Core Xennial elementary school memory unlocked. Today Lisa Frank turns 70

[-]

a_solid_6@reddit

I loved Lisa Frank. I just hated that she didn't make folders with brads lol. Teachers often required you to have folders with "pockets and brads" but hers only had pockets. In fact, the coolest folders (of any design) never seemed to have brads! Always had to get the plain ass folders. Life was so hard lol

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

I had to look up what a brad was, lol. We called those duotangs where I'm from

[-]

a_solid_6@reddit

Wow, I've never heard that word in my life!

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

Haha! And I hadn't heard "brad" except as a guys name lol

[-]

a_solid_6@reddit

Lol well duotang is a MUCH cooler name for it

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

Haha, I think I agree, lol. Thanks :)

[-]

Texas_Crazy_Curls@reddit

Highly recommend the documentary Glitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Story.

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

I am absolutely watching this in the next few days

[-]

Skywren7@reddit

It is good.

[-]

604col@reddit

It's genuinely shocking

[-]

moonbunnychan@reddit

Ya...made me look at the entire company in a new light.

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

It's quite interesting to be sure.

[-]

nelmski@reddit

It made my faux Lisa frank overall purchase on Temu more special!

[-]

SemaphorePlay@reddit

That lady is a vile human being

[-]

tinyrabbitsandsuch@reddit

There's a great behind the bastards podcast on Lisa Frank

[-]

thatloudkat@reddit

I still have a folder and pencil that I use occasionally. I’m disappointed (but honestly not surprised) to learn that she’s a total bitch.

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

That's an awesome folder.

[-]

cranberries87@reddit

She was a wackadoodle, and if I recall correctly, her husband was too. Apparently the company was horrendous to work for.

Having said all of this, I had everrrrything Lisa Frank back in the day. ADORED those folders!

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

I still have a folder from the 90s with a brown horse and butterflies on it. And a letter my sister wrote me in the seal stationery. I'll keep them forever lol. My husband also bought me a vintage rainbow horse jewellery box that I use to keep art supplies in.

[-]

copyrighther@reddit

It’s strongly rumored among former employees that they were coke heads

[-]

GenevieveLeah@reddit

My mom dated her husband when they were kids (like, holding hands and school dance kind of thing).

[-]

ughyoujag@reddit

That was my thought too lol. She is a monster and we should all not support her, but damn those folders were cute

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

Apparently she is an absolute monster who created a horrific work environment. Employees called it the “rainbow gulag.” I will literally always remember this stuff though. Every girl in school had it.

[-]

Punkinpry427@reddit

Made me so sad. Not buying anything Lisa Frank and it hurts my 80’s loving nostalgic heart but I can’t give her anymore money knowing what I know now.

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

Just buy vintage stuff second-hand :)

[-]

ughyoujag@reddit

Looks like she ceased operations a long time ago, but they still do licensing stuff. I agree nobody should be giving her money at this point after how she behaved.

[-]

AdTop3924@reddit

I actually read about her and was really bummed she was such a psycho. It’s crazy when you have everything in the world, and you use it to make everyone around you fucking miserable.

[-]

SonderEber@reddit

How do you think she made it so big? By not caring who she stepped on or abused, as long as she became wealthier. She didn’t become rich by being nice, but being cutthroat.

[-]

AdTop3924@reddit

You can be a tough business person and not degrade and demean and menace the people around you

[-]

jx2002@reddit

Sadly 'tough' still doesn't mean 'most successful'

[-]

ThresholdSeven@reddit

This is all semantics. "Most successful" doesn't mean "good"

[-]

SonderEber@reddit

Morally good? No. Economically good? Yes.

[-]

ThresholdSeven@reddit

Economically good... for who?

[-]

SonderEber@reddit

If a company is successful then economically good for the company and shareholders.

[-]

ThresholdSeven@reddit

Yes, and not so good economically for others.

[-]

copyrighther@reddit

A 2016 study showed that 21% of CEOs exhibit clinically significant psychopathic traits. And that’s just the ones with significant traits. It doesn’t even include the ones that are considered moderately psychopathic.

[-]

anyb0dyme@reddit

Elon Musk has been summoned

[-]

EagleEyezzzzz@reddit

Sheryl Sandberg too, apparently.

[-]

MartyFreeze@reddit

It's that kind of personality that often drives someone to go above and beyond unfortunately.

[-]

hbi2k@reddit

Tucsonan here. My mom worked directly for her (in the accounting department) in the late 90s and early 2000s. The pay was really good so she stuck it out as long as she could, but there was a reason why the pay was so good, and it wasn't because Frank was a generous mood who believed in compensating her employees fairly; it's because she was a massive bitch and it was the only way to get anyone to put up with her. I was so glad when mom finally quit that job.

[-]

sybil-unrest@reddit

Everyone I knew who worked there described an environment of basically constant abuse!

[-]

HolidayCards@reddit

Highly recommend googling Nihilisa Frank

[-]

originalbrowncoat@reddit

Rainbow Gulag - new band name i called it

[-]

ughyoujag@reddit

gif

[-]

Spare-Good-5372@reddit

Still love "Four Skin"

[-]

ughyoujag@reddit

Scrotation Marks is my favorite

[-]

ML5815@reddit

I’m partial to “Nothing Rhymes With Orange”

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

My high school art teacher told us in 9th grade that he’d tell us what rhymed with orange on our last days in high school. On graduation day, he told us DOOR HINGE rhymes with orange

[-]

VVrayth@reddit

[-]

SignificanceAny7485@reddit

God hates figs

[-]

sensible_pip@reddit

After watching the documentary I’m pretty sure Lisa would sue you over it as well as destroy your band in the process.

