Posted on 06/10/2010 8:27:14 AM PDT by a fool in paradise
Hopefully Frank turning out some Great art especial now that he can get REAL Valkyries to pose for him!
I’m kind of saddened by this sale. Frank had turned his deep woods home in Pennsylvania into a museum that was seasonally open.
The family sold this work off which means it is in private hands. Few museums are willing to showcase this as “art”. They’d rather have the crayon scribblings, paint drippings, and paste up collage of post-WWII “modern artists”.
The American Illustrator movement was considered “trash” because it was “commercial” art.
While it is in proud hands today, what is the public’s chances of ever seeing it in person outside of a possible exhibition at Ohio State University or a once in 20 years “look at comics!” museum exhibit?
With the populatity of comic books, collecting and making them into movies you would think that the industry and it’s fans would take steps to make sure this art is showcased as it should. Hey Stan the Man could bankroll the whole thing I bet or at least lay the foundation of such.
Stan’s probably still angry over the artists getting back their drawings in the 1980s (Jack Kirby and others sued Marvel to get back the originals that had never been returned, much of the art had “walked off” over the years).
Some of the writers were upset that the artists got to resell artwork while they could make no more money off of past work (except perhaps reprint payments).
Frazetta, Woody and Norman Mingo. Somewhere, Bill Gaines is smiling.
I remember back to around 1992 when an EC cover would cost a couple of thousand dollars. The boat has sailed. And those who do have them are probably unlikely to part with one.
Gaines paid for quality artists. And he held onto the artwork for decades. By the 1950s and 1960s, EC stories were already being reprinted (first the Mad Comic Book stories in paperbacks, then Tales From The Crypt etc in paperback form).
By the 1970s, Russ Cochran started reprinting individual issues of EC Comics and by the late 70s or early 80s he was reprinting the complete works in hardcover slipcased editions.
They never have gone “out of print” (some series yes, but there is generally some work available).
And I think that the artists got money as the artwork was released to the market in the 1980s/1990s. I don’t think that the artists were outright given their artwork though (including Mad Magazine artists).
This top selling Frank Frazetta drawing meant something to Frank. He bought it back from Bill Gaines at the time in the 1950s (I don’t know how much he received for its publication).
What a terrific artist. There was a documentary not long ago called “Painting with Fire,” about Frazetta. He and Jack Kirby were in a league of their own.
At least it has a good home now.
The second - I cut off the three naked chicks on the right so folks could appreciate the amazing detail.
I am glad he has passed, he was getting bitter from the hack comic book artists who were ripping him off blind, not even waiting for him to die. God bless you Mr. Frazzetta for the art and inspiration to real artists.
Most people probably know him from the Molly Hatchet album covers.
People used to just tear the Frazetta covers off of the pulpy paperbacks he did covers for,pocket the artwork, and then put the book back on the rack.
Freegards
I did that with Play .. . oops.
That’s the cover for the Ace paperback Conan series #1. It depicts events that take place in the story “Rogues in the House”. In my opinion, it’s the best Conan depiction ever.
Freegards
Rogues in the House...Yes. I have a copy of the Marvel version by Barry Smith.
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