Conan is Cimmerian, he cannot cry. I cry for him: Frank Frazetta - 1928 to 2010
May 10, 2010 1:05 PM Subscribe
Frank Frazetta, was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1928. He rose to fame first for his work with comic books in the 1940s and 50s, then for his iconic fantasy art from the 1960s on. Frazetta was the inspiration behind Zelda artist Yusuke Nakano, and Frazetta's artwork for the "Famous Funnies" were an inspiration for Star Wars. Frank Frazetta died today, at the age of 82. More history, eulogies and links inside.
Frazetta's first publication came at age 16, when he worked with John Guinta to create a one-off: Snowman. Though some biographies note that he only an assistant in the studio, Frazetta got credit on the cover. His other comic work of the 1940s was on "funny animal" comics, and in the same time period he also made more mature art (SFW sketches), and painted hundreds of small illustrations for text stories.
Frank Frazetta gained fame in the comics world in the 1950s, when he worked on The Shining Knight, Durango Kid, and cover art for Buck Rogers. In the 1960s, Frazetta shifted to painting, often cover art (Ace Sci-Fi pulp novel list, search for Frazetta) But it was his spoof painting of Ringo Starr on the back of Mad Magazine in 1964 marked the end of his career with comics, though perhaps his last work was for the cover of Creepy in 1965.
The peak of production for his fantasy paintings was from 1965 to 1973, with portfolios and fewer pieces of new art coming out in the following years (chronological image gallery. He also created artwork for a variety of movie posters.
You may gaze upon more of his works at The Unofficial Frank Frazetta gallery (NSFW galleries labeled, though the site is currently experiencing heavy traffic), and a bio with chronological list of paintings (some NSFW), or reminisce over his comic credits at Comic Book DB.
Just a bit more: Everything2 (noting he turned down an offer from the the New York Giants pro baseball team).
Previous bio post, prev. fantasy art post, and three prior obits. (And MetaTalk)
Frazetta's first publication came at age 16, when he worked with John Guinta to create a one-off: Snowman. Though some biographies note that he only an assistant in the studio, Frazetta got credit on the cover. His other comic work of the 1940s was on "funny animal" comics, and in the same time period he also made more mature art (SFW sketches), and painted hundreds of small illustrations for text stories.
Frank Frazetta gained fame in the comics world in the 1950s, when he worked on The Shining Knight, Durango Kid, and cover art for Buck Rogers. In the 1960s, Frazetta shifted to painting, often cover art (Ace Sci-Fi pulp novel list, search for Frazetta) But it was his spoof painting of Ringo Starr on the back of Mad Magazine in 1964 marked the end of his career with comics, though perhaps his last work was for the cover of Creepy in 1965.
The peak of production for his fantasy paintings was from 1965 to 1973, with portfolios and fewer pieces of new art coming out in the following years (chronological image gallery. He also created artwork for a variety of movie posters.
You may gaze upon more of his works at The Unofficial Frank Frazetta gallery (NSFW galleries labeled, though the site is currently experiencing heavy traffic), and a bio with chronological list of paintings (some NSFW), or reminisce over his comic credits at Comic Book DB.
Just a bit more: Everything2 (noting he turned down an offer from the the New York Giants pro baseball team).
Previous bio post, prev. fantasy art post, and three prior obits. (And MetaTalk)
How many times is this guy gonna die today?
posted by briank at 1:08 PM on May 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by briank at 1:08 PM on May 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
briank - griphus ceded FPP ownership, and cortex was OK with a one-off replacement, not a new standard.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:11 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by filthy light thief at 1:11 PM on May 10, 2010
Mod note: We're going with this one, griphus is a true gentlemen, see Metatalk for more if you want to talk meta-obit stuff.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:11 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:11 PM on May 10, 2010
Oh, damn. Damn, damn, damn. What a titan he was. May he rest among busty women in chainmail bikinis.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:14 PM on May 10, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:14 PM on May 10, 2010 [7 favorites]
I'm out of .s
posted by kuujjuarapik at 1:14 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kuujjuarapik at 1:14 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
You gotta dig how, even while making his barbarian chicks sexy, he made them actually look pretty strong, and like they could actually hold those axes up, unlike his peers' warrior babes, who were usually Playboy model-types that looked decidedly un-warrioresque.
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posted by ignignokt at 1:15 PM on May 10, 2010 [8 favorites]
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posted by ignignokt at 1:15 PM on May 10, 2010 [8 favorites]
Wow, I was having a bad day already, now I lose a another piece of my childhood. Frazetta's work (and Boris Vallejo's) was something my dad (also an artist) and I bonded over.
