Frank's Depression - Poetry

Frank was the best friend I ever had. He let me live with him rent free for over a year when I was a...

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:24:34 -0800

Frank was the best friend I ever had. He let me live with him rent free for over a year when I was a 15 year old runaway. I lived with him and his douchebag roomate, Gabe. I ‘m not sure if your dates are right about Sonya meeting him in 1996? He had died in 1995 or 1996. I can’t remember an exact date but I know that doesn’t make me a lousy friend. When they told me he died I wanted to fall to the ground and stop breathing. I had left him to go to Lake County. I had let him go to New York. It was my fault. He would have stayed if I had not left. He would be alive. Interesting fact most people don’t know about Frank is he believed in the bible and he is a christian. If you never really knew him well…you wouldn’t know that. Another thing is, I met him after 1990 and his voice sounds a whole hell of a lot different than he did when I knew him. He had a nice voice but a thick thick accent. His front teeth were missing and made it worse. I loved his voice.

Letter to Sonya

Sun, 16 May 2010 20:02:00 -0700

Sonya, I put this site together in order to find out what happened to my good friend Frank Hobbs. I knew him in Portland Maine where we grew up, and we both moved to San Francisco at the same time, so we were friends a long time.

The artist Fly had to go to the morgue and identify Frank’s body. I have never heard a word about any funeral or wake. Fly told me that they all have Depression Day and read Frank’s Poetry on the anniversary of his beating.

Frank was beat to death by a bouncer that Frank was arguing with. Frank was selling his ‘zines on the street, and the bouncer did not want him near his door. Frank went on how the street was public space, and then the bouncer beat Frank in the public space. He died on route to the hospital. He had a weak heart.

Do you have any of Frank’s poetry, photos, or art you could add here?

Frank I miss you

Sun, 16 May 2010 19:54:29 -0700

Hi my name is Sonya.I met Frank in berkely by riding my bike all the way from oakland where I used to live. the month was march 1996. frank came up to me,and we hit it off. I fell in love with him as the months went by. we saw cable guy when it first came out. I had a awsome time every time I would come and see him. He had a cat and taught it to fetch a milk cap that was cool. When Aug came and told me he was going to New york for two weeks. I told him I will miss you. I was looking forward in seeing him again later in the month of Aug. When I got page later in Aug I thought it was him saying he is home now. but it was not the case. Gabe the roommate says Frank had drug over dose and died.I thought it was some kind of joke that his roommate gabe was playing a joke. than he says to call me back I will call the person who told them that. So I did.and when I did it was true. I was heart broken.For a very long time I was sad and very depressed. Than someone I saw one of his friends smily and I can’t belive he got beat up. so I was confuse. I did not know what was true untill now. when I found this site. Now I know the truth. I sure do miss him. I hope where he is at he is doing his poetry and doing well.To his roommate gabe I am sorry that I did not call and find out if that was going to be awake or a funneral. I was so out of it when I found out the he died it was too much for me to handle. please forgive me. so was there a funneral? and if so where is he buried at? was there a awake? sorry it took me so long to do this.

Flickr pic of Frank by bluePantone292

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:16:16 -0800

Flickr pic of Frank by bluePantone292:

J.E.Moores reads Frank’s Depression to 5 year old...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:56:58 -0800

J.E.Moores reads Frank’s Depression to 5 year old daughter.

"NEW YORK DOLL Look into the broken eyes of a whore, watch the ghetto inside her soul offer you a..."

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:07:17 -0800

“

NEW YORK DOLL

Look into the broken eyes of a whore,
watch the ghetto inside her soul
offer you a bullet
for asking her name.
Spend some time in her arms,
listen to her voice filled with talk of
death, drugs and distant dreams.

Give her $20.
Then send her back into the city street.

”

- Frank’s Depression - Poetry

Photo

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:01:53 -0800

Frank and I made a bunch of tee shirts and stickers with the...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:32:00 -0800

Frank and I made a bunch of tee shirts and stickers with the help of Beth Blood’s silk screening expertise. He’d sell them along with the ‘zines and cassette tapes of his depression poetry. Check out Frank’s tee shirt designs, just click banner above.

Societies Clone as read by Frank Hobbs, 1990. Frank wanted me to...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:57:00 -0800

Societies Clone as read by Frank Hobbs, 1990. Frank wanted me to video tape him reading his poetry at Monument Square, Portland Maine. I’m hoping Fly still has a video of this, as I only have the audio. My video was destroyed in a flood.

Read Frank's Depression Poetry

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:43:10 -0800

Read Frank's Depression Poetry:

Over 80 pages of Frank’s Depression Poetry.

Frank’s Depression - Video: “Window Watcher”...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:20:00 -0800

Frank’s Depression - Video: “Window Watcher” (1990) 12 minutes. Frank Hobbs, Eve Gilbert. A Video by J.E.Moores, Wankin’ Woo Woo Productions.

I met Frank Hobbs and Eve Gilbert in Portland Maine in 1990. Frank and I became good friends, and I helped work on many of his projects. I had a 4-track and a giant clunky VHS camcorder so he and I recorded Frank reading his Depression Poetry. He wanted weird sound effects in the background, so we worked on that too. Then we thought it would be fun to make a short video. I’d run the video camera, while he and Eve perform some of Frank’s writing. The video “Window Watcher” was edited by Jordan Kratz and myself on two VCR decks at Jordan’s house. My copy of the video was lost to a flood, so I’m glad Jordan still had his copy.

Frank's Depression Poetry

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:55:00 -0800

This web site is dedicated to the memory of Frank Hobbs, better known as Frank’s Depression. I met Frank in Portland Maine where he, Eve Gilbert and I made the video Window Watcher based on Frank’s Depression Poetry. Later on when I moved to the Bay Area of California, Frank and Eve would often crash on my couch and leave me their hand made ‘zines as gifts.

I thought I had lost the Window Watcher video years ago in a basement flood, but my good buddy Jordan Kratz had a copy in his archives, so this rare footage of Frank and Eve is great to see again years later. The original video was made in 1990, and now has been digitally remastered and put into QuickTime format for everyone to enjoy. Just click the video link above to start the video.

Eve Gilbert has an illustrated book about her travels with “FH” titled: Tits Ass & Real Estate. It can be found at Amazon.com so be sure to check it out. Eve’s cartoons are so delightfully bizarre, it’s an amazing story. Underground cartoonist legend Robert Crumb writes the Foreword to her book, so be sure to get a copy for your underground comic collection. You’ll be glad you did.

Frank was everything that’s great about punk rock. He lived his art, and was up front and honest. He would say what was on his mind, and had a great sense of humor. I found his energy to be very inspirational, because he was the real thing, all the way to the core. Together he and Eve created a strange gypsy pair roaming from city to city selling their xeroxed magazines of comics and poetry. I was lucky to have the chance to record Frank’s poetry, and make this video together with Frank and Eve.

If you would like to hear Frank reading his depression poetry, check out the Super Fantastic Ultra Show podcast to hear free broadcasts of Frank’s Depression Poetry.

Keeping the depression alive, J.E.Moores

Photo

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:01:30 -0800