Summer News/ Museum 2014

Thank you for visiting the exclusive Frazetta Museum web-site. The museum was reopened to the public on Saturday, May 17th, on one of the most beautiful sunny afternoons of the summer.

After nearly 5 years, My wife Lori and I reopened the doors to accommodate the patrons for the first time as sole proprietors. The museum and estate property was previously owned and operated by my parents since 1971. “We had a wonderful time greeting the fans as they entered the Museum for the very first time in many years. It was one of the highlights of my year while moving forward with my fathers legacy. Exhibiting my personal collection of my fathers art made it all worth the time and effort we both put forth in acquiring the estate property.” With sole ownership, I had my personal concept on how to present my collection of my fathers art and memorabilia to the fans.  

I focused the new layout on his personal life as well as his career.
I tried to give the visitors the ability to see clearly and intuitively into the nature of a complex person for who he was other than just a great fantasy illustrator. Understanding how and where the foundation of his genius began in the 1930’s. Viewing his premature art while getting a better perspective on how he made the transition from comic art to the fabulous oil paintings we all became fans from. His remarkable athleticism gave him numerous opportunities to pursue careers other than art. But luckily for all of his fans, myself included, the salaries were far from the astronomical figures the athletes are paid today.

It would have made his career choice a simple decision knowing you can play professional baseball and get paid a fortune doing so. But the    $3,000 contract was far less than he was making doing something else he enjoyed as well. But what could have been far worse was  loosing the wonderful father and son relationship that I never would have known of with all the traveling involved while playing professional ball. Undoubtedly, It would have been a detriment to me along with  my father after the relationship we shared together. In the early part of the 1940’s, he started focusing on his career and knew in his heart, art was where his true love stayed for the rest of his life.

The museum is set up in somewhat chronological order starting with a some personal and never seen family portraits. While just behind stands a partition with a display of his earliest works in oil known to exist. His first crayon drawings accompanied by 2 Indian head pennies dated 1907. Two oil renditions on canvas painted when he was just eight years old; and many other interesting early pen and inks and penciled home made comics.  After the fallout will Al Capp, there was a 2 year absence from the art world because the publishers told him his style was out of touch.

His long journey involved making the transition from wonderful funny animal comics, numerous comic book stories and Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. It wasn't until the mid 1960's before he could do whatever he pleased and the publishers would use it regardless the subject matter. He forgot how to draw after working with Al Capp based on copying someone elses style for 9 years. He went to night classes with friend Roy Krinkle doing life studies on live models to get back his form from many years ago. My objective in the museum layout was to give the fans an overall education on the man behind the art, and how it all came to be.

Above is a wall displaying some of his earliest drawings along with a home made mini comic about baseball. It consisted of 8 panels rendered in pencil dating back to the early 1940's. Sadly, he did over 100 mini comic stories with just 5 or 6 known to exist within the family. His sisters swapped most of them for the store bought comics from kids in the neighborhood.

He was not held prisoner to his art, there are many facets to his life and career that few know about, including many close friends and family members. I honestly believe I have more knowledge about his personal life than anyone else alive. We had a wonderful relationship based on our common interests that were identical. We respected each others opinion regardless if it was conflicting. There was never a grudge or time we parted each others company in disagreement. As my father grew older, our bond became inseparable. I was truly one of the fortunate individuals/sons, that was the poster boy for the perfect father and son relationship everyone wants and wishes they had. This is why I so desperately wanted to acquire the estate property to show my gratitude to my father for all he did for me.

I tried to incorporate as many of his personal elements the floor plan as I could that made you feel as if you knew my father from a young man. You quickly get a insight to his life that few people outside his immediate family had the pleasure of being part of. It is the most informative display of Frank Frazettas career and personal life that has ever been made available to the general public.

We have newly produced items in our museum and gallery story web-site. Above is the first of many to come , Masters Elite Collection reproduced in a 12 color separation on the highest grade canvas available. This is the Lion Hunt originally done as a Birthday gift for mom from who else. The image itself is 30x40 and will come frame in a quality frame ready to hang. Unlike the original Masters series, only 125 will be produced in each image and will be produced in higher resolution than the original Masters. They will be stamp signed and numbered along with  brush strokes applied to the art to replicate the originals texture.

The other initial images being produced are, Death Dealer #3 revised, Silver Warrior, Cat Girl and The Barbarian with axe #9 and one of dads favorites, Reign of Wizardry that has never been reproduced in anything larger than a 8x10 book plate. Anyone interested in another images that is not posted in the gallery store section please contact us at 570-242-6180. Please be advised anything that you would like custom made not on the site, we can do everything possible to meet your needs.

New Cell Phone Covers  

Also added to our line are cell phone covers with 14 assorted images that fit most of the popular I-phones and other brands. If we do not have the size to fit your phone, we can custom make one  for you. (To View Cell Phone Covers Offered Click Here)

We are working on new apparel design that incorporates the entire shirt giving the full effect of the image itself in the entire shirt, but we can reassure you it will meet and exceed our criteria’s. We will be offering sizes up to 3x in selected images of the masters creations;  and finally, we are in the process of updating the museum due to the years of neglect after the passing of both my parents. In order to help the cause in raising some additional revenues, we are having a raffle through September 30th. Anyone that makes a purchase from the gallery store of this web site will be automatically entered into the drawing for one of the 3 prizes in our give away. 3rd prize will be the Werewolf portfolio. 2nd place will be the mini statue of the Death Dealer valued at $149.00; and finally the grand prize will be a Masters collection of the Death Dealer framed and ready for hanging. This is valued at $895.00. Winner of the grand prize will be responsible for the shipping fees. The winners will be notified by phone and email along with their name posted on the web-site by October 10th.    

Coming soon: full color sweats and shirts.

One last note, we offer licensing packages and discounts on larger orders for those interested in the retail end of the Frazetta Museum collection. So if you have an idea in mind and like to integrate a Frazetta image to it, feel free to contact us on what is necessary to make your dream come true and take part in the Frazetta legacy.

I thank you for visiting us,

Frank Frazetta JR