Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta ( born February 9, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York City; † 10 May 2010) was one of the best known and most influential fantasy and science fiction illustrators. His style was copied by many others and imitated.
Biography
Frazetta grew up in his native Brooklyn. Already eight years, the parents enrolled him at the suggestion of a teacher at the Brooklyn Academy of Fine Arts. For eight years he attended art school and was taught there by Michele Falanga, an award-winning Italian artist. Falanga was struck by Frazetta's obvious talent. He planned to send Frazetta at his own expense to Europe, where he was to continue his education. This plan was never implemented due to sudden death of Falangas 1944. When the school closed a year later, Frazetta was forced to earn his own living.
At age 16, Frazetta comic books from different genres began to draw: Western, Fantasy, Mystery, Historical, and other contemporary issues. During this time, he rejected several job offers from comic giants such as Walt Disney. The early 50s, he worked for EC Comics, DC, Avon and several other comic book publishers.
About his work on the covers of Buck Rogers for Famous Funnies, Frazetta was a collaboration with Al Capp on his Li'l Abner - strips. Frazetta's task was primarily is to draw the daily Johnny Comet stories, but he also jumped up from time to time for Capp himself. After nine years, Frazetta returned to back to draw your own comics. Since he had imitated for years Capps style, saw the drawings in this period in which his own style again broke through sometimes a bit awkwardly.
It was hard to find a job as a cartoonist. The Comics had changed during the time at Capp and Frazetta's style seemed antiquated. At times, he worked for Playboy and drew the comic strip Little Annie Fanny.
1964 Frazetta began cover illustrations for fantasy adventure to customize. His first cover for Conan the Barbarian was a huge success - many people bought the book just because of the cover. From this point on, the demand grew for his work. He painted covers for various pocket books, like the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. He also made a series of pen and ink drawings for the interior of the books.
Since then, Frazetta's work was commercial. He made illustrations for movie posters, book covers and calendars. Many of his drawings were made without authority, but still sold very successfully.
Frazetta's work is admired by many Hollywood stars. Clint Eastwood and George Lucas - Fans and friends of Frazetta - commissioned him to work for their film projects.
Since he had come to fame, various film studios had tried to persuade him to work on animated films. However, most offered him only one mentioned by name, the creative work should be done by others. Finally, in the early 80s offered a production that offered him more artistic development. With the well-known producer Ralph Bakshi animated, he worked on the film Fire and Ice, which appeared in 1983. Many of the figures that were seen in the film were done by Frazetta. The film was a financial failure, as Frazetta's fantasy imagery with the former Tricktechnik enough expression could not be awarded. So Frazetta returned to his roots - the painting and pen and ink drawing - back.
Today, the works of Frazetta's are so popular that even incomplete pencil drawings achieve maximum prices. Some of his sons living from selling his paintings. Frazetta's commercial works are usually painted with oil, but he also worked in watercolor, ink and pencil.
He lived on a large estate in Pennsylvania. On 10 May 2010 he died of a stroke. His wife, Eleanor " Ellie " Frazetta (born Kelly) died on 17 July 2009 of cancer.