Frank Frazetta wasn’t all Sword & Sorcery, he painted some classic movie posters too

04.14.2017
10:01 am
Topics:
Amusing
Art
Movies
Tags:
Ringo Starr
movie posters
Frank Frazetta
MAD magazine

‘What’s New Pussycat?’ (1965).

It was a painting of Ringo Starr that changed Frank Frazetta‘s life. Frazetta was a comic strip artist contributing to EC Comics, National Comics (later known as DC Comics) and Avon Comics. He was drawing Buck Rogers, Li’l Abner, Johnny Comet and helping out on Flash Gordon. Occasionally he would supply his talents to MAD magazine. That’s how he produced a painting of Ringo Starr for a spoof shampoo ad for the magazine. The picture caught the attention of PR guys at United Artists who commissioned Frazetta to produce the poster artwork for their Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole, Woody Allen film What’s New Pussycat? For one day’s work, Frazetta earned his annual salary. It changed his life. The success of What’s New Pussycat? led to further poster commissions for a whole slate of movies: After the Fox, The Fearless Vampire Killers, The Night They Raided Minsky’s and The Gauntlet.

The movie work led to book cover work. He painted some of the most iconic covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan and John Carter novels. And most famously redefined Conan the Barbarian as a bulging muscled, rugged behemoth. Frank Frazetta created a whole world of these Sword and Sorcery paintings which defined the genre and became synonymous with his name.

However, I do prefer Frazetta’s movie poster artwork which beautifully captures the whole joyful spirit of the swinging sixties, before progressing towards his more recognizable style in the seventies and eighties.

Frank Frazetta’s painting of Ringo Starr for MAD magazine (1964).

‘What’s New Pussycat?’ (1965).

‘What’s New Pussycat?’ album cover (1965).

‘What’s New Pussycat?’ artwork (1965).

‘After the Fox’ (1965).

‘After the Fox’ artwork (1965).

‘After the Fox’ (1965).

‘Hotel Paradiso’ (1966).

‘Busybody’ (1967).

‘Busybody’ artwork (1967).

‘The Secret of My Success’ (1967).

‘Fearless Vampire Killers’ (1967).

‘Who’s Minding the Mint?’ (1967).

‘Fastest Guitar Alive’ (1967).

‘Yours, Mine and Ours’ (1968).

‘Fitzwilly’ (1968).

‘The Night They Raided Minsky’s’ (1969).

‘The Night They Raided Minsky’s’ album cover (1969).

‘Mad Monster Party’ (1969).

‘Mrs Pollifax Spy’ (1971).

‘Mrs Pollifax Spy’ artwork (1971).

‘Luana’ (1973).

‘Mixed Company’ (1974).

‘The Gauntlet’ (1977).

‘The Gauntlet’ (1977).

‘Fire and Ice’ (1983).

H/T American Art Archives, Drew Friedman, the Daily Pipe, and My Blog.