NCS Frank Frazetta Tribute Book

Above: a scan of humorous illustrator Jack Pittman's original art "How to Draw Like Frazetta."

On Saturday, August 30, 2008, there was a scheduled get together of National Cartoonists Society members at the Frank Frazetta Art Gallery in Easton, PA (about 2 1/2 hours outside of NYC). While I couldn't participate in person, I thought I would share some of the drawings that were in the special hardcover tribute book that was given to Mr. Frazetta. My thanks to Jack Pittman, who put together the handsome album, for letting me share some of these scans.

Mr. Frazetta's longtime friend Nick Meglin helped organize the event, and he even got the reclusive artist to participate.

While Mr. Frazetta knew that the event was going to happen, he did not know that that he would receive the Milton Caniff Award; an plaque honoring a cartoonist for a lifetime of outstanding achievement.

The call went out for cartoonists to send on a drawing for the keepsake tribute book. Here are a few.

BEETLE BAILEY'S Mort Walker:

Gag cartoonist (and the guy who writes this blog) Mike Lynch:

And here is Ron Hill, who also shares photos from the Frazetta tribute on his site (Thanks, Ron!):


Comic book artist Mike Grell:


Ilustrator and NCS Long Island Chapter (the "Berndt Toast Gang") Chairman Adrian Sinnott riffs on the famous "Death Dealer" painting:




Here's Jack Cassady's great cartoony tribute:


THE LOCKHORNS delineators Bunny Hoest and John Reiner with a spot-on depiction of Mr. Frazetta:



Creator of THE NORM comic strip, Michael Jantze:

DC Comics artist Andy Smith:


The one and only Angelo Torres, a comic book artist whose work appeared everywhere, with a great life sketch of Mr. Frazetta:


Cartoonist Bill Janocha:

From the entire team behind Hank Ketcham's DENNIS THE MENACE (Rolande Ketcham, Marcus Hamilton, Ron Ferdinand, and Dottie Roberson):


A man who has done it all (TERRY AND THE PIRATES, SPACE GHOST, PHOEBE ZEIT-GEIST, NCS President - to name a few), and lived to tell: Frank Springer:

And here's Al Jaffee, of MAD Magazine and the latest NCS Reuben Award winner:


And, below, is a photo (again, thanks to Jack Pittman) of the leather bound book, designed by Heather M. Morris. I'm crossing my fingers that the Frazetta family might showcase the album in their museum.