FRANK FRAZETTA PAINTING SELLS FOR $1.5 MILLION

A 1971 PAINTING BY FANTASY ARTIST FRANK FRAZETTA HAS SOLD FOR $1.5 MILLION, TWO MONTHS AFTER THE PENNSYLVANIA ARTIST'S DEATH. FRAZETTA'S MANAGERS SAID THIS WEEK THAT A PRIVATE COLLECTOR BOUGHT 'CONAN THE DESTROYER' FROM A FAMILY TRUST. MANAGERS ROBERT PISTELLA AND STEPHEN FERZOCO CALL THE PRICE THE HIGHEST EVER PAID FOR A WORK BY FRAZETTA. THE ILLUSTRATOR DIED IN FLORIDA IN MAY AT THE AGE OF 82. HIS ICONIC ILLUSTRATIONS OF CONAN THE BARBARIAN, TARZAN AND OTHER CHARACTERS OFTEN GRACED COMIC BOOKS, ALBUM COVERS AND MOVIE POSTERS. IN RECENT YEARS, HIS CHILDREN HAVE FOUGHT OVER THE ESTATE ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE FEUD BOILED OVER IN DECEMBER WHEN FRANK FRAZETTA JR USED A BACKHOE TO TRY TO BREAK INTO TEH ARTIST'S MUSEUM IN THE POCONO MOUNTAINS.