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Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta
Discover, or return to, the world's greatest heroic fantasy artist, Frank Frazetta in this landmark art collection entitled, Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta. The New York Times said, "Frazetta helped define fantasy heroes like Conan, Tarzan and John Carter of Mars with signature images of strikingly fierce, hard-bodied heroes and bosomy, callipygian damsels" Frazetta took the sex and violence of the pulp fiction of his youth and added even more action, fantasy and potency, but rendered with a panache seldom seen outside of major works of Fine Art. Despite his fantastic subject matter, the quality of Frazetta’s work has not only drawn comparisons to the most brilliant of illustrators, Maxfield Parrish, Frederic Remington, Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth but, even to the most brilliant of fine artists including Rembrandt and Michelangelo and, major Frazetta works sell for millions of dollars, breaking numerous records.
This innovator’s work has not only inspired generations of artists, but also movies and directors including the Conan films, John Carter of Mars, the sensationally successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, Robert Rodriguez’ films including From Dusk Till Dawn, Ralph Bakshi films, the epic, award-winning Game of Thrones series, Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, Disney’s animated Tarzan films, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and George Lucas’ Star Wars series. The Forbes magazine article Schwarzenegger's Sargent led with the line, "Which artist helped make Arnold governor? Frank Frazetta, the Rembrandt of barbarians."
J. David Spurlock started crafting this book by reviving the original million-selling 1970s mass market art book, Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta. But, he expanded and revised to include twice as many images and, presents them at a much larger coffee-table book size of 10.5 x 14.625”! The collection is brimming with both classic and previously unpublished works of the subjects Frazetta is best remembered for including barbarians, beasts, and buxom beauties. Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin said, “Though he bears only a passing resemblance to the Cimmerian as Robert E. Howard described him, Frazetta’s covers of the Conan paperback collections became the definitive picture of the character… still is.” Schwarzenegger said, “I have not been intimidated that often in my life. But when I looked at Frazetta’s paintings, I tell you, it was intimidating.” Game of Thrones, Conan and Aquaman film star Jason Momoa said, “I am a huge Frank Frazetta fan. Both of my parents are painters, so I'd known Frazetta's paintings, that's what I wanted to bring to life.” See the revolutionary art that helped inspire Schwarzenegger, Momoa, the Lord of the Rings films and Game of Thrones: FRAZETTA!
This innovator’s work has not only inspired generations of artists, but also movies and directors including the Conan films, John Carter of Mars, the sensationally successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, Robert Rodriguez’ films including From Dusk Till Dawn, Ralph Bakshi films, the epic, award-winning Game of Thrones series, Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, Disney’s animated Tarzan films, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and George Lucas’ Star Wars series. The Forbes magazine article Schwarzenegger's Sargent led with the line, "Which artist helped make Arnold governor? Frank Frazetta, the Rembrandt of barbarians."
J. David Spurlock started crafting this book by reviving the original million-selling 1970s mass market art book, Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta. But, he expanded and revised to include twice as many images and, presents them at a much larger coffee-table book size of 10.5 x 14.625”! The collection is brimming with both classic and previously unpublished works of the subjects Frazetta is best remembered for including barbarians, beasts, and buxom beauties. Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin said, “Though he bears only a passing resemblance to the Cimmerian as Robert E. Howard described him, Frazetta’s covers of the Conan paperback collections became the definitive picture of the character… still is.” Schwarzenegger said, “I have not been intimidated that often in my life. But when I looked at Frazetta’s paintings, I tell you, it was intimidating.” Game of Thrones, Conan and Aquaman film star Jason Momoa said, “I am a huge Frank Frazetta fan. Both of my parents are painters, so I'd known Frazetta's paintings, that's what I wanted to bring to life.” See the revolutionary art that helped inspire Schwarzenegger, Momoa, the Lord of the Rings films and Game of Thrones: FRAZETTA!
