FRANK FRAZETTA Fine Lines

Frazetta first achieved international prominence with his powerful covers for paperbacks featuring Tarzan, Howard's Conan, and The Death Dealer, but when asked how he was able to create such unforgettable paintings he replied simply, "Drawing is everything." Fine Lines helps to explain why he felt that way with a collection of his most exciting works in pencil, ink, and watercolor. Including many of his influential illustrations from the 1960s and '70s for the fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs and J.R.R. Tolkien, this beautiful book also features nearly a dozen previously unpublished drawings along with historical essays sharing the stories behind the art. Compiled and edited by Frank's granddaughter Sara Frazetta in collaboration with 2-time World Fantasy Award winner Arnie Fenner, Fine Lines is a celebration of the magical imagination of the Godfather of Fantastic Art. Moderate nudity. There have been a number of books on Frazetta to come along in the past few years. But this one is different, and it's special. Most of the books have addressed his paintings, including the many covers mentioned above. But what this offers are the early pen and ink, black and white works that he was doing at the same time. These sometimes would become paintings. But many others have rarely been seen. For example here are the plates he did for a portfolio based on The Lord of the Rings, a subject one rarely would think of as a Frazetta vehicle! There are also some wonderful nudes we've not seen before, as well as a photo of Ellie Frazetta in the 1970s along with Frank's illustration. It's pointed out that although legend has it Ellie was a frequent model, Frank was very clear that she was not...he used many well known actresses as well as unknowns as models for his women. The lead-off section looks at all of Frank's b&w work for Canaveral Press, who had him illustrate several hardcover editions very early in the ERB revival in the 1960s. These were collected into a portfolio by Caz (ERB-dom) but finally appear here in modern, high-resolution reproduction. Lord of the Rings gets its own chapter, as mentioned above. Also early on, Frank did several cover paintings and many interior drawings for Doubleday Book Club editions of ERB novels; these are nicely collected in their own section. Finally, "Barbarians, Beauties and Beasts" offers us several never before seen nudes including the Ellie Frazetta drawing, Catgirl drawings, "Windblown", drawn while visiting with Roy Krenkel, and several fine water color roughs of women that are also new to us. Per editor Arnie Fenner, here is the artwork entirely new in this edition: The unpublished art is on pages 1, 39 (one of the Vampis), 40 (two of the roughs), 45 (the Gollum rough), 60 (the two roughs), 70, 71 (all 3 printed in color for the first time), 73, 74, 76, and 77. 18 pieces, I think; some of the Book Club illustrations haven't been included in any other FF book, either, and it includes more Canaveral art [than ever before] in one place, including Caz's 1968 portfolio. Back cover photo of Frank in front of a wall of his paintings. Introduction by Sara Frazetta, with a lovely shot of a very young, very handsome Frank in 1964.