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The Frank Frazetta Cover That Was The Wind Under Pacific Comics' Sales

Published Tue, 08 Jan 2019 10:30:19 -0600

Bill Schanes has been entertaining us all with his memories of distribution days past. And this beauty predated his time as VP of Diamond Comic Distributors but was from his days running Pacific Comics Distributors. And how he managed to make a collector's item, out of the monthly catalogue equivalent of Previews and grab a whole load more of accounts as well. He writes,

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From our Pacific Comics mail order catalog dating back to 1977.

I had met Frank and Ellie Frazetta at an early World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in the early '70's, and Ellie had given me her home phone number, as I said one day I'd love to publish some of Franks artwork.

A few years later, I called the number and a man answered the phone. I asked for Frank Frazetta, and the man shouted "Ellie someone's on the phone about Frank's artwork. Ellie shouted back, Frank stop it and give me the phone". We came to terms with Ellie to get the rights to reprint this incredible Frazetta piece on the front of our catalog. We paid $1,500 for the one time right, in 1977 (a huge sum of money at that time for a reproduction rights fee). We had many other spot illustrations inside by other professionals, but the Frazetta artwork helped up to sell over 20,000 mail order catalogs, and the subsequent new first time orders tripled our business in the next year.

I don't have a clear image of the cover, so I grabbed this from the Lone Star Comics website, with the black bar included.

Currently selling for $98 over here.

We can find a non-black bar version right here. As well as a few inside pages…

With a few comments from way back when:

Will Lund Also, customers inquired whether they could buy posters of the art, if I recall correctly.

William Schanes That's true. We asked Ellie for those rights, but another company held the Frazetta poster rights. The original 24 Frazetta posters were pretty much all best sellers for years and years. There wasn't a new poster released until years later

David Scroggy I recall you telling us at the time that Ellie complimented you on the crisp reproduction, saying it was the best reproduction of this piece from anyone, including National Lampoon, who first used it as a cover. You said she called the glossy white cover stock "nun white".

William Schanes Wow – I had completely forgotten about her amazing comment about the overall quality of the printing on our catalog cover. It's a funny comment "nun white" with what was at the time a risqué illustration

Joel Pollack Gary Fairfax is still peddling those 24 Frazetta posters.

William Schanes Wow – we sold thousands of these on our 4 stores in the 70's and 80's, I had no idea he was still in business. We used to buy these at $1.00 net per poster, as long as you ordered 100 or more assorted per order. Priced at retail at $3.00

Joel Pollack Fairfax had a lifetime contract for those 24 paintings. Frazetta was a terrible businessman, which is why Ellie took over.

William Schanes never knew about the life time poster licensing agreement

Joel Pollack Actually, I'm assuming this, since he's still selling them. The prices are much higher, as you would expect.

Larry Shell I was under the impression any deal he had with the Frazettas had expired despite his still selling them but I can't say for certain.

William Schanes thats what I had heard as well, but I'm not sure what the real story is

Eric Reynolds How on earth do you remember the terms??

William Schanes my dyslexia made reading extremely challenging, but numbers came easy, including remembering all kinds of worthless information from years gone by.