Frank Frazetta

My dad didn't own many books. The ones he did own were of two sorts: self-help (usually written by Og Mandino), or escapism (written by Edgar Rice Burroughs'...Tarzan, and John Carter of Mars). An interesting collection, I know, and what it says about good ol' Jack is also interesting. Now, anyone who knows me correctly assumes that I never read any of the self-help books...clearly demonstrated by my poor decision-making skills, and over all inability to actually help myself. However, if you really do know me, you would also correctly assume that I was drawn to the nerdery found in Burroughs' stories. Still, keep in mind that I was young and this was pre-comic book me, so my reading level was still quite low. So I couldn't really read the books and understand them in any real kind of way; but I loved the covers, and stared at them for hours.

It was later that I learned the artist's name: Frank Frazetta; his covers are one of the few occasions where it would be safe to judge the book by it's cover. Frank, made a name for himself in the fantasy realm. He dabbled in all the generas I love: comics, fantasy, and Sci-fi. How, in all honesty, I haven't posted about him before is a mystery. He is amazing. He somehow manages to meld realism and surrealism in such a way as to make it easy[er] to think: well of course it is possible for that man to be fighting a four-armed giant alien on Mars, look at the picture...it's obvious.

Anyway, Frank died today, so it seemed a good time to share so all appreciators of art/space/monsters/aliens/swords/axes/gorillas/muscles/wizards/et al...can mourn as well as bask in his nerd god glory.





























Why yes, that is Battlestar Gallactica you see depicted there...."oh", you ask, "is that The Witch King fighting Éowyn from Lord of the Rings", yes yes it is. "Is that a badass on a horse with a bloody axe?" Yessir, and isn't it fine?

Told ya, folks.