Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta, Sr. was one of the most prolific and popular of artists for pulp Sword and Sorcery novels during the 1950s. He was frequently employed to do art for Conan the Barbarian. Frazetta Man is also his baby. And then there's the Death Dealer, 1973.
Frank got his start doing uncredited inks on comics in the 1940's until getting the attention of Graham Ingels, who hired him at Standard Comics in 1947. Frank worked around the comics industry until his big break doing the movie poster for What's New, Pussycat? That led to working on cover art for the paperback reissues of Edgar Rice Burroughs's novels, including his iconic Conan the Barbarian cover, and a lasting career in commercial art.
Frank's artwork often involved scantily clad men or women not because "sex sells", but because Frank liked to draw the human body. Like some artists after cameras started to become widespread, when in a pinch or times were lean, Frank would use himself as a model reference for his art.
The Death Dealer got erected as a statue at Fort Hood in 2009. This led to a lawsuit between Frank Sr. and Frank Jr. over who had the right to allow what derivative art to be made from the elder's originals.
Ralph Bakshi involved Frazetta in their animation Fire and Ice, for better or worse. Its Darkwolf is the Death Dealer, but lame, as only Bakshi could fuck up a good thing.
As his health deteriorated, a series of strokes left him paralyzed in his right arm, Frank just taught himself to draw with his left hand. Badass, even in his seventies, even living for several more years until his death from another stroke at age 82 in 2010.
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Homo frazettanensis
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no-homo frazettanensis
