This is a sad day for fantasy art and comic book fans. Frank Frazetta died today of a stroke. After having dinner with his family he wasn't feeling well and was taken to a hospital where he later died ( as reported by Dave Itzkoff at NY Times.)

Frank Frazetta was a legend in his own time. He made a name for himself with his bold painting style and pop culture themes of Conan the Barbarian. Frazetta has done movie posters, comic books, cd covers, and many others. His paintings are recognized by their scantily clad, buxom women, and heavily muscled men.

Undoubtedly a favorite with many fans and artists, his contribution to fantasy art and illustration will be treasured for years to come. Please visit Mr. Frazetta's gallery here at Fantasy Art Fanatics, and follow the links on his main page for more Frank Frazetta art websites.  

Title: The Future of Fantasy Art
General Editors: Aly Fell and Duddlebug
Forward by William Stout
Published October 2009 by Collins Design
Rated PG for fantasy violence and scary images

The cover of The Future of Fantasy Art is what first caught my attention. The dragon, with wings unfurled amid dark stormy clouds, is masterfully painted by Jon Sullivan. But, the gorgeous art behind the cover is what kept my attention.

Meant as a companion to Fantasy Art Now, (published by Collins Design in 2007 and reviewed by this blog in Nov 2008) The Future of Fantasy Art has a decidedly more masculine feel than Fantasy Art Now. Which is not surprising since it has only four female artists compared to more than ten in Fantasy Art Now. It also has a stronger horror element than FAN. Something else that I noticed, there is no nudity in The Future of Fantasy Art, a fact that I appreciate. The format of both books is the same: large images of the art with the artist's name and a brief description and quote by the artist.  The two books compliment each other well.

I flatter myself by thinking I know the current fantasy art scene pretty well, but The Future of Fantasy art didn't fail to show me artists I hadn't come across before. A new favorite of mine is Patrick Jones. His painting, The Shadows Past on page 25, is eye catching with it's shiny armor and rich colors. Another discovery: the more whimsical art of Scott and Pat Gustafson. In a genre that can often be dark and intense, it is nice to see the lighter side these artists offer. And, it is always nice to see old favorites like Dan Dos Santos, Larry MacDougall, Anne Stokes, and Donato Giancola.

I still maintain that the only major flaw, in my opinion, is that if the art included in the book was limited to one submission per artist, there would be room for more artists to be included. I pointed this out in my review of Fantasy Art Now. But the positive side to that: maybe there will be more editions to this enchanting series of fantasy art books. Which begs the question: With the titles Fantasy Art Now and The Future of Fantasy Art already used... what is next? Hopefully, someone more creative than myself can come up with a title that will follow these two logically.

I give this book a score of 4 out of 5.
I am very happy to own this collection of fantasy art. It certainly did not disappoint.

Title: An Illustrated Guide to Mythical Creatures
Illustrations by: David West
Text by: Anita Garneri
Published by: Hammond World Atlas Corporation
Rated PG: Images of some creatures may not be suitable for the very young.


     I was very excited to receive my copy of An Illustrated Guide to Mythical Creatures... and I was not disappointed. This concise book is full of wonderful images and informative text about creatures from myth, legend, and folklore from all over the world.

     The illustrations presented in this book are what really stand out for me. David West has created beautifully detailed 3-D computer generated images. Each page is filled with CG images depicting creatures from myth and legend and the heroes that fought them. The 3-D graphics are put to especially good use in creating the chimera, creatures with body parts from various animals. In addition to the CG images are examples of more traditional art such as classic paintings, wood prints, sculpture, and temple murals depicting creatures of myth throughout history.

     The information in this book gives the reader a good base of knowledge for creatures of myth, legend, and folklore. Not only are there several different types of creatures mentioned; but, there are specific examples and the country from where the legend originated. I'll give you one little teaser that I found very interesting: The Hsigo, a winged monkey from Chinese folklore, serves to warn of coming drought. Sound familiar? This legend may have inspired the flying monkeys from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In this guide, there are mythical creatures based upon legends from all over the world. Native American, Hebrew, Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Hindu, Japanese, English, South American, Australian, African, and Russian, to name a few.

     This is the perfect place to start your adventure in reading myths, legends, and folklore. With the specific legends and regions that they come from listed in the book, readers will refer to this guide again and again as they read other books about these mythical creatures. This a perfect book for kids who are interested in monsters and fantasy. Adults can also appreciate the illustration and information as much as I did.


I give this book a score of 5 out of 5.
Best quality: The combination of computer generated images and the historical art from each country.
Worst: I was left wanting more. It would be great to see companion editions. Maybe a guide to each countries myths, legends, and folklore. Now that would be exciting!!