|
March
2002 |
See Past News
|
|
|
Frank
and Ellie Welcome you to the
Museum |
As spring nears, so does the reopening of the Frazetta Art Museum. On Saturday, April 6th, the doors will reopen with many exquisite pencil drawings from the Arcadium book on display along with some watercolors from the 1960's and 70's. Since the opening of the museum many fans requested to see Franks wonderful pencil drawings and Ellie was gracious enough to have them matted and framed so they can be viewed by the visitors to the gallery. The wonderful variety of subtle tones in his pencil drawings are truly remarkable to visualize. If you look close enough you see how Frank used his fingers to smudge the pencil and soften the edges in the shadowed areas. As a young boy I had the pleasure to watch my father work in all different mediums, but not until I began to draw in 1982, did I ever begin appreciated his wonderful talent and how effortless he made it look when he worked. A finished pencil drawing would rarely take him more than an hour or two. Now, I must make myself perfectly clear, in that time frame it consisted of numerous stops to the coffee pot, a handful of candy and sometimes a quick game of stick ball.
|
|
|
Pencil
drawings for 2002 |
Rarely would it take Frank more than one sitting to finish any one particular picture, including many of his famous oil paintings from Creepy and Eerie. His priorities in life were simple, spend quality time with his family, work only when he had to and play stickball between meals with his two sons. Money was never an issue with him, and as long as there was a roof over his head and food on the table he was content. He could always find work if he had to but there was a short period where my Dad of work for any substantial time. It was the first time while raising a family, Dad struggled to make ends meet. Around 1961, we had left Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn and purchased a new home in Merrick Long Island. It was a fixer upper but in a nice neighborhood with a wonderful yard for the children to play in. Just after we had settled in, Al Capp insisted my father to pack up and move to Boston. Dad explained how he just recently purchased a home, had a mortgage and a new daughter.
Capp didn’t seem to care no matter how hard Dad insisted. But to top things off, he also told my Father that he was going to get a pay cut based on sales were slower than usual. Well this put the icing on the cake. Dad told him he I don’t need you, I’ll find work on my own. But surprisingly, publishers were turning him away day in and day out and were insisting he should change his style of drawing to meet their needs. Frank drew his way or no way at all, period. He would not alter his personal style to satisfy anyone, regardless if I was starving to death.
|
|
|
Photo
taken from Franks new Camera |
He traveled to the city a few times a week
in search of work but no one would give him a shot. I recall seeing large holes in the bottom of his shoes as he headed into the office buildings and mom warned him not to cross his legs in fear of publishers would see the warn out shoes and not want to hire him. Dad was rejected time after time and feared he could loose his newly purchased home. Luckily, his friend George Evans offered him to assist with a few girly magazines to make ends meet for the time being. Till this day Mom and Dad are still thankful and speak highly of him for his kindness. In 1964, his big break came when he was commissioned to do a portrait of Ringo Star on the back cover of Mad magazine. Till this day both Frank and Ellie believe this was the true start of his career, and soon after
Hollywood began calling him to do numerous movie ads for 10 times the amount he was making for paper back covers. His first movie poster was what’s New
Pussycat, and he received a check for $3,500.00. It was like a million dollars to our family. They ran out the next day and purchased a new color television, and Castro sofa bed with a stereo and bar inside along with a matching sofa chair. We ate steak for the first time in years and bought new clothing. Ironically, soon after Franks career was jump started the same publishers that turned him down called him to do some work. I remember like it was yesterday, he sternly said to them, “Oh, I wasn't good enough for you back when, but now my stuff is great, come on, yeah right!” I don’t remember the exact words that my father used in the next sentence but it was something like, you can take your company and bleepity bleep, bleep bleep! The phone was abruptly hung up and Dad looked down at me and said, “their not very nice people.” Then he smiled and said in a loving voice, “go get your baseball mitt, we’ll go to the park and play catch?”
|
|
|
Inside
Page of Museum Booklet |
He never swallowed his pride for anyone, what you saw is what you got. He was genuine and always said what was on his mind. He wouldn’t take abuse from anybody, nor did he ever judge anyone by what he owned or the kind of car you drove. He either liked you for the person you were, perio!. Material things had no place in his life and with all the money he made throughout his career he never purchased a new car until 1977 for tax reasons. He never owned a new home and rarely purchased a new camera. He enjoys bargain hunting at pawn shops and will go to every store in search of the ultimate deal. When I take him shopping I’ll be patient for a few hours as he dickers with the salesman, but in time I’ll walk over and say. “Hey Pop, how much lower do you want to go before you buy this camera? I’ll give you the money if you need it, I’d like to get home sometime this week. Besides, you can do a small sketch in 15 minutes and buy anything in this store”. Then he gives me that look, the look only a few close friends and foes have seen. “Your right”, then he turns to the salesman and says, “I’ll take it!” Anyone that knows my Father personally will agree, he is one of nicest guys you could ever want to meet.
As always,
Thank you for visiting with us.
Frank Frazetta Jr.
|
– 
