The Frankie Foster discussion thread - Page 26 - Never Forgotten: a Foster's Home Community

jekylljuice · 07-12-2009, 08:53 AM

Oh, interesting. Oddly enough I never noticed that portrait before. I wonder then if he ever had all that much to do with the imaginary friends, since I don't recall seeing him in any of those group snapshots, and they did span over quite a period of time. Plus, nobody ever mentions him. We may have more proof of his existence than I thought, but all the same, I think he'll carry on being a phantom character in my mind - presumably there at one time or another, but with no kind of presence or being left behind in his wake. Which, given Lauren's comments on the subject, I think is fair enough.

Cassini90125 · 07-12-2009, 10:13 AM

My best guess is that he passed on before Madame Foster opened her house to lost and abandoned Imaginary Friends, and probably before Frankie was born. Nobody mentions him because Madame Foster and Mr. Herriman are the only people at Foster's who remember him.

Lynnie · 07-12-2009, 01:00 PM

Yeah, that's kind of what I thought too, that he passed away so long ago that no one remembers him but Madame F and Mr. H. When I first read Frankie's bio earlier this year however, I did entertain the thought that he didn't like IFs either and, although possibly supported his wife in her charity, didn't want to be a part of it, so that's why he was never in the house pictures. But I always did lean more toward the prior.

I can still see Mr. H bossing her son around as he was growing up (and then just "razzing" on him once he grew up), but with Master Foster (or whatever the husband of a "Madame" would be) I can see Mr. H having the lesser hand. I guess I always pictured him a stubborn no-nonsense type of guy, and he didn't allow Mr. H any control over him.

jekylljuice · 07-12-2009, 01:16 PM

I was going to comment that, if the man in the portrait is indeed intended to be Mr. Foster, then he appears to have lived to a ripe enough old age (which, if he did die before Frankie was born, suggests a substantial age difference between himself and Madame Foster, which would be interesting). But looking at it again, I'm not so sure. It's kind of hard to make out, and in the end I wouldn't really like to say how old the man in the portrait is intended to be.

Sparky · 07-12-2009, 03:00 PM

Couldn't it be Madame Foster's father? They had photography back then I think, lol.

Cassini90125 · 07-12-2009, 04:36 PM

Huh, I hadn't thought of that. It's certainly a possibility; photography was around in Lincoln's time and I doubt Madame Foster's dad was that old.

jekylljuice · 07-13-2009, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jekylljuice

It's kind of hard to make out, and in the end I wouldn't really like to say how old the man in the portrait is intended to be.

Disregard what I said in that last statement. I now realise that the man in the portrait is but a shrivelled up old skeleton ("DUH!" you all scream, and yes, I know, it seems really obvious now, but for some reason I mistook his nostril for his mouth during my first couple of glances - I'm allowed to make the occasional mistake, aren't I?). So basically I'm going with t's Dorian Gray theory. Mr. Foster - I guess he'll always be but a hypothetical plot device used squarely to justify the existence of Frankie.

pitbulllady · 07-13-2009, 08:19 AM

Are y'all sure it's a MAN in the picture? It looks an awful lot like Madame Foster's babysitter to me, you know, the semi-fossilized old woman from "Foster's Goes To Europe"? SHE does look like a skeleton!

pitbulllady

Lynnie · 07-13-2009, 09:21 AM

Eh, I personally don't think so. Here's Mrs. Tremont-

She never opened her eyes and the person in the painting has their eyes open. She also has a head full of hair and the person in the picture has only 4/5 whispy hairs. And if the dark spot on the person in the picture is their mouth, it's up too high. Which also leads me to see the spot as a nasal cavity, thus making the person in the picture look more like a skull than a living person. But even so, I don't see it as Mrs. Tremont.

And yup, photography goes back to the 1830s, far enough back to photograph Madame F's Great-great-great-great grandparents. So it could also be her father I suppose, or even her grandfather.

jekylljuice · 07-13-2009, 09:32 AM

It's definitely his nasal cavity, not his mouth. You can see his jaws lower down, just above his neck. I took a screenshot of it from one of the Fosters DVDs (which have a higher picture quality) earlier today, and that's what caused me to realise that I'd been looking at it completely wrong:

07-12-2009, 08:53 AM	#251
jekylljuice Executive Weasel Ball jekylljuice was here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Posts: 1,568	Oh, interesting. Oddly enough I never noticed that portrait before. I wonder then if he ever had all that much to do with the imaginary friends, since I don't recall seeing him in any of those group snapshots, and they did span over quite a period of time. Plus, nobody ever mentions him. We may have more proof of his existence than I thought, but all the same, I think he'll carry on being a phantom character in my mind - presumably there at one time or another, but with no kind of presence or being left behind in his wake. Which, given Lauren's comments on the subject, I think is fair enough. __________________ That's it, The End, But you'll get over it, My Friend. Last edited by jekylljuice; 07-12-2009 at 08:57 AM.