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posted by bashos_frog at 1:17 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
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posted by bashos_frog at 1:17 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
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posted by Benjamin Nushmutt at 1:21 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Benjamin Nushmutt at 1:21 PM on May 10, 2010
I liked it better when he died at 92.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:25 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:25 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
A re-post from the other thread:
*cranks Electric Wizard *
*watches Conan*
*thumbs through Fiend Folio*
*goes outside, airbrushes side of car with painting of a woman in a metal bikini riding a serpent fighting a minotaur wielding a trident*
Yeah, pretty much everything my secret heart thinks is awesome was influenced by Frank Frazetta. RIP
posted by Bookhouse at 1:29 PM on May 10, 2010 [8 favorites]
*cranks Electric Wizard *
*watches Conan*
*thumbs through Fiend Folio*
*goes outside, airbrushes side of car with painting of a woman in a metal bikini riding a serpent fighting a minotaur wielding a trident*
Yeah, pretty much everything my secret heart thinks is awesome was influenced by Frank Frazetta. RIP
posted by Bookhouse at 1:29 PM on May 10, 2010 [8 favorites]
I've never been a fan of Frazetta's (or, say, Vallejo's) style when it comes to fantasy art and illustration but I certainly recognize that he was hugely influential and, rightly, almost synonymous with a certain kind of Sword-and-Sorcery. When you see a Frazetta cover you know you're going to be transported to a world of mighty thewed barbarians and evil seductive enchantresses and men with lithe, opaque noses (sorry, but you know). And unlike absolutely terrible illustrators like Darrell K. Stweet, Frazetta's work was alive. Maybe not my cup of tea but I'd take 10 of a giant like him for every Sweet with their bland, generic awfulness.
posted by Justinian at 1:32 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 1:32 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
(.)(.)
And once again, remember the Riddle of Steel!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:36 PM on May 10, 2010
And once again, remember the Riddle of Steel!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:36 PM on May 10, 2010
You gotta dig how, even while making his barbarian chicks sexy, he made them actually look pretty strong, and like they could actually hold those axes up, unlike his peers' warrior babes, who were usually Playboy model-types that looked decidedly un-warrioresque.
This. I'm not the hugest fan now, but when I was a kid, right on the cusp of puberty, his artwork was pretty amazing to me.
posted by Forktine at 1:41 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
This. I'm not the hugest fan now, but when I was a kid, right on the cusp of puberty, his artwork was pretty amazing to me.
posted by Forktine at 1:41 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow, The Mucker. I think I'm the only person who ever read that book, but it held me spellbound as a wee lassie, and the cover art created a large part of its mystical allure. Much like those Conan covers.
posted by Go Banana at 1:41 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Go Banana at 1:41 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Re-post, because come on, these pictures are funny and awesome:
Not a huge fan, but totally loved this contest (NSFW) & found a new appreciation for his work. Sounds like he was a tough bastard in addition to being an epic artist.
posted by Fui Non Sum at 1:42 PM on May 10, 2010 [8 favorites]
Not a huge fan, but totally loved this contest (NSFW) & found a new appreciation for his work. Sounds like he was a tough bastard in addition to being an epic artist.
posted by Fui Non Sum at 1:42 PM on May 10, 2010 [8 favorites]
Another repost
The same guy who assisted on Li'l Abner. He had lots of practice for painting barbarian babes from drawing Daisy Mae's curves.
posted by JHarris at 1:42 PM on May 10, 2010
The same guy who assisted on Li'l Abner. He had lots of practice for painting barbarian babes from drawing Daisy Mae's curves.
posted by JHarris at 1:42 PM on May 10, 2010
From the "funny animal" comics link in the FPP:
Maybe he's bouncing on flowers instead of resting with lady warriors.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:48 PM on May 10, 2010
"I'm just a straight, ordinary guy. I truly wish the world was full of sweetness, flowers and happiness. But it's not, and I do reveal that dark side in some of my work. I am known for my violent stuff, But the funny stuff is the real me."- Frank Frazetta, from the Small Wonders: The Funny Animal Art of Frank Frazetta collection.
Maybe he's bouncing on flowers instead of resting with lady warriors.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:48 PM on May 10, 2010
Bouncing on lady warriors FTW.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:51 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:51 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
As pointed out above, the difference between his fantasy art and the others was his was alive. You looked at those old Conan covers and you could hear the swords clashing, demons roaring, and women crying. Crom!
posted by Ber at 1:55 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Ber at 1:55 PM on May 10, 2010
o
That's my second o representing a brass nipple plate, now they are a matching set.
posted by Artw at 1:55 PM on May 10, 2010
That's my second o representing a brass nipple plate, now they are a matching set.
posted by Artw at 1:55 PM on May 10, 2010
Go Banana, I will see your The Mucker and raise you The Return of the Mucker.
