Lisa Frank: A Look Behind The Rainbow

Ah, the ’80s and ‘90s; what a time to be alive. Any girl from that era will tell you all about her Tamagotchi pets, her My Little Pony toys, and, of course, her Lisa Frank everything.

In case you weren’t there, Lisa Frank was a massive brand created in 1979. The company is currently recognized for its nostalgic sparkles, unicorns, adorable pandas, and being 

“the world’s sh*ttiest employer.”

No, I’m serious.  That’s a true quote from Coraline, a Tuscon, Arizona resident. When she was looking for a new job, she happened to be near the headquarters. Fortunately for her, the locals had warned her about Lisa Frank Inc.’s constant rotating door.

 This colorful firm, it turns out, wasn’t all sunshine and glitter. A chaotic, drunken shitshow of a business was hidden behind those brilliant blue panda eyes.

If you don’t want to have your childhood ruined, I recommend skipping this article. But, let’s be honest here, your innocence has already been damaged if you’re on the internet. So, let’s find out what happened to turn this rainbow paradise into a technicolor travesty.

The Neon Rainbow Forms

Lisa Frank is not only a brand name, but an actual person. Born on April 21st, 1955, Frank always had a passion for arts and crafts. Growing up in Detroit, she was the epitome of the “girly girl” archetype. Coloring, painting, crocheting, and ceramics were among her favorite activities. Her parents, who came from an affluent background, encouraged her to pursue her artistic passions.

During her senior year of high school, Lisa Frank made a whopping $3,000 by selling her art at an event. This notes the very first time her artwork gained monetary success. She went on to the University of Arizona to further her education.

To make some extra cash, Frank stated that she would acquire low-cost ceramics and jewelry from local Native American communities  She’d then take them back home to Michigan, and slap a much higher price on them.

Yeah… kinda shady if you ask me. But I suppose from Lisa’s perspective; business was business! Of course, the overpriced artwork became a hit in her area, and she even began telling these indigenous artists exactly what to create. Chances are, they weren’t properly compensated. Regardless, Frank’s small business was her first step toward pursuing a career in entrepreneurship.

Around the age of 20, she launched the brand “Sticky Fingers,” which consisted of chunky jewelry with hand-crafted designs. This time, it was her own work, which was already being sold at places like Bloomingdales, and Neiman Marcus. Although Lisa was talented in her own right, her socioeconomic status provided a spotlight on said talent. Her family had connections to powerful people who saw the immense potential in her art style.

Lisa Frank soon renamed this brand after herself.  And thus, the legend was born.

Lisa Frank EVERYTHING

Along with the name change, the brand began to offer new products.  Lisa would tour a variety of museums and zoos, as well as speak with children. She was inspired to create something that reminded her of childhood; something that could transport people into a whimsical wonderland. 

Backpacks, folders, pencils, notes, and stickers were among the items sold by her company. They were all covered in the most flamboyant graphics you’ll ever see. I’m talking rainbows, dolphins, multicolored leopards, bears, and of course, sparkles. You cannot forget the sparkles. 

Lisa Frank, Inc. was a juggernaut. And that is putting it mildly. Not having anything Lisa Frank was social suicide in the 1980s and 1990s. At least, that’s how it went in the world of middle school girls. It was not uncommon in the ‘80s to come across a little girl decked out in Lisa Frank gear. Hell, you might’ve been one of them!

As for me personally, I, unfortunately, wasn’t around in the ‘80s or ‘90s. I was an early 2000’s kid. Regardless, shopping for back-to-school items meant coming across many Lisa Frank notebooks and folders. I may have not bought any myself (It was all about Bratz and Disney Princesses for me), but I saw plenty of classmates sporting them.

And if you were to ask 5-year-old me if she’d like to work for Lisa Frank, she would’ve jumped up for joy. 

Behind The Scenes

Back when it first started, Lisa Frank INC. was just like any other big corporate business. I’m sure employees had their regular ups and downs, but it was an overall decent place to work. 

That all changed, however, with the addition of Lisa’s then-husband, James Green.

James Green was originally the first in-house designer and illustrator. He worked in close proximity to Lisa Frank, and from there, they developed a relationship. Green rose through the ranks over time, eventually marrying Frank in 1994.

After having kids, Frank seemed to reconsider her business ventures. Longing to focus solely on her artwork and children, she decided to step down and let her husband take over as CEO. Doesn’t sound like a bad idea, right?

