Frank Kozik, the iconic graphic artist behind album covers including The Offspring's “Americana” and Queens of the Stone Age's self-titled debut, has died. He was 61 years old.
Kojik's death was confirmed by his wife, Sharon, who did not give a cause of death but said that his passing was “unexpected”.
More From Variety
In a statement she said: “We are devastated to inform you that Frank Kozik passed away unexpectedly last Saturday. Frank was a man greater than himself, in each of the genres he worked in.” He was an icon in the U.S. He dramatically changed every industry he was a part of. He was a creative force of nature. We are so fortunate and honored to have been a part of his journey and will miss him beyond words. Will be done.
“He loved his wife, his cats, classic muscle cars, mentoring others, and Disneyland. His forceful presence will be missed by all who knew him. His legacy, like all great masters, is his art and his ours.” Will continue to be loved through the memories. More details about the memorial service will be coming soon. For now, we ask you to respect our privacy during this difficult time.
Born in Madrid, Spain, on January 9, 1962, Kozic spent his formative years growing up under Franco, the fascist dictator of Spain. As a teenager, he moved to America, living in Sacramento with his father before joining the Air Force, which saw him stationed in Austin.
A self-taught artist, in his late teens he began creating artwork for bands of friends, starting with black and white flyers affixed to telephone poles. He soon moved into concert posters including large silkscreen prints for bands such as Pearl Jam, The White Stripes, The Beastie Boys, Green Day, neil young and Nirvana. He also directed several music videos, including Soundgarden's “Pretty Nose”.
Kozik eventually started his own record label, Man's Ruin Records, which released over 200 singles and albums by artists including the Sex Pistols and Queens of the Stone Age (whose debut single was released through Man's Ruin Records). Kozik also designed most of the artwork.
Kozik closed his label in the early 1990s to focus on other media, including toys and collectibles. He became the head creative office for the collectibles company Kidrobot, designing over 500 limited edition figures including their iconic Labbit characters (vinyl smoking rabbits), for which they collaborated with licensees such as DC and Marvel to create superhero-inspired versions. Did.
His work, which inspired a generation of graphic artists and collectible toy designers, saw him collaborate with brands such as Nike and Swatch.
Several musicians and artists paid tribute to Kozik on social media, including drummer Martin Atkins, who has worked with Nine Inch Nails and Killing Joke. Atkins tweeted: “So sad to hear about the passing of Frank Kozik. One of his first posters was #Pigface in 1991, which he gave us permission to reproduce a few years back. Rip brother.
Label Rocket Recordings also paid tribute, writing: “Saddened to hear the news about the untimely death of Frank Kozik. He was a huge influence in the early days of Rocket, so much so that he designed our first logo. A huge and sad loss for DIY arts and culture. rest in Power Frank.
Kojic is survived by his wife, Sharon.
best of variety
sign up for Variety's newsletter, Follow us for latest news Facebook, TwitterAnd Instagram,