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| Frank
stands in his original
footsteps 55 years
later where he threw
the ball over the
roof. |
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Hello Everyone:
As anticipated, the trip back to Brooklyn was a memorable one. After the 2 1/2 hour drive into Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, Dad and I along with the film crew from Cinemachine had finally arrived. Lundys seafood restaurant was a welcome one after the long hall. As we were
escorted through the lobby we meet with Nick and Angelo, two of Franks dearest friends. As we
approached their table, both Nick and Angelo stand up and greet Frank with open arms for the first time in over a year. The
chemistry was immediately recognized as the room filled with laughs smiles. These were the guys Frank grew up with in Brooklyn through his twenties and thirties and from what I heard over lunch in the next 3 hours it
absolutely confirms this. Nick started with his usual wise cracks which always amused my father and Angelo seemed to be the more quiet and humble of the three men. Over the duration of the luncheon , there was a span of 40 minutes or so that I would have traded in my youth to have grown up with these guys in Sheepshead Bay.
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Frank,
Nick and Angelo at PS
209 |
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The good old days, when creating your own fun was your daily routine, not watching television with 125 channels or sitting down
in front of the computer surfing the web. Some of the stories I heard cannot be repeated to protect the innocent and the majority of the stories consisted of ball playing and cruising the strip looking for women. From what I absorbed over there
reminiscing most was the days of an artist growing up with my father consisted of a three part day. From morning till dark was playing softball at the school yard. The second part was driving up and down Ocean Parkway looking for chicks with the third part which started about midnight was the making a living and drawing their comic strips. You may ask when did Frank sleep? How did he make time for art with everything else he did? Well, as most of you have heard, Franks speed was legendary and he could bash out 32 panels including a full Sunday strip in just a day and a half.
Absolutely unheard of ! I have seen these panels and I cannot comprehend how fast he must of had to draw
in order to finish this much art in that time frame. This went on for years and years until Frank got married to Ellie in 1957 and although the softball and art continued well into his 60's the cruising the for women came to an abrupt end. The stories I heard over lunch made me envious of my Father and in the upcoming biography I will share many of these wonderful moments with you.
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| The
rarest of the rare original
oil done at the age of
10. |
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Nick insisted that he was the one responsible for doing Franks work for him but never took the credit because he enjoyed Franks company so much. He stated that he has photos to prove that he did all of his work. When Frank got up and left the room for some coffee , Nick would jump out of his seat and sit on Franks chair and hold the brush
up to the artwork and have Angelo take a photo of him as the brush touched the canvas. He recalls doing this with most of the work they did together and has the pictures somewhere back home to confirm this.
Growing up in Brooklyn in the 40's and 50's was a time for fun and games and one that I had the pleasure hearing about from these guys. Many of these stories will be in the biography that I am working on and hope to have out by Christmas of 2001. I will be focusing this book on Franks personal side more than the profession to what you have come to know him by. I have gathered thousands of new photos from fathers collection and have already gone through and picked out the most memorable ones to share with you over the next year until the completion of the new book.
Frank has just licensed out the Death Dealer #6 for a new album cover for a foreign classical rock group. I have been told he has quite a following and very talented. For all you collectors it should be hitting the stands by Christmas of this year.
Once again, thank you for visiting.
Frank Jr.
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