Kelly Freas was a science fiction illustrator whose images included robots, aliens and exotic women. He is most associated with the shaping of the image of Alfred E. Newman "