And I still have my copy of The Mucker (I think, I'll have to look on my shelves) with that 1974 Frazetta illustration on the cover.
posted by misha at 1:59 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
And I still have my copy of The Mucker (I think, I'll have to look on my shelves) with that 1974 Frazetta illustration on the cover.
posted by misha at 1:59 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
TheWhiteSkull, I remember them more like this:
(·)(·)
Thanks for the Moon Maid, Frank, and for many others.
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posted by Crabby Appleton at 2:01 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
(·)(·)
Thanks for the Moon Maid, Frank, and for many others.
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posted by Crabby Appleton at 2:01 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
This news sucks.
poor Gath of Baal... the Horned Helmet is probably weeping tears of fire...
Or exploding in torrents of unchained fury now that its master/controller is gone... who will save us?
...I don't care if it's dorky... there needed to be a Death Dealer reference in here.
posted by ServSci at 2:07 PM on May 10, 2010
poor Gath of Baal... the Horned Helmet is probably weeping tears of fire...
Or exploding in torrents of unchained fury now that its master/controller is gone... who will save us?
...I don't care if it's dorky... there needed to be a Death Dealer reference in here.
posted by ServSci at 2:07 PM on May 10, 2010
Actually, though, what I mainly remember are his exquisite renderings of these: ω
posted by Crabby Appleton at 2:12 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Crabby Appleton at 2:12 PM on May 10, 2010
Wow, The Mucker.
Ha! The Mucker! That was an awsome novel when I rad it at 13. I bet it would be sort of horrible now, so I won't reread it.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:30 PM on May 10, 2010
Ha! The Mucker! That was an awsome novel when I rad it at 13. I bet it would be sort of horrible now, so I won't reread it.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:30 PM on May 10, 2010
Oh man, what a bummer. I love that he was good enough to play pro baseball back in the day. We still have Boris Vallejo, I guess, but Frazetta was fantastic.
posted by jabberjaw at 2:34 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by jabberjaw at 2:34 PM on May 10, 2010
Go Banana, I will see your The Mucker and raise you The Return of the Mucker.
Oh, you'd better believe I too read The Return of the Mucker....I still remember my excitement when I found it amidst my parents' unending stacks of books: "Holy crap! There's another one? AWESOME!!".
posted by Go Banana at 2:34 PM on May 10, 2010
Oh, you'd better believe I too read The Return of the Mucker....I still remember my excitement when I found it amidst my parents' unending stacks of books: "Holy crap! There's another one? AWESOME!!".
posted by Go Banana at 2:34 PM on May 10, 2010
Bran-Mak-Morn was always my favorite.
But man did I love his ladies as well.
posted by Max Power at 2:39 PM on May 10, 2010
But man did I love his ladies as well.
posted by Max Power at 2:39 PM on May 10, 2010
.
posted by isnotchicago at 2:40 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by isnotchicago at 2:40 PM on May 10, 2010
In fact, I have a very vivid memory (of my 10 year old self) of being almost through The Mucker and being unable to put it down, so I brought it with me to the year end ballet recital so I could read it in the change room. The Frazetta cover was so bizarrely evocative that I was trying to read all incognito-like so no one would ask what I was reading. Someone did catch me....."What the HELL is that? You're weird!!". Sigh, the trials of a young nerd.
I'll miss your art, Frank.
posted by Go Banana at 2:50 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'll miss your art, Frank.
posted by Go Banana at 2:50 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I always preferred FF's work to Boris Vallejo's. BV, while having mad chops, always seemed a bit too clean and glistening. FF gave us the Death Dealer.
And I loved Fire and Ice as a kid.
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posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 2:51 PM on May 10, 2010
And I loved Fire and Ice as a kid.
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posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 2:51 PM on May 10, 2010
the difference between his fantasy art and the others was his was alive.
