Frank Frazetta (1928-2010)

(All pictures are from the UNOFFICIAL Frank Franzetta  Art Gallery)

A couple of days ago (May 10th) Frank Frazetta passed away.

I find it fascinating how great an impact this artist had on me. In truth, in the past I’ve never really taken much notice of his name; however, browsing through his paintings just a day or two ago I realized that Frazetta is probably one of the artists that have been most influential on me.

While looking through his work I realized that I am very familiar with much of his oeuvre. Even though I studied History of Art and am fairly familiar with the majority of the typical artists one would encounter in formal History of Art textbooks, I am sure that I find Frazetta’s oeuvre more recognizable than these other great artist. The reason is that I’ve always had a strong interest in all things fantasy and Frazetta is one of the (if not the) original fantasy and sci-fi artist. My interest in fantasy, since a very young age, caused me to take note of Frazetta’s work. He has the ability to capture a whole (fantasy) world, a whole adventure, a whole enchanted quest in one scene.

As a child I spent hours and hours drawing fantasy pictures, attempting to imitate a Frazettian style. I drew dragons and wizards, gladiators and warlocks; muscular warriors and their Amazon princesses. From drawing pictures I went on to write fantasy stories and wrote a couple of (unpublished) fantasy novels when I was in high school and during my early university years. Formal education in English Literature somewhat matured my writing more “adult” (and less fantasy) themes, but I’ve always wanted to revisit those grander, more mythical genres of my youth. I guess that I came to believe that the fantasy genre that I enjoyed so much during my youth was immature and that this is the reason I stopped writing much in this genre. But now, as I’m older I’m less insecure about things and seeing as two of the greatest literary scholars of the previous century, namely C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, both former professors at Oxford University, were fantasy-adventure novelist, I guess returning to this genre may very well be admirable. Lewis and Tolkien’s novels are just as much “high literature” as any of the other great literature out there.

But back to Frank Frazetta . . . his contribution to the fantasy genre is immeasurable. And even after his death his legacy lives on through his work and through all the people he influenced and inspired.