We Wanted This Life. So We Built It.

We’re Jamie + Frank. Married. Creative. Still talking to each other.

Together, we run Jank Words & Pictures, a little engine of big ideas—graphic novels, exhibitions, games, blogs, songs, stage plays—whatever it takes to bring stories to life. People sometimes say, “Wow, you two are living the dream.” And yeah, that’s true.

But also? It’s a dream we wrestled to the ground.

Making the Leap

Here’s the thing about dreams: they cost something.

We sold a house. We paid off every cent of debt. We walked away from stable employment with air quotes around security. Not because we had a guaranteed next step—but because the old one was slowly killing our creative souls.

Our home we called "Graceland".

We gave up good jobs. But we were giving up our work every time we said yes to someone else's deadline over our own. So we stopped. We made the hard call. We started building a life on our terms.

Was it brave? Maybe. Was it foolish? Possibly.

But necessary? Absolutely.

What We Got

We don’t pretend this is easy. In fact, we fight every day against the distractions that want to pull us away from the real work.

But we also spent years saying: “If only…

If only our time was our own.

If only we didn’t have to juggle clients and contracts.

If only we could focus on what really matters.

Well—this is it.

This is what really matters. And the life we have now?

It’s not the one we imagined…

It’s the one we secretly wished for.

Where we create: Jank Words & Pictures HQ in historic downtown Amherstburg.

So What Is JANK Words & Pictures?

It’s our way of telling stories that Entertain, Educate, and Inspire.

That’s the mission. That’s the reason. That’s the throughline across all our projects.

Whether we’re launching a storytelling game, staging an exhibition in Scotland, writing a theatrical production, teaching, mentoring, or photographing 60+ local character models—(some vampires, some lawyers), for a graphic novel—the goal stays the same:

ENTERTAIN

We imagine, then create something familiar—twist it just enough that you still recognize it, but now you’re seeing it sideways. Graphic novels, exhibitions, board games, merch—all reinvented, all a little unexpected.

EDUCATE

We’ve been designing, writing, producing, and managing creative projects for others for over three decades. This blog is where we share what we know—not what we’re guessing. Design. Storytelling. Project management. How to structure a story, beat creative block, write with others, navigate copyright, NDA’s, international manufacturing, AI, editing software, and the rest. If we’ve done it, we’ll talk about it.

INSPIRE

This isn’t just about us. It’s a place to spotlight other voices, projects, and practices—people doing exceptional, inventive, or just damn useful things in creative fields.

We’ll link out to others who get it, and bring you into a wider circle of working artists, designers, developers, and makers.

(And if you’re making something worth seeing—we want to see it.)

What This Blog Is (and Isn’t)

This is not the newsletter.

The JANK & File newsletter (end of month) is where we entertain—project updates, behind-the-scenes chaos, subscriber-only perks, and weird little stories that don’t fit anywhere else. It’s a window into what we’re building and where it’s going next.

This blog (mid-month) is where the mission lives. It’s where we share what we actually know—from our own work and from the people who inspire us. No vague advice. Just real talk, real tools.

We’re not just doing this because we love it (though we do). We’re doing it because we believe this kind of work matters—and that creators, especially emerging ones, deserve insight, encouragement, and a community that gets it.

This blog is part field guide, part manifesto, part middle finger to the rules. And if you’re in the thick of building your own creative life—you’re in the right place.

Welcome.

Have a look around.

Grab a seat at the weird table.

We saved you a spot.

Thanks for pulling up a chair.

Jamie + Frank