My Time with the Grandmaster, Frank Frazetta - Watts Weekly

Jeff recounts the time he was able to share with Frank Frazetta, stating the impact he has had on his work, and sharing a few funny stories between the two.
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
[00:00] - Intro
[00:40] - Jeff's First Memories of Frazetta's Work
[02:12] - San Diego Comic Con 1995
[04:17] - Ellie Frazetta
[05:11] - Jeff's Demo At His Booth
[09:34] - An Invitation to the Frazetta Residence
[23:00] - Conclusion
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[@williamfrazetta]

Hey, Mr. Watts! Thanks for sharing your stories of my grandfather. It helps me to relive my own memories with him, and to get to know him better from another perspective. The way you described him sitting on the floor eating candy while watching a movie is exactly as I remember him-- he just wanted to have fun and enjoy life! Thanks again :)

[@mr.e1944]

That is really cool to have so many people know and love your grandfather! Glad you got another reminder of him.

[@-davidolivares]

Def the “cool “ uncle, which is what I try to be.

[@dplj4428]

Although I could mention many more, I was most inspired by the Froud brothers, Frank Frazetta, Moebius, Norman Rockwell, USPS stamp illustrators, and 2 pages of Sunday cartoons.

[@skadbone]

your grandfather was the man! " Painting with Fire,", very inspirational , GiD Bless, Craig

[@mikeliterus4611]

You're grandfather painted with real magic.

[@FrazettaGirls]

Great memories, Jeff! Please come back to this location for a visit - The Boca Grande Frazetta Art Museum reopens February 2022.

[@karensielski4159]

Let me start by saying i live in Rotonda West which is only 15 min to Boca Grande. Frazetta is one of my fav's as well, and i happened to watch this about 2 months ago and saved it. flash forward to early this month when i took my visiting college roomie over to Boca Grande and we parked and were walking around and JUST happened to walk down this street and she says to me, look a art museum (I'm an artist now able to do it full time :-)] and as i look at the sign, I can't believe my eyes...THE MUSEUM THAT JEFF IS TALKING ABOUT ( albeit the town is a bit built up now)...it was freaking awesome .. i have a pix to prove it, i just can't figure out how to insert it here. I will be back since i live so close !!! thanks for all this special stuff ( and hey, i am a native NY'er as well)

[@cha5]

I remember several years back our local Austin Texas Wizard World convention was having a display of some original Frazetta paintings were on display in a separate gallery there. I took my eight year old nephew to see them. and although he was into TLOTR and Harry Potter, This was his first exposure to Frazetta's art and he was amazed at seeing the original Death Dealer, and Egyptian Queen among many other works there and he just couldn't get enough of seeing Frazetta's masterpieces while he was there.

[@martyemmons3100]

I remember seeing a few pen and ink pieces of characters from "Lord of the Rings" that Frank Frazetta had made. The one I remember vividly is Gollum. Frazetta had Gollum paddling on what looked like a leaf across a lake or pond. It seems to me that Frank enjoyed (loved) to create images.

[@JackbenImbel2274]

I know this video is aging, but I'm glad it's up on the web. Having never met the man and only studying his art to improve fluid technique in my pencils, it's wonderful to hear stories from people who were there and actually interacted with this man while he was alive. Thank you.

[@brot5246]

I had the pleasure of visiting the Frank Frazetta museum in East Stroudsburg, PA about 20 years ago, I did not meet Frank but I did met his wonderful wife "Ellie" , who was so friendly, she talked of Franks camera collection and I have memories of my little boy playing in Franks turtle pond.

[@anthonyw2931]

man, I'm jealous.

[@marks9140]

That's interesting. I also had visited the museum when Frank was still alive but not well. His wife was there and was complaining about how he had traded some of his paintings for some camera equipment. She was pretty annoyed by it. I'm so grateful to have seen so much of his collection in one place when it was still intact. I just wish I had been able to meet the Man himself - he has been such an icon for me.

[@Superflow66]

My apprentice is best friends with Frank’s granddaughter and we are luckily 5 minutes from his Museum. The paintings are amazing in person I’m thankful to be able to go see them that easily. All the best and great art work yourself to 👍 Great story

[@timcummings6581]

The reason I started reading the Conan stories was because of the Frazetta covers. Once I got into the stories I felt the pairing of Robert E. Howard & Frank Frazetta was perfect. Both were powerful in their crafts. The later Conan books written from incomplete manuscripts/notes by ghost writers didn't compare to Howard's work and the covers by other artists were lacking as well.

[@mikeliterus4611]

Same here man. I was 12 when I first saw a Conan novel and the art is what caught my eye. I bought the book and then ended up collecting all of Robert E. Howard's novels. I have been a fan ever since.

[@LouCostaDesign]

My dad and I visited Frank's museum in PA together when I was in college. It was an incredible, transformative experience to visit the museum. Driving through the property and driving past the mammoth-sized sculptures of reptiles from his work was incredible and the little pond in front of the museum made it feel like you were really in one of his paintings. It was truly immersive. Frank arrived to the museum right before we got there - turns out that this was 1 of the 3 days he visited his own museum that year alone. We walked around the museum for 30 minutes and he gave us his own tour; showed us his work, told us what he was thinking or what was going on when he painted certain pieces. I have his signature on a little piece of cardboard I brought with me - he signed it with his right hand too - which if anyone knows the facts, he lost motor skill in his right hand and needed to learn to draw with his left hand after a former stroke. My dad and I made the trip to Frazetta's after I decided to re-learn animation, and similar to your story - I would say there was a moment of reflection to say, "I'm on the right path" as well after meeting him.

[@123youknowme]

A great story needs a great storyteller. What a wonderful time I had listening to you talk about your time with the legendary Frazetta. Thanks for sharing.

[@crisjunfan2139]

I think one of the great things about this experience is that it happened pre-smartphone and pre-social media. People who have their phones practically surgically attached will never know how great it is to be fully present in a great moment and be able to recall it more vividly than if they were preoccupied with taking pictures and videos. Not to mention the ability to look back and laugh at being lost. Thanks Jeff.

[@jeffgrimes7590]

I would kill for those books.

[@thanksfernuthin]

Wow... WOW!!! What a story! I can only imagine. In situations similar to that I try to put myself in the "master's" shoes. It's hard. When people are just heaping praise on you it's very difficult if you have a healthy psyche. On the other hand, when a man reaches that rarified air one of the most fulfilling and pleasurable rewards of that success is to mentor and encourage the next generation in your field. It's that unique phase in life where competition gives way to sharing. The battles are over, the wars have been won and you put down your weapons. The next generations swarm around you desperate to hear the stories and glean the invaluable information. Identifying and encouraging the best that come after is a sublime gift. Life's gold retirement watch. I say men because that's the only thing I can speak of with any level of accuracy having met many and entered that phase myself. Women in that situation may react the same or totally different. All I know is it's likely different. Maybe better. If women would like to correct me or enlighten me I look forward to it.

[@KennyGsca]

I'm only 6mins and 40 secs in, and i gotta say I LOVE these types of Stories, and I could honestly listen ALL DAY, im lookin a t the time line on this video already going "No, don't end keep telling these Art stories :)" these are the best, thanks for Sharing Jeff....now back to the video :P

[@mdeboer6453]

Love this story, hence I'm listening to it a 2nd time a year later

[@andersbackstrom]

Thank you so much! Yoiu’re a wonderful storyteller! My childhood icon has suddenly grown even larger in esteem and respect.

[@octonolite_0]

Great story and you painted it so vividly with humor and enthusiasm. Thanks for bringing us as close as most of us will ever get to the best to ever do it.

[@TDuD3]

That was beautiful, thank you for sharing it! I needed that.

[@minohkim1727]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful moment. I love watching all of the Atelier videos :D

[@RocketeerAndRoll]

I love Frank's frankness. It was one of his best qualities.

[@omegaredtooth5104]

That’s so freakin awesome. Thanks for sharing this story, Jeff!

[@HecmarJayam]

Thanks for sharing this story. Wonderful.

[@Hejirah]

truly heart warming to hear all this, thanks for sharing

[@permit40]

Fantastic story. Thank you Jeff!

[@wolfen69]

Thank you so much for this wonderful story!

[@jerseykertawidjaja8446]

Thank you Jeff 🙏 merry christmas and happy new year

[@rocky8838]

What an awesome story! Thanks for sharing, Jeff!

[@EdgeLoopGaming]

What a beautiful story, thank you Jeff!

[@piglice4585]

Thank you very much for sharing this. Beautiful story.

[@oliverscreations]

Thanks for sharing this and it did bring a smile to my face. What an experience you had.

[@19pgs85]

Thanks so much for sharing, really enjoyable; very generous of you.

[@joebob_dubb]

Thanks for sharing these stories, this was awesome! Frazetta was one of a kind

[@mctheta249]

What a great story and a great piece of history. Thank you so much. Really put me there.

[@trigestigro4707]

This story is so heartwarming. Thats amazing

[@darioscomicschool1111]

Thank you so much for this one!

[@americaninsouthernjapan2795]

Thank you for sharing this great inspirational story!

[@-davidolivares]

I love the scene you set for his humble studio with his valuables stacked on the floor against the wall… I can relate. Thank You for a great new year’s present!

[@chetzar]

That was so great. Thanks for sharing!

[@ciscoponch67]

Happy New Years, Jeff!!! Thank you, for sharing that great story about Frank Frazetta!!! I'm inspired to go and visit his museum, now. I never knew it was in Florida! Awesome!!!!

[@phillipmurphy842]

Marvelous Jeff ! Thank you for this recollection of encountering the great man.

[@petersandberg8174]

Thanks for sharing this great story Jeff!

[@codyknarr4668]

Amazing, thank you for sharing!!!

[@stephanyearwood1377]

I love this story... thanks for sharing.

[@desertgamers6065]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@guely55]

Wow! What a story. Lucky you. Great storytelling , by the way. Gretings from Sweden!!

[@qui_X]

Thanks for sharing this with us. I was fortunate enough to go to the Frazetta Museum in PA a few months ago and his son was giving a tour through the works there. The story really adds another dimension to that experience.

[@OfficialComentery]

Thank you for the story. Great to hear about your adventure.

[@chiptenor]

Great, great story, Jeff! I was really into it. The way you told it with so much passion, as you remembered it, was wonderful. I found myself literally visualizing what you experienced, as you told it, in your meeting with Frank Frazetta. Those types of experiences in any of our lives are 'hallmarks' we can't ever forget. Thank you for sharing it.

[@mattbarroccu9690]

Love this story. Appreciate you sharing

[@michaelkeropian2954]

Fantastic story. Wrote many thank you letters to him for inspiring me to take my art to a professional level. I met Ellie a couple times. Appreciate your time passing on the story.

[@rickytoddbotelho9555]

Absolutely fantastic video.

[@rwc3500]

Such a wonderful episode - thank you so much for sharing your stories and memories of Frank. Definitely did bring a smile to my evening. thxs again

[@artofbrettherman]

What an awesome opportunity & interaction! Thanks for the stories and keeping the awareness of a true master alive! Best wishes & happy new year Jeff!

[@TimothyONeill_84.]

thanks for sharing your experience with Frank Frazetta

[@donor09]

Your shared story was amazing !!!👍👍👍 Thank you.

[@ekakijsn]

A wonderful, amazing story. You have an incredibly valuable treasure in your memory. Thanks for sharing it Jeff. And please continue to tell us about what Mr. Frank said regarding drawing animals. All the best for 2022. Cheers!

[@mikemees9918]

Beautiful story, thank you

[@thefriendlyaspie7984]

thanks so much for sharing this beautiful experiences of yours :)

[@FoursideAssetManagement]

amazing video: thank you so much for sharing.

[@stevenswm9844]

I'm very happy for You! As with so many, Frazetta is my all-time favorite artist! What a truly great experience and Golden Memory to be blessed with! If it would have been Me, lucky enough to have been in your situation, I would have done only one thing differently...I would have taken that Pickled Egg! If they're done right, they can be fabulous, and I'll bet that was a good one! 🙂

[@zebposada]

Really nice to listen to Jeff's experiences and stories. So cool to see masters enjoy the same artists you do.

[@jimmyjazz1]

What a great story. Thanks for sharing.

[@aldamis8384]

What an amazing story. I can't imagine how surreal that must of felt. Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@jamesclukey7488]

Great story about your meeting and spending time with the legend, Frank Frazetta ! Glad you followed your heart. There are times in our lives that we are directed to meet with others, and I'm glad you took the opportunity ! He certainly sounded like a gracious host and someone that was fun to be around. I'm very happy for you, and enjoyed your retelling of the experience with this great man. One in a million chance ! The world will miss him.

[@tiodeleve]

Thanks for sharing! Amazing and inspiring tale! Never saw Jeff so happy!

[@bradleymitchell287]

What an awesome and inspiring story. Thank you so much for sharing this!

[@Scott-jf1nh]

Thanks for the story! It was great.

[@charlesgray2034]

Thanks for your wonderful story / meeting with Frank Frazetta , what a great thing it was to experience!

[@LevelNineDrow]

What a fantastic memory.

[@dakine215]

Great stories and thanks for sharing! As a teenager in the ‘80’s whenever I was at a bookstore I would always go find Frank Frazetta’s books and look at each and every picture. I was a fan of the Tarzan and Conan stories so the art was always drawing me into the storyline.

[@antoniocunha3912]

Tks for the great story, Sir. Happy New Year!

[@TinRoofVintage]

What a beautiful story about Mr. Frazetta, thank you for sharing.

[@williamjackson6705]

Incredible story. Paints a picture of not just a great artist but a great human being as well.

[@patrickmullane30]

Thank you for this! Night of the Hunter! One of my favorite movies. I truly treasure this whole story.

[@ErikDaRavenEricHumphrey]

Thank you for your story. I really enjoyed it!

[@ZenMysticStudio]

Thank you. On a day when life has been a little too overwhelming, I made a cup of coffee and headed to the studio, my comfort zone, to try and regroup. I opened youtube to get some background music going and your video is in the feed. Instinctively, I clicked the link. Watching the video brought a much needed smile to my face. We never know whose lives we touch in unimaginable ways. Today you did just that. So, thank you, once again.

[@kelguy2002]

Fantastic ... as ALWAYS THANK YOU 👉🏼🙌MASTER🙌JEFF

[@WhateverHappenedToFun]

What anazin' story! Thank you so much for sharing it!

[@mlukas]

Thank you so much for this story. Frazetta is the man who made me want to be an artist. I saw his work the first time when I was 10! It's great to hear what a cool and humble guy he was. He is just an all around true legend.

[@jacquelineminer3899]

What a great story, thank you for sharing. I have always been a big fan of Frazetta’s work. Hearing your story made my day.

[@jeffgrimes7590]

This has to be the *coolest* story I have ever heard. This single-handedly re-sparked my dedication to my artistic journey.

[@wolf7379]

I came here by accident, but your story really grabbed me! I felt the excitement you experienced because you expressed it so well. Furthermore, that is the kind of story that makes us want to stay on course and follow our dream and produce good art. It was a pleasure listening to this. Thank you so much for sharing that story with us!

[@ArnoldRamirezAxistrizero]

Damn you are so lucky! I'd probably go for that adventure too if I'd meet Frank Frazetta. It would be my most amazing time of life to see in person my greatest art influence!

[@bwc714]

I enjoyed this thoroughly. Good for you to be able to have lived this experience. You have an enjoyable delivery in your speaking. I could've watched an hours long version of this.

[@millopguy]

Fantastic piece! Thanks for sharing.

[@samankucher5117]

Awesome stories. Thank you for sharing 🍀

[@Davy.J.Y]

What a great story and what a great experience !

[@RawazJabbar]

What a fun story through out! Loved listining all thway through master jeff

[@Moruss79]

Thank you for sharing your experience, I agree about the way things work out at times to push you forward when you are uncertain. Experienced it myself and looking back I'm still baffled.

[@appidydafoo]

Thank you for sharing your memories

[@jacklund9366]

What an awesome story and experience for you. Thanks for sharing this. He was truly a master and inspiration to so many.

[@marshallross3373]

Wow! What a rare and invaluable experience to have had. It would be one thing to simply meet FF, but to have lunch and dinner with him, a personal tour, and a extended critique of your work, that really is a treasured gift. One regret I have in life is not making my way somehow to the Frazetta Museum. At least I can live a little vicariously through your storytelling. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

[@logan3586]

love this. thanks for sharing

[@peterruban2860]

Thank you Jeff for sharing Frank was a big influence for me when I was a younger man

[@c6s6s6]

Thank you so much for sharing these stories about one of the most influential artists ever. As is the story with many professional artists, Frazetta was probably the biggest influence on me wanting to do art for a living. My first "real" art book was the Art of Frank Frazetta with the Egyptian Queen on the cover. I spent endless hours studying every brush stroke of those paintings not knowing how anything like that was possible. The passion that he kindled and so many others have stoked has pushed me through a 30 plus year career where I'm now doing official fine art work for Disney and Lucasfilm. There will never be another artist like Frazetta. He will always be the Grandmaster.

[@Fluery]

Wow, what an amazing experience thanks for sharing your story. I always wanted to meet Frazetta too.

[@steelbat54]

I was engrossed. Great remembrances. Frazetta has been legend to me from the first time I saw his work which was in the mid sixties on the Conan paperbacks. I was always amazed at his style. Still have my trades of his works. I would bet his Death Dealer has been copied umpteen times. Me included. Thanks for relating your experience with the master... 👍

[@bowlofdiogenes6139]

Absolutely amazing story of meeting an amazing artist and national treasure like Mr. Frazetta, you can't help but smile while listening, thank you so much for this video

[@duantorruellas716]

That's really cool Jeff , Your work has always reminded me of Franks work . I can see it in your work , and I've always loved Frank's stuff . It's really cool you got to meet him and get tips and compliments . 👍

[@pjartworksPatrickJJones]

Hey, Jeff, this is such a great story. Thanks for sharing!

[@aguilartist]

What a beautiful gem 💎 of a story thank you for sharing Jeff 🙌🏻🙌🏻✨✨🙏🏻🕯😌R.I.P to the master.