Wild Woman & Conquerors. Sketch #438 used as the title page art for Lost Worlds of Fantasy & Science Fiction #4 and also appears on page 89 of the sketchbook.
Classic Frazetta influenced layout.
Feast or famine. Or, when it rains, it rains (part 2).
Not being a man of means, my lack of success with art auctions would seem rather predictable. Meaning to say, I usually get my ass kicked. In this particular instance, I decided to hedge my bets by placing a bid on not one, not two, but three pieces. Hoping that at least one might hold up. Well, I got one. Then I got another one. Then another one. Did I want three of these things? Not particularly. But on the positive side, the cost of these three sketches works out to about what I paid for the last Hembeck sketch card I won. And that type of bargain math never fails to put a smile on my face.
So, Mike Hoffman. I’ve been aware of Mike’s work for at least 30 years. I would imagine that my initial assessment of his work was similar to most others seeing it for the first time. Copycat, clone, wannabe, call it what you will, the Frazetta influence was unmistakable. And there was nothing subtle about it. With that sentiment, you might think I’ve spent the past 30-plus years being dismissive of Mike’s artistic contributions. Well, yes and no.
Interestingly enough, while I’ve always been dismissive of ever actually owning any Hoffman art, I nevertheless always took the time to at least look at the art whenever I came across it. Say whatever you want about his work, but for me it was always worth a look. Then, gradually, something began to happen. He went from being “that Frazetta guy” to being THE Frazetta guy. The dedication, consistency, and longevity of doing this Frazetta influenced work became his identity. The copycat, clone, and wannabe labels began to fade and I began to think of him as a loyal disciple carrying a very important torch. He is certainly never going to make anyone forget Frazetta. But that’s exactly the point. He does what he does as a loving reminder. At the same time making sure the art world understands that his name is Mike Hoffman. Not Frank Frazetta.
So who is the inspiration for this accidental triple win? Who do I have to thank for even going down this road in the first place? None other than my good friend Artless Artmore. While I may have gone from having zero Hoffman art to suddenly owning three pieces, my buddy AA has no less than FORTY of these things! That’s right 4-0. If you don’t believe me, swing by his gallery and see for yourself. While you’re there, you may want to peruse the rest of his amazing collection. You’ll be glad you did.
Anyway, my thanks to Artless for the eye opening inspiration. And of course huge thanks to Mike Hoffman for a very pleasant transaction and three wonderful drawings. Going forward, I think I’ll stick to bidding on one piece at a time. LOL!
Thanks to those who stopped by to take a look.
