The Artist

My creative name is Piet Frans. I am a retired international lawyer living very happily with my wife (aka "Poppiekreer") and two dachshunds, (Petrus and Basjan), in Knysna, South Africa. Now that I have left prosecuting war criminals to others, I am at last free to indulge my true passion - cartooning. It brings me joy, but I enjoy it even more if my creations can make others smile. And that is what this site is about.

LOCK UP/DOWN
On 25 March, with the 21 day lockdown in South Africa about to start, the idea of Lock Up/Down spontaneously jumped into my head at three o'clock in the morning. I posted the ﬁrst four cartoons on facebook later that day. After two days, Poppiekreer rationed me to three episodes per day, and after nearly three weeks, and the lockdown extended for an additional two weeks, there were more than 60 episodes. So the adventures of Upstairs and Downstairs may continue for some time yet, and who knows where they will lead. You will notice how the characters, in their small environment, evolved from the simple cartoons of DAY 0. With their TV sets often on, the cartoon also offers a quirky record of the universal response to the coronavirus. The cartoon has attracted a substantial following of people who even post suggestions for twists in the plot!