Death, it seems, has now been dealt to the artist famous for creating the fantasy art character, “Death Dealer.” Frank Frazetta, whose dramatic paintings have graced both fantasy paperbacks and galleries, as well as Molly Hatchet and Yngwie Malmsteen album covers for decades, has passed away at a hospital near his home in Florida, after suffering a stroke. He was 82 years old:
Frazetta’s contributions to the world of fantasy art alone could have awarded him mention on this blog, but my specific reason for paying him homage here has to do with his colorful rendering of “The Mothman” (right), as well as a variety of other characters and situations with Fortean overtones.
At the Washington Post blog, Michael Cavna commented today that “Frazetta’s worlds of heavily muscled, barely clad men and women fending off creatures became so iconic, his name became synonymous with a genre,” noting that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett recently paid 1 million for one of Frazetta’s original oil paintings.
Respected among metal heads and art connoisseurs alike, Frazetta’s work will long be recognized as some of the finest in his genre–or anywhere else–and his name will live on through his beautiful paintings.
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Sad news indeed.
To think that Keel managed to have the cover of two of his books with Frazetta’s art! I wonder how much he charged for that…
Ya know RPJ, I’m not sure… but I’d love to have one of Frazetta’s pieces on the cover of my next book!
Maybe if it’s about politics, Death Dealer would be a pretty non-partisan mascot, with his classic “I hate everybody equally” approach to problem solving. Although others would maintain that he’s actually a “demonocrat.” Must be the eyes… and the lack of any semblance of a face except for the blackest absence of light imaginable… LOL!