07-12-2009, 10:13 AM	#252
Cassini90125 The Postmaster Love gives you courage that's stronger than anything! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Saturn Posts: 6,658	My best guess is that he passed on before Madame Foster opened her house to lost and abandoned Imaginary Friends, and probably before Frankie was born. Nobody mentions him because Madame Foster and Mr. Herriman are the only people at Foster's who remember him. __________________ "Frankie! That weird kid is using a flower pot for a cup!" Sailor Moon. Best Anime EVER.

07-12-2009, 01:00 PM	#253
Lynnie Lady of Brightwood Dream maker, wherever you're going I'm going your way Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: The Emerald City, in the Evergreen State, where everything is GREEN Posts: 2,419	Yeah, that's kind of what I thought too, that he passed away so long ago that no one remembers him but Madame F and Mr. H. When I first read Frankie's bio earlier this year however, I did entertain the thought that he didn't like IFs either and, although possibly supported his wife in her charity, didn't want to be a part of it, so that's why he was never in the house pictures. But I always did lean more toward the prior. I can still see Mr. H bossing her son around as he was growing up (and then just "razzing" on him once he grew up), but with Master Foster (or whatever the husband of a "Madame" would be) I can see Mr. H having the lesser hand. I guess I always pictured him a stubborn no-nonsense type of guy, and he didn't allow Mr. H any control over him. __________________ MySpace-Facebook-LiveJournal-Y!Profile-Dragon Cave

07-12-2009, 01:16 PM	#254
jekylljuice Executive Weasel Ball jekylljuice was here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Posts: 1,568	I was going to comment that, if the man in the portrait is indeed intended to be Mr. Foster, then he appears to have lived to a ripe enough old age (which, if he did die before Frankie was born, suggests a substantial age difference between himself and Madame Foster, which would be interesting). But looking at it again, I'm not so sure. It's kind of hard to make out, and in the end I wouldn't really like to say how old the man in the portrait is intended to be. __________________ That's it, The End, But you'll get over it, My Friend.

07-12-2009, 03:00 PM	#255
Sparky Undisputed Ruler of Terrencania Am not Slave-O-Matic! Am Johnny Five! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,715	Couldn't it be Madame Foster's father? They had photography back then I think, lol. __________________ Custom Machine Embroidery & More Last edited by Sparky; 07-12-2009 at 03:01 PM.

07-12-2009, 04:36 PM	#256
Cassini90125 The Postmaster Love gives you courage that's stronger than anything! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Saturn Posts: 6,658	Huh, I hadn't thought of that. It's certainly a possibility; photography was around in Lincoln's time and I doubt Madame Foster's dad was that old. __________________ "Frankie! That weird kid is using a flower pot for a cup!" Sailor Moon. Best Anime EVER.

07-13-2009, 08:19 AM	#258
pitbulllady Co-Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,276	Are y'all sure it's a MAN in the picture? It looks an awful lot like Madame Foster's babysitter to me, you know, the semi-fossilized old woman from "Foster's Goes To Europe"? SHE does look like a skeleton! pitbulllady

07-13-2009, 09:21 AM	#259
Lynnie Lady of Brightwood Dream maker, wherever you're going I'm going your way Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: The Emerald City, in the Evergreen State, where everything is GREEN Posts: 2,419	Eh, I personally don't think so. Here's Mrs. Tremont- She never opened her eyes and the person in the painting has their eyes open. She also has a head full of hair and the person in the picture has only 4/5 whispy hairs. And if the dark spot on the person in the picture is their mouth, it's up too high. Which also leads me to see the spot as a nasal cavity, thus making the person in the picture look more like a skull than a living person. But even so, I don't see it as Mrs. Tremont. And yup, photography goes back to the 1830s, far enough back to photograph Madame F's Great-great-great-great grandparents. So it could also be her father I suppose, or even her grandfather. __________________ MySpace-Facebook-LiveJournal-Y!Profile-Dragon Cave

07-13-2009, 09:32 AM	#260
jekylljuice Executive Weasel Ball jekylljuice was here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Posts: 1,568	It's definitely his nasal cavity, not his mouth. You can see his jaws lower down, just above his neck. I took a screenshot of it from one of the Fosters DVDs (which have a higher picture quality) earlier today, and that's what caused me to realise that I'd been looking at it completely wrong: __________________ That's it, The End, But you'll get over it, My Friend.