Yeah. Watching Painting with Fire, one of the things that stands out when they show the work of the people he's inspired is that, whatever merits their work had, they almost never captured the feeling of motion like Frazetta did. Even when he portrayed figures standing still, they felt alive and ready to move.
posted by Zed at 3:12 PM on May 10, 2010
Yeah. Watching Painting with Fire, one of the things that stands out when they show the work of the people he's inspired is that, whatever merits their work had, they almost never captured the feeling of motion like Frazetta did. Even when he portrayed figures standing still, they felt alive and ready to move.
posted by Zed at 3:12 PM on May 10, 2010
I posted this in another thread, but since Zed just mentioned it... the documentary Painting With Fire is worth adding to your Netflix queue or downloading from iTunes or whatever.
posted by hippybear at 3:22 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by hippybear at 3:22 PM on May 10, 2010
I used to really love his work when i was a D and D loving kid, and then i went and wanted to become a serious artist, so no more work with the fur and the tits and the saber tooth tigers, and then i discovered irony--the franzetta books, prints, the images on my blog were ironic, and then i discovered the academic fig leaf of academic culture, and it was interesting, or culturally realvent, or it was about gender and sexuality--and then i went on to grad school, and sat down and realised i loved him without the fig leaves and without shame. There are the usual reasons, the formal stuff, and the balls out craziness of some of the images, and that he took pleasure in it, and some of the academic reasons, as well.
His work, allowed me to love Agnes Martin, and Leyedecker, Robert Ryman and Friberg, Jack Kirby and Dan Flavin, as well as anyone else.
The last 20 years of my life break my heart.
posted by PinkMoose at 3:26 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
His work, allowed me to love Agnes Martin, and Leyedecker, Robert Ryman and Friberg, Jack Kirby and Dan Flavin, as well as anyone else.
The last 20 years of my life break my heart.
posted by PinkMoose at 3:26 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 3:33 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 3:33 PM on May 10, 2010
It was reading about Frazetta's working methods that taught me a way of thinking about backgrounds I've used ever since: rough out the figure, doing whatever dynamic, awesome thing you want it to be doing, slash in big blobs of dark and light while thinking about nothing but composition, then worry about things like "perspective". Focus on the narrative, not the technique.
So yeah. Thanks for that nugget, Frank. You freed me from years of being neurotic about placing figures in perspective the day I read that.
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posted by egypturnash at 3:45 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
So yeah. Thanks for that nugget, Frank. You freed me from years of being neurotic about placing figures in perspective the day I read that.
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posted by egypturnash at 3:45 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Unfortunately that probably makes him the father of some truly awful comics art techniques from the 90s.
posted by Artw at 3:48 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 3:48 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is a little weird to see a FPP nod remembering him for inspiring an artist who drew Legend of Zelda manga.
posted by JHarris at 3:49 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by JHarris at 3:49 PM on May 10, 2010
Unfortunately that probably makes him the father of some truly awful comics art techniques from the 90s.
Pretty directly, when it ciomes to 2000ad in fact - Simon Bisleys painted style for Slaine was straight from Frazetta, and then when they switched to all colour a bunch of people copied him. The result: An awful lot of panels with lightly textured single colour blocks as backgrounds with "dynamic" figures on top.
Not sure if a similar argument could be made for him influencing Liefeld.
posted by Artw at 3:56 PM on May 10, 2010
Pretty directly, when it ciomes to 2000ad in fact - Simon Bisleys painted style for Slaine was straight from Frazetta, and then when they switched to all colour a bunch of people copied him. The result: An awful lot of panels with lightly textured single colour blocks as backgrounds with "dynamic" figures on top.
Not sure if a similar argument could be made for him influencing Liefeld.
posted by Artw at 3:56 PM on May 10, 2010
Not sure if a similar argument could be made for him influencing Liefeld.
Not if we have any respect for the dead.
Pay no attention to the lack of feet.
posted by cortex at 4:20 PM on May 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Not if we have any respect for the dead.
Pay no attention to the lack of feet.
posted by cortex at 4:20 PM on May 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Blimey, it's true! You have to go a long way to find a foot in his pictures. I'd never noticed that before. Is it because he found them difficult, do you suppose, or did he just think "Why waste time doing feet, when there are BREASTS to paint"?
posted by Grangousier at 4:29 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Grangousier at 4:29 PM on May 10, 2010
Comic Book Artists Remember Frank Frazetta
Liefeld:
As a kid growing up in the '70s, Frazetta's amazing work was everywhere: Magazine covers, book covers, calendars and posters. He painted several Battlestar Galactica images that blew me away. You knew even as a kid that you were looking at the work of a master.
