huge collection of gumballs somewhere.” At one point in the company's history, Lisa Frank's giant factory employed hundreds of people, but that staff has since dropped to just a handful thanks to outsourcing of production and diminished demands for the product. Even its heyday, though, Lisa Frank Inc. had trouble hanging onto employees because of their documented dissatisfaction with the work environment she and her former CEO-slash-husband James Green created for staffers. As one source told Jezebel for their investigation of the company's history of woes, "Lisa Frank is notorious in Tucson as the world's sh***iest employer. Every single person I talked to advised me to avoid Lisa Frank at all costs. I didn't know a single person who had not heard horror stories about the work environment there." Bent, Gala. "Interview With Cindy Hinant". Asthmatic Kitty Records. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014 . Retrieved November 19, 2014. As Lisa Frank herself once described her living aesthetic (via Gawker), "My house really is purple and yellow and hot pink and light green and orange." Rondi Kutz, who worked as head designer for Lisa Frank for 15 years confirmed as much in her interview with Hello Giggles, saying, "Lisa IS her brand! She lives, breathes, and quite possibly eats colors. Her house was/is purple. She wears the most awesome shoes — usually with super platforms — and unique designer clothes. She is teeny tiny, with a personality about a million times bigger than she is physically. Lisa radiates creativity along with extreme business savvy. She is one sharp and colorful cookie!"
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