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Frank Frazetta passed away on Monday April 10th in Fort Myers, Fla. He was 82. To me, Frank was one of the greatest artists to ever walk the earth, and I rank him right up there with Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Rodin, Michelangelo, Sargent, Mucha, Rockwell, Pyle, Wyeth, and all the other masters of the art world. I discovered Frazetta’s art as a teenager, and it changed the course of my life. As a child, I drew on occasion, but not that often (especially compared with the childhood of most other artists). I had an affinity toward artists and writers, and for most of my childhood I was entertained by cartoons, comic books, and sci-fi and fantasy novels. Despite this interest in the world of imagination, what I really wanted to be was professional baseball player. Being a pro baseball player seemed like a respectable career, and being an artist did not. Growing up in blue-collar town, artists were frowned upon and it wasn’t considered a good way to make a living (unlike working at a factory, which was thought to be great job at the time). Seeing Frazetta’s Death Dealer painting changed all of that. Baseball was out, and art was in. As I discovered more of Frank’s work, I made up my mind. I was going to be an artist. I had never seen art with that kind of raw power before. I never imagined that it was possible to depict such action and balanced chaos in a painting. The violence created by his warriors was stunningly brutal, and his figures moved and fought better than real people could. His women were the most beautiful, sexual, and powerful that I had ever seen. Even though I was captivated by the figures in his paintings, the most important thing about his art was that it completely drew me into another world. It’s hard to describe how Frank’s paintings can feel so real and familiar, and yet so alien at the same time. It really can only be described as magic. Over the years I have progressed as an artist, and have added many names to my list of influences. Usually once a year, I’ll take some time to look at Frank’s work, and it never ceases to amaze me just how good he really was. While many of my early influences don’t seem as impressive as they once were, Frazetta is more impressive than ever. There are levels and layers of his work that I didn’t understand when I was younger. And I feel like I’m only beginning to understand it now. I know that I will never reach the astounding heights that Frazetta has reached with his art, but seeing his work has allowed me to dream of possibilities that I hadn't imagined before.
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