Ragged Claws Network

As I was a-wanderin’ the Web for pleasure, I spied an illustration I thought looked familiar…

If it’s an homage, then Smith should be delighted someone recognized the reference, right?

BONUS LINK:

Adrian Smith, Illustrator

Frazetta’s obvious borrowing from Pyle has been pointed out many times in the past; however, I’ve never seen anyone add Wyeth’s painting to the mix (although surely someone has, the line of influence being so clear). Now, of the three galleon paintings, it seems obvious to me that Pyle’s original effort is not only the first but also the best of the three. It’s the best composed; it’s the most expressively painted; it’s the most dramatic. No wonder Wyeth and Frazetta (who seems to me to have borrowed as much from Wyeth’s galleon as from Pyle’s) were enthralled by Pyle’s Attack on a Galleon. It’s a masterpiece. And which of the remaining two galleon paintings is the weakest, Wyeth’s picturesque, chocolate-box cliché or Frazetta’s virtuosic but underdeveloped pastiche? You decide…

Do you see it? Look for the girl with her hands on her head..

Perhaps I need a fourth category, like, oh, I don’t know, maybe… BLATANT RIPOFF!

P.S. If you’re wondering whether Sirota’s novel is worth reading, you might want to check out the capsule review in Forgotten Ages #21 by Morgan Holmes. It’s the third review under the heading “Son of Bad Sword & Sorcery.”

BONUS LINK:

Frazetta Thinks – Dave Winiewicz explores the genesis, through a series of four sketches by Frank Frazetta, of the “death scene” from Frazetta’s Kubla Khan portfolio.

Either way, swipe or homage, Frazetta’s virtuoso draftsmanship, effortless skill at composition, and expressive paint handling make Kovacevic’s anemic cover-version look like the work of a rank amateur. Or, to put it another way, every change Kovacevic makes to Frazetta’s original is for the worse.