R.I.P. Frank Frazetta

Now gone to be with his wife, Ellie, master artist Frank Frazetta passed yesterday, age 82.

The storyboard artist for the scifi and fantasy fantasies of my youth, his late, real life seemed -- unfortunately -- the stuff of nightmares:

The Pocono Record newspaper reported that by December of [the year his wife died, 2009], Frazetta was "suffering from dementia".

On December 9, 2009, Frazetta's son, Alfonso Frank Frazetta, 52, known as Frank Jr., was arrested for attempting to steal approximately 90 paintings from the Frazetta museum. He was accompanied by Frank Bush, 49, and Kevin Clement, 54. His wife, Lori Frazetta, told state police that Frank Jr. and Ellie had run the family business until Ellie's death, when infighting over the paintings began. The son maintains he was trying to prevent the paintings from being sold, per the wishes of his father, whom he says had given him power of attorney over his estate. After siblings Billy Frazetta, Holly Frazetta Taylor, and Heidi Grabin filed a lawsuit against Frank Jr. in March 2010, claiming misappropriation of their father's work, which they said the artist had transferred to a company controlled by those three, the family issued a statement on April 23, 2010, that said, "all of the litigation surrounding his family and his art has been resolved. All of Frank's children will now be working together as a team to promote his ... collection of images...." The Monroe County district attorney later that day said he would drop theft and burglary charges against Frazetta Jr. at the request of family members.

I'm not sure who to treat as the villain in this, though I want to assume it was Lil Frank. Claiming power of attorney AND grabbing 90 paintings? Seems suspiciously like a dick-move.

Here's to hoping Big Frank's wishes -- that his museum paintings be preserved in situ, distributed to family and/or friends, selectively liquidated, or otherwise -- will be fully honored.

Found on io9 and Wikipedia.