Frazetta Cryptoart & Mothman
Posted by: Loren Coleman on July 20th, 2009
Frank Frazetta’s creative cryptoart has inspired and is inspiring. Let’s take a further look, for before Mothman, there were monsters.
The cover of John A. Keel’s paperback book, Strange Creatures from Time and Space (NY: Fawcett, 1970) has informed and influenced many, from the 1970s to present.
For example, Secret Lab Studios, in association with Thrill House Comics, and the Weta Workshop Design Team of New Zealand announced in 2006 that they were collaborating on designs for Cryptid, a new and original intellectual property then in development as a feature film, video game, graphic novel and toy line. One of their cornerstone artists was Frank Frazetta
Frazetta also imagined Mothman. There is no doubt his impact has been great.
Others have seen Frazetta do his magic too, of course.
Atlantis Rising by Brad Steiger used Frank Frazetta for his cover.
Some say that Frazetta’s most influential and impressive painting is the above one from a modern edition of A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter on Mars will be explored in forthcoming mvoies.)
For cryptozoologists, however, the most famous Frazettas will always be the covers for the 1970 paperback Strange Creatures From Time and Space and the 1991 edition of The Mothman Prophecies.
To Frazetta, needless to say, nothing will ever be as important as the following, the unfinished image of his recently deceased wife, Ellie, who passed away on July 17th.
Ellie Frazetta by Frank Frazetta.
For more information about obtaining Frank Frazetta’s art and prints, usually you may go to the official Frazetta site (but it is closed down due to understandable personal matters), so please visit the unofficial Frazetta site.
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I’ve been a fan of Frazetta’s work for years. His Conan and Tarzan art are still some of my favorites. What’s most amazing about Mr. Frazetta is that a stroke debilitated him some time ago, and he basically had to learn how to draw and paint again. His work after that was often better than his earlier art!
I was about to say the same thing. He taught himself to use his left hand now, as his right still suffers from the occasional micro tremor. The fact that he trained himself to use his weaker hand is nothing short of miraculous.
I love his picture for The Mothman Prophecies. Beautiful!