One of my favorite artists, Frank Kelly Freas, was born on this date, August 27, in 1922. We lost him in 2005.
Freas painted a number of covers for paperback books, in addition to covers and interior illustrations for pulps and later digest science fiction magazines. He had a easily recognizable style.
Sadly, we never attended a convention together. I would have loved to have met him. I picked up a signed print of his painting of Skylab at an American Space Society meeting about 15 years ago that proudly hangs in my bedroom. You can see it below.
Here are some samples of his work.
To me, Freas’ art will always epitomize “Golden Age” SF. Seems to have been a great guy, as well. I just wish he’d done more fantasy/weird artwork.
Yeah, “Golden Age” is a perfect description.
Back in the 1980s (I think) Freas was selling prints of some of his work by mail. You could have a signed print for just a bit more — I no longer recall the exact amount. A number of your choices were among those offered, but not, alas, the Lorelei cover, which has long been one of my favorites. (‘Course, my wife probably wouldn’t let me display it in my upstairs office.)
You’ll notice that i call them ‘prints’, too, but a friend of mine who majored in Art told me that they were technically called “reproductions’ as ”prints’ used a different and more expensive process. (YMMV) Incidentally, he did not read stf but he recognized (and admired) Freas from his work for Mad Magazine. Any similarity between the little guy in the Martians Go Home cover and Alfred E. Newman is no accident!
One of the images I didn’t use showed both the Martian and Alfred E. Neumman from MAD on the Moon.
I have one of the two painting proofs Kelly did for the album cover for Shambleau by C.L. Moore (also the DAW paperback reprint). Not a print; the concept art done for editors, review before the finished oil. I bought it directly from Mr Freas. No longer interested in hanging such a disturbing but beautiful work. As I retire, I am interested in it finding an appreciative home.