Ken Kelly 0

[ESeffinga]

Was reading this article about Ken’s art

https://pleasekillme.com/artist-ken-kelly/?fbclid=IwAR1dmRO4zln4EcaRtB3Z2vnbEb63IN90wI1tyc6yG91eH_vNUXpP7GRCy18

 

and this line jumped out at me...

“Although few artists now rival Kelly in fantasy pop culture influence, what are the odds that one of them would happen to be his biggest inspiration and mentor? His uncle, through marriage, was Frank Frazetta, a prolific fantasy and sci-fi artist who is now a legend in the field.”

 

Kas as anyone here ever seen Ken as anything other than a footnote?

As an aside, I had him do one of my Deadman commissions, back when that was a thing for me. The result was hilarious. Very Ken Kelly.

 

[grapeape]

29 minutes ago, ESeffinga said:

Was reading this article about Ken’s art

https://pleasekillme.com/artist-ken-kelly/?fbclid=IwAR1dmRO4zln4EcaRtB3Z2vnbEb63IN90wI1tyc6yG91eH_vNUXpP7GRCy18

 

and this line jumped out at me...

“Although few artists now rival Kelly in fantasy pop culture influence, what are the odds that one of them would happen to be his biggest inspiration and mentor? His uncle, through marriage, was Frank Frazetta, a prolific fantasy and sci-fi artist who is now a legend in the field.”

 

Kas as anyone here ever seen Ken as anything other than a footnote?

As an aside, I had him do one of my Deadman commissions, back when that was a thing for me. The result was hilarious. Very Ken Kelly.

 

George Freakin Lucas bought 18 of Ken’s Dark Horse Conan covers. Kiss seeing his work and Gene wanting him to do the Destroyer Album cover sure changed his life.

 

[vodou]

57 minutes ago, ESeffinga said:

Kas as anyone here ever seen Ken as anything other than a footnote?

It is easy to criticize his work, the work itself, but not down to this level. Ken dominated book covers from approximately the time that Frazetta stopped.

That uncle/nephew relationship is often stated but it should be remembered that it was by marriage. Ellie was Ken's by-blood aunt.

[BCarter27]

My fav cover of his is coming up for auction-

https://www.icollector.com/Ken-Kelly-original-painting-Chamber-of-Illusions_i34887399

[vodou]

17 hours ago, vodou said:

It is easy to criticize his work, the work itself,

 

2 minutes ago, BCarter27 said:

My fav cover of his is coming up for auction-

https://www.icollector.com/Ken-Kelly-original-painting-Chamber-of-Illusions_i34887399

He's always done stumpy figures for some reasons...villain not so scary here, and Conan is all legs, 'off torso' and head to bgi for neck.

I want to like the one above but instead, from this Berkley Books series my favorites are:

[vodou]

On 11/12/2019 at 7:16 PM, grapeape said:

George Freakin Lucas bought 18 of Ken’s Dark Horse Conan covers.

Link to this announcement/article? That's interesting to me, if it was "for" George or "for" The Museum, and the answer to that would get me interested enough to actually see what those covers look like

[wombat]

Some of his best work was recreating Frazetta paintings. Not sure if that is good or bad. 

[vodou]

7 minutes ago, wombat said:

...his best work was...

Ugh. Assuming you mean those recent recreations of the last ten years? I totally disagree. They are awful, even without knowing the source. And when knowing and comparing to the sources, doubly awful, awful, pale imitations. I have mixed feelings on Ken's body of work overall, but not a pure #hater by any means (see a few posts above!); clearly these recreations were just a phoned in cash grab for a man of a certain age and a book market that relies less and less on "cover art" to sell the book every day, thus "needing" name cover artists of days past "less and less every day".

This:

compared to this? Ugh. And yes, I know that's Kelly copying Kelly not Frazetta, just putting it out there anyway.

Zero surprise the recreation sold for less than 1/10th what the 1977 vintage ("height of powers") Kelly sold for all the way back in 2003 @ Heritage.

[wombat]

Honestly I don't know when they were from. I've seen a few that were pretty good, but I would have to try and find them. 

[grapeape]

41 minutes ago, vodou said:

Link to this announcement/article? That's interesting to me, if it was "for" George or "for" The Museum, and the answer to that would get me interested enough to actually see what those covers look like

 

43 minutes ago, vodou said:

Link to this announcement/article? That's interesting to me, if it was "for" George or "for" The Museum, and the answer to that would get me interested enough to actually see what those covers look like

🔝 the link is posted at the top of this page November 12 by ESeffinga. Ken Kelly said his wife was very happy that Lucas bought 18 original covers.

 

[vodou]

6 minutes ago, grapeape said:

 

🔝 the link is posted at the top of this page November 12 by ESeffinga. Ken Kelly said his wife was very happy that Lucas bought 18 original covers.

 

Oh yeah, I read that at the time but forgot since and just thought your comment was new and separate information. Sorry!

[vodou]

On 11/13/2019 at 12:46 PM, BCarter27 said:

My fav cover of his is coming up for auction-

https://www.icollector.com/Ken-Kelly-original-painting-Chamber-of-Illusions_i34887399

Looks like a nice number, after failing to achieve $25k "reserve" the last time it was listed.

Sure looks like the market that didn't like it for $25k suddenly does just a year or two later inclusive of BP, etc.

But I have to wonder, always, about these "sold" numbers when the thing doesn't subsequently show up in somebody's CAF.

After all, we know how much The Market depends on comps to keep the wheels greased...right?

[grapeape]

13 minutes ago, vodou said:

Looks like a nice number, after failing to achieve $25k "reserve" the last time it was listed.

Sure looks like the market that didn't like it for $25k suddenly does just a year or two later inclusive of BP, etc.

But I have to wonder, always, about these "sold" numbers when the thing doesn't subsequently show up in somebody's CAF.

After all, we know how much The Market depends on comps to keep the wheels greased...right?

Vodou senses shenanigans!!!

[sfilosa]

One thing that I like about his art (I only have one piece) is that he paints bigger than most others. So if you want something to fill your wall, more bang for your buck. Still, he is definitely hit or miss. Price per square inch, GOOD, quality, not always there.

 

[Rick2you2]

26 minutes ago, vodou said:

Looks like a nice number, after failing to achieve $25k "reserve" the last time it was listed.

Sure looks like the market that didn't like it for $25k suddenly does just a year or two later inclusive of BP, etc.

But I have to wonder, always, about these "sold" numbers when the thing doesn't subsequently show up in somebody's CAF.

After all, we know how much The Market depends on comps to keep the wheels greased...right?

Regarding the art...eh. It takes more than bloody colors, gauzy background and an action scene to be great.

[vodou]

14 minutes ago, grapeape said:

Vodou senses shenanigans!!!

Hey, what do I know? Let's see the buyer step up, show us a nice in situ photo of it up on the wall, with today's newspaper (Proof of Life!), and I'll shut up. But man o' man, it just cannot be one of the "known quantities" making that post

[vodou]

1 minute ago, Rick2you2 said:

Regarding the art...eh. It takes more than bloody colors, gauzy background and an action scene to be great.

It was the 70s?

[Rick2you2]

5 hours ago, vodou said:

It was the 70s?

In the 1970’s, we had pretty low standards. 

[tth2]

11 hours ago, wombat said:

Some of his best work was recreating Frazetta paintings. Not sure if that is good or bad. 

It ain't good. 

Edited September 5, 2020 by tth2