Frank Frazetta — BrandWiki

Frank Frazetta

Overview

Frank Frazetta

birth name	Francesco Alfredo Frazzetta
birth date	February 9, 1928
birth place	Sheepshead Bay, New York, U.S.
death date	May 10, 2010
death place	Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.
field	Illustration, painting, sculpting
training	Brooklyn Academy of Fine Arts
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 (born Francesco Alfredo Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010)[1] was an American artist known for themes of fantasy and science fiction, noted for comic 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 documentary Painting with Fire.

Frazetta was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and was awarded a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention.

Early life

Born Frank Frazzetta in Sheepshead Bay, New York, located in Brooklyn, to an Italian-American family.[2] Frazetta removed one "z" from his last name early in his career to make his name seem less "clumsy".[3]

Career

Early work

In 1944, at age 16, Frazetta, who had "always had this urge to be doing comic books",[6] began working in comics artist Bernard Baily's studio doing pencil clean-ups.[5] His first comic-book work was inking the eight-page story "Snowman", penciled by John Giunta, in the one-shot Tally-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 in Prize 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 in The Comics Journal, Frazetta credited Graham Ingels as the first one in the comic book industry to recognize his talent, and to give him jobs at Standard Comics in 1947.[6]

For Dell's Famous Funnies, Frazetta did war and human interest stories for Heroic Comics, as well as one pagers extolling the virtues of prayer and the evils of drug abuse.[9] In comics like Personal Love and Movie 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 of Al 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 married Massachusetts native Eleanor Kelly in New York City in November 1956.[3][11] They had four children: Frank Jr., Billy, Holly, and Heidi.[3]

In 1961, after nearly seven years with Al 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 would 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 helped Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder on three stories of the bawdy parody strip Little Annie Fanny in Playboy magazine).[12]

Hollywood and book covers

In 1964, Frazetta's painting of Beatle Ringo Starr for a Mad magazine ad parody caught the eye of United Artists studios. He was approached to do the film poster for What'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 for mass market paperback editions of adventure books. His interpretation of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian visually redefined the genre of sword 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."

Later life and career

In the early 1980s, Frazetta created a gallery, Frazetta's Fantasy Corner, on the upper floors of a former Masonic building at the corner of South Courtland and Washington streets in East 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 magazine Frank Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated, with cover art and some illustrations by Frazetta.[19] In his later life, Frazetta was plagued by a variety of health problems, including a thyroid 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 2003 feature film documentary Frank Frazetta: Painting With Fire.[20]

By 2009, Frazetta was living on a 67 acre estate in the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania, with a small museum that is open to the public.[21]

Legacy

Frazetta has influenced many artists within the genres of fantasy and science fiction. Filmmaker and creator of Star 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, and Moebius are quite sophisticated in their style".[33] 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.[34][35]

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Guillermo del Toro said in a 2010 Los 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."[36]

Fantasy artist and musician Joseph Vargo cites Frazetta as a primary influence, and his art calendars since 1998 mark Frazetta's birthday.[37] Chris Perna, art director at Epic Games, stated in an interview in 2011 that Frazetta was one of his influences.[38] Other artists influenced by Frazetta include comics artist such as Marc Silvestri [39] and Shelby Robertson.[40]

Photographer Mark Seliger credits Frazetta for the inspiration of his 2000 portrait photo of Jennifer Lopez.[41]

The face and body paint of professional wrestler Kamala was copied by artist and wrestler Jerry Lawler from a character in a Frazetta painting.[42]

In early 2012, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez announced plans to remake Bakshi and Frazetta's film Fire and Ice.[43] Sony Pictures acquired the project in late 2014, with Rodriguez set to direct.[44] In 2013, Robert Rodriguez displayed Frank Frazetta's original artworks, on loan from the collections of Holly, Heidi, and Bill Frazetta at the Wizard World Comic Con in Chicago.[45] Robert Rodriguez continued his Frazetta artwork tour by showcasing them at the SXSW event in Austin, Texas, in both 2014 and 2015.[46]

Reopened solely by Frank Jr in 2013, the Frazetta Art Museum in East Stroudsburg houses roughly 37 original oils, as well as other pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor works.[47]

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.[48] 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.[49] Since 2014, Frazetta Girls has also collaborated with modern influential brands such as Primitive Skateboarding, Kid Robot, HUF Worldwide, and Mezco Toyz.[50][51] In March 2020, Holly Frazetta announced the reopening of the Frazetta Art Museum location in Boca Grande, Florida, by appointment only, featuring original Conan the Barbarian and Death Dealer works.[52] 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.[53]

