Misson
Flat Donkey celebrates comics and graphic novels, the gifted creators who make them, and the insightful readers who appreciate them.
About me
Michele and me at Neue Galerie New York. Photo by George Frederick, who usually stinks at taking selfies.
My name is George Frederick. I am the founder and author of Flat Donkey. Before launching it, I worked as an illustrator, designer, art director, user experience researcher, front-end engineer, writer, editor, and company executive.
A longtime comics addict enthusiast, I now write about artful comics and graphic novels with curiosity, admiration, and a deep appreciation for visual storytelling. I live in New Jersey with my wife, Michele. We are the proud parents of two daughters, Shannon and Tara.
For more about me and how Flat Donkey came to be, read Hello, I’m George.
Common question: What’s the inspiration behind the Flat Donkey name?
The Flat Donkey brand—including the name and logo—is a tribute to my grandfather. Read A tribute to Pop and the Flat Donkey origin story.
Editorial policies
WHAT I DO
Flat Donkey coverage takes the following forms:
Features. Explorations of a single work or topic.
Selections. Short-form pieces on new releases, themed recommendations, and other notable topics.
Vignettes. Asides about people, places, and things I encounter along the way.
Surveys and feedback requests, so I can incorporate your thoughts into my decision-making. Or sometimes just for fun.
HOW I DO IT
Positively. I don’t manufacture stress. I seek out works that inspire and warrant reflection and appreciation.
Professionally. I treat the work of creators and publishers with respect.
Inclusively. Consider Flat Donkey a welcoming abiding place.
WHAT I DON’T DO
Snark.
Star ratings.
Irresponsibly negative reviews. If I don’t like a work, I won’t write about it. Simple. Creators pour their hearts and souls—not to mention time and money—into the works they make. Many I love. Some I love less, of course. That doesn’t mean a work is bad. Tastes vary. It may be that I’m not the right audience. Perhaps the context is too unfamiliar. Or maybe I simply don’t get it (it happens). Those are poor reasons to denigrate a creator or their work.
Spoilers. I want you to enjoy your comics and graphic novels fully, including the joys of discovery, exploration, and surprise. I won’t spoil endings or provide extensive plot summaries.
Cover mainstream superhero comics (or very few of them). That material is covered very well and extensively elsewhere. I have no issues with superhero comics—knock yourself out—they’re just not what Flat Donkey covers.
Standards of conduct
Flat Donkey is a welcoming place—a space for curiosity, enthusiasm, thoughtful discussion, and a welcome break from exhausting negativity.
Disagreement, criticism, and spirited discussion are welcome. Abuse, harassment, discrimination, and other behavior that demeans or intimidates people are not. Everyone who participates in Flat Donkey spaces is expected to treat one another—and the readers, creators, publishers, and others I write about—with respect.
For additional rules governing conduct and participation, please see Flat Donkey’s Terms of Service.
Corrections
Flat Donkey maintains high standards for truth, accuracy, and responsible journalism. If you believe something I’ve published is factually inaccurate or misleading, please contact me at [email protected]. I welcome correction requests from creators, publishers, readers, and anyone else who spots an error, and I will correct verified inaccuracies as promptly and transparently as reasonably possible.
Copyright protection and AI policies
Flat Donkey exists to celebrate comics, graphic novels, and the people who create them. I support creators’ and publishers’ control over how their work is used. I take measures to restrict AI crawlers from collecting images that appear on Flat Donkey for training and related model development.
I do not use AI to write Flat Donkey posts. Every post is written by me or by a guest contributor, who is fairly compensated for their work.
You can read the full Flat Donkey’s AI and copyright policies for more detail.
Terms of service and privacy
Follow these links to Flat Donkey’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