Later, when I was first starting out in comics, I was obsessed with MIke MIgnola's art, particularly on Cosmic Odyssey. My editor on Hawk and Dove, Mike Carlin, suggested I look at all of Frazetta's work to better understand his influence on Mignola, who later confirmed how much Frazetta transformed his own approach. I was blown away at the level of influence Frazetta had on so many of the artists whose work I admired. His ink work and compositions became extremely influential to my own approach. There were so many aspects to his art that you could isolate and study. Some picked up his painting techniques, others his powerful figure work, especially his signature female stylings... there was so much to impress and marvel at. Between Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby, you essentially cover the two biggest influences on modern comic book art and storytelling. An amazing pillar of creative artistry has passed but left so much for us to admire and remember him with.
posted by Artw at 4:29 PM on May 10, 2010
Liefeld:
As a kid growing up in the '70s, Frazetta's amazing work was everywhere: Magazine covers, book covers, calendars and posters. He painted several Battlestar Galactica images that blew me away. You knew even as a kid that you were looking at the work of a master.
Later, when I was first starting out in comics, I was obsessed with MIke MIgnola's art, particularly on Cosmic Odyssey. My editor on Hawk and Dove, Mike Carlin, suggested I look at all of Frazetta's work to better understand his influence on Mignola, who later confirmed how much Frazetta transformed his own approach. I was blown away at the level of influence Frazetta had on so many of the artists whose work I admired. His ink work and compositions became extremely influential to my own approach. There were so many aspects to his art that you could isolate and study. Some picked up his painting techniques, others his powerful figure work, especially his signature female stylings... there was so much to impress and marvel at. Between Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby, you essentially cover the two biggest influences on modern comic book art and storytelling. An amazing pillar of creative artistry has passed but left so much for us to admire and remember him with.
posted by Artw at 4:29 PM on May 10, 2010
There's a lot of artists that have trouble with feet, the 90s in particular being a decade of footlessness.
posted by Artw at 4:30 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Artw at 4:30 PM on May 10, 2010
Liefeld's Law : As an online discussion on comics grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Rob Liefeld approaches 1.
Clearly, he was influenced by Frazetta - check out these breasts. Yowza.
posted by HopperFan at 4:45 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Clearly, he was influenced by Frazetta - check out these breasts. Yowza.
posted by HopperFan at 4:45 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
You can fault Liefeld all you like, but I wouldn't fault his influences.
posted by Artw at 4:47 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Artw at 4:47 PM on May 10, 2010
Also, .
I always enjoyed his art - and he was no slouch in the looks department, either. Rowr.
posted by HopperFan at 4:50 PM on May 10, 2010
I always enjoyed his art - and he was no slouch in the looks department, either. Rowr.
posted by HopperFan at 4:50 PM on May 10, 2010
Trust me, I'm only faulting Liefeld, the root of all evil.
posted by HopperFan at 4:50 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by HopperFan at 4:50 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is a little weird to see a FPP nod remembering him for inspiring an artist who drew Legend of Zelda manga.
Yusuke Nakano was invoked as a character designer, and cited Frazetta's muscular women as an influence for Impa. I wanted to point out that there is more to Frazetta's legacy than fantasy artwork, and I found those who claim to be influenced by his work to be interesting.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:02 PM on May 10, 2010
Yusuke Nakano was invoked as a character designer, and cited Frazetta's muscular women as an influence for Impa. I wanted to point out that there is more to Frazetta's legacy than fantasy artwork, and I found those who claim to be influenced by his work to be interesting.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:02 PM on May 10, 2010
Frazetta was a giant. Along with Roy Krenkel, he was a bridge between artists like Alex Raymond and Hal Foster; classic illustrators like Wyeth, Pyle, Franklin Booth, Heinrich Kley and the generation of comic artist that came of age in the late 1960's like Wrightson, Kaluta, Jeff Jones, and Barry Smith. They helped carry the torch of classic illustration sensibilities that was later picked up by folks like Mike Mignola, Dave Stevens, and Mark Schulz.
I've gotten to chat with a couple people who had been up to his house in Pennsylvania, word is he was always a very generous and kind host, filling you up with Italian food, inviting you to play baseball with the family, and then saying something like "Want to watch TV or look at some of my art?" Gee Frank, let's watch some TV.
I think his last comic story was Werewolf! from Creepy #1, 1964. That last panel on page four, holy shit.
Preceded in death less than a year ago by his wife, Ellie.
RIP Mr. Frazetta, and thank you for all the dreams and nightmares you brought to life for us.
posted by marxchivist at 5:21 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
I've gotten to chat with a couple people who had been up to his house in Pennsylvania, word is he was always a very generous and kind host, filling you up with Italian food, inviting you to play baseball with the family, and then saying something like "Want to watch TV or look at some of my art?" Gee Frank, let's watch some TV.
I think his last comic story was Werewolf! from Creepy #1, 1964. That last panel on page four, holy shit.
