Attached Link: http://my.aol.com/news/news_story.psp?type=4&cat=0800&id=2005010315030001321120

Damn! I never knew his name, but I certainly knew his work. What a sad loss.

It is a very sad loss to the science fiction world. We don't think of Kelly as a comic artist, but as the creator of so many covers. He was always a gentleman. He always had a sharp sense of humor. I'll never forget the phone call where he asked me to do a piece of work for him... I replied "shouldn't that be the other way around?". But he was just made the art director for Writers of the Future and needed a dozen stories illustrated within the week by artists he thought were up & coming. He sent a 12,000 word manuscript... the story concerned a ghost in the flux drive for a spaceship powered by DaVincian mechanics and operated by Victorians... it had everything but the kitchen sink. I tucked a kitchen sink in the art, and it was the first thing he noticed. ;^) I'm going to miss him. He knew what people liked in their space scenes: elegant women, bright colors, intriguing aliens, and he gave us that with style and wit and the polish born of many many decades of professionalism. Carolly

I can tell his work, almost on sight, just need to see any larger stars, he had an almost unique way of doing large starlights. I have several of his covers signed :)

I never "heard" of him, but I'm quite familiar with his art (I just never had any idea who produced it). Carolly, that's really cool that you got to do some work for him, too. Well, at least he had a long and productive life.

That is sad, I remember seeing his name in some of the older mad magazines (reprints).

Kelly was a very nice man. A bit off beat. I liked that about him. I had the pleasure of treating him and his wife to dinner at Dragon*con a couple of years ago. They were a lot of fun. That is one of the moments in my life I won't forget. You could tell that his wife loved him dearly. She also made a point of taking care of his every need. Joe

Frank Kelly Freas is my favorite artist. His was the first "Art" book I ever bought, back when I was young. TO this day I tend to buy any book with one of his covers, wheither I read it or not. It's a sad day for sci-fi and art to loose his talent and I will personally miss his work. Mike

Whoa. I saw his work for most of my early life and didn't even know it. This is a loss.

And so passes another member of First Fandom....but you sure as hell can't be the company he's in now.

My heart goes out to Laura, they were a couple very much in love with each other. He was a great man, very sweet and encouraging to me. I shall miss him.

My heart goes out to Laura, they were a couple very much in love with each other. He was a great man, very sweet and encouraging to me. I shall miss him.

He was one the greats. The cover for Queen is one of those classic images.