Frank Frazetta Passes Away

It is with great sadness that we report the comics industry has lost one of it's most prolific creators. Legendary fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta has died from a stroke at a hospital near his home in Boca Grande, Florida. Frazetta was 82. The man who gave us so much has now moved on to a better place, and we honor his life's work and passion.

Educated at the Brooklyn Academy of Fine Arts, Frank Frazetta received the Chesley Award (1988, 1995, 1997), the Hugo Award (1966), and the Spectrum Grand Master of Fantastic Art Award (1995) in his lifetime.

His work started as early as the 1940s, when he did the Li'l Abner comic strip. His illusrations would later appear in multiple mediums, which included magazines, books, album covers and movie posters. His talent was famous for its allure in various editions of Warren Publishing's horror magazines Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella.

But most fans and enthusiasts will point out that his paintings achieved their peak of notoriety because they were the most prominent covers used for paperback editions of classic Edgar Rice Burroughs books, such as Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. Without a doubt, Frazett'a true claim to fame can be traced to his visionary paintings of Conan the Cimmerian, which also appeared on countless paperback books. These same paintings which redefined the sword and sorcery genre for countless generations of artists extended beyond print, and were received favorably in the music industry, such as with southern rock band Molly Hatchet's first two album covers which featured "The Death Dealer" and "Dark Kingdom" respectively.

Frank Frazetta will be missed...and never forgotten.

Frank Frazetta (February 9, 1928 - May 10, 2010)