| Roy Krenkel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Roy Gerald Krenkel July 11, 1918 |
| Died | February 24, 1983 (aged 64) |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Artist |
| Pseudonym(s) | RGK |
Roy Gerald Krenkel (11 July 1918 – 24 February 1983), often referred to as simply RGK, was an American illustrator who specialized in fantasy drawings and paintings.
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His artwork revealed the strong influence of artist Norman Lindsay, in addition to Franklin Booth, Joseph Clement Coll and J. Allen St. John. In 1963, Krenkel won the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist. Before serving in World War II he studied with George Bridgman at the Art Students League of New York.
After WWII, he attended Burne Hogarth's classes at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, which became the School of Visual Arts. There he met a group of young cartoonists, including Joe Orlando, Frank Frazetta and Al Williamson. Frazetta noted, "I met Roy Krenkel back in 1949 or 1950, and he has never ceased to be a constant source of inspiration to me — a truly conscientious artist who will not tolerate incompetence."
Krenkel sometimes collaborated with Frazetta and Williamson on pages the trio drew for EC Comics particularly in Weird Science, Weird Fantasy and Weird Science-Fantasy. His splash page contribution to Williamson's “Food for Thought” (Incredible Science Fiction 32, November–December 1955), a highly detailed alien landscape, is often regarded as a peak achievement in comic book illustration. Krenkel only drew one solo story for EC, the unsigned “Time to Leave” (Incredible Science Fiction 31, September–October, 1955), displaying a futuristic cityscape of architectural splendors. Krenkel inked many of Williamson's comic stories for Marvel and ACG in the 1950s as well.
He did several illustrations for science fiction magazines. Science fiction author Harry Harrison recalled, “Krenkel was a master penciler. I know. When he shared a studio with me and Wally Wood, I inked one of his illustrations for Marvel Science Fiction magazine. The influence of fine artists Norman Lindsay and Alma Tadema can be seen in his work.”
Notable are his 23 paperback book cover paintings as well as frontispieces for Edgar Rice Burroughs or other fantasy writers published by Donald A. Wollheim at Ace Books & during the later part of the 1960s contributed cover paintings to DAW Books as well as Lancer Books who revived Robert E. Howard creator of Conan the Barbarian with revisions by L. Sprague de Camp in which Roy Krenkel was credited by cover artist Frank Frazetta as adviser. Krenkel also created preliminary roughs which Frank Frazetta modified and used to paint covers for Warren Publishing Creepy & Eerie magazines. Krenkel drew one page "Creepy's Loathsome Lore" and "Eerie's Monster Gallery" stories as well as inks and rough layouts for "H2O World" with collaborator Al Williamson. During the 1970s, he illustrated both covers and interiors for Robert Howard's The Sowers of the Thunder and The Road of Azrael published by Donald M. Grant. It was at this time Krenkel created seven special paintings for a limited edition portfolio to illustrate the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Krenkel also contributed to several science-fantasy fan publications, including Richard A. Lupoff's Xero, the Burroughs-oriented ERB-dom and Amra, devoted to the works of Robert E. Howard.
Danton Burroughs, the grandson of Edgar Rice Burroughs, commented, “Roy Krenkel was a key factor in the 1960s revival of my grandfather's writings. Krenkel's illustrations forever secured his position as one of the all-time great Edgar Rice Burroughs illustrators.”
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