It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Brian Franczak, one of the all-time greats of paleo-art, died on August 1, 2020 in New Britain, Connecticut. He was 65 years old. The cause of death is unknown.
Brian Franczak was one of the greatest paleo-artists of the second half of the 20th Century. In fact, he might be one of the greatest ever. The man was staggeringly prolific. Churning out hundreds of artworks over his life, his drawings and paintings (especially his paintings) were featured in numerous books about dinosaurs throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He even painted the designs for the cards that came with the Jurassic Park toys in 1993. It also helped that his artwork had a very distinctive style. Nobody, absolutely NOBODY, could mistake a Franczak painting or drawing for anyone else’s.
By the late 1990s or early 2000s, Brian Franczak had essentially disappeared from public life. Information about what had happened was scarce, and all that was really known for sure was that he was living in Connecticut. By 2017, it was revealed that Brian Franczak had been diagnosed with dementia, and it was rumored that he was suffering through severe health issues.
R.I.P. Brian Franczak (January 19, 1955 – August 1, 2020). Your work and your legacy will not be forgotten.
Categories: Paleontology, Uncategorized
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 
Earlier birthdate, I’m sure. Darren Naish put it at 1955, which sounds about right.
Sorry, that was a typo. I fixed it.
Wow, just heard about this. Loved his artwork ever since I was a kid and I am still scouring the internet looking for his paintings. He was my favorite Paleoartist (honestly loved his works more than the dinosaurs they represented). He will be missed. RIP.