Frank Frazetta died on April 10, 2010 from complications arising from a stroke. He was 82.
Something tells me Frazetta needs no introduction, but just in case you're unfamiliar with the man and his work, it's safe to say that he was the most important fantasy artist of all time. He also contributed to science fiction, though not nearly as much as I'd have liked... (Guess he didn't get my memo.)
Something tells me Frazetta needs no introduction, but just in case you're unfamiliar with the man and his work, it's safe to say that he was the most important fantasy artist of all time. He also contributed to science fiction, though not nearly as much as I'd have liked... (Guess he didn't get my memo.)
John Carter of Mars artwork
Frazetta made a name for himself in the Fifties as a comics artist on everything from Westerns to crime stories to science fiction -- specifically, Buck Rogers. However, he became a sensation when he began painting covers for Ace Books' Conan titles in the mid Sixties. With his tight and bulging muscles, lanky hair, and simmering eyes, and wielding the mother of all giant swords, Frazetta's Conan became the Conan for the next 40 years.
Frazetta's first Conan cover, for Conan The Adventurer (Ace Books, 1966)
Buck Rogers (inked by Wally Wood!)
Buck and Wilma menaced by a... thing...
One ray gun beats eight tentacles every time!
Frazetta was also known for his cover art on the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars books; works for Ray Bradbury; and more sword-and-sorcery stories than I could ever possibly list. Frazetta contributed to Mad Magazine, painted movie posters, worked on numerous album covers, and collaborated with animator Ralph Bakshi on the film Fire and Ice. Books collecting his paintings have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and recently, one of his Conan paintings sold for $1 million to Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammet.
Promo art for the original Battlestar Galactica TV series.
More early BSG promo art. If only the show really looked this good...
More John Carter of Mars artwork. (I believe... someone correct me if I'm wrong!)
Personally, I'm a huge fan of Frazetta's paintings. I'll probably never own one -- even his sketches go for thousands of dollars -- but I've often considered collecting the paperbacks he illustrated in the Sixties. It might be fun...
Posts
