KRENKEL, Roy G(erald Jr)

(1918-1983)

   US illustrator. A lifelong resident of New York, he studied at Burne Hogarth's School of Visual Arts after WWII and started his career at EC COMICS, where he became friends with Frank FRAZETTA. A great deal of his art, heavily influenced by the work of J. Allen ST JOHN and also by the Australian artist Norman Lindsay (1879-1969), was published in the SWORD-AND-SORCERY fanzine Amra (George H. SCITHERS), where it came to theattention of Donald A. WOLLHEIM of ACE BOOKS. Ace were planning to reprint many of the works of Edgar Rice BURROUGHS, and Krenkel's style fitted perfectly. RGF did about 20 of these Burroughs covers, and because of their popularity won a 1963 HUGO as Best Professional Artist; when he could not meet all the deadlines, he got Wollheim to ask Frazetta onto the project, thus launching Frazetta's sf career. Krenkel also did covers for DAW BOOKS, some interior work for sf magazines and, most celebratedly,cover and interior illustrations for several Robert E. HOWARD collections published by Donald M. Grant. Though his covers were good, it was with his pen-and-ink work, his first love, that he was most at home; it is both delicate and spirited. All his best work was in the field of HEROIC FANTASY. A book of his work is Cities \& Scenes from the Ancient World(1974).

   JG/PN

   See also: COMICS.