Here on DMR blog we extol Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010) for many reasons. First, we’re all metal fans. But we also praise him because the website of a heroic fantasy publisher couldn’t be more apropos. Dio was, in fact, a sword-and-sorcery hero.
Read MoreThe passing of H. Rider Haggard marked the end of a heroic era. He was the foremost titan amongst a titanic generation of mainly British authors--many of whom became Forefathers of Sword and Sorcery--who rose to prominence in the late 1800s. Haggard's torch was in good hands, having already been passed to the likes of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Talbot Mundy, A. Merritt...and to a young Texan Haggard fan named Robert E. Howard.
Read MoreArtist Glen Orbik died on this date in 2015 after a long battle with cancer. His star had risen steadily during the previous decade and he seemed destined for even greater things.
Read MoreThe Canaveral Press edition of Tarzan and the Castaways was Frazetta’s first chance at illustrating a book in the more prestigious hardcover format. Like the major league ballplayer he very nearly became, Frank swung for the fences.
Read MoreThis week: Elric, Frazetta, H.P. Lovecraft, vampires, reviews of biographies of Robert E. Howard and Jack Vance, and more.
Read MoreThe tenth anniversary of Frank Frazetta’s death is tomorrow. That got me thinking back to the days right after he passed away. All of us bloggers at The Cimmerian knew we had to give Frazetta his due.
Read MoreGustave Flaubert died on this date in 1880. While most famous for his novel, Madame Bovary, and dubbed "The Father of French Literary Realism", Gustave nonetheless had a strong influence on the early formation of sword-and-sorcery through his novels, Salammbo and The Temptation of Saint Anthony.
Read MoreWith tributes, remembrances, and recaps of the life and art of Frank Frazetta lying spread across the internet like blue mantles beneath the stars, I found myself struggling to come up with anything fresh or meaningful to say about the Greatest Fantasy Illustrator of All Time that hasn’t already been said. But as we approach the 10th anniversary of his death (May 10, 2010), I asked myself, What is it about Frazetta’s style that keeps me coming back to his images?
Read MoreThis week: Corum, Red Sonja, Haggard, peplum films, and news from Cirsova Publishing and Goodman Games.
Read MoreThe literary landscape of the 1920s, when it came to historical adventure fiction, was dominated by Rafael Sabatini. This is the bloody milieu in which sword and sorcery took root.
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