Frank Frazetta (9 February 1928 – 10 May 2010) was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA, highly regarded for his fantasy and science fiction work found in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media.
Frank Frazetta attended the Brooklyn Academy of Fine Arts in the USA at the age of 8 and entered the comic book industry at the age of 16 out of economic necessity. A series of landmark Buck Rogers covers for Famous Funnies and several outstanding EC jobs brought Frazetta to the attention of comic strip artist Al Capp, and he was soon hired to assist on the Li’l Abner Sunday strips from 1952-61.
By the time that Frazetta had quit working for Capp, the comic book market had atrophied and his freelance opportunities had all but dried up. Frazetta was forced into the illustration market at large, and it proved to be a blessing in disguise. After creating a series of well-received movie posters and paperback covers, Frazetta’s fortune was secured when he painted his world-famous paperback covers for Robert E. Howard’s Conan character. A string of spectacular covers for Warren Publishing’s titles Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella added to his success.
In 1956, he married Eleanor Kelly in New York City, USA and would have 4 children, Frank Jr., Billy, Holly, and Heidi.
In his later life, Frazetta was plagued by a variety of health problems, including a thyroid condition that went untreated for many years. A series of strokes left his right arm almost completely paralyzed. He taught himself to paint and draw with his left hand.
Frank Frazetta is widely regarded as the “Master of Modern Fantasy Art” and the “Godfather of Fantasy Art”. He died from a stroke in hospital in Florida, USA in 2010.
We find Frank Frazetta’s art featuring the Phantom in the series 1 Gallery Trading Card set, released by Intrepid in Australia in 1996. Printed in color, the trading card is finished in reflective metallic, a special insert card in the Legends Cards sub-set, card number L1. The illustration is colored by Glenn Ford.
In June 2023, it’s believed that the original illustration by Frank Frazetta of the Phantom as seen in the above trading card appeared for auction by Heritage Auctions in the USA. The black and white art measures 9″ x 10.5″, as can be seen below.
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