Notice how Frazetta hasn’t bothered to construct any kind of a harness for the Silver Warrior’s polar bear sleigh team and how Chaykin’s attempt to supply Urlik Skarsol’s polar bear team with a semi-plausible harness — with collars that look as though they might be made out of big, black inner tubes recycled from old truck tires — actually diminishes rather than enhances Frazetta’s gloriously silly original concept by drawing undue attention to the mundane question of how, exactly, the fantasy hero’s cool mode of transportation could be made to work in the real world and whether Chaykin’s design is, in fact, a viable solution.
BONUS IMAGE (Added 27 December 2013):
Ragged Claws Network 
Both the polar bears and the horse in the earlier post point out what an influence Frank Frazetta has been on Fantasy art in general. It’s almost as if people come to expect it, as if there’s no other way but to do it like Frazetta. Which while it shows his greatness, also shows a lack of imagination, perhaps. But that may be harsh, since it seems art sometimes evolves in leaps and bounds, when some genius comes along and does his/her unique thing, then everybody does it. And who can blame any Fantasy (or other) artist who wishes to be like Frazetta?
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Did Clayton really say that Frazetta lacked imagination on this piece? Probably the only thing I disagree with. I remember when this piece first debuted. To be honest, no one noticed what should be obvious. There is no harness. There are no reins yet the warrior is propelled forth.
Frazetta will always get a pass with me. Chaykin as well. His art in the 70’s was masterful and it’s a pity we lacked the distribution network that should’ve propelled Sword and Sorcery (DC) into Legend.
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You are mistaken, Robin. Clayton never said that Frazetta lacked imagination. The ones who lack imagination, in Clayton’s view, are those who behave as though Frazetta’s way of drawing and painting fantasy subjects is the only way to do so.
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but obsequiousness is not a virtue, in art or in life.
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