Preceded in death less than a year ago by his wife, Ellie.
RIP Mr. Frazetta, and thank you for all the dreams and nightmares you brought to life for us.
posted by marxchivist at 5:21 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
On the technical side:
Frazetta knew that, while a knife edge should be rendered as sharply as possible, the edge of a cylinder should be slightly blurred, because that is what our binocular vision does to a rounded edge (one eye sees slightly further around the curve than the other, so the image is a little 'confused').
Boris Vallejo (as talented a renderer as there is), and most comix artists, either don't know this or don't respond to it. Everything is sharp, which gives their pictures an encased-in-jello feel.
Frazetta was also a superior poser and composer. If only he could have broadened his taste in women past the tight little short-waisted bimbettes he ALWAYS used. They're cute enough, but they're not the only female form out there.
posted by hexatron at 5:40 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Frazetta knew that, while a knife edge should be rendered as sharply as possible, the edge of a cylinder should be slightly blurred, because that is what our binocular vision does to a rounded edge (one eye sees slightly further around the curve than the other, so the image is a little 'confused').
Boris Vallejo (as talented a renderer as there is), and most comix artists, either don't know this or don't respond to it. Everything is sharp, which gives their pictures an encased-in-jello feel.
Frazetta was also a superior poser and composer. If only he could have broadened his taste in women past the tight little short-waisted bimbettes he ALWAYS used. They're cute enough, but they're not the only female form out there.
posted by hexatron at 5:40 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
A great, great artist, imitated by many. But never, ever, equaled or surpassed.
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posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:40 PM on May 10, 2010
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posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:40 PM on May 10, 2010
Reference for the 'knife edge' remark above:
Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters
which is an at-most-one-page-a-day book that will humble anyone who draws.
posted by hexatron at 5:46 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters
which is an at-most-one-page-a-day book that will humble anyone who draws.
posted by hexatron at 5:46 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
And, oh yes, The Moon Maid. Lordy, what an ass on that girl. Those ERB covers -- and the books -- hit me right at puberty. *sigh*
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:57 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:57 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
.
He was a talent and a fighter.
It was particularly how his hypothyroidism affected his creativity that always stays with me.
The Frazetta gallery website is currently down unsurprisingly, but this is from his bio there:
"But along with financial comfort and critical acclaim, the 1980's also brought health problems to the vigorous artist. "The first symptoms appeared about 1986 ," Frank relates. " I had three jobs going on at the same time and I was burning the midnight oil. Coincidentally I had bought some really inexpensive turpentine, real junk. The fumes were so terrible that it probably screwed my thyroid up. Nobody's quite sure what makes a thyroid malfunction or quit or go hyperactive, but they certainly know it can be affected by chemicals. I was working for about two weeks with this turpentine that just permeated my studio: my wife and kids wouldn't even come into the room it was so bad. But good ol' Frank just kept plugging away. "I'm tough, this won't affect me. " Around the time I was finishing the jobs I suddenly got this eerie, insidious taste in my mouth. It was almost as if Death had entered.
Painting became more difficult and he began to experience dizziness and debilitating pain. For the next eight years Frazetta saw dozens of doctors and was subjected to every imaginable test, always with inconclusive results. His weight plummeted from 180 to 128 pounds and his anxiety increased. A visit to the Mayo clinic proved to be a disaster. They thought his problems were mental; they could discover no biological basis for the symptoms. Frank returned home to Pennsylvania and thought he would soon die. Luckily, a local doctor ran a standard thyroid test and found the problem - a malfunctioning thyroid that was causing an extreme hormonal disfunction. Once the proper medication was determined Frazetta began a return to normal state.
Few people realized that Franks's "comeback" was more of a display of personal triumph that it was an indication of a desire to return to his comic roots. An undiagnosed thyroid condition had played havoc with both his professional and personal life. " I suddenly had no more of those wonderful images running through my head. And even though I could sit there and sort of work out a composition and a design, the actual application was gone. I noticed when I used the brush, nothing happened. Everything was flat. There was none of that spontaneity, none of that courage to site there and ride it out and let things happen. "What have I lost?" I thought it was because I was getting older and I knew that I'd lose some of my skills. Eventually. But it happen so suddenly. I tried everything: pen and ink, pencils, painting; the were all awful. I used to look at my old work and ask myself, "How did I do that? I guess that's just what happens when you get old." Obviously I realized that it was something in my brain that wasn't functioning right, it's just that neither the doctors or I attributed it to the thyroid.""
posted by vers at 6:07 PM on May 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
He was a talent and a fighter.
