RIP Frank Frazetta (1928-2010)

[Scrooge]

You must not be Mr. Freshman

This is an unfortunate phrase and tone to use with Scrooge who, besides being a friendly contributor to the boards, is a devoted and thoughtful fan of the medium.

 

AS.

 

My comment was not intended to denigrate Fritz's skills. Undeniably, a master of pen and ink but the hyperbole has to stop at some point.

 

One thing one might notice about your list of great artists is that its scope is limited - for a lack of a better word - to one style of cartooning illustration. You range from Fritz to Fine to Wood to Williamson to Kirby (out place somewhat is Eisner, but then again, one cannot create such a quick list without Eisner listed). They are all fine draftsman and great user of the human form in their depiction of action and all will take attention to details in their figure work.

 

Glaringly absent from your list are greats such as Jack Cole, Harvey Kurtzman, Walt Kelly, ... all great cartoonist of another branch if you will. We simply don't like the same brand!

 

It's OK you like Fritz so much but it's highly reducive and shall I say fannish to hail all lines drawn by the master as KEY?

 

I don't know what ticked you off in my comment ... but I'll go back studying this fantastic key that Heroic # 71 is with its 2 Frazetta pages (see below).

 

For what it's worth, out of your list, Williamson is probably my fave followed by Fine, even though it's hard to see his work as it has been less reprinted

 

[jimjum12]

The Frazetta Heroics are some of my favorite examples of his work...and refreshingly affordable. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[Monkeyman]

As far as short lived careers in comic art go, I am a big fan of Joe Maneely. Potentially one of the greatest names of the SA if he had lived.

 

For GGA interiors I have to say that Wally Wood is probably my favorite.

 

I think that FF's covers were great and he probably recognized this as his strength when he made the move to painting.

 

Mike

[rob_react]

You must not be Mr. Freshman

This is an unfortunate phrase and tone to use with Scrooge who, besides being a friendly contributor to the boards, is a devoted and thoughtful fan of the medium.

 

I do not believe that all issues with Frazetta art should be viewed as KEY (your emphasis).

I happen to think Frank is the bee's knees and at the pinnacle of comic book artists but I fully agree with Scrooge's assessment -- they aren't all keys.

 

If Frank Frazetta is not in a category unto himself then I do not know who is or should be.

There are those (many of them artistts themselves) who like other artists better for a variety of reasons. Even if one accepted the premise that Frank is the best artist, his work in comics may not similarly be the best since the judgment is unlikely to only include artistic skills and would most likely include some assessment of his story-telling ability. It's hard for me counter someone who thinks that an early Frazetta two-pager about Burt Lancaster as being "key" since it doesn't look like a key to me either.

 

Just my

 

co-signed (and I love frazetta's work as well)

[JohnT]

I do think all of Frank's stories (or nearly all) are keys. You just can't buy them for the same money as the surrounding issues. Some are more significant than others, but I'd still hunt each and every one of them out.

 

Personally Frazetta is my favorite artist, but I don't see him as in a separate category of greatness. There are a handful of truly spectacular artists--Williamson being one of them--who's every page is special.

 

[Weird Paper]

I do think all of Frank's stories (or nearly all) are keys. You just can't buy them for the same money as the surrounding issues. Some are more significant than others, but I'd still hunt each and every one of them out.

 

Personally Frazetta is my favorite artist, but I don't see him as in a separate category of greatness. There are a handful of truly spectacular artists--Williamson being one of them--who's every page is special.

 

I'll second that...

 

And add Everett and Moldoff to the list.

[rob_react]

I do think all of Frank's stories (or nearly all) are keys. You just can't buy them for the same money as the surrounding issues. Some are more significant than others, but I'd still hunt each and every one of them out.

 

Personally Frazetta is my favorite artist, but I don't see him as in a separate category of greatness. There are a handful of truly spectacular artists--Williamson being one of them--who's every page is special.

 

 

When they worked together the results were completely jaw dropping, producing some of my favorite EC pages.

