Frank Frazetta's iconic painting *Conan the Berserker* (1967) is being auctioned at Heritage Auctions with an opening bid of $10 million. The work, originally created for the cover of the 1967 paperback *Conan the Conqueror*, has become one of the definitive images of the fantasy hero. This year alone, five Frazetta paintings have sold for over $1 million, including *Man Ape* (1966) which fetched $13.5 million in September. The artist's total sales volume was just $674,640 in 2018, according to the Artnet Price Database.
The soaring market for Frazetta's work reflects a growing recognition of fantasy art, long marginalized by the fine art establishment. Heritage Auctions director Sarahjane Blum notes that the artist's market strength signals 'robust interest' in fantasy and illustration fields. The painting was acquired directly from Frazetta in 2009 by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett for $1 million, suggesting a potential ninefold return. This trajectory underscores how genre art, supported by passionate fandoms, can thrive outside traditional institutional validation.