One of the greatest artistic qualities of the American grand master of fantasy art Frank Frazetta (1928-2010) is the combination of vitality and dignity he gives his figures. (not just his human figures, but his apes and lions and lizards, too.) His battles are always battles between equals. They’re not contests of physical prowess, they’re contests of dynamism and heroism, of sheer vitality. Not all his paintings present women as heroically as they do the men, but in the best of them it’s vitality itself that’s the subject, heroically embodied, whether in the human body, male or female, or in troglodytes, gorillas, crocodiles or panthers.
Exaggerated
Frazetta's girls are real - you've seen them before. Their beauty doesn't line up with the modern concepts of beauty. Their style and grace come from a deeper, more primal spot where hourglass figures never run out of time. They're not afraid to get their hands dirty. They seem more genuine, even though they are quite exaggerated.
Most Sensuous
In 1976, the master himself said, 'A woman can be sensuous and erotic in typical, mundane movements', and I try to capture that precise motion or pose when she is at her most sensuous. I do exaggerate a lot in my work, but I find I have to exaggerate least when I paint women.'
Fig.1. 'King Kong ' (1979)
Foliage
Later version of King Kong produced in 1979 featuring the giant ape largely absorbed in the dark foliage of the jungle.
Fig.1a. 1976 version of 'King Kong'
Ace Paperback
First painting on the subject used as the cover for the Ace paperback edition of KING KONG from 1976.
Fig.2. 'Sacrifice '(1968)
Conan The Avenger
'Sacrifice' was used for the cover art for the 1968 edition of 'Conan The Avenger' (Fig.2a), written by Robert E Howard, Björn Nyberg and L Sprague De Camp, published by Lancer Books.
Fig.2a. 'Conan The Avenger' by Robert E Howard
Fig.3. 'Invaders ' (1974)
Time War
A variation of 'Invaders' was also used as the cover art for the novel 'Time War' by Lin Carter.
Fig.4. 'Desperation' (1971)
Sexy Damsel in Distress
Original version of “Desperation,”(Fig.4) featured on a 1971 National Lampoon (Fig.4b), lampooning Weird Tales “Spicy Stories”: Sexy damsel in distress; human sacrifice; white hunter overcoming dusky hordes, etc.