 

Williamson, for my money, was a better COMIC artist as his comic work was of greater depth, both in terms of overall story quality and longevity. Williamson went from being the EC powerhouse that he was to being one of the most unique and talented inkers in the industry in the 1980s and 1990s. A complete and utter legend in my eyes.

[GGA_Fan]

...It's hard for me counter someone who thinks that an early Frazetta two-pager about Burt Lancaster as being "key" since it doesn't look like a key to me either.

 

I could easily continue this disagreement with you Adam, but I won't. You don't have a leg to stand on if you choose to take my words out of context. I was not suggesting that Movie Love #10 is a Key to rival Thund'a #1 or Weird Science-Fantasy #29 (nor FF 209-216, nor Personal Love 32 or 25), but it is a no less a huge key within the title as compared to other issues. You obviously know little of which you are arguing because Movie Love #10 is a six page Frazetta story, not two. That reminds me of Fox TV's Bill O'Reilly manipulating false truths (misquoting numerical data) to justify his right wing position. But I will give you loyalty credit for blindly defending your friend.

 

In regards to everyone else, I apologize if I came off or responded sharply to Scooge. I was truly taken aback from this other perspective which has been presented here, but at first it was not supported by any background, so I interpreted it defensively as comments by a devils advocate. I can see your points from those perspectives, and perhaps in context of all the criteria for which there is to judge an artist, there are many in that elite group.

 

If I may therefore fine tune my comments on Frazetta, in regards to GGA and his consistent creations of Female Beauty, his portfolio is unparalleled, and only rivaled by a tiny, select few other talented Golden Age constituents.

 

Let me add that that 2 page Heroic War comic by Frazetta was truly a magnificent offering. There's nothing wrong with that at all, and while not a Key like Thund'a #1, it probably is still some fine artwork. As you can tell, I do love all of Frazetta's drawing, and the line work in his inking is generally some of the finest inking I've seen in the Golden Age.

[JohnT]

Let's let pictures do the talking...

 

 

 

 

Here's one with Williamson...

 

[rob_react]

To me, with very few exceptions, the Frazetta art issues aren't KEY books. They're just ART ISSUES. There are thousands of listed, collected, art issues in the price guide (look at House of Mystery or House of Secrets.) Very few of them are actual key books. I mean, of the hundreds of books Neal Adams did, just a handful are actual key books, that doesn't make his art any less collectible or desirable. Just not key. Most of these aren't even semi-keys to me.

[buttock]

...It's hard for me counter someone who thinks that an early Frazetta two-pager about Burt Lancaster as being "key" since it doesn't look like a key to me either.

 

I could easily continue this disagreement with you Adam, but I won't. You don't have a leg to stand on if you choose to take my words out of context. I was not suggesting that Movie Love #10 is a Key to rival Thund'a #1 or Weird Science-Fantasy #29 (nor FF 209-216, nor Personal Love 32 or 25), but it is a no less a huge key within the title as compared to other issues. You obviously know little of which you are arguing because Movie Love #10 is a six page Frazetta story, not two. That reminds me of Fox TV's Bill O'Reilly manipulating false truths (misquoting numerical data) to justify his right wing position. But I will give you loyalty credit for blindly defending your friend.

 

In regards to everyone else, I apologize if I came off or responded sharply to Scooge. I was truly taken aback from this other perspective which has been presented here, but at first it was not supported by any background, so I interpreted it defensively as comments by a devils advocate. I can see your points from those perspectives, and perhaps in context of all the criteria for which there is to judge an artist, there are many in that elite group.

 

If I may therefore fine tune my comments on Frazetta, in regards to GGA and his consistent creations of Female Beauty, his portfolio is unparalleled, and only rivaled by a tiny, select few other talented Golden Age constituents.

 

Let me add that that 2 page Heroic War comic by Frazetta was truly a magnificent offering. There's nothing wrong with that at all, and while not a Key like Thund'a #1, it probably is still some fine artwork. As you can tell, I do love all of Frazetta's drawing, and the line work in his inking is generally some of the finest inking I've seen in the Golden Age.

 

You're silly.

