The Art of Oliver Frey (Zack) - A Retrospective and A Tribute (Patreon)

What is art? It is a contribution, something we create and then it is out there in the world, a testament to our abilities. It is something that is done for it's own sake, not for a practical purpose, but to capture meaning and ideas in a way that another can view them as well. What is, if not a legacy, a proof of ourselves, our creativity and our soul that can endure long after we are no longer part of the same world.

I think on these thoughts of 'legacy' in relation to this post's subject, Oliver Frey, a prolific artist who's career and creations serves as a personal inspiration to me.

Oliver Frey, who often created his erotic works under the penname Zack, was an influential gay artist in the 1970s and 1980s and created such a collection of creations that they are as gorgeous to look at as when I first saw them. Born in June 1948 in Zürich, Switzerland, Frey ended up living a good part of his adult life here in the United Kingdom with his lifelong partner, writer Roger Kean, for whom Frey did a large number of the book cover artwork for.

Frey's personal tastes are quite clear and translated clearly over into his art. He enjoyed seeing young man ravaged and seduced into the throes of pleasure by older or more experienced fellows; the exploration of sexuality through discovery and adventure; and using vastly different time periods and settings in his works.  This was quite clear in the small range of erotic comics he published during his life, stand outs of which include 'Champ's Party'; 'Bike Boy'; 'Slaves to Lust'; and 'Message to the Emperor' (my personal favourite).

Frey moved between contemporary periods, fantasy and science fiction within his themes and displayed a great deal of versatile of ideas within his work. His erotic pieces were featured in a range of publications such as HIM Magazine, Man-to-Man Magazine, and Meatman Magazine to name a few.

Frey passed away in August 2022 but he leaves behind a body of work that can be enjoyed for many, many years ahead. And isn't that something worthy to aspire to?

To give you an idea of what his style is like here is a small selection of Frey's works:

'High Speed Bike Action #1' (1980, digitally coloured 2012.)

'Paying For the Ride', (1991)

'Making Waves on Cebu' (1989)

'Getting Fresh' (1980)

'In The Bushes' (1981)

'Trucker's Rest-Stop Break' (1991)

'Bellhop's Tip' (1989)

'Anyone For Dennis?' (1989)

'Juicy Target' (1979)

'Winner Takes All' (1979)

'Snake Warrior' (1996)

You can find more about Oliver and his works over on his two dedicated sites here:

https://www.zack-art.com/

https://www.oliverfreyart.com/ 

If you would like to read more details of Oliver's live 

https://downthetubes.net/in-memoriam-illustrator-and-comic-artist-oliver-frey/