Joe Frantz is an American filmmaker, author, and

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

host. He is a director, producer, cinematographer, and former member of

Bam Margera Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera ( ; born September 28, 1979) is an American former professional skateboarder, stunt performer, television personality, and filmmaker. He rose to prominence in the early 2000s as one of the stars of the MTV reality s ...

CKY crew The Camp Kill Yourself crew (referred to as the CKY crew) was a group of friends and relatives centered around television personality and skateboarder Bam Margera, many of whom are from or located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The cre ...

. His body of works includes the ''CKY'' video series, '' Haggard: The Movie'', reality television shows such as ''

Viva La Bam ''Viva La Bam'' is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show is a spin-off from MTV's '' Jackass'', in which Margera and most of the main cast appeared. Each episode had a specific theme, ...

'' and ''

Bam's Unholy Union Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera ( ; born September 28, 1979) is an American former professional skateboarder, stunt performer, television personality, and filmmaker. He rose to prominence in the early 2000s as one of the stars of the MTV reality ...

'', ''

Jackass Number Two ''Jackass Number Two'' is a 2006 American reality slapstick comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is the sequel to '' Jackass: The Movie'' (2002), both based upon the MTV series '' Jackass''. Like its predecessor and the original television s ...

'', ''

Jackass 2.5 ''Jackass Number Two'' is a 2006 American reality slapstick comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is the sequel to '' Jackass: The Movie'' (2002), both based upon the MTV series '' Jackass''. Like its predecessor and the original television ...

'', '' Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover'', ''

Jackass 3D ''Jackass 3D'' (known as ''Jackass 3'' on home media) is a 2010 American 3D reality comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is the third installment in the ''Jackass'' film series, and the sequel to ''Jackass Number Two'' (2006). The film sta ...

'', and ''

Jackass 3.5 ''Jackass 3D'' (known as ''Jackass 3'' on home media) is a 2010 American 3D reality comedy film directed by Jeff Tremaine. It is the third installment in the ''Jackass'' film series, and the sequel to ''Jackass Number Two'' (2006). The film sta ...

'', and music videos for bands such as HIM,

CKY CKY may refer to: * CKY (band), American rock band, formerly "Camp Kill Yourself" ** ''CKY'' (video series), named after the band **CKY crew, people involved in the video series and related projects *CKY-DT, a television station in Winnipeg, Manito ...

Clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...

, and

the 69 Eyes The 69 Eyes are a Finnish rock band. It was founded in 1989 in Helsinki by vocalist Jyrki 69 (who also writes the band's lyrics), guitarists Bazie, Timo-Timo and bassist Archzie, joined in 1992 by drummer Jussi 69; the lineup never changed sin ...

. Frantz is also a collaborative co-author of the book ''Dreamseller'', which he wrote with

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

/ ''Jackass'' personality

Brandon Novak Brandon Thomas Novak (born December 10, 1978) is an American motivational speaker, author, and former professional skateboarder and "CKY crew" member. He also had appearances in the ''Viva La Bam'' reality comedy series and the ''Jackass (franc ...

. Frantz is a television documentary producer and cinematographer whose works have aired on ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'', ''

The History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

'', ''

Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily dev ...

'', ''

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...

'', and ''

The Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...

''.

''CKY''

The ''CKY'' video series

Frantz is noted for serving as cinematographer for the ''CKY'' video series, a predecessor to the '' Jackass'' franchise. The series was directed by

and starred the

, as well as popular extreme sports icons such as

Tony Hawk Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first documen ...

. As director of photography for ''

CKY 3 The ''CKY'' video series is a series of videos produced by Bam Margera and Brandon DiCamillo and other residents of West Chester, Pennsylvania. "CKY" stands for "Camp Kill Yourself". The series was part of the basis for what eventually became ' ...

'' and ''

CKY4 The ''CKY'' video series is a series of videos produced by Bam Margera and Brandon DiCamillo and other residents of West Chester, Pennsylvania. "CKY" stands for "Camp Kill Yourself". The series was part of the basis for what eventually became ...

'', Frantz introduced high production quality 35-millimeter and 16-millimeter film sequences to the action sports genre, which was then primarily shot on various low quality videotape formats. Among the most noted film segments in the ''CKY'' videos are the "Shopping Cart Slams" and the "HeMan BeastMan" music video for the band Gnarkill (for which Frantz also crafted the stop-motion animation sequences).

