Robert Rodriguez is responsible for all the coolest stuff you can see at this year’s SXSW. His El Rey Network lucha libre show Lucha Underground is running its first-ever live show outside of southern California in Austin on Tuesday, and he just announced that he’s bringing the Frank Frazetta gallery back for its third year.
If you don’t know Frazetta’s name, you know his work. The artist (who passed away in 2010) is responsible for pretty much every awesome piece of fantasy artwork you’ve ever seen. You know those cool paintings of Conan the Barbarian with an axe over his head, with a naked lady and like, a panther clutching at his legs? Frank Frazetta. Everything from basic fantasy iconography to Molly Hatchet album covers were a result of Frazetta’s painting brilliance, and Rodriguez is doing the Lord’s work by keeping some of his best work preserved.
Via the press release:
Robert Rodriguez has been touring Frank Frazetta original art at Comic Con and Wizard Con to continue the wish of Frank Frazetta, a friend and collaborator of Robert’s who always wanted audiences to see his paintings in person. The original Frazetta museum in upstate New York closed after the passing of Frank Frazetta in 2010. The Rodriguez museum features other world class artists Robert has also worked with and studied under over the years, with art that he’s collected himself, and others that are on exclusive loan for this event. The FRANK FRAZETTA COLLECTION has an unprecedented amount of original masterpieces including new additions Moon Maid, Flash Gordon, Kubla Khan as well as Death Dealer 2, Egyptian Queen, At the Earth’s Core, Conan Man Ape and Dark Kingdom, and a rare original painting Frazetta did for the movie FROM DUSK TIL DAWN among others, 15 original masterpiece paintings total.
“I’m extremely excited to host this very special event at South by Southwest, featuring mind-blowing art by my favorite artists and collaborators,” said filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. “It’s the only place in the world where you can see original Frank Frazetta art, 15 masterpiece paintings total, alongside original art by Frank Miller, Drew Struzan, Sebastian Kruger and Clete Shields. There’s no other museum like this.”
If you’re in Austin for SXSW, go see it. This is Frank Frazetta. You can watch that street corner ukulele cover of ‘Starman’ next week.