120 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2020
2 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
J. David Spurlock
59 books17 followersJ. David Spurlock is one of America's most acclaimed comics historians. Spurlock is an award-winning author, historian, educator, creator rights advocate, documentary filmmaker and associate to star talents Steranko, Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, Julius Schwartz, Wally Wood, Joe Simon, Frazetta, Basil Gogos, Neal Adams, Stan Lee and many more. Spurlock befriended Jack Kirby and his wife Roz, in 1977 and remained friends with the Kirbys the rest of their lives.
Spurlock's 2020 book Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta is Amazon's #1 "Hot New Release" for Individual Artists. His book How to Draw Chiller Monsters, for Random House, rose as high as #18 on the Bookspan best-seller list. Spurlock's IPPY Award-winning book, Alluring Art of Margaret Brundage, has been universally acclaimed including by MTV and by the Village Voice who proclaimed it one of The Best of 2013. Spurlock's work was so instrumental in expanding knowledge and interest into Brundage that, The Hugo Awards presented Spurlock with a Brundage-related Hugo award. In addition to the many books he has authored, Spurlock has contributed to various pop-culture magazines including The Jack Kirby Collector, Comic Book Marketplace, Comic Book Artist, Alter Ego and, the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book which has over 100,000 readers.
In 2012, Spurlock was appointed Director of the Wallace Wood Estate. Wood is the Hugo Award recognized illustrator of Galaxy and Planet Stories as well as the Eisner Hall of Fame co-creator of MAD, Mars Attacks, Daredevil and Weird Science. Spurlock is the World's leading historian on Wood. His many Wood-related projects included the Eisner, Locus and Hugo Award nominated biography Wally's World with co-author Steve Starger. The collaborations of Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood is a subject of Spurlock's writing which has been published in English, French, Portuguese, German and Spanish.
A sampling of Spurlock's speaking engagements include: Various San Diego Comic-Con Jack Kirby-related panels from 1996 through 2018 (so far); 2013 WorldCon (various lecture panels including on Robert E. Howard, Copyright Law, and on Margaret Brundage); various appearances with Stan Lee (including Dragon Con live audience of 4,600 plus TV); the Famous Monsters of Filmland convention in Indianapolis (with Basil Gogos, Harry Knowles and Bela Lugosi Jr); multiple Frank Frazetta panels at the San Diego Comic-Con; Rutgers School of Law; and University of the Arts in Philadelphia; etc. In 2011, Spurlock joined Arlen Schumer, Rand Hoppe of The Jack Kirby Museum, John Morrow and Michael Bonesteel of The Art Institute of Chicago on the New York Comic-Con panel, The Auteur Theory of Comics. In 1998, Spurlock orchestrated the Master Storytelling panel featuring Will Eisner, Jim Steranko and Neal Adams for the San Diego Comics Expo. Circa 2006, Spurlock orchestrated a similar panel with Jim Lee, Neal Adams and Steranko for New York Comic-Con.
Philanthropy: Spurlock has founded multiple scholarship funds at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has lectured worldwide on Pop Culture and Creator Rights and has taught at the university level since 1986 including at The University of Texas, The Kubert School, The School of Visual Arts, Rutgers School of Law, and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Contributor and/or consultant to art exhibitions include: the 2012 Allentown Art Museum exhibition, At The Edge: Art of the Fantastic; guest curator for major exhibits at Geppi's GEM Museum, The Society of Illustrators, National Arts Club, Scope during Art Basil Miami and more. Joe Kubert, J. David Spurlock and Dr Rafael Medoff spearheaded a campaign on behalf of Holocaust survivor Dina Babbitt to get her art returned to her from Auschwitz. Neal Adams, Stan Lee, Joe Simon and Jim Steranko were just a few of the notables who joined the campaign via Spurlock. The Babbitt Campaign led to the founding of Comics Creators for Holocaust Education by Dr Medoff and S
Spurlock's 2020 book Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta is Amazon's #1 "Hot New Release" for Individual Artists. His book How to Draw Chiller Monsters, for Random House, rose as high as #18 on the Bookspan best-seller list. Spurlock's IPPY Award-winning book, Alluring Art of Margaret Brundage, has been universally acclaimed including by MTV and by the Village Voice who proclaimed it one of The Best of 2013. Spurlock's work was so instrumental in expanding knowledge and interest into Brundage that, The Hugo Awards presented Spurlock with a Brundage-related Hugo award. In addition to the many books he has authored, Spurlock has contributed to various pop-culture magazines including The Jack Kirby Collector, Comic Book Marketplace, Comic Book Artist, Alter Ego and, the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book which has over 100,000 readers.
