Frank Frazetta | |
|---|---|
 Frazetta's self-portrait in 1962 | |
| Born | Frank A. Frazzetta (1928-02-09)February 9, 1928 Sheepshead Bay, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 10, 2010(2010-05-10) (aged 82) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | Brooklyn Academy of Fine Arts |
| Known for | Illustration, painting, sculpting |
| Awards | Chesley Award (1988, 1995, 1997) Hugo Award (1966) Spectrum Grand Master of Fantastic Art Award (1995) Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame (2023) |
Frank Frazetta (bornFrank Frazzetta/frəˈzɛtə/; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010)[1][2] was an Americanartist known for themes offantasy andscience fiction, noted forcomic books,paperback book covers, paintings, posters,LP record album covers, and other media. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of fantasy art", and one of the most renowned illustrators of the 20th century. He was also the subject of a 2003 documentaryPainting with Fire.
Frazetta was inducted into the comic book industry'sWill Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, theJack Kirby Hall of Fame, theSociety of Illustrators Hall of Fame, theScience Fiction Hall of Fame, and was awarded a Life Achievement Award from theWorld Fantasy Convention.
Born Frank Frazzetta inSheepshead Bay, New York, located inBrooklyn, to anItalian-American family.[3] Frazetta removed one "z" from his last name early in his career to make his name seem less "clumsy".[1] The only boy in a family with three sisters, he spent much time with his grandmother, who began encouraging him in art when he was two years old. In 2010, a month before his death, he recalled that:
When I drew something, she would be the one to say it was wonderful and would give me a penny to keep going. Sometimes I had nothing left to draw on but toilet paper. As I got older, I started drawing some pretty wild things for my age. I remember the teachers were always mesmerized by what I was doing, so it was hard to learn anything from them. So I went to art school when I was a little kid, and even there the teachers were flipping out.[4]
At age eight, Frazetta attended theBrooklyn Academy of Fine Arts,[5] a smallart school run by Italian instructor Michele Falanga. "[H]e didn't teach me anything, really," Frazetta said in 1994. "He'd come and see where I was working, and he might say, 'Very nice, very nice. But perhaps if you did this or that.' But that's about it. We never had any great conversations. He spoke very broken English. He kind of left you on your own. I learned more from my friends there."[6]
In 1944, at age 16, Frazetta, who had "always had this urge to be doingcomic books",[6] began working in comics artistBernard Baily's studio doing pencil clean-ups.[5] His first comic-book work wasinking the eight-page story "Snowman",penciled byJohn Giunta, in theone-shotTally-Ho Comics (Dec. 1944), published by Swappers Quarterly and Almanac/Baily Publishing Company.[7] It was not standard practice in comic books during this period to provide complete credits, so a comprehensive listing of Frazetta's work is difficult to ascertain. His next confirmed comics works are two signed penciled-and-inked pieces inPrize Comics'Treasure Comics #7 (July 1946): the four-page "Know your America" is Frank Frazetta's first "solo" work, and the single page "Ahoy! Enemy Ship!", featuring his character Capt. Kidd Jr.[8] In a 1991 interview inThe Comics Journal, Frazetta creditedGraham Ingels as the first one in the comic book industry to recognize his talent, and to give him jobs atStandard Comics in 1947.[6]
ForDell'sFamous Funnies, Frazetta did war and human interest stories forHeroic Comics, as well as one pagers extolling the virtues of prayer and the evils of drug abuse.[9] In comics likePersonal Love andMovie Love, he did romance and celebrity stories.[10]
From 1952 to 1953 he drew the newspaper comic strip "Johnny Comet" for the McNaught Syndicate; despite a name change to "Ace McCoy" in the middle of its run the strip was canceled after a year. In 1954 Frazetta was hired as a member ofAl Capp's studio; his primary job was to pencil the "L'il Abner" Sunday page, but he also drew a variety of advertising and editorial art featuring L'il Abner's characters. In interviews later in life Frazetta would say that he had worked for Capp for nine years, but his memory was faulty and he was mistaken. After Frazetta became popular painting paperback covers Capp would say that Frank had only worked for him for several months, but that was equally untrue: Frank Frazetta was part of Al Capp's studio from 1954 to 1961.
