Frank Frazetta (1928-2010)

Master of the iconic fantasy hero Frank Frazetta died on Monday, 10 May 2010, aged 82. You'll find plenty of information about his career dotted around the web, with Wikipedia a good jumping off point.

For me, Frazetta will always be the guy who drew the best covers for Conan. Back in 1973-74, Sphere Books began reprinting the Conan novels, reprinting the Lancer editions from the late 1960s along with the covers painted by Frazetta and John Duillo. The following cover gallery is in the original numbered order, which was later revised into a correct reading order.

Obituaries: New York Times (10 May); Pocono Record (10 May); LA Times (11 May); Washington Post (13 May); Daily Telegraph (brief mention, 13 May); The Guardian (14 May).

Frazetta's books are still widely available. Check out some of the titles on Amazon.

#1 Conan the Adventurer (Sphere, 1973)

#2 Conan the Warrior (Sphere, 1973)

#3 Conan (Sphere, 1974)

#4 Conan the Conqueror (Sphere, 1974)

#6 Conan of Cimmeria (Sphere, 1974)

#7 Conan the Usurper (Sphere, 1974)

#10 Conan the Avenger (Sphere, 1974)

#11 Conan the Buccaneer (Sphere, 1975)

#12 Conan of Aquilonia (Sphere, 1978)

(* Artwork © Frazetta Properties LLC.)