It was particularly how his hypothyroidism affected his creativity that always stays with me.
The Frazetta gallery website is currently down unsurprisingly, but this is from his bio there:
"But along with financial comfort and critical acclaim, the 1980's also brought health problems to the vigorous artist. "The first symptoms appeared about 1986 ," Frank relates. " I had three jobs going on at the same time and I was burning the midnight oil. Coincidentally I had bought some really inexpensive turpentine, real junk. The fumes were so terrible that it probably screwed my thyroid up. Nobody's quite sure what makes a thyroid malfunction or quit or go hyperactive, but they certainly know it can be affected by chemicals. I was working for about two weeks with this turpentine that just permeated my studio: my wife and kids wouldn't even come into the room it was so bad. But good ol' Frank just kept plugging away. "I'm tough, this won't affect me. " Around the time I was finishing the jobs I suddenly got this eerie, insidious taste in my mouth. It was almost as if Death had entered.
Painting became more difficult and he began to experience dizziness and debilitating pain. For the next eight years Frazetta saw dozens of doctors and was subjected to every imaginable test, always with inconclusive results. His weight plummeted from 180 to 128 pounds and his anxiety increased. A visit to the Mayo clinic proved to be a disaster. They thought his problems were mental; they could discover no biological basis for the symptoms. Frank returned home to Pennsylvania and thought he would soon die. Luckily, a local doctor ran a standard thyroid test and found the problem - a malfunctioning thyroid that was causing an extreme hormonal disfunction. Once the proper medication was determined Frazetta began a return to normal state.
Few people realized that Franks's "comeback" was more of a display of personal triumph that it was an indication of a desire to return to his comic roots. An undiagnosed thyroid condition had played havoc with both his professional and personal life. " I suddenly had no more of those wonderful images running through my head. And even though I could sit there and sort of work out a composition and a design, the actual application was gone. I noticed when I used the brush, nothing happened. Everything was flat. There was none of that spontaneity, none of that courage to site there and ride it out and let things happen. "What have I lost?" I thought it was because I was getting older and I knew that I'd lose some of my skills. Eventually. But it happen so suddenly. I tried everything: pen and ink, pencils, painting; the were all awful. I used to look at my old work and ask myself, "How did I do that? I guess that's just what happens when you get old." Obviously I realized that it was something in my brain that wasn't functioning right, it's just that neither the doctors or I attributed it to the thyroid.""
posted by vers at 6:07 PM on May 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
My brother Nick and my friend Peter went to the Frazetta gallery in PA last year, and while small, it was very impressive. Pete's the real Frazetta fan, but as a comic book reader I'm well aware of the magnitude of his influence, and I quite enjoyed much of the work. My brother bought a print. I'll have to look up which one. On the way home, Peter, Nick and I fought a dragon. We were naked and our sinewy tendons glistened in the sun. Also we ate at a Denny's.
Was a great day trip.
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 6:23 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Was a great day trip.
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 6:23 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
oh, and .
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 6:24 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 6:24 PM on May 10, 2010
I had an epiphany while looking at Frazetta's pictures. I realized that I was an ass-man! Lawd that man could draw an ass. Sublime buttocks. Superior posteriors. The beauty of the booty! I could go on.
OK. Remarkable rumps. Fantastic fannies.
Thanks Frank.
posted by Mister_A at 6:31 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
OK. Remarkable rumps. Fantastic fannies.
Thanks Frank.
posted by Mister_A at 6:31 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Cherubic cheeks. Bountiful buns. Globular glutes.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 8:32 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Crabby Appleton at 8:32 PM on May 10, 2010
Oh, man--I never learned the artist's name, but this image was on the cover of my copy of Pellucidar when I was about 12 years old, and it was the catalyst for all manner of early adolescent daydreaming. The way her bikini bottom is coming undone just as the predatory beasts are closing in means that she will be far too busy fighting them off to manage to stay clothed. It captured a moment a split second before the involuntary undressing. That's the picture that bumped Slave Girl Princess Leia down to the second spot on my list of fantasy fodder. You know, 26 years later, I still think it's incredibly erotic and evocative.
RIP, Frank Fazetta--your death brings back delightful memories of a more innocent me.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:43 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
RIP, Frank Fazetta--your death brings back delightful memories of a more innocent me.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:43 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
.
