Frank Frazetta, a sci-fi and fantasy artist known for his musclebound heroes and scantily clad damsels on book and record covers who cut his teeth on comic books, has died at the age of 82.
The Beat confirmed Frazetta’s passing with his agent, who said the cause of death was a stroke.
Frazetta illustrated early Molly Hatchett albums with his iconic “Death Dealer” painting (pictured) and collaborated with Ralph Bakshi on the animated epic Fire and Ice. He also illustrated paperback editions of Edgar Rice Burroughs classics such as the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars series, and his paintings for the Conan novels of Robert E. Howard are considered to be definitive sword and sorcery artwork.
Recently the influential artist’s adult children were embroiled in a dispute over his portfolio after Frank Frazetta Jr. was caught using a backhoe to break into his father’s Poconos museum and removing 90 paintings insured for $20 million. He claimed he was trying to safeguard the art from his scheming siblings. Charges of theft and burglary were ultimately dropped as the family resolved their conflict.
