Thread by @PulpLibrarian

Lancer Books were republishing Robert E. Howard's Conan stories from the 1930s, and asked Frazetta to design the covers. His muscular, visceral and immersive images for Conan redefined fantasy art for a generation, as well as selling 10 million copies of the series.

From that point on Frazetta was in demand: Edgar Rice Burroughs was another series of books that were a perfect match for the Frazetta style, and he worked at a phenomenal pace in the late 60s and early 70s to meet the demand for his talents.

The Frank Frazettra fan club was set up in 1969, and by 1992 original Frazetta artworks were being sold for huge sums at auction...

For example in 2012 an original Conan painting was sold for $1 million; six years later Frazetta's Death Dealer went for $1.7 million.

The range of artists Frazetta inspired is huge, and his output was incredible. It's almost impossible to imagine the fantasy genre without Franzetta's aesthetic: muscular, organic, bold and striking - a heady mix of the Northern and Southern Renaissance styles.

Frank Frazetta passed away in 2010. He remains one of the most influential commercial artists of the 20th Century. If you're lucky enough to own a signed piece of his work better put it in the bank - you're sitting on a piece of art history!

More stories another time...