''CKY: The Greatest Hits''

In 2014, Frantz directed and produced the one-hour documentary '' CKY: The Greatest Hits'', which highlights the most memorable moments and unreleased footage from the CKY videos, and features commentary from

and the

, with special appearances by

Johnny Knoxville Philip John Clapp (born March 11, 1971), best known professionally as Johnny Knoxville, is an American stunt performer, actor, writer, producer, and professional wrestler. He is best known as a co-creator and star of the MTV reality stunt show ...

and

Jeff Tremaine Jeffrey Tremaine (born September 4, 1966) is an American television director, television producer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for co-creating the reality stunt show ''Jackass (TV series), Jackass'' with Spi ...

of '' Jackass''.

Independent films

''Haggard: The Movie''

Following the international success of the ''CKY'' videos,

approached Frantz with the script for his independent motion picture directorial debut, a comedy titled '' Haggard: The Movie'' (2003). Directed by, starring, and financed by Margera, ''Haggard'' co-stars

Ryan Dunn Ryan Matthew Dunn (June 11, 1977 – June 20, 2011) was an American stunt performer, television personality, actor and comedian. He was best known as one of the stars of the MTV reality stunt show '' Jackass'' and its film franchise. Born ...

and the

, and features cameos by skateboard legends

and

Bucky Lasek Charles Michael "Bucky" Lasek ( ; born December 3, 1972) is an American professional skateboarder and rallycross driver. Career Professional skateboarding Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Lasek started skateboarding at the age of 12, shortly af ...

. For the production of ''Haggard'', Frantz developed a production method through which he could serve dual roles as both producer and director of photography, and shot the movie in super-16 millimeter film.

''Minghags: The Movie''

Directed by and starring

and the cast of MTV's ''

'', '' Minghags: The Movie'' (2009) is an homage to one of Margera's and Frantz's favorite genres, born out of the 1980s, the "Screwball Comedy" (such films as

John Landis John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal ...

' ''

Kentucky Fried Movie ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' is a 1977 American independent sketch comedy film, produced by Kim Jorgensen, Larry Kostroff, and Robert K. Weiss, and directed by John Landis. Among the numerous star cameos are George Lazenby, Bill Bixby, Henry Gib ...

'' and ''

Amazon Women on the Moon ''Amazon Women on the Moon'' is a 1987 American satirical science fiction film that parodies the experience of watching low-budget films on late-night television. The film, featuring a large ensemble cast including cameo appearances from film and ...

''). As co-director, executive producer, and director of photography, Frantz shot it in super-16 millimeter film, in the same colorful style as its predecessor, ''Haggard: The Movie''.

''Bam Margera Presents: Where the ♯$&% Is Santa?''

''Bam Margera Presents: Where the ♯$&% Is Santa?'' (2008) is a modern-day Christmas saga, a reality comedy feature reminiscent of the MTV predecessor ''

'', in which

and Brandon Novak trek across Finland to find Santa Claus in order to make good on a bet with

Jimmy Pop James Moyer Franks (born August 27, 1972), better known by his stage name Jimmy Pop (originally Jimmy Pop Ali), is an American rapper, singer, musician, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter, ...

of the

Bloodhound Gang The Bloodhound Gang was an American rap rock band from Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1988 by rappers Jimmy Pop and Daddy Long Legs (now in Wolfpac) as a hip-hop group, before branching out into other genres as their career pro ...

. They are also joined by

the Dudesons The Dudesons ( fi, Duudsonit) are a Finnish entertainment group. They are best known for their TV shows and live performances, which are a combination of stunts and comedy. Their early TV shows were similar to '' Jackass''. Starting their televi ...

. The film features other cameos by Kat Von D,

, and

Andy McCoy Antti Hulkko (born 11 October 1962), better known as Andy McCoy, is a Finnish musician. He is best known for his role as the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the rock band Hanoi Rocks, but has also played with Iggy Pop and a variety of oth ...

Hanoi Rocks Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979. They were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and they were also popular in Japan. The band broke up in June 1985 after drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley died in a drunk driving acciden ...

. Frantz served as the film's co-executive producer, writer, and director of photography, and appeared in a cameo role.

''Jackass''

Frantz is noted for his camera work in ''

'' (2006), ''

'' (2007), '' Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover'' (2008) (in which Frantz made his first ''Jackass'' cameo appearance), ''

'' (2010), and ''

'' (2011). Frantz is also noted for shooting the "lost" ''Jackass Number Two'' scene of

Don Vito Vincent Roy Margera (July 3, 1956 – November 15, 2015), commonly known as Don Vito, was an American reality television personality. He was known for his appearances in ''Viva La Bam'', '' Jackass'', ''Haggard'', and the ''CKY'' series alongs ...

