1960s

Edgar Rice Burroughs,Conan, and Vampirella!

1961

Frank quit working with Al Capp over a falling out and began his freelance illustration career. Work was sparse so he settled working for men’s magazines such as Dude and Gent.

(Frank Frazetta’s “Sagittarius” zodiac illustration featured in ‘The Gent’ magazine Vol 6. August 1962)

1963

Roy Krenkel invited Frank to help out on several paperback covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs/ACE which led to Frank’s own covers for ERB/Ace.

(The Frazetta paperback cover for The Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1963)

1964

Nick Meglin recruited Frank to paint a visual parody of the painted Breck Shampoo ads of the mid-’ 60s that featured long-haired Beatle Ringo Starr. This same year Frank startedworking with James Warren for Warren’s magazines Creepy, Eerie, Blazing Combat and Vampirella.

(Ringo Starr by Frank Frazetta, MAD Magazine #90, October 1964)

1965

His “Ringo Starr” portrait caught the eye of United Artists films, who then commissioned Frank to do his first art for a movie, What’s New Pussycat?, a 1965 comedy written by Woody Allen. For one day’s work, Frazetta earned his annual salary, $4000 USD.

(Frazetta’s Movie Poster for “What's New, Pussycat?”, United Artists, 1965)

1966

Lancer hired Frank and his cover for the book Conan the Adventurer propelled him to stardom.

(Frazetta’s Cover for Conan The Adventurer, Lancer Books, 1966)

1969

Frank debuted James Warren’s new character “Vampirella” with his cover artwork for Vampirella #1. The same year Frank created the artwork titled “Egyptian Queen” for the cover of Eerie Magazine which would go on to inspire the metal bikini dawned by Princess Leia Organa in “Return of the Jedi”.

(Vampirella #1 cover by Frazetta, Warren Publishing, 1969)

(Eerie #23 cover by Frazetta, Warren Publishing, 1969)

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