Frazetta's painting Egyptian Queen sold for $5.4 million (£4.2m) on May 16, 2019, at a public auction of vintage comic books and comic art held by Heritage Auctions in Chicago, Illinois, which set a new world record for comic art.[54] On June 27, 2023, Frazetta's Dark 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.[55] On September 12 2025, Frazetta’s iconic Conan (Man Ape) was sold for $13.5 million at Heritage Auctions.[56]

List of works

Selected paintings

Year and date painted[57]

Carson of Venus – 1963
Tales from the Crypt – 1964[58]
Lost City – 1964
Land of Terror – 1964
Reassembled Man – 1964
Wolfman – 1965
Conan the Barbarian – 1966
Conan the Adventurer – 1966
King Kong – 1966
Sea Monster – 1966
Spider Man – 1966
The Sorcerer – 1966
Swords of Mars – 1966
Winged Terror – 1966
The Brain – 1967
Bran Mak Morn – 1967
Cat Girl – 1967
Conan the Conqueror – 1967
Conan the Usurper – 1967
Night Winds – 1967
Sea Witch – 1967
Snow Giants – 1967
Conan the Avenger – 1968
Rogue Roman – 1968
Swamp Ogre – 1968
Egyptian Queen – 1969
Mongol Tyrant – 1969
Primitive Beauty / La of Opar – 1969
Savage World / Young World – 1969
Vampirella – 1969
A Princess of Mars – 1970
Downward to the Earth – 1970
Eternal Champion – 1970
The Godmakers – 1970
Nightstalker – 1970
Pony Tail – 1970
The Return of Jongor – 1970
Sun Goddess – 1970
Tyrannosaurus Rex – 1970
Woman with a Scythe – 1970
Desperation – 1971
John Carter and the Savage Apes of Mars – 1971
At the Earth's Core – 1972
Birdman – 1972
Creatures of the Night – 1972
The Silver Warrior – 1972
Thuvia, Maid of Mars – 1972
A Fighting Man of Mars – 1973
Atlantis – 1973
Black Emperor – 1973
Black Panther – 1973
Black Star – 1973
Conan of Aquilonia – 1973
The Death Dealer I – 1973
Flash for Freedom – 1973
Flying Reptiles – 1973
Ghoul Queen – 1973
Gollum – 1973
The Mammoth – 1973
Monster Out of Time – 1973
The Moon Maid – 1973
Serpent – 1973
Tanar of Pellucidar – 1973
Tarzan and the Ant Men – 1973
Tree of Death – 1973
Barbarian – 1974
Flashman on the Charge – 1974
Invaders – 1974
Madame Derringer – 1974
The Mucker – 1974
Paradox – 1975
Dark Kingdom – 1976
Bloodstone – 1975
Darkness at Times Edge – 1976
The Eighth Wonder / King Kong and Snake – 1976
Fire Demon – 1976
Queen Kong – 1976
Golden Girl – 1977
Castle of Sin / Arthur Rex – 1978
The Cave Demon – 1978
Kane on the Golden Sea – 1978
Sound – 1979
Witherwing – 1979
The Sacrifice – 1980
Las Vegas – 1980
Seven Romans – 1980
Fire and Ice – 1982
Geisha – 1983
The Disagreement – 1986
Victorious – 1986
Predators – 1987
The Death Dealer II – 1987
The Death Dealer III – 1987
The Death Dealer IV – 1987
The Death Dealer V – 1989
Cat Girl II – 1990
The Countess and the Greenman – 1991
Dawn Attack – 1991
The Moons Rapture / Catwalk – 1994
Beauty and the Beast – 1995
Shi – 1995
The Sorceress – 1995
The Death Dealer VI – 1996
From Dusk till Dawn – 1996

Album covers

Source unless otherwise noted:[59]

Movie posters

Source unless otherwise noted:[61]

What's New Pussycat? (1965)
The Secret of My Success (1965)
After the Fox (1966)
Hotel Paradiso (1966)
The Busy Body (1967)
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
Fitzwilly (1967)
Mad Monster Party? (1967)
The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968)
Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)
Mrs. Pollifax-Spy (1971)

Frank Frazetta

Early life

Career

Early work

Hollywood and book covers

Later life and career

Accolades

Legacy

Legal issues

List of works

Selected paintings

Album covers

Movie posters

Gallery

Sources

Further reading

External links

References