[ashrael]

I will start out by saying that Frazetta is my favorite GA artist, and I personally think he draws the best and most sensual women of all of comics. However his comic portfolio doesn't have the depth of many of the other classic artists. I wish he had consistently drawn more mainstream (and longer) stories. I think if he had, there wouldn't be much discussion as to who the greatest GA artist was. Unfortunately, he didn't.

 

As to the key issue discussion, while Frazetta's art does get (and deserve) a note in practically all of titles he drew for, to say they are automatically a key issue is a little extreme. Of note, yes; key, no. His art does make many a key, but only a minority.

[GGA_Fan]

I did not mean to open up a can of worms in regards to interpreting 'the' definition for Key in the context of comic books. In a nutshell, the definition of the word Key in Comics really means 'special' issue because of something character related, an important artist's contribution, an event or even one of many other factors. I really do not want to get dragged into that debate because my intention was to celebrate Frank Frazetta's art which I revere.

 

It would be interesting if anyone wanted to start a new topic/thread about 'The Many Definitions of The Key Label in Comics.' I'd discuss it there. But for now, Comcdom has lost a great legend (do we need to argue the definition of legend too?) in 2010. And this thread should really be about applauding Frank Frazetta's art, and to mourn his passing.

 

This one that JohnT posted (with the lion) is from Personal Love #32. Don't flail me for saying this, but it's a superb Frazetta Key

 

 

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[rob_react]

It would be interesting if anyone wanted to start a new topic/thread about 'The Many Definitions of The Key Label in Comics.' I'd discuss it there. But for now, Comcdom has lost a great legend (do we need to argue the definition of legend too?) in 2010. And this thread should really be about applauding Frank Frazetta's art, and to mourn his passing.

 

Threads go the way threads go There's no sense in trying to put a cap on healthy discussion.

 

And even in the midst of discussing your broad definition of key we're still tying the conversation into Frazetta.

 

 

[Weird Paper]

There's no bigger Frazetta fan than me, and every Frazetta comic (interior or cover) is key to me, because I'm trying to get them all. The term, itself, is extremely subjective. I don't expect--hell, I don't want--everyone else to feel the same way. I think a true key should be exactly that---a key, a first issue, an origin. If you stretch the definition to include "classic" covers and stories, perhaps some books like Thunda or Personal Love 32 make the cut, but even I wouldn't grace Treasure Comics 7 or Exciting Comics 59 with that designation.

[JohnT]

We're into a semantic argument here on the "key" issue. Suffice to say Frazetta issues are universally more valuable than if they weren't Frazetta issues.

 

For an artist to enjoy that kind of market response they usually have some combination of greatness and a limited body of work. In Frazetta's case, he has both in the extreme, so he stands out as one of the most "valued" artists.

 

Then look as someone like Joe Kubert. He's my second-favorite artist, and revered by collectors generally, but you don't have to pay much of a premium, if any, for his books.

 

To complete my statement...let me say the following:

 

[Boba]

<3

[adamstrange]

I did not mean to open up a can of worms in regards to interpreting 'the' definition for Key in the context of comic books. In a nutshell, the definition of the word Key in Comics really means 'special' issue because of something character related, an important artist's contribution, an event or even one of many other factors. I really do not want to get dragged into that debate because my intention was to celebrate Frank Frazetta's art which I revere.

 

It would be interesting if anyone wanted to start a new topic/thread about 'The Many Definitions of The Key Label in Comics.' I'd discuss it there. But for now, Comcdom has lost a great legend (do we need to argue the definition of legend too?) in 2010. And this thread should really be about applauding Frank Frazetta's art, and to mourn his passing.

 

This one that JohnT posted (with the lion) is from Personal Love #32. Don't flail me for saying this, but it's a superb Frazetta Key

 

 

 

There's been considerable use of the word "key" lately in the GA/SA Forum so Scrooge's post was to me, a friendly reminder that if "everything is key, then nothing is."

 

For Frazetta fans, Doc W's blog is an excellent source for information about Frazetta and his art. He will be missed.

 

http://frazfritz.blogspot.com/

 

[ashrael]

Frazetta reprints should all be in B&W because his pencils were so sweet

 

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