Thursday, May 20, 2010

R.I.P. Frank Frazetta 2/9/1928 - 5/10/2010



Chances are if you've ever read any fantasy paperbacks published in the '60s, '70s, or '80s or merely browsed the fantasy section at a used book store, you've seen some of Frazetta's work. His artwork graced the covers of most Ace/Sphere editions of Conan and many of the Edgar Rice Burroughs reprints. He also did the artwork that was used by bands Molly Hatchet and Nazareth.
It might seem an oxymoron but, Frazetta brought a sense of realism to fantasy and science fiction art that artists like Boris Vallejo, talented tho he is, chose not to express. Frazetta painted primarily in oils, but also did watercolours and pen and ink. Later in life have suffering a mild stroke and other health problems, Frazetta taught himself to paint left handed. In 2008 his painting "Escape on Venus" sold at auction for $251,000 (US) and the following year his "Conan the Conqueror" sold for a cool $1 million. He will be missed.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend seeing the documentary "Frazetta: Painting with Fire" which is included on the 2-Disc edition of "Fire and Ice" which Frazetta co-created with Ralph Bakshi, best known for the animated Lord of the Rings in rotoscoping.
(Interesting side note, Peter Chung, later creator of Æon Flux, worked on Fire and Ice)

Unofficial Frank Frazetta Fantasy Art Gallery

Friday, March 26, 2010

Lords of Light! Thudarr on DVD..sort of

Back in the 80s one of my favorite cartoons was Thundarr the Barbarian. Sort of a cross-between/rip off of Mad Max & Conan about a barbarian wandering a post-apocalyptic wasteland in the year 3994 ad with wookie-like buddy Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, a sorceress.
Being owned by Time-Warner, I thought the series would have been released years ago on DVD, but alas it hasn't been. Until now that is with the release of Saturday Morning Cartoons 1980's Vol 1 which contains one episode of Thudarr, "Secret of the Black Pearl", and as one of the bonus features, a mini-documentary on the origins of the Thudarr series. Of added possible interest to fantasy fans is an episode of Dragon's Lair and Galtar and the Golden Lance(a show inspired by Thudarr and He-man). Hopefully the complete series will be released soon on DVD. Until then, this will do for now.

Highlander..

You a fan of Highlander - The Series ? Well now is your chance to be included on the Blu-ray extras of the second season and win some prizes if chosen. Check out the details: here.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The DM of the Rings..

"Lord of the Rings is more or less the foundation of modern D&D. The latter rose from the former, although the two are now so estranged that to reunite them would be an act of savage madness. Imagine a gaggle of modern hack-n-slash roleplayers who had somehow never been exposed to the original Tolkien mythos, and then imagine taking those players and trying to introduce them to Tolkien via a D&D campaign..."


The DM of the Rings