, the "Don Vito Tooth Pull" (2006), in which Vito had his tooth pulled out via a string attached to the bumper of a Lamborghini driven by

and

. The footage quickly became the "big stunt" in the official ''Jackass Number Two'' trailer. Due to legal allegations centered around Don Vito, the footage was omitted from the film, and it is rumored that Frantz still owns Vito's tooth. A few seconds of the lost footage can be seen in the original ''Jackass Number Two'' trailer.

Reality TV

''Viva La Bam''

The '' Jackass'' spin-off ''

'', MTV's scripted-reality series starred

and his friends from ''Jackass'' and the CKY videos, known as the "

". The program was shot from 2003 to 2006 (from pilot to the "Viva La Spring Break" special). Each episode presented a theme or mission, and took the cast and crew on journeys across the United States, South America, Europe, and Scandinavia. The show also often featured appearances of Margera's favorite bands and celebrity friends such as HIM, CKY,

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

Gwar Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. After th ...

The Bloodhound Gang The Bloodhound Gang was an American rap rock band from Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1988 by rappers Jimmy Pop and Daddy Long Legs (now in Wolfpac) as a hip hop music, hip-hop group, before branching out into other genres as thei ...

, and

. For ''Viva La Bam'''s five-season duration, Frantz served as director of photography and contributed to the aesthetic of the show by shooting scenes and montages in super-16 and 35-millimeter film, using a variety of experimental cinematographic in-camera techniques (such as

stop-motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

), producing the only motion picture film presented on a reality program in the history of television.

''Bam's Unholy Union''

Frantz was producer and director of photography of the '' Jackass''/''

'' spinoff ''

'' (2007). The series chronicled the marriage of

to his high school sweetheart Melissa "Missy" Rothstein, and featured

Brandon DiCamillo Brandon DiCamillo (born 1976) is an American former television personality, actor, stunt performer, filmmaker, and musician. He was a founding member of the CKY crew and rose to fame through appearances in the ''CKY'' video series and MTV's ' ...

Rake Yohn Edward Webb (born 1975), known by his stage name Rake Yohn (), is an American television personality and former member of the CKY crew. He was a regular in the ''CKY'' videos and MTV's reality comedy series '' Viva La Bam'' and also had occasi ...

, and Frantz in a cameo role.

''MTV's Blastazoid''

's ''

Blastazoid MTV is an American cable television channel which was the first television channel dedicated to music, music industry and history in the United States upon its founding in 1981. MTV Networks has since produced various original television shows, ...

'' was the featured show on MTV's highly advertised "Gamers Week". The half-hour special was created by MTV's internal division with Joe Frantz and

, who were signed on as producers to head up the project shortly after approaching MTV with their idea to create a "Live-Action

Donkey Kong is a video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of a gorilla named Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong and his clan of other Ape, apes and monkeys. The franchise primarily consists of plat ...

"; a five-story, life-sized version of the classic arcade game. ''Blastazoid'' chronicled the lives of hosts Frantz, DiCamillo, and

, as they brought "Live-Action Donkey Kong" to life. It also showcased user-created gaming, fan, and tribute footage found on the internet. Although MTV's ''Blastazoid Special'' ended with a trailer for a "Live-Action

Frogger is a 1981 arcade action game developed by Konami and manufactured by Sega. In North America, it was released by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct a series of frogs to their homes by crossing a busy road and a hazardous rive ...

" episode, the teaser was a spoof and ''Blastazoid'' had never been intended for a series.

Music videos and documentaries

HIM

Frantz has served as both producer and director of photography with director

on four music videos for Finnish band HIM: * " Buried Alive by Love" (featuring ''

Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American crime film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims of traumatic childho ...

'' star

Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...

) (2003) * " The Sacrament" (2004) * " And Love Said No" (2004) * " Solitary Man" (2004). The international success of the HIM videos initiated the production of a series of documentary features by Margera and Frantz: * ''HIM: The Making of "Buried Alive by Love"'' (2003) * ''HIM: The Making of "The Sacrament"'' (2004) * ''HIM: The Making of "And Love Said No"'' (2004) * ''BAM presents HIM: The Making of "Dark Light"'' (2005) Interspersed with Margera's signature antics, the documentaries highlight the history of the band and depict challenges of the video productions.

CKY

In 1999, Frantz served as producer and director of photography with director

for the

video "

96 Quite Bitter Beings "96 Quite Bitter Beings" is the debut single by American rock band CKY. Written by the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Deron Miller, it was produced by the band's lead guitarist and backing vocalist Chad I Ginsburg and featured as the opening ...

" (1999). The video was a success on MTV's ''

Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...

'', and the Margera / Frantz team has since released a total of thirteen CKY music videos, the most popular of which were played on MTV: " Flesh into Gear" (2001), " Attached at the Hip" (2002), "A#1 Roller Rager" (2009), and the half-hour music documentary ''The Making of "A#1 Roller Rager"''. In addition, Margera and Frantz created the DVD release of '' Infiltrate•Destroy•Rebuild: The Video Album'' (2003), which features twelve music videos and behind-the-scenes documentary features.

The 69 Eyes

Frantz has served as both producer and director of photography with director

on three music videos for the Finnish band

69 Eyes The 69 Eyes are a Finnish rock band. It was founded in 1989 in Helsinki by vocalist Jyrki 69 (who also writes the band's lyrics), guitarists Bazie, Timo-Timo and bassist Archzie, joined in 1992 by drummer Jussi 69; the lineup never changed sinc ...

: "Lost Boys" (2005), "Dead Girls Are Easy" (2009), and "Dead and Gone" (2009). The videos received heavy rotation on music video channels such as

Kerrang! TV Kerrang! TV is a British music television channel owned by Channel Four Television Corporation, with permission to use the ''Kerrang!'' brand from Bauer. It is currently the only music channel in the United Kingdom that is dedicated to rock musi ...

, and The Box, throughout Europe, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom.

Barrington Levy

In 2010, under the direction of Caesar Augustus, Frantz produced

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

legend

Barrington Levy Barrington Ainsworth Levy (born 30 April 1964) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. Career Levy was born in Clarendon, Jamaica. He formed a band called the Mighty Multitude, with his cousin, Everton Dacres; the pair released "My Blac ...

's "NO WAR" music video. It was shot in Frantz's hometown of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and features

Kardinal Offishal Jason Drew Harrow (born May 11, 1976), better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall (), is a Canadian rapper, record producer, DJ, and record executive. Often credited as Canada's " hip hop ambassador", he is regarded as one of the country ...

Ninjaman Desmond John Ballentine (born January 24, 1966), better known as Ninjaman, and sometimes as Don Gorgon is a Jamaican dancehall deejay and actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style. In 2017, he ...

, Louie Rankin, and

Wayne Wonder Von Wayne Charles (born 26 July 1972), better known by his stage name Wayne Wonder, is a Jamaican reggae artist. While his early recordings were dancehall and reggae, he later moved towards hip hop and rap. His most popular single is the 2003 ...

. The video thematically encompasses unity of the underclass in urban culture.

The Bloodhound Gang

Frantz directed the

's music video "Screwing You on the Beach at Night" (2008), which is a visual parody of the classic black-and-white

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. He is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game", as well as other songs such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby D ...

Wicked Game "Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third album, '' Heart Shaped World'' (1989). Despite being released as a single in July 1989, it did not become a hit until it was featured in the 1990 David Lynch ...

" video. Frantz reconstructed the "Wicked Game" video shot-per-shot, using the same camera angles, lenses, and shot composition as the original. Bloodhound Gang frontman

's performance is a spoof of Chris Isaak's notably sexy performance, in which Jimmy plays a drooling, cross-eyed, girl-chasing simpleton.

Viking Skull

Viking Skull Viking Skull are an English hard rock band originally from Corby, Northamptonshire. Formed in 2002, the band currently features vocalist and guitarist Roddy Stone, guitarists Frank Regan and Dom Wallace, bassist Kevin "Waldie" James and drummer ...

's signature lifestyle of "drinking and rocking" is depicted in the videos directed by

with Frantz as producer and director of photography: "Blackened Sunrise" (2007) and "Hair of the Dog" (2009).

Clutch

Frantz teamed up with director

to produce and film the music video for

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

band

's "The Mob Goes Wild" (2004). The video features antics from

and

of '' Jackass''.

Vinnie Paz and Jedi Mind Tricks

As a lifelong friend of rapper

Vinnie Paz Vincenzo Luvineri (born October 5, 1977), better known as Vinnie Paz (formerly known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram), is a Sicilian Americans, Sicilian American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks ...

, Frantz directed the first video of Paz's band

Jedi Mind Tricks Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) are an American underground hip hop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1996 by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz (Vincenzo Luvineri) and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (Kevin Baldwin). In 19 ...

called "I Who Have Nothing" (1996), which features experimental in-camera animation and effects shot on a 16-millimeter

Bolex Bolex International S. A. is a Swiss manufacturer of motion picture cameras based in Yverdon located in Canton of Vaud. The most notable products of which are in the 16 mm and Super 16 mm formats. Originally Bol, the company was founded by ...

camera. When frontman Paz pursued his solo career, Frantz served as director and cinematographer for Paz's debut video "Keep Movin' On" (2010). The video features cameos from several of Frantz's friends and associates: Philadelphia personality

Tony Luke Jr. Anthony Lucidonio Jr. (born March 12, 1962) better known as Tony Luke Jr. is an American restaurateur, musician, songwriter actor, and media host who founded the cheesesteak franchise Tony Luke's. Career Luke married at age 18 after high school. ...

, Scott Vogel of the hardcore band Terror, and

Gina Lynn Tanya Mercado (born February 15, 1974), known professionally as Gina Lynn, is an American former pornographic actress, model, and stripper. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2010 and is the '' Penthouse'' magazine Penthouse Pet for Ap ...

of the adult film world. Frantz followed the release with the Vinnie Paz documentary "Keep Movin' On: A Portrait of Vinnie Paz".

''Viva La Bands''

The CD/DVD sets '' Viva La Bands'' (2005) and '' Viva La Bands, Volume 2'' (2007) were released by skater/'' Jackass'' alumnus

and had international distribution. The CDs are compilations of songs from Margera's favorite bands. The DVD features include popular music videos, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and the "lost episode" of ''

'', titled "Iceland Waterfall", which were directed by Margera and produced and filmed by Frantz.

Books

''Dreamseller''

Frantz is a collaborative co-author of the book ''Dreamseller'', which he wrote with

/ '' Jackass'' personality

. This "cautionary tale" chronicles Novak's career as a young professional skateboarder, descent into

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

addiction, and subsequent rise to MTV fame. Frantz documented the life of Novak in "''Dreamseller: The Documentary Series''. The film outlines Novak's career, and the effects of drug addiction on relationships, and features interviews with Novak's mother, as well as

, and

, who comment on their relationships with Novak and his history of drug abuse. In December 2007, on an episode of ''

Radio Bam ''Radio Bam'' (or ''Bam Radio'') was a Sirius XM radio station hosted by professional skateboarder and ''Jackass'' cast member Bam Margera that aired on Mondays at 7 pm, straight after '' The Jason Ellis Show''. The show's supporting cast was ...

'' on

Sirius Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launc ...

, Frantz accuses Novak of being high, frisks him, and uncovers hidden drugs. Consequently, Margera, Frantz, and company kicked Novak out of Margera's studio and sent him home. In March 2009, in an attempt to dissuade young people from trying drugs, Frantz interviewed Novak who was then committed to a mental institution for recovery from prescription drug addiction. Frantz and Novak have started writing the second book in the ''Dreamseller'' series, which is centered around Novak's relationship with his father, now deceased.

Radio shows

''Radio Bam''

Frantz was a regular guest host on the

Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Sirius ...

program ''

'' until its end in 2013. The show featured

and guests.

''The Novak and Frantz Show''

Since 2018, Frantz is the co-host of ''The Novak and Frantz Show'' on the ''Might Be News Network'' with fellow

member

. On the show, they discuss sobriety, film-making, current events, and their ''Jackass'' careers. They have had Chris Raab,

Phil Margera Phil Margera (born July 13, 1957) is an American reality television personality known for appearing on ''Viva La Bam'', the ''CKY'' videos and the '' Jackass'' television series and movies. He is the father of CKY drummer Jess Margera and ''J ...

, and

April Margera April Margera (born March 28, 1956) is an American reality television personality who has appeared on MTV's ''Viva La Bam'' and '' Jackass'', as well as the ''CKY'' videos, ''Haggard'', ''Minghags'' and ''Bam's Unholy Union''. Biography Apri ...

as guests.

Filmography

Film

Television

Trivia

Frantz's first gig in the film industry was as a production assistant on ''

Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee. The film is about a male comic artist (Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian woma ...

'' (1997). It was short-lived, as on his first day, he accidentally shut down the set for an hour during a key scene by triggering an alarm on a nearby building.

References

External links

Official website
*
Joe Frantz on InstagramJoe Frantz on Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frantz, Joe Living people Film producers from Pennsylvania MTV people CKY Jackass (TV series) Businesspeople from Philadelphia Year of birth missing (living people)