About

A man with short hair holding up a small cardboard cut out of a cartoon fox

Hi, my name is Daniele Rossi (but you can call me Danny).

I draw comics starring Franky Banky, a fox who stutters. I use humour to give hope and a positive perspective towards stuttering while spreading awareness and offering resources for speech-language pathologists.

My origin story

Growing up stuttering and being told by society it’s something to hide.

This only resulted in me avoiding speaking and social situations and missed opportunities.

It never worked.

Excerpt from Covert Operations (Part 1)

A cartoon fox holding a book and exclaiming "Sounds like this boo-book is suggesting tha that I... gasp... s-stutter owe owe openly. Are you crazy, book?!"

Excerpt from Covert Operations (Part 2)

I stumbled upon a more positive message about stuttering in my mid-thirties and the next thing I knew, I started benefitting from doing something that was unheard of throughout my life – simply telling people that I stutter.

Excerpt from Covert Operations (Part 2)

The fact that I knew that they now knew why I was “talking like that” put both of us at ease. Most importantly, the people I was talking to received the message that since I was ok with my stuttering, they could be ok with it, too.

Excerpt from Covert Operations (Part 2)

Excerpt from How to tell people that you stutter

Suddenly, I saw my stuttering as something pretty cool.

Excerpt from How to tell people that you stutter

My podcast

I wanted to share this with the world. So I launched my podcast, Stuttering is Cool, reaching over 700 listeners in 50 countries.

(Years later, I would launch The Franky Banky Podcast, too, where I read my comics).

A cartoon fox wearing headphones and talking into a microphone while interacting with someone in a video chat on his laptop.

A book with a cartoon fox on its cover. The book is entitled, Stuttering is Cool: A Guide to Stuttering in a Fast-Talking World.

My first book

I wrote (and drew) Stuttering is Cool: A Guide to Stuttering in a Fast-Talking World, about how to take steps out of your comfort zone and reap the benefits of desensitization and stuttering openly.

It is also being used in therapy sessions with successful outcomes and used as a textbook or required reading in 11 universities across North America.

My book was translated into French with generous funding by Association bégaiement communication in 2019.

My first book

I wrote (and drew) Stuttering is Cool: A Guide to Stuttering in a Fast-Talking World, about how to take steps out of your comfort zone and reap the benefits of desensitization and stuttering openly.

It is also being used in therapy sessions with successful outcomes and used as a textbook or required reading in 11 universities across North America.

My book was translated into French with generous funding by Association bégaiement communication in 2019.

“Daniele Rossi your book is epic. A class all its own! We all love it and already inspiring a 15yo to find himself and find his voice through your colorful cartoons, expressive page numbers and fabulous content! BRAVO.”
– Uri Schneider, M.A. CCC-SLP, USA

“Really cool book. I bought this for my class for speech pathology. This is a great resource and awesome way of seeing inside the mind of the person who stutters.”
– SLP student, USA

Stuttering awareness pins

I soon had the idea of using Franky Banky as a friendly and approachable way to spread stuttering awareness. Thus, the stuttering awareness pins were born – and translated into many languages including French, Icelandic, Dutch, and Hebrew!

Buy them now on Etsy

Stuttering awareness pins arranged in front of a mini comic book

“These buttons are the coolest! Thanks for helping us spread Stuttering Awareness. You Rock!”
– Review on Etsy

“These were grabbed up by my middle school students who stutter. They are at an age where kids who stutter may be ready to consider this scary idea that stuttering can be done openly. Just seeing this attitude displayed on cool little pins is eye-opening for them – and for family, friends, peers, and teachers who see Franky Banky facing down his Ti-Ger with such aplomb. For that reason, as an SLP I got an extra set to wear myself, to start conversations with both adults and kids, in speech therapy, in the school setting, and out in the community.”
– Review on Etsy by a speech-language pathologist

My second book

Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Mirth offers 15 zany stories of Franky Banky in a variety of speaking situations showing kids who stutter the benefits of being open about their speech and spreading awareness.

Fluent readers learn what stuttering is and is not through Franky Banky’s actions to reactions toward his speech

“The Franky Banky comics have shifted my view in stuttering permanently and for the better good! Unfortunately, I would sometimes say ‘slow down’ because I saw my son try with all his might to get his words out… I felt useless because why can’t his own mother help him. The day the book came, he read it in one sitting… triggered something in him that has him not looking back in shame ever again!”
– Heather, mother of a child who stutters

“When the part when Franky Banky talked in front of 700 people and that gave me the confidence to talk in front of the whole entire 4th grade “
– Heather’s son, aged 9

People who don’t stutter love Franky Banky, too!

Mary, aged 8, sibling and child of people who stutter, loves Franky Banky so much that she has been an advocate for the stuttering community with her art since she was 6 – and even doing a presentation to her class about stuttering!

A child's drawing of Franky Banky, a fox, accompanied by writing reading "Stuttering rocks. I heart stuttering. Franky Banky."

Used with permission

More about me, Daniele Rossi

Daniele Rossi is a digital strategist by day and cartoonist by night living in Toronto, Canada, who has been stuttering and drawing comics since he was 4 years old give or take.

Daniele grew up to eventually produce the Stuttering is Cool podcast and book of the same name with the latter featuring comics starring Franky Banky. Then, as mentioned earlier, Daniele drew and published Franky Banky’s first graphic novel, Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Mirth.

An active participant in the global stuttering community, Daniele:

Co-founded Stutter Social, an online community facilitating group video chats for people who stutter;
Is an advisory member to the board of the Canadian Stuttering Association;
Draws Franky Banky comics for the Association bègaiement communication quarterly newsletter;
Led (and continues to lead) cartooning workshops for young and old alike at the Canadian Stuttering Association, Irish Stammering Association, National Stuttering Association, Camp Shout Out, Shared Voices, Indian Stammering Association, the Australian Speak Easy Association and International Stuttering Association World Congress.

Daniele has spoken in the media about stuttering including being featured on CBC The National and in The Globe and Mail.

Daniele has been named among the 2023 Top 100 Influencers of the World Stuttering Community by the World Stuttering Network and is one of six recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners by the York Catholic District School Board for his work in stuttering.

Daniele enjoys watching golden age animation, listening to podcasts, travelling, strength training, and is passionate about digital accessibility. Since his first name can be difficult even for English-language non-stutterers to say fluently, you can call him Danny.

(It feels weird to write about yourself in the third person)