[-]

slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit

Tucson hates Lisa Frank.

[-]

hbi2k@reddit

Fellow Tucsonan here, can confirm.

[-]

jdw1977@reddit

Yes, the documentary about her was eye opening. Honestly so shocking how badly she treated just about everyone.

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

I had no idea there’s a documentary. I am going to find it and watch.

[-]

DirectorLanky466@reddit

Same here! I hadn't thought about it since elementary school!!

[-]

HratioRastapopulous@reddit

It’s called “Glitter and Greed: the Lisa Frank Story” and it’s on Prime Video to stream. Really eye-opening.

[-]

CuriousLands@reddit

I still love Lisa Frank lol. I'm actually working on an art piece inspired by their stuff.

[-]

aubreypizza@reddit

gif

[-]

cordelaine@reddit

I remember all the girls having her stuff.

I always had Christian Riese Lassen folders, trapper keepers, and whatnot.

[-]

copyrighther@reddit

omg I’ve done a ton of puzzles that feature his artwork

[-]

tasteofhuman@reddit

Oh wow memory unlocked!! I think I had a folder or trapper keeper with a dolphin in space or something similar

[-]

FoofaFighters@reddit

Oh wow, i don't remember this stuff specifically but it's neat. Kind of a Bob Ross/vaporwave vibe.

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

Are you a man? If so, I totally understand

[-]

FoofaFighters@reddit

I am! I dig the whole vaporwave thing and have been a fan of Bob Ross since i first saw him on PBS when i was like five years old, lol.

[-]

Conscious_Drawer8356@reddit

Thanks for posting the link! Unlocked hidden core memories.

This was more my style than Lisa Frank and would have never recalled the name of the artist.

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

These are absolutely ringing a bell. My parents were nice enough to buy me a new trapper keeper most years when I was young. I loved the designs so much.

[-]

library_wench@reddit

Oh yeah! That was my jam, far more than Lisa Frank. 🐬

[-]

Dee42386@reddit

I loved his stuff. Had a lot of orca and dolphin folders.

[-]

LopensCouisin@reddit

I put rainbows in my arm sleeve that are Lisa Frank-esque.

[-]

Natural-Carrot5748@reddit

I found nail wraps in a bunch of Lisa Frank designs at tj Maxx last year. I have been hoarding them for special occasions.

[-]

themehboat@reddit

A great read on her:

https://www.jezebel.com/inside-the-rainbow-gulag-the-technicolor-rise-and-fall-1179495705

[-]

dandelion-tea-@reddit

And what a twist it was to find out her husband was the actual artist the entire time! Storytelling and marketing genius to have Lisa be the face and name of the company. It would not have connected with all us girls the same way otherwise.

[-]

Shazza-americankiwi@reddit

Oh my goddess - bless your heart for this! Lol holy moly - vivid all over body reaction!

[-]

anannanne@reddit

Wow. I haven’t thought about Lisa Frank for a few years and today — TO. DAY. — I decided that a “Lisa Frank” playlist was my next to-do. Lots of Gaga, Dolly, DeeLite, etc.

[-]

NaturalSpecialist5@reddit

And she's still bat shit cray cray 😜

[-]

Sandoriah@reddit

I love her stuff so much though… but she really is like the final boss of a purple girl

[-]

PickleFlavordPopcorn@reddit

I’m sad she’s a raging lunatic but this stuff still gets me every time

[-]

IceCreamVariety@reddit

I loved her stuff and definitely had things as a kid. That is awful that she was so awful!!

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

Yep. It’s a shame. At least it all came out

[-]

lazyrainydaze@reddit

Too bad Lisa Frank is a terrible person and an absolutely AWFUL person to work FOR!! She is NOT as whimsy, fun & colorful as her art! It was super disappointing to learn. Especially since growing up I LOVED Lisa Frank and had SO much of her stuff. As a kid I always wondered how cool Lisa Frank must be to produce such fun art! Boy was I wrong!

[-]

Nilbog_Frog@reddit

I like how this stuff just existed and all of us had to own it. I don’t remember commercials or brand placement, it was just hanging next to all the other school supplies and in the same price range - maybe a dollar more. It was so aesthetically pleasing to pull these colorful supplies from your desk.

[-]

MrsEmilyN@reddit

I want to tattoo a Lisa Frank Unicorn head on my thigh

[-]

cbih@reddit

Before there was AI Slop, there was Airbrush Slop 😁

[-]

Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

There's a documentary about what a terrible person she was

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

So I’ve heard. I am digging it up this week, for sure.

[-]

might_be_cookie@reddit

That documentary is actually based on this article by Jezebel in 2013!

[-]

Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

I think it's on prime.

[-]

blamberr@reddit (OP)

So I’ve heard. I am digging it up this week, for sure.

[-]

FastWalkingShortGuy@reddit

There was definitely a flashbulb moment when I saw the similarities between Lisa Frank's and Alex Gray's art and I realized Lisa most likely did a shit ton of acid.

Also, they're both horrible people in different ways.

[-]