A short while ago I received a phone call from Rome. A good friend of mine had the opportunity to visit the Vatican library archives. He has some solid credentials and he wanted to see some of the Renaissance drawings by Michaelangelo, Raphael, and DaVinci. He spent the afternoon looking very carefully at a wide assortment of drawings. When he left the archives he immediately called me. This is what he said: "Dave, I just had the most pleasant time looking at all the great master drawings. It was a thrill to be in the midst of so much history. You can just smell and feel the history as the eye rolls over the pages. The drawings were stunning to behold, really stunning. But I must admit something to you...YOU ARE RIGHT! Frazetta is better. He simply is. There is just so much ability and LIFE in his art. You have been right all along. I do think Frazetta is the best ink draftsman in the world." I told him that I would tell Frank about this and he encouraged me to do so.
In my last conversation with Frank I did mention this and Frank was very pleased. I said: "See, Frank, remember all those discussions we've had over the past 30 years about your pen and brush stuff. I always told you that you were the best. You're a great painter among many other great painters, but, as a pen/brush man, you have no rivals. None." In typical fashion, Frank responded with: "If you say so." OK, Frank, on to the next topic.
(c)2010 Dr. Dave Winiewicz