He marriedMassachusetts native Eleanor Kelly in New York City in November 1956.[1][11] They had four children: Frank Jr., Billy, Holly, and Heidi.[1]
In 1961, after nearly seven years withAl Capp, Frazetta quit in a dispute over money. While employed by Capp he was mostly able to work at home and was paid approximately $400 a month; on occasions when he was needed Frazetta would travel to Capp's Boston studio and be paid an additional $100 a day. In 1961 Frazetta was asked to come to Boston for a short-deadline job, but was told that he'd only be paid an additional $50 a day. Frank refused and angrily resigned; he tried to return to comic books but was unsuccessful. He was given some inking work by his friend George Evans before deciding to pursue a career in illustration (though he briefly helpedHarvey Kurtzman andWill Elder on three stories of the bawdy parody stripLittle Annie Fanny inPlayboy magazine).[12]
In 1964, Frazetta's painting ofBeatleRingo Starr for aMad magazine adparody caught the eye ofUnited Artists studios. He was approached to do thefilm poster forWhat's New Pussycat?, and earned the equivalent of his yearly salary in one afternoon.[13] He did several other film posters.[14]
Frazetta also produced paintings formass market paperback editions of adventure books. His interpretation ofRobert E. Howard'sConan the Barbarian visually redefined thegenre ofsword and sorcery, and had an enormous influence on succeeding generations of artists.[13] His cover art only coincidentally matched the storylines inside the books, as Frazetta once explained: "I didn't read any of it... I drew him my way. It was really rugged. And it caught on. I didn't care about what people thought. People who bought the books never complained about it. They probably didn't read them."[15]
Primarily, these were inoil, but he also worked inwatercolor, ink, and pencil alone.[13] Frazetta's work in comics during this time were cover paintings and a few comic stories inblack-and-white for theWarren Publishing horror and war magazinesCreepy,Eerie,Blazing Combat, andVampirella.[13]
An advertisement forJōvan Musk, based on his work, was animated by Richard Williams ingrease pencil and paint and shown in 1978.[16] The realism of the animation and design replicated Frazetta's artwork.[17] Frazetta andRalph Bakshi were heavily involved in the production of the live-action sequences used for the filmFire and Ice'srotoscoped animation, from casting sessions to the final shoot.[17] The film was Frazetta's only work in animation, following its release he returned to his roots in painting and pen-and-ink illustrations.[18]
Frazetta's paintings have been used by a number of recording artists ascover art for their albums. TheU.S. ArmyIII Corps adopted "The Death Dealer" as its mascot.[19]
In 2009Kirk Hammett, the lead guitarist forMetallica, bought Frazetta's cover artwork for the paperback reissue of Robert E. Howard's "Conan the Conqueror" for $1 million.[1]
In the early 1980s, Frazetta created a gallery, Frazetta's Fantasy Corner, on the upper floors of a formerMasonic building at the corner of South Courtland and Washington streets inEast Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The building also housed a Frazetta art museum that displayed both his own work and, in a separate gallery, that of other artists.[5] From 1998 to 1999, Quantum Cat Entertainment published the magazineFrank Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated, with cover art and some illustrations by Frazetta.[20] In his later life, Frazetta was plagued by a variety of health problems, including athyroid condition that went untreated for many years. A series of strokes left his right arm almost completely paralyzed. He taught himself to paint and draw with his left hand. He was the subject of the 2003feature film documentaryFrank Frazetta: Painting With Fire.[21]
By 2009, Frazetta was living on a 67-acre (0.27 km2; 0.105 sq mi) estate in thePocono Mountains inNortheastern Pennsylvania, with a small museum that is open to the public.[22] On July 17, 2009, his wife and business partner, Eleanor "Ellie" Frazetta, died after a year-long battle with cancer.[5] For a short period he employed Rob Pistella and Steve Ferzoco to handle his business affairs, but neither still works for the estate.[1]
Shortly after Ellie Frazetta's death in December 2009, Frank Frazetta's eldest son Frank Jr. was arrested on charges of stealing $20 million in paintings from the family museum in a fight over the family fortune.[22] According to the police report, Frazetta Jr, with the help of two men, broke through the museum door using a backhoe and took about 90 paintings. According to the affidavit, Frank Jr. told the responding trooper he had permission from the owner, Frank Frazetta Sr. The trooper called the owner, who said he had not given his son permission to either be in the museum or remove paintings from it.[23]
At issue was whether Frank Jr. believed he had the authority to remove the paintings from the Frazetta museum. Frazetta Sr.'s youngest son Bill Frazetta testified that the paintings belonged to a corporation called Frazetta Properties LLC, of which he shared management duties with his sisters. "I am a manager of the LLC. The art was supposed to stay in the museum", Bill Frazetta said.[24] Frank Jr. maintained that he was trying to prevent the paintings from being sold, per the wishes of his father, who he said had given him power of attorney over his estate.[25] Frank Sr. said he did not understand his son's actions.[26] The Frazetta family later issued a statement on April 23, 2010, that said, "all of the litigation surrounding his family and his art has been resolved. All of Frank's children will now be working together as a team to promote his ... collection of images....".[27]
Frank Frazetta died of a stroke on May 10, 2010, in a hospital near his residence in Florida.[1][2] Ellie and Frank had a long history of selling art and following his death all of the originals still in his possession were divided equally between his four children.
Frazetta received the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist in 1966; he was inducted into the comic book industry'sWill Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and was presented with the first Spectrum Grand Master Award, both in 1995, theJack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1999.[28] andThe Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1998.[29] In 2001, he was awarded a Life Achievement Award from theWorld Fantasy Convention.[28] And in 2014, Frazetta was inducted into theScience Fiction Hall of Fame,[30] and in 2016 into the Album Cover Hall of Fame.[31] In 2023, Frazetta was inducted into theInkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame.[32][33]
Frazetta has influenced many artists within the genres of fantasy and science fiction. Filmmaker and creator ofStar Wars,George Lucas mentions Frazetta's work in a 1979 article by Alan Arnold stating "I'm a fan of comic art. I collect it. ...There are quite a few [contemporary] illustrators in the science-fiction and science-fantasy modes I like very much. I like them because their designs and imaginations are so vivid. Illustrators like Frazetta,Druillet, andMoebius are quite sophisticated in their style".[34] In 2018, Los Angeles'Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is scheduled to complete construction in 2026, announced it would display four Frazetta originals from Lucas' personal Frazetta collection.[35][36]
Oscar-nominated filmmakerGuillermo del Toro said in a 2010Los Angeles Times article that Frazetta was nothing less than "an Olympian artist that defined fantasy art for the 20th century." Del Toro went on to say "He gave the world a new pantheon of heroes,.... He somehow created a second narrative layer for every book he ever illustrated."[37]
Fantasy artist and musicianJoseph Vargo cites Frazetta as a primary influence, and his art calendars since 1998 mark Frazetta's birthday.[38] Chris Perna, art director atEpic Games, stated in an interview in 2011 that Frazetta was one of his influences.[39] Other artists influenced by Frazetta include comics artist such asMarc Silvestri[40] and Shelby Robertson.[41]
PhotographerMark Seliger credits Frazetta for the inspiration of his 2000 portrait photo ofJennifer Lopez.[42]
The face and body paint of professional wrestlerKamala was copied by artist and wrestlerJerry Lawler from a character in a Frazetta painting.[43]
In early 2012, filmmakerRobert Rodriguez announced plans to remake Bakshi and Frazetta's filmFire and Ice.[44]Sony Pictures acquired the project in late 2014, with Rodriguez set to direct.[45] In 2013, Robert Rodriguez displayed Frank Frazetta's original artworks, on loan from the collections of Holly, Heidi, and Bill Frazetta at theWizard World Comic Con in Chicago.[46] Robert Rodriguez continued his Frazetta artwork tour by showcasing them at theSXSW event inAustin, Texas, in both 2014 and 2015.[47]
Reopened solely by Frank Jr in 2013, the Frazetta Art Museum inEast Stroudsburg houses roughly 37 original oils, as well as other pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor works.[48]
As of 2013, Holly Frazetta's collection was traveling throughout the U.S. with public showings at comics conventions. She also co-founded Frazetta Girls alongside daughter Sara Frazetta in 2014.[49] The Frazetta Girls company operates as a web store for official Frank Frazetta merchandise, and has a large social media presence for daily postings of Frazetta's work.[50] Since 2014, Frazetta Girls has also collaborated with modern influential brands such asPrimitive Skateboarding,Kid Robot, HUF Worldwide, andMezco Toyz.[51][52] In March 2020, Holly Frazetta announced the reopening of the Frazetta Art Museum location inBoca Grande, Florida, by appointment only, featuring originalConan the Barbarian and Death Dealer works.[53] In February 2022 in collaboration with Incendium Online's Opus Publishing arm, the Frazetta Girls announced "Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer" comic series would return, with Issue #1 released worldwide May 10, 2022, spawning the beginning of the FrazettaVerse.[54]
Frazetta's paintingEgyptian Queen sold for $5.4 million (£4.2m) on May 16, 2019, at a public auction of vintage comic books and comic art held byHeritage Auctions in Chicago, Illinois, which set a new world record for comic art.[55] On June 27, 2023, Frazetta'sDark Kingdom (1976) was sold for 6 million U.S. dollars through Heritage Auctions, setting a new record for a Frazetta painting and for any fantasy art.[56]
In June 2025, Jesse David Spurlock was sanctioned by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Frazetta Properties, LLC et al. v. Vanguard Productions, LLC and Jesse David Spurlock (Case No. 8:22-cv-581-WFJ-AEP). The court found that Spurlock had misrepresented a 2015 document as being signed by members of the Frazetta family to falsely suggest a license agreement existed. Forensic evidence confirmed the signatures were not authentic, a fact the defense later admitted. The court determined that Spurlock “fooled the Court (and the lawyers),” reinstated summary judgment in favor of the Frazetta plaintiffs, and ordered Spurlock to pay their attorney fees.
The case stems from a copyright dispute over the use of Frank Frazetta’s “Death Dealer” images in a coffee table art book. In 2022, Frazetta Properties sued Spurlock and Vanguard Productions for unauthorized publication and false claims of licensing authority.
Year and date painted[57]
Source unless otherwise noted:[18]
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Source unless otherwise noted:[60]