Frank was a huge inspiration to me as an artist, especially when I was younger. Meeting him one year at Comic Con was epic. He was fiery. He was a legend. I recommend the documentary "Frazetta: Painting with Fire" about him to anyone who liked his art.
posted by podwarrior at 8:59 PM on May 10, 2010
Frank was a huge inspiration to me as an artist, especially when I was younger. Meeting him one year at Comic Con was epic. He was fiery. He was a legend. I recommend the documentary "Frazetta: Painting with Fire" about him to anyone who liked his art.
posted by podwarrior at 8:59 PM on May 10, 2010
Great gallery here. Love the Clint Eastwood movie poster.
posted by damn dirty ape at 9:38 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by damn dirty ape at 9:38 PM on May 10, 2010
.
posted by Jade Dragon at 9:44 PM on May 10, 2010
posted by Jade Dragon at 9:44 PM on May 10, 2010
Shit. Last week Ernie Harwell, now Frank Frazetta...I hesitate to even think about who could be next.
Aloha, Frank!
posted by motown missile at 11:50 PM on May 10, 2010
Aloha, Frank!
posted by motown missile at 11:50 PM on May 10, 2010
There are a lot of great comicbook artists, a few really good fantasy artists but there's was really no one else in his league.
posted by doctor_negative at 1:10 AM on May 11, 2010
posted by doctor_negative at 1:10 AM on May 11, 2010
Here's a nice tribute by William Stout:
"Frank was a scrapper who grew up on the mean streets of Brooklyn. His talent revealed itself at an early age. Frank was like an artistic sponge with a photographic memory. Fortunately, he had Roy Krenkel and Al Williamson as friends in his formative teens and early 20’s. They gave Frank an incredible art education, using their vast collections to expose him to the finest art and illustration of the 19th and 20th centuries. Frazetta soaked up everything he was shown. Somehow he managed to absorb and filter all of this great art and have it subsequently come out through Frank’s brushes as pure Frazetta. I know it was hard work, but Frank made it look so damn natural and easy."
posted by marxchivist at 4:44 AM on May 11, 2010
"Frank was a scrapper who grew up on the mean streets of Brooklyn. His talent revealed itself at an early age. Frank was like an artistic sponge with a photographic memory. Fortunately, he had Roy Krenkel and Al Williamson as friends in his formative teens and early 20’s. They gave Frank an incredible art education, using their vast collections to expose him to the finest art and illustration of the 19th and 20th centuries. Frazetta soaked up everything he was shown. Somehow he managed to absorb and filter all of this great art and have it subsequently come out through Frank’s brushes as pure Frazetta. I know it was hard work, but Frank made it look so damn natural and easy."
posted by marxchivist at 4:44 AM on May 11, 2010
.
posted by SageLeVoid at 4:53 AM on May 11, 2010
posted by SageLeVoid at 4:53 AM on May 11, 2010
... and now I'll never realize my dream of having him paint the side of my conversion van.
RIP, Frank. You will be missed.
posted by brand-gnu at 8:09 AM on May 11, 2010
RIP, Frank. You will be missed.
posted by brand-gnu at 8:09 AM on May 11, 2010
Yeah, I always found the art kind of sexist, but also really cool, and the women were often pretty fierce, in addition to being hawt. There is a great deal of ambivalence in this world.
.
posted by theora55 at 11:50 AM on May 11, 2010
.
posted by theora55 at 11:50 AM on May 11, 2010
Here's a roundup of tributes and stuff around the net.
posted by marxchivist at 12:11 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by marxchivist at 12:11 PM on May 11, 2010
This sucks. Thanks for the beautiful drawings, Mr Frazetta.
.
posted by New England Cultist at 12:47 PM on May 11, 2010
.
posted by New England Cultist at 12:47 PM on May 11, 2010
.
posted by snap_dragon at 2:53 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by snap_dragon at 2:53 PM on May 11, 2010
Upon reflection, and viewing a lot of Frazetta art (the day before he died, I had coincidentally been poring through the books while preparing to do an illustration, and I always turn to him for inspiration when I am doing fantasy) I am moved to say that it is the suggestion of texture that he managed to impart to the flesh of his figures that simply knocks me out. No other fantasy illustrator makes that flesh seem so real, so solid, so fine-grained.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:32 PM on May 11, 2010
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:32 PM on May 11, 2010
I'm having a hard time staying away from this thread.
Here is a nice explanation of some of the techniques Frazetta used that made him such a memorable artist.
posted by marxchivist at 3:46 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Here is a nice explanation of some of the techniques Frazetta used that made him such a memorable artist.
posted by marxchivist at 3:46 PM on May 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Eight Memorable Frazetta Album Covers. Warning: ad-saturated blog.
posted by marxchivist at 8:27 PM on June 8, 2010
posted by marxchivist at 8:27 PM on June 8, 2010
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