Sunday, December 13, 2009

Frazetta Cover's and Legacy

Frank Frazetta is probably my favorite artist. He has done all kinds of pieces from comics to movie posters, but my favorites (along with most of his fans) are his fantasy and sci-fi book covers.

I found a copy of Red Moon and Black Mountain, by Joy Chant, in hardback with a Frazetta cover so I had to buy it. I already owned a paperback copy with an Ian Millar cover but to have a Frazetta hardback is a treat to me. There aren't enough of those available. It was interesting to me that liner notes call the book a Sword and Sorcery tale, I've only read the first chapter or so but it seems more like a 70's marketing ploy than an accurate genre specific label. But I digress.

Frazetta's work has a disheartening controversy of late. Just a few days ago Frank Jr. was arrested for attempting to break into the Frazetta art museum with a back-hoe! The doors are very strong, so the backhoe was to break them down rather than dig in. He has been charged with attempted robbery worth 20 Million dollars.

That's actually a paltry sum considering that only last month one of Frazetta's original Conan covers-a favorite of mine for Conan the Conqueror (Hour of the Dragon) was sold at auction for a cool million by itself! All of this is odd for those that know Frank has always held onto his work for the museum and has never sold his originals. Rumors abound now that Jr. was trying to save the works from greedy siblings they argue the opposite-either way it's a sad statement for Frank's legacy. I really hope this gets figured out in such a way that benfits the Master's WORK.

4 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I read about the break in. Just amazing. Frazetta is my favorite as well. So much great stuff. I actually like Red Moon: Black Mountain but it's more high fantasy than sword & sorcery.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

That what I thought about the first couple chapters I read too, Charles.

Which is why I was wondering if it was considered "hot" marketing to put a S&S label on it and have Lin Carter write the forward in the paperback that was released a year later.

Bruce Durham said...

It's been decades since I read 'Red Moon Black Mountain'. I think I got my copy from the SFBC. I also read the sequel, 'The Grey Mane of Morning', but not 'When Voiha Wakes'. Those books are definitely high fantasy. As for Frazetta, the whole episode is a blasted shame.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Hey Bruce, I haven't read teh sequels either.
Ive since found a hardcover for Poul Anderson's Dancer from Atlantis-had to buy it for the big Frazetta cover too, even though I already had the paperback.