In 2012, Spurlock was appointed Director of the Wallace Wood Estate. Wood is the Hugo Award recognized illustrator of Galaxy and Planet Stories as well as the Eisner Hall of Fame co-creator of MAD, Mars Attacks, Daredevil and Weird Science. Spurlock is the World's leading historian on Wood. His many Wood-related projects included the Eisner, Locus and Hugo Award nominated biography Wally's World with co-author Steve Starger. The collaborations of Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood is a subject of Spurlock's writing which has been published in English, French, Portuguese, German and Spanish.
A sampling of Spurlock's speaking engagements include: Various San Diego Comic-Con Jack Kirby-related panels from 1996 through 2018 (so far); 2013 WorldCon (various lecture panels including on Robert E. Howard, Copyright Law, and on Margaret Brundage); various appearances with Stan Lee (including Dragon Con live audience of 4,600 plus TV); the Famous Monsters of Filmland convention in Indianapolis (with Basil Gogos, Harry Knowles and Bela Lugosi Jr); multiple Frank Frazetta panels at the San Diego Comic-Con; Rutgers School of Law; and University of the Arts in Philadelphia; etc. In 2011, Spurlock joined Arlen Schumer, Rand Hoppe of The Jack Kirby Museum, John Morrow and Michael Bonesteel of The Art Institute of Chicago on the New York Comic-Con panel, The Auteur Theory of Comics. In 1998, Spurlock orchestrated the Master Storytelling panel featuring Will Eisner, Jim Steranko and Neal Adams for the San Diego Comics Expo. Circa 2006, Spurlock orchestrated a similar panel with Jim Lee, Neal Adams and Steranko for New York Comic-Con.
Philanthropy: Spurlock has founded multiple scholarship funds at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has lectured worldwide on Pop Culture and Creator Rights and has taught at the university level since 1986 including at The University of Texas, The Kubert School, The School of Visual Arts, Rutgers School of Law, and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Contributor and/or consultant to art exhibitions include: the 2012 Allentown Art Museum exhibition, At The Edge: Art of the Fantastic; guest curator for major exhibits at Geppi's GEM Museum, The Society of Illustrators, National Arts Club, Scope during Art Basil Miami and more. Joe Kubert, J. David Spurlock and Dr Rafael Medoff spearheaded a campaign on behalf of Holocaust survivor Dina Babbitt to get her art returned to her from Auschwitz. Neal Adams, Stan Lee, Joe Simon and Jim Steranko were just a few of the notables who joined the campaign via Spurlock. The Babbitt Campaign led to the founding of Comics Creators for Holocaust Education by Dr Medoff and S
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 26, 2020
Frank Frazetta, "the Rembrandt of barbarians" :)
The New York Times said:
"Frazetta helped define fantasy heroes like Conan, Tarzan and John Carter of Mars with signature images of strikingly fierce, hardbodied heroes and bosomy, callipygian damsels."
Frazetta took the sex and violence of the pulp fiction of his youth and added even more action, fantasy and potency, but rendered his wirks with a panache seldom seen outside of Fine Art.
Dieser wundervolle Bildband hat ein riesiges Format und Frazettas Artwork ist in fantastischer Qualität gedruckt. Zum Träumen ...
The New York Times said:
"Frazetta helped define fantasy heroes like Conan, Tarzan and John Carter of Mars with signature images of strikingly fierce, hardbodied heroes and bosomy, callipygian damsels."
Frazetta took the sex and violence of the pulp fiction of his youth and added even more action, fantasy and potency, but rendered his wirks with a panache seldom seen outside of Fine Art.
