Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Artist Frank Frazetta Died Two Days Ago



Remember - if you click on each picture the art will be bigger and better.



Regardless of what you may think, this is not another segment of the Marietta High School Yearbook, THE OLYMPIAN. Although, you might look back on your high school life and remember it to be similar to what these pictures represent, they are not.

One of my artist heroes died two days ago. Frank Frazetta (Feb 9, 1928 - May 10, 2010) lived 82 years. He was an artist's artist, an illustrator's illustrator. He was a great artist, in my opinion.

Early in his career he drew LI'L ABNER for Al Capp, and EC comics that had adventure in them. He also did at least one thing for MAD magazine but I think there were more.

He illustrated for the adult comic VAMPIRILLA and the horror magazine CREEPY. If you have even been in a head shop you have seen epic-like posters on the wall, which reminds me, he also illustrated some epic-like stories and science fiction stories.

He knew how to draw the muscle tone; tensed muscles under stress, as it ACTION! Maybe that is why he was so good when he illustrated TARZAN.

He also helped out before with PLAYBOY'S ANNIE-FANNY (by Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman)

He knew how to draw to shock - to guide your eye-sight to the most surprisingly part of the picture first, then let your mind look over the other details to make more sense out of it.

He was what you might call the Norman Rockwell of the Not-Normal- Rockwell World.

Not long ago his son Frank Jr. was accused of stealing 90 of the Frank Frazetta original art... it sounded complicated, like a family squabble.

When I Googled Frank Frazetta art countless selections popped before me and every one was good enough to use to show how good his art is. Finally, I just had to quit looking. I had to stop somewhere.

Frank Frazetta died of a stroke.












2 comments:

kenju said...

I think he really enjoyed the female form.

Eddie said...

Judy,
I agree! He was Italian!