As it turns out, letting James Green take over was probably the worst mistake she’s ever made. With his attitude, illegal activity, and consistent drama, Green is credited for running his wife’s company into the ground.  

James Green ran his business as an abusive authority figure. He was rumored to house substance abuse issues, which he’d carry with him every day to the workplace. Communication was sloppy and overwhelming. While working for Lisa Frank, one would expect the office space to be filled with liveliness and color. Though while the headquarters were painted that way, employees were demanded to work in complete silence. A worker would not be brought aside to speak one-on-one if they stepped a bit out of line. James Green instead chose to shout, berate, and humiliate his staff in front of their coworkers.

To top it all off, despite the company being named after his wife, Green was also rumored to be having an affair. From the workers’ perspectives, it seemed rather obvious that he and his coworker, Rhonda Rowlette, had a less than professional relationship. 

I can’t confirm whether the infidelity rumor is true. Though what I can say is that he and Rhonda made the headquarters a living nightmare. Here are just a few of the horror stories from people who’ve worked for and with Lisa Frank.

• Jeffrey L Buchanan stated that when partnering with Lisa Frank, Green would be “argumentative with my buyers and relationship sources.”

• Lisa Decristofaro stated Green was responsible for canceling her health benefits. Conversations between herself and coworkers were also illegally recorded, and then played within Rhonda Rowlette’s office.

• Betty Hack stated that emails and phone calls were hacked and monitored so that the CEO knew if anyone contacted Lisa.

Furthermore, many lawsuits arose from former employees who weren’t receiving proper and timely paychecks. 

Outside The Office

Unfortunately, Lisa Frank couldn’t keep their controversies inside the office. The batshit business practices found their way outside the revolving doors. 

Sure there has been some minor stuff over the years, such as Lisa Frank comparing her struggles, laughably, to Michael Jackson. Or the complaints surrounding the “sexualization” of Frank’s stylized human characters. 

But I’m not here to talk about those things. Lord knows every company gets its fair share of criticism. I care more about the exploitation of other creators

That’s right, we need to discuss the Lisa Frank Hotel. 

The Cloudland Catastrophe 

Amina Mucciolo is a visual artist, designer, and online personality. She also goes by TasselFairy on YouTube. She blew up for creating this kick-ass apartment complex. 

Just taking one glance at it, you can see the absolutely stunning color, the decorative artwork, and the fun furniture. It’s not hard to understand why she went viral. 

While Mucciolo may have taken inspiration from Lisa Frank, and other colorful aesthetics, it’s clear that the apartment was her own design. A design that she poured her heart and soul into. She called it “Cloudland.” 

Amina Muccio was a black creator living in her dream apartment, with her art being recognized by millions. And I mean millions. She was featured in multiple magazines and news articles.   

It wasn’t long before Lisa Frank’s Instagram account reached out to the artist on multiple occasions. They simply shouted her out, direct messaged her, and complimented Mucciolo on her creativity. 

Seems like harmless fun, right? Well, unfortunately, this is exactly where the pleasantries end. 

In 2019 (yes, that recently!), Hotels.com announced a collaboration with Lisa Frank. It included the creation of an entire apartment dedicated to her work. When photos of this “Lisa Frank flat” were posted, many people noticed how similar the layout was to Mucciolo’s.

To make matters worse, Amina Mucciolo received notice from her landlord that she would have to vacate her apartment by October of that year.  Interestingly enough, this new Lisa Frank flat was owned by Barsala, who just so happens to be affiliated with Hotels.com. 

So, I believe we can all agree that this landlord was looking to profit from Lisa Frank’s popularity. They tried to accomplish this by evicting Mucciolo from her apartment and repurposing it for similar reasons.

Now, to be fair, it’s unclear as to whether Lisa Frank Inc. had any direct involvement in evicting this creator. All I know is that it’s eerily similar to how this business began: by exploiting and capitalizing on smaller artists. POC artists, to be precise.

A Deserted Neon Rainbow

As I’m writing this in 2022, the Lisa Frank headquarters are deserted. The once colorful walls have faded, the outside statues have decayed, and the grass has grown out of control.

Though our nostalgia may be saddened by Lisa Frank’s downward spiral, the truth is that it was a rare diamond of its time.  And, as a result of its enormous success, similar products made by independent artists are now available. Artists who are satisfied with their work, are paid fairly and are not harassed by their superiors. 

If Lisa Frank’s story teaches us anything, it’s that we should respect our employees as individuals. A positive work environment is conducive to long-term success.