Dieser wundervolle Bildband hat ein riesiges Format und Frazettas Artwork ist in fantastischer Qualität gedruckt. Zum Träumen ...
February 8, 2023
Superb. Highly recommended.
Read
July 7, 2020Here is my video preview of my 2020 book, Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta
https://youtu.be/6P0kLr9rkJU
https://youtu.be/6P0kLr9rkJU
November 5, 2021
This is a great overview of Frazetta's work. It includes full page, large format prints, and also revisions, book covers that feature his paintings and various quotes from other authors and artists commenting on Frank or his work.
Ultimately though I decided not to keep it since I was not a fan of the layout. The quotes are in large text and frequently take up half a page, acting more as filler. Several paintings are also printed border to border on the page, and the title of the book and page number are printed over it. Compared with Frank's section in Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, a book which I already own, I felt the cover price of almost €37 was a bit too much considering the above.
Ultimately though I decided not to keep it since I was not a fan of the layout. The quotes are in large text and frequently take up half a page, acting more as filler. Several paintings are also printed border to border on the page, and the title of the book and page number are printed over it. Compared with Frank's section in Masterpieces of Fantasy Art, a book which I already own, I felt the cover price of almost €37 was a bit too much considering the above.
May 16, 2022
While there have been several publications featuring the works of the legendary Frank Frazetta, this might have to be considered the best of the lot! Why? Let’s take a look.
From a publishing viewpoint, this is a top notch publication. The hardcover features spot varnishing and a gorgeous rendering of “The Egyptian Queen”. The interior pages are printed on a heavy stock paper and feel very luxurious to the touch. But, the primary factor here is the size - the book measures 14.5” x 10.5” and really shows off the detail and technique used in Frazetta’s work.
Many of the classics are included: “Conan the Destroyer”, “Egyptian Queen”, “Death Dealer”, etc. and what is nice is that it also features many of the “original” paintings - before Frazetta decided to redo them in a different way.
Also included is the amazing ink work for the cover of “Weird-Science Fantasy”, as well as several other inked works.
One of the main benefits of the large format is seeing the brush work on the canvas, as well as the minute detail that gets “squashed” in other editions. Fans, like myself, who have other volumes will have to consider this one to be the best for really getting an insight into Frazetta’s work, as you can really see things that weren’t apparent before.
There’s a reason why Frazetta is legendary, and this volume makes for a great introduction for newcomers and a welcome addition for lifelong fans!
From a publishing viewpoint, this is a top notch publication. The hardcover features spot varnishing and a gorgeous rendering of “The Egyptian Queen”. The interior pages are printed on a heavy stock paper and feel very luxurious to the touch. But, the primary factor here is the size - the book measures 14.5” x 10.5” and really shows off the detail and technique used in Frazetta’s work.
Many of the classics are included: “Conan the Destroyer”, “Egyptian Queen”, “Death Dealer”, etc. and what is nice is that it also features many of the “original” paintings - before Frazetta decided to redo them in a different way.
Also included is the amazing ink work for the cover of “Weird-Science Fantasy”, as well as several other inked works.
One of the main benefits of the large format is seeing the brush work on the canvas, as well as the minute detail that gets “squashed” in other editions. Fans, like myself, who have other volumes will have to consider this one to be the best for really getting an insight into Frazetta’s work, as you can really see things that weren’t apparent before.
There’s a reason why Frazetta is legendary, and this volume makes for a great introduction for newcomers and a welcome addition for lifelong fans!
June 7, 2021
The best Frazetta book I have ever read. It has a ton of history on the artist and the best prints of his work I have ever seen. You can even make out the texture on some of the canvases he had used. I own a few of his books but this one it a treasure . I was lucky enough to buy this book from his daughter in law at the Frazetta museum in PA.
April 17, 2025
A really beautiful book and that I could spend days perusing. My only complaint is that it’s not longer. I know there are various volumes of Frazetta’s work, I only wish this one had even more than it does, including text and background story/info. The print quality is wonderful and the large format really gives a fantastic level of detail to each work. Highly recommend to any Frazetta fan!
