Frank Frazetta was one of the greatest artists to have ever walked this earth. Even if you don’t know his name, chances are you’ve seen his work at some point in your life. His book covers were so popular that publishers would buy up the rights to any paintings he had lying around, and then hire novelists to write a story around them. Kids were known to even rip the covers off the books, stuff them down their shirts, and sneak them out of the store (or maybe that was just me).

There’s no denying the power of his work. It’s immediate. Breathtaking. Both beautiful and frightening. Frazetta has the ability to lift you up from your chair and drop you right in the middle of the action. He leaves you wanting to know more. Your mind is left spinning, trying to fill in all the details, wondering what the hell could have led to this?!

Frazetta’s work caught the public’s imagination like no other artist before or since, and his influence is incalculable. During the seventies, he was a fucking rock star!

Frazetta defined the aesthetic of the heavy metal and hard rock genres. His album covers for groups like Molly Hatchet brought them a level of success they never would have imagined; people bought up their stuff without hearing a note! It reached a point where Frazetta’s art began to define who you were. Every stoned dude wanted a Frazetta-style mural on the side of their van, bikers craved his imagery for their choppers, and every artist with an airbrush was more than happy to oblige.

Starting today, episode 1 of “Frazetta Friday” begins here on Doom Cycle. For each installment, I’ll be sharing some of the incredible work he has accomplished during his career, and giving you all a little insight behind the man. So, let’s get a few of his most famous pieces out of the way, sound good?