I used to own this little gem of a sketch and stupidly sold it many years ago. What a great image, isn't it? I always thought of Frank whenver I'd see it...Frazetta roaring at the universe, defiantly confronting everything and anything. It might be Tarzan, or a barbarian, or a caveman, but, for me, it's a Frazetta self-portrait. The shadows, the mood, the lines pulsing with life around him all make this drawing resonate and simply explode with the naked power of life. That's what Frank is all about, namely, life. and life lived to the fullest. It turned up at the San Diego Con last summer with a hefty price tag of $15,000. I 'm going to leave it up here to guard my site while I take a break. I have some living to do...photographic safaris, vacations, and projects of many kinds. I'll be back with more posts after I recharge my inspiration. I still have things to say about Frank and sex and photography. I also have some video, some Lord of the Rings studies unseen, and a few other surprises. The world of Frazetta is vast. I'm trying to open a few new doors and pave some new pathways. I consider this a starting point for future Frazetta fans and scholars to move the stories forward and deepen their content. That is the only way he is going to stay relevant and known and loved. We need to provide his living art with a wide assortment of living voices. My story is a small part of a very grand mosaic. Frank needs to occupy a permanent and important place in art history.
I'll continue to monitor the site for submitted comments.
Thanks again to everyone for adding energy to this site.
(c)2012 Doc Dave Winiewicz
Such simple lines... scribbles, really. And yet they convey so much power. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteNooooooooo! I need my Frazetta fix at LEAST once a week, you can't go!
ReplyDeleteKidding aside, your posts have been great.
Thank you,
Rory
Exactly!
ReplyDeleteDAVE
Amazing picture! Thanks so much for this site - it's great to find so many unseen pictures, and the anecdotes are fantastic. It feels like he's still with us. Enjoy the well-earned break.
ReplyDeletethanks Dave, we'll see you when you get back and as always thanks.
ReplyDeleteA big happy Birthday today to Frank as well. He is missed. YOu help lessen that void with your blog.
All the best to you
Tracy
Tracy, you are the first to notice that I took a break on his birthday. I thought it was appropriate.
ReplyDeleteDAVE
Howdy Doc,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have plans to keep the Frazetta name alive. I do miss him. 84 is not that old. I wish he was sitting on a beach somewhere in Florida still.
One starting point perhaps for a future post: I noticed that the slides of the various progressions of the Cat Girl painting came up over on the Comic Art Fans gallery. The poster said he got them from you as part of a trade. I mentioned to Joe Vicas that perhaps you had been there through the entire process of the repaint, and maybe even talked to Frank about it. Any stories from that? It seems from the slides like Frank was changing it gradually trying to decide what he wanted. At one point the girl has darker, shorter hair and skin tones but she still has her arm around the black panther's neck. To my thinking it would have been okay if he'd stopped there, although I still prefer the original. Do you know if Frazetta had his final vision in his head when he started or was he just feeling his way toward it? Like I say, I'd be interested in any tales you have to tell about this.
Thanks for keeping the Frazetta flame burning,
Aaron
Yes, I'll talk about that in a future post. It's interesting.
ReplyDeleteDAVE
Dave ,
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your break. Frank's birthday is appropriate to reflect on just what his art means to us all.
As stated previously 84 is not that old. It's so sad to think that the forces beyond his control more than likely added to his early death. Stress from the museum's disaster and the fallout between his children were probable contributing factors. My mother passed the same year that Frank did and she was of a similar age ( 85). Stresses in her life beyond her control attributed to her death. I miss being able to speak with her as I'm sure you miss speaking with your friend. Life gives us lessons that we would rather not have. Memories sustain us, good and bad.
Steve Baker
So very true, Steve. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDAVE
Is there any chance to see in a new edition the great images from CAME THE DAWN portfolio?.It will be a dream come true if someone will produce this portfolio again.
ReplyDeleteThat's all up to the family. We will see what the future brings. Something good, I hope!
ReplyDeleteDAVE
It is amazing how powerful Frank Frazetta's line drawings are. Some of them like this one are up there with any of his fully painted work. The Werewolf portfolio is full of such amazing work too. We were very sad to hear of Frank Frazetta's death as we had been dealing with his art for many years. What was sadder was the mess of his family legacy that still appears not to have benn settled making it hard to acquire stocks of all the authentic prints and posters.
ReplyDeleteYes, so true. And the family mess still needs resolving.
ReplyDeleteDAVE
Hi Dave, thanks for all your hard work here. I thought I had seen everything Frank had produced, but all this new ink work is a revelation. That past Flash-frazetta- Gordon ink was particularly fabulous! Frank was not as lazy as he said he was I think.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your future posts...
Best regards,
Patrick.
THere's a lot of stuff that's never been seen.
ReplyDeleteSad, but true. I wish I had copies of everything.
Thanks!
DAVE
Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you were posting again!! I've just spent a couple hours with my eyes popping out of my head at all the unseen art, and boy am I excited to read through all the new posts! I'll do my best to catch up before you're back from your break. Hope you're doing great, and thanks for sharing!!
Daren
Hi Daren! Good to hear from you. It's been awhile.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy all the new material.
Best!
DAVE
Dave, come back! The internet is boring without you!
ReplyDeleteSoon, Glen! I'm still recharging.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement.
Best!
DAVE
Dave,
ReplyDeleteOn a quiet Sunday night, thought I'd see if the Frazetta archivist is back from holiday.
We're standing by for more of your inspiring stories from the Frazetta life.
I always know that I can drop in here for creative rejuvenation. Thanks.
robert gerson
Actually Glen summed it up best, in only 1 sentence. Such a way with words!
Encore we want more !
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteYou and I are close in age and experience. I, too went to the 1977 show. I met Charles Vess, Berni Wrightson, and Harvey Kurtzman while there. Went to the Museum in 2008. I really value your posts on your Frazetta blog and I really wish you well. You post 'em and I'll enjoy 'em. My favorites are the drawings and the sketchbooks. The successive drawings that lead to the Kubla Khan Portfolio death plate were incredibly instructive. So thank you and post again soon.
Been a fan of Frank Frazetta since the 60's when I started reading Robert E. Howard's Conan books and quickly became a fan of fantasy art, Frazetta's art that is. I have all the Conan books ever printer (still) and as many other Frazetta books, statues etc that I can get a hold of. Your Blog is the most info I have found about Frank as I have found anywhere. Thanks for sharing so much with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much; I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteDAVE
Hi Dave
ReplyDeleteI am still going over your blog and taking my time. The pictures and sketches are just amazing. I do a little on the internet and was wondering if I could use some of your interesting facts, stories and all in my stuff as one of my sources, dedicated to Frank Frazetta. I would always credit you if I use anything. I think that as a life long fan - I wanted to do something in his memory. It would be a great thing to show some things that most of his fans have yet to see. It would be an honor to use some of your memories and such and of course - always crediting you for anything I use....
I am the Anonymous that posted on 3-30-2012...
Thank you for everything - especially this blog. Zulu
Yes, feel free to use my info as long as you give me credit for the source material and, perhaps, a link back to my site. I plan to gather all this, and more, together into a volume.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your project!
DAVE
In his COMICS JOURNAL interview Frazetta mentioned "Pinocchio" being his favorite Disney movie, and I recently watched it for the first time in twenty years. Amazing work! This time around it was evident to me how much Frazetta's Snowman character was influenced by the look of Jiminy Cricket (especially when he took his hat off), as well as how the villain Stromboli was the direct visual predecessor of Frazetta's villain Josef in the "Gods of the Jungle" story in THUN'DA #1 (most fans cite the character's donning of a yellow demon mask which preceded Kirby's DC character The Demon, both of which were inspired by a Foster character in "Prince Valiant"). Also, the whole scene of Stromboli's horse drawn carriage moving slowly down the rainswept cobbled lanes looks like the inspiration for the opening of Bruce Jones & Berni Wrightson's "Freak Show" graphic novel.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Alec S.
I love your blog entries and I am really looking forward to the vidoes and LotR studies! You back yet? You back yet? You back yet? :)
ReplyDeleteHello - when you start posting again , I had a question . Did you ever talk with Frank about his use of green in painting fleshtones ? The 1st conan is the initial example of it that comes to mind - and how many artists totally did crude versions of it .
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it was something he stumbled onto or if it was something he started employing out of experementation .
Best , Al McLuckie
Hi Doc Dave,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the energy you are putting into this blog, thanks for not keeping all this to yourself, thanks for keeping that book open for generations to come. Whenever I feel uninspired, I need my Frazetta Fix, and your blog is a great "fixer".
I'm currently conducting a research on drawing, the link between the brain, the hand and the required manual dexterity. I want to debunk some popular belief about art. I have my theories, and I will actually train myself with my non dominant hand to prove my points. But Frazetta has been thru that process and I have some questions I would like to ask you. I couldn't find an email address to write you directly. Nothing too complex, I promise. If you are willing to answer a few questions, please send me an email at audran.guerard@gmail.com.
Cheers, and rest well, but please come back soon, we're all eager for more!
Audran
I am an art student who unfortunately didn't really know of Frazetta until he died, sites like this give amazing insight into his work and his passion. Very grateful for your posts and hope to read more soon!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks,
Matt W
Hi Al:
ReplyDeleteYes, Frank used to talk about his use of green in flesh tones all the time. He used to say that it gave the skin life. He always employed some type of green in his blendings.
He said that "it seemed the right thing ".
Best!
DAVE