January 3, 2024
I wanted to wait before I dropped $40 on this HC. Bought a 4th printing for $20.....which was printed on Halloween.....
Wonderful stuff....
Jeff McIntosh
Wonderful stuff....
Jeff McIntosh
September 21, 2020
This book is simultaneously awesome and a little disappointing. Awesome because, well it's Frazetta...Most of his iconic works that defined Conan and the fantasy genre are included here. Some of my faves are "Green Death', 'Cat Girl' (original), 'The Apparition', 'Woman With a Scythe', 'Death Dealer', 'Egyptian Queen', 'The Barbarian', 'The Silver Warrior', 'Savage World' and 'Berserker'. Its dimensions are BIG - 14 inches or so high, on high-quality paper, and at an affordable price.
Disappointing because the text is almost useless - no real biographical info at all on Frazetta or the context of his work, and the book is short (only 112 pages, and many full-page images have a facing page that might contain little more than a quote), meaning that there's less art in here than you might hope for. Some I would have liked to see are 'Bran Mak Morn', 'Swamp Demon' and 'The Sea Witch'. I compare this with the out-of-print "Icon" which I borrowed from the library, but haven't been able to buy (copies sell for quite a premium). I thought "Icon" did a much better job at telling Frazetta's story and including more facets of his art. But this volume is the one you can get your hands on now, and it's still pretty great. It goes without saying that anyone interested in fantasy art needs a Frazetta compilation.
Disappointing because the text is almost useless - no real biographical info at all on Frazetta or the context of his work, and the book is short (only 112 pages, and many full-page images have a facing page that might contain little more than a quote), meaning that there's less art in here than you might hope for. Some I would have liked to see are 'Bran Mak Morn', 'Swamp Demon' and 'The Sea Witch'. I compare this with the out-of-print "Icon" which I borrowed from the library, but haven't been able to buy (copies sell for quite a premium). I thought "Icon" did a much better job at telling Frazetta's story and including more facets of his art. But this volume is the one you can get your hands on now, and it's still pretty great. It goes without saying that anyone interested in fantasy art needs a Frazetta compilation.
July 24, 2024
What a disappointment!
I'm really upset about this book.
Don't get me wrong, Frazetta's art is always a pleasure to contemplate.
And the book paper and hard cover presentation is great, but what an abysmal content.
What frustrates me SO MUCH of this book is the layout and the repetition.
There's so much unnecessary text too, uninteresting anecdotes printed huge in space that could have been used to print bigger images of covers or alternate versions of the main print.
Another thing that I can't stand is the unnecessary splitting of images between two pages, breaking the composition and many times breaking the subject with the folding of the book.
Unbelievable that this keeps being done in art books. In landscape paintings, specially in paintings that have been composed for wraparound covers, this isn't a problem at all, and size is appreciated, but when the subject is on the middle of a landscape oriented painting, it should NEVER be printed in two pages.
Portrait oriented or square pieces should NEVER be spread in two pages, the size increase will be minimal and breaking the composition and losing detail where the book folding is and absolute shame.
The other thing that I found almost a SCAM is the zoomed, cropped "detail" prints. Pages wasted with the same picture zoomed a bit, when you actually got an oversized book to appreciate the big size of the prints. WHAT'S THE POINT??!!
I've compared the print quality of some pieces with other older books, and to be honest, this one looks some times a bit blurred and the colour is muffed.
In the end, I was buying a 120 page oversized book expecting to get LOTS of paintings, but I got a poor selection, not on it's best quality, poorly laid out, repeated images, lots of uninteresting fillers...
In numbers, there are 40 pieces (including about 5 drawings). NOT GOOD.
I feel I've been scammed.
I was a bit suspicious on why this book was so cheap, above is why.
In any case, before buying, see if you can first have a look inside, don't order by the cover.
By the way, why is the rating 4.5??!!!
I'm really upset about this book.
Don't get me wrong, Frazetta's art is always a pleasure to contemplate.
And the book paper and hard cover presentation is great, but what an abysmal content.
What frustrates me SO MUCH of this book is the layout and the repetition.
There's so much unnecessary text too, uninteresting anecdotes printed huge in space that could have been used to print bigger images of covers or alternate versions of the main print.
Another thing that I can't stand is the unnecessary splitting of images between two pages, breaking the composition and many times breaking the subject with the folding of the book.
Unbelievable that this keeps being done in art books. In landscape paintings, specially in paintings that have been composed for wraparound covers, this isn't a problem at all, and size is appreciated, but when the subject is on the middle of a landscape oriented painting, it should NEVER be printed in two pages.
Portrait oriented or square pieces should NEVER be spread in two pages, the size increase will be minimal and breaking the composition and losing detail where the book folding is and absolute shame.
The other thing that I found almost a SCAM is the zoomed, cropped "detail" prints. Pages wasted with the same picture zoomed a bit, when you actually got an oversized book to appreciate the big size of the prints. WHAT'S THE POINT??!!
I've compared the print quality of some pieces with other older books, and to be honest, this one looks some times a bit blurred and the colour is muffed.
In the end, I was buying a 120 page oversized book expecting to get LOTS of paintings, but I got a poor selection, not on it's best quality, poorly laid out, repeated images, lots of uninteresting fillers...
In numbers, there are 40 pieces (including about 5 drawings). NOT GOOD.
I feel I've been scammed.
I was a bit suspicious on why this book was so cheap, above is why.
In any case, before buying, see if you can first have a look inside, don't order by the cover.
By the way, why is the rating 4.5??!!!
August 7, 2023
An attractive large-format collection of Frazetta art, mostly consisting of a gallery section where the fantastic art fills the pages so that you can really take a good look at Frank’s brush strokes and other small technique details. Original book, magazine and album covers featuring the selected art are also included (which I love to see), plus some preliminary sketches, early versions of paintings, and art later altered after publication once it had been returned. Nicely printed on quality stock, you probably won’t learn too much that is new from the limited amount of text, but the great art is the main attraction here.
May 30, 2024
So I read this a while ago but wow, it was so good! Frazetta is my favourite artist by far, so this was a must have for me. The book is a little big and awkward to hold, but I didn't mind since the paintings were full pages and in such high quality that you could see the dots in the canvas that they were painted on. His art work stands out to me, I love how moody and other-worldly his paintings are.
It was nice to read about Frazetta's history, getting insights in his process and reading up on his legacy.
This is a must have for fans of Frank Frazetta!
It was nice to read about Frazetta's history, getting insights in his process and reading up on his legacy.
This is a must have for fans of Frank Frazetta!
September 26, 2025
What to say than the wonderful collection of epic Frazetta's work, paired with preliminary sketches, original art approaches (famous Egyptian Queen), and various revisions of the original work (most fascinating sample for me being Cat Girl).
Highly recommended, every picture echo of epic, more vibrant time.
Highly recommended, every picture echo of epic, more vibrant time.
August 2, 2021
I discovered Frank Frazetta's incredible artistic talent at a very young age when I discovered Warren Publishing's phenomenal horror magazines "Creepy" and "Eerie". It took me a long time to find an affordable book honoring his work, but I am glad I finally discovered this one!
January 3, 2022
I would have liked a big book of paintings which was originally advertised. What happened to a big coffee table book? booooo!
January 1, 2023
A fantastic overview of Frazetta classics including multiple showcases of how he revised some of his works.
January 4, 2026
I highly recommend this book to those looking to be inspired by a genius painter of his time. The book highlights some of his best work during his era.
October 4, 2020
An excellent sampling of Frazetta's work reproduced in an oversized format to really give the art the space it needs to make an impression. The introduction by Spurlock is interesting and the afterward by Frank Jr. is a nice insight into the motivation of the Frazetta Museum. I am a long time Frazetta fan and there were a few pieces included that either I was unfamiliar with, or that I had not seen earlier versions or later revisions of, so I was able to discover something new in this volume.
January 24, 2025
Frazetta's art is fantastic and pops up in places where I didn't know. I read a few of the Conan series books when I was a kid and the artwork was captivating then, as now.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews