Frazetta's Vampirella

Frazetta’s original Vampirella later revised after the painting was returned to him heads to auction at Heritage Auctions in the February 27 to March 1 Comic Art Signature® Auction (@heritageauctions).

Painted in the late 1960s and sold by Frank Frazetta in the 1970s, this was the first image of Vampirella ever seen by the public as originally published with her costume intact. At the time, Warren Publishing was looking for a jolt as momentum from Famous Monsters, Creepy, and Eerie began to cool. With the cultural buzz of Barbarella still fresh, James Warren envisioned a new kind of horror heroine, one who could lure readers in and still confront the monsters inside. Framed by a looming moon and deep shadow, Frazetta delivered a fully formed icon in a matter of hours, creating one of the most enduring images in horror comics history. Soon after publication, once the painting was back in his possession, Frazetta removed her costume, revisiting the work as he sometimes did with select pieces.

“Every so often people ask me why I don’t just do a new painting and leave the original versions alone. And my answer is: they’re mine.” — Frank Frazetta

Teegra Cosplay by Sophia Margaritta