I wouldn't have given a seconds credence to some niche-reading psuedo-intellectual troll with nothing better to do than test or throw rocks at less miserable , less pessimistic fans of a genre he plainly 'don't get' . But it will probably be interesting to see the long list that develops , since I don't recall anyone else having ever thought of starting a list like that . Can we add to the list , say movies or pop-culture 'stuff' that has plainly ripped-off or co-opted characters/scenes/situations from Howard ? That would be a hella interesting list too ! Or should that be in a seperate topic ? & can we expand it to include 'artists' also ? if so...................
" We'll pay twice the amount Ace is paying , and yes, the art belongs to you ." I got pretty excited about Conan - I figured it was right up my alley . I could really pull out all the stops . I was a little fresh in the business so I didn't dare go too far . But there was something......Oh boy !
The minute they mentioned it , images popped right into my head . "
"Although I have enjoyed illustrating the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs , I find them a bit slow and Victorian , and the fans are too prone to condemn the artist if he hasn't been faithful to the text . I much prefer illustrating the tales of Robert E. Howard . They are much stronger in mood and narration than those of Burroughs and allow a wider range of artistic interpretations . As St. John is remembered for E.R.B. and Tarzan , I would like to be remembered for R.E.H. and Conan ." - Frank Frazetta
from 'Icon' by snapperhead Fenner whose unresearched comments about Howard on the same pages I'll leave off , except to note that he feels perfectly comfortable tooting old deCamps beaten up old horn by printing the same old B.S. about and slandering not just Howard , but also his writing . Yet on the very next page he acknowledges Frazetta took a
"tremendous amount of pride in his paintings for the Conan books and the appreciation he recieved from Lancer
spurred him to new levels of excellence . There was a 'kinship' with the material............."
Okay , I know a 'little bit' about art/artists , not the most 'verbose' , or well-elaborated crowd of folks , definitely sensitive to criticisms/praise etc. to a different degree than most people , and not so much 'egotistical' , as 'unsure' & so
'inquisitive' to what people think of them and/or their art & if they
are actually
communicating what they think/mean/feel ( if that's their intent ) . & not at all prone to align themselves with anything/anyone at the drop of a hat - very 'individualistic' & eternally searching for their
own voice/style/medium/walkie-talkie-to-the-universe . Frazetta is well known as an outspoken artist who would maybe dot your 'eyes' & cross your 'tee'th if you got his goat , & not just a 'little' proud either . He's well understood , found his 'own voice' long ago & has none of those 'concerns'( insecurities?) of beginning artists . If he completely sets aside his own reputation , ego & all the rest to plainly say he would like to be "remembered for R.E.Howard and Conan" -
that 'AIN'T' just a little thing !!!! coming from arguably one of the most successful & well-loved commercial artists of the past century .
Fritz has
none of the beginners worries of "will I be a succesful and/or understood artist" , he is
assured ,
his place in art & even in pop-culture is very well established & guaranteed . Now in his advancing years he sounds as if his concerns now are only of what 'legacy' he will leave behind ( so much so - 'Legacy's the name of one of his most recent artbooks collecting his work) - Essentially , Frazettas writing his own 'epitaph' , to have/want the name of Robert E. Howard on that epitaph with him is mighty darn impressive to 'this' one fan of both men .
Doesn't sound to me at all that Howard " wasn't according to modern standards a great writer " as Fenner said , it sounds by the opinion of my favorite artist in the world , that he damn sure
was a great writer - in 'modern standards' ,
and/or in 1930's 'pulp standards' . Howard is still in print & doing better than ever 70-some years later , and
nobody whose opinion
'means anything' says
his work is 'victorian' or 'slow' . &
lots of 'Howard fans' have
bought & payed for a lot of Fenner's best meals !!! - that's a fact . He is a snapperhead . ( I.M.H.O. )
Edited by PAINBRUSH, 15 August 2008 - 06:30 PM.
, not Damon Knight bad-mouthing REH or whatever. These can be found in essays, interviews, in book introductions or just printed on the actual book-covers. Sometimes, they can also be found quoted just inside the books on the first few pages. It might just be one line in an interview, like, "When I read Howard for the first time, that was when I decided to become a writer", and then the interview moves on. THAT little quote might be the only thing that indicates the influence of REH on that writer. It needs to be noted.
