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The grim visage of the medieval headsman was the last painting Frank would do for Warren for several years. A flourishing career in the book and advertising industries kept Frazetta's schedule full at the same time that economic difficulties forced Warren to lower his standards and rely on reprint comics. Frank's occasional return to the magazines' covers eventually helped the publisher to return to profitability. Over the course of their twelve year relationship he produced some of his most exciting work and influenced several generations of young talent. At the same time, James Warren's comics achieved their highest sales when they featured Frazetta covers and he unhesitatingly reprinted many of them on new issues ( without additional compensation to the artist) whenever he needed to reverse dipping circulations. "I don't actually remember why I stopped doing paintings for him, " Frank admits. " I didn't have a falling out with the guy or anything. I guess it was partly due to the fact we were moving to Pennsylvania and I wouldn't be able to get into the city anymore. Also, by that point I was doing movie posters and getting paid pretty big money. Even though I enjoyed doing that material, meaning anything I wanted to, he was only paying about $250. I was having fun and producing some nice paintings, but the others were paying me anywhere from $1000 to over $10,000 for commissioned work. I had a family to support and bills to pay so I guess I couldn't justify continuing to work for Warren." This painting was never returned to Frazetta and its true ownership became a source of controversy and acrimony when Jim Warren sold it at an auction in the early 1990's.
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Frank and Eleanor at their estate in Pennsylvania
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| Personal work, originally commissioned by Glenn Danzig and eventually published in Frazetta: Illustrations Arcanum [Verotik, 1993], a collection of previously unpublished pencil drawings. |
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