The fantasy magazine weird tales published the first cover art by freas on its november 1950 issue. Science fiction monthly 19401979 magazine back issues ebay. The frank kelly freas cover for analog, showing my protagonist brooding over the multicolored whorl of a nullspace vortex, was nothing short of spectacular, and true to the story as well. Frank kelly freas august 27, 1922 january 2, 2005 was an american science fiction and. Click cover for larger view click back cover for larger view. Sf illustration as art by frank kelly freas writers. Out of all the artists on this list, people who arent into scifi artwork, books, or movies are most likely to recognize the artwork of frank kelly freas out of all the others on this list. Frank kelly freas was known as the dean of science fiction art, and was the second artist to be inducted into the science fiction hall of fame. His spectacular artwork has appeared on the covers of books by some of scifis most celebrated authors such as poul anderson, robert heinlein. Starblaze cover prints set of 6 complete signed artist. But, i thought, she looks familiar, and i thought i knew where id seen her before. His father, francis kelly, was born 1901 in new york of irish ancestry. It was the color proof of a cover for a book to be published by.
Freas painted a number of covers for paperback books, in addition to covers and interior illustrations for pulps and later digest science fiction magazines. Best book covers, vintage book covers, book cover art, book cover design, book design, book art, science fiction books, pulp fiction, sci fi. Of all the illustrators who worked for astounding, campbell was the closest to frank kelly freas. Freas pronounced like the english word freeze was the son of two photographers, and was raised in canada. In 1975 he was commissioned by a new paperback company, laser books, to paint all of their covers. A classic campbelledited novelette from the fifties, with the original cover and all four interior drawings by kelly freas. Kelly freas the cheap science fiction book covers gallery. Hashs faves frank kelly freas dumbfounding stories. Artwork gallery here is a cover gallery showing the original artwork created by kelly freas, together with the first book for which this artwork was used. Signed and dated in the lower portion of the image. He also painted the official insignia for skylab i, more than. The extraordinary work of frank kelly freas, the dean of science.
Freas started at mad in february 1957 and by july 1958 was the magazines new cover artist. Mike lewis on scifi, scifimonday, scifiart, scifi, science fiction, illustration, book covers, inspiration, book collecting, books, illustrator 11 june 2018 scifi monday. Kelly freas legacy cover painting original art laser books, 1976. Frank kelly freas, who has died aged 82, was an illustrator whose work enriched the covers of hundreds of science fiction magazines and. This drawing features various animated sketches of characters and scenes from the book gremlins go home. Short fiction the second kind of loneliness was the first story of mine ever to get a cover, and spoiled me early. Frank kelly freas 19222005 published his first sf magazine cover, for weird tales, in 1950, but shortly thereafter became strongly associated with john campbells astounding science fiction, where he swiftly became the definitive asf blackandwhite and cover illustrator of the postwar period it was not so much a group of writers who sustained asfs identity in the 1950s. Also used as the cover of the art book, frank kelly freas as he sees it. For fifty years freas work appeared in all kinds of science fiction publications beginning with his first sale to weird tales in 1950. Frank kelly freas 19222005 published his first sf magazine cover, for weird tales, in 1950, but shortly thereafter became strongly associated with john campbells astounding science fiction, where he swiftly became the definitive asf blackandwhite and cover. Chandler and freas were guests of honor at that years worldcon, which was the occasion for the book. It is signed to the bottom right corner and titled to the lower margin.
Cover by the renown kelly freas and a small interior illo, too. Kelly freas harlequin laser book cover print legacy ebay. The editors liked it enough to give him a commission to create a cover. The twelfth world science fiction convention papers by twelfth world science fiction convention poul anderson, isaac asimov, robert heinlein, james blish, chesley. At worldcat his 1977 collection is frank kelly freas. Frank kelly freas original art for sci fi book cover 66.
Frank kelly freas a separate star came out in 1984 with a similar downtoearth approach. Mad magazine contributors frank kelly freas contributions in order of appearance aartist back to master list contribution title cocontributors issue date. Kelly freas last published magazine cover, analog 200305, shootout at the nokai corral by rajnar vajra. There are three artists whose careers started in the pulp magazines, continued with digest magazines, comic books, trading cards, and a few paperback covers. He also painted covers for many book publishers, including gnome press, ace books, and daw books, and in the 1970s he was assigned to. An ink and marker book cover illustration on paper titled gremlins go home by celebrated american artist frank kelly freas 19222005. Original cover art gallery for famous monsters of filmland issues 200 through 230. Cool cover feature on frank kelly freas, the dean of science fiction artists, whose career spanned more than 50 years.
For fifty years freas work appeared in all kinds of science fiction publications beginning with his first. The outstanding young british artist who created one of the most famous record sleeves of all time. Normally, no one is a bigger fan of freas than meas, but the description of these prewar buildings in the book is much cooler. On choosing a book don martin mads modern folk music. Kelly freass first cover for if 5506, the strangers by algis budrys. Frank kell freas is considered by many to be the dean of science fiction art. One treat id promised myself at the 2003 world sf convention in toronto was to say hello or, more likely, grovel like some abject fanboy to the great kelly freas, who was one of the guests of honour. Later he was the cover artist for every one of the laser books line. Kelly freas legacy cover painting original art laser. For example, the cover of this book, from a planet stories cover, is one you see often. This painting appeared on the cover of fantastic universe science fiction in 1955. The extraordinary work of frank kelly freas, the dean of. Good show sir only the worst scififantasy book covers.
I bought many just for his art and then stayed and. Norman saunders, frank kelly freas, and wallace wood. Legendary rock band, queen, had picked him to illustrate the cover of one of their most iconic albums news of the world. Alien aliens an american werewolf in london a nightmare on elm street bride of frankenstein comic books comics contest creature from the black lagoon dracula famous monsters famous monsters of. Finish one novel, then flip the book and start another. Frank kelly freas was born francis sylvester kelly on august 27, 1922 in hornell, new york. You might recognize the work of the dean of science fiction artists frank kelly freas from the cover of queen. Call me joe is poul anderson at his best, with the planetary science working neatly in the background to support a gripping human story. Freas also painted insignia and posters for skylab i. Anderson may have done more iconic, highlyprized comic and pulp covers than just about anyone in the 1940s and early 1950s, but unlike saunders, kelly freas and others, he has never been nearly as well recognizedmaybe because he left the field in the 1950s. Kelly freas recoil paperback novel cover painting original. See more ideas about artist, sci fi books and science fiction.
Signed original artwork by frank kelly freas this is a very interesting piece of art by famous science fiction artist frank kelly freas. Call me joe by poul anderson, kelly freas nook book. His gritty, realistic work in the 1950s set a new agenda for magazine and book coverswhich artists follow still. After world war ii, he attended the art institute of pittsburgh. Beginning of a dialog window, including tabbed navigation to register an account or sign in to an existing account. Brussels illustrator and alternative movie poster artist and film director, whose new art book we will be handling this spring. These two studies were painted in the late 1971 to early 1972 time frame. Portraying poul andersons story call me joe, freas. While a student, freas submitted artwork for weird tales magazine. Frank kelly freas, called the dean of science fiction artists, was a science fiction and fantasy artist with a career spanning more than 50 years. Frank kelly freas mixed media book cover illustration. The sfe gallery of book covers now has more than 10,000 images. Illustrator frank kelly freas was born in new york and raised in canada.
Besides his cover artwork, kelly freas also created the interior artwork for the daw edition of marauders of gor. His mother, miriam sylvester, was born 1902 in new york. Two original color book cover studies for dinosaur beach, the keith laumer time travel science fiction novel first published in 1971. The potential for repetition and triteness was rife. This weeks general fave is the sciencefiction artist frank kelly freas, more commonly known as kelly freas. In 1957, freas would hook up with mad magazine painting nearly every cover of mad until 1962. Pod houses attached to the stalk elevators like fruit on a plant.
He also painted covers for paperback books published by signet, ballantine, avon, and ace books. Frank kelly freas was one of the greatest science fiction and fantasy artists to grace the covers of books and magazines. The ace double series was the biggest bargain in science fiction two novels in one 75cent book, attached backtoback. His haunting debut cover, which was inspired by the gulf between, by tom godwin, caught the. Movie covers comic book coverssci fi bookscomic bookspulp magazinemagazine covers. The wandering variables louis trimble, kelly freas cover on. Doug gilfords mad cover site ugoi frank kelly freas. Up to the sky in ships, a nesfa press collection of some of a. The cover art for astounding science fiction for april of 1957 represented the 19th such illustration for that magazine created by frank kelly freas, his first cover art having been an allegorical illustration for the story the gulf between, in the magazines march, 1954 issue.
Kelly freas was responsible for selling somany scifi books with his intriguing covers. Kelly freas recoil paperback novel cover painting original art ace double books, 1971. Kelly freas first published book cover, city by clifford d. One of my favorite artists, frank kelly freas, was born on this date, august 27, in 1922. In september 1972, daw books published its paperback edition with a commissioned cover painted by frank kelly freas. Kelly freas last published book cover, the conquest of the planets by john w. Send us your terrible covers so we can document the carnage to our eyes. Im guessing his sciencefiction work alone numbers well into the thousands, of book and magazine covers as well as interior illustrations. Kelly freas was one of the most regular artists at analog, and he did covers for many book publishers, at that time perhaps most often daw. Canvas confidential by sy reit, frank jacobs, kelly freas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
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