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Paul Frank Wikipedia

Paul Frank (born Paul Frank Sunich) is a well-known designer. He served as the creative director for Paul Frank Industries, Inc. up until November of 2005. Paul Frank Industries produces clothing and other products, many bearing the face of Frank's well known character, Julius, a monkey.

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During the 1990s, Paul Frank was an art student at Orange Coast College. He bought a sewing machine in order to complete small projects such as attaching patches to sweaters. One day, he used some spare orange vinyl to create a wallet. After seeing his work, his friends expressed interest in other accessories, so he began to sew items such as guitar straps and backpacks.

A few years later, Paul Frank Industries, Inc. formed in order to keep up with the demand for his products. Frank worked during the day, but sewed and sold his products during his spare time. After his friend Ryan Heuser borrowed money ($5000) from his stepmother to help Frank quit his day job, they obtained a business license and a resale number. Their corporate offices are currently located in Orange County, California|Orange County, CA. The company's stores are also popular with domestic locations in Southern California, New York City, Dallas, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Chicago, Illinois. International locations include London, Athens, Greece, Seoul, Korea, and a group in Japan.

In 1999, Paul Frank collaborated with The Aquabats. Since then, he has worked with Bad Religion, Radiohead, The Vandals, Alkaline Trio, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival|the Coachella festival, and KROQ. Other co-branding and licensing affiliations include Mattel, Oscar Mayer, Elvis Presley, John Deere, Nirve bicycles, ProKeds shoes, and the band Pretty Girls Make Graves.

In 1972, Paul Frank attended Sun View Elementary School in Huntington Beach, California|Huntington Beach, CA. The building was painted in bright colors -- rusty orange, light blue and gold-yellow -- and Frank acknowledges this influence on his subsequent work. He also says that he is inspired by industrial designers: "...whoever designs schools, desks, chairs, office furniture, bicycles, cars, blenders, toasters from the '40s through '60s, stuff like public buildings." Further, Frank says that much of his style has developed as a result of his love for music such as The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Velvet Underground.

Other well-known Frank characters include Skurvy, a skull and bones, Clancy, and Worry Bear. His designs have been featured in numerous movies, most notably in the third installation of the Austin Powers series. Frank also plays electric guitar in a band called the Moseleys and wishes he had a wienermobile in his driveway.

Paul Frank Industries, Inc. is currently in discussion with Warner Bros about extending a series of cartoons found on the Paul Frank website (as previously seen at the Sundance Film Festival). The series, Julius & Friends, is written and directed by co-creator Obie Scott Wade.

Paul is married and lives in Orange County with his wife, Susan.

Last Modified:   2005-12-15