Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: frank frazetta, kickstarter

Becoming Frank Frazetta, A Never-Before Seen Look At His Early Years

Becoming Frank Frazetta, a never-before seen look at his early years, on Kickstarter

Becoming Frazetta, is a new art biography looking at the early years of legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta, created by comic historian and publisher Michael Finn in collaboration with Sara Frazetta and Frazetta Girls, and published by Thrilling Nostalgia Comics. A 370-page hardcover being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, Becoming Frazetta includes never-before-seen comic pages, childhood artwork, and insights into the mentors who shaped Frazetta's career, as well as an introduction by Sara Frazetta, a foreword by Joe Mannarino of Heritage Auctions, and in-depth art commentary by Mark Schultz

Becoming Frazetta will include dozens of unpublished pages that Frazetta drew in his teens, including over seven complete comic stories that would have been his first solo comic stories had Bernard Baily's publishing company not gone bankrupt. The book also features Grey Dawn, a complete story written and drawn by 12-year-old Frank, reproduced in a limited-edition facsimile book available only through the Kickstarter campaign.

Becoming Frazetta also highlights two of his mentors. Professor Michele Falanga, Frazetta's only formal art teacher, reintroduced to the public through translated Italian sources, rare paintings, and family archives. Falanga's legacy is brought to life with never-before-seen examples of his classical artwork. And John Giunta, the comics veteran who mentored young Frank, teaching him how to ink, construct pages, and survive in the business. For the first time, readers will see how Giunta's mentorship helped launch Frazetta's career.

The book is being offered in two editions: Retail Edition (Red Cover) and a Kickstarter-Exclusive Edition (Black Cover) Additional campaign exclusives include:

• Grey Dawn Facsimile Book (limited to 200 copies)
• Five-piece postcard set featuring art by Frazetta, Falanga, and Giunta
• Original Falanga paintings from the author's private collection (U.S. only)

Books will be printed at 9×12 inches on premium, high-weight coated paper. So far, there have been $12,501 pledges against a $10,000 goal from 70 backers with 36 days to go.

• "I've seen a draft of this tome and I'm here to tell you: Becoming Frazetta will set the bar high for comics scholarship and sheer beauty." — Rick Veitch
• "My grandpa would have been so proud of this book because his early years as an artist were the most impactful to him. Everything was about his childhood." — Sara Frazetta

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!