Frank Frazetta: February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010. Thank you, sir, for bringing us wonders.
Frank Frazetta, RIP
IF YOU GEEKLY ADOLESCED IN the 1970s, his illustrations danced through your dreams, between your headphones and into your all-night D&D sessions. His is the pen that transported us to immortal Barsoom and summoned Conan with his blood-dark legions; whose ink-wet brush splashed with light and weird shadow barbarian, cowboy, and demon prince alike; whose voluptuous Vampirella idiom was often copied, occasionally parodied, never equaled.
I was so there.
I didn’t need D&D, I had Howard and E.R Burroughs.
I think he was ultimately the inventor of Princess Leia’s bronze bikini, too. That must have been an homage to him. So many great illustrators are underrated as artists. It’s a shame. He had great command of his work; while the subject matter was sometimes a bit lurid, to me it was never vulgar or cheap-looking.
With D&D, I /lived/ Howard and E. R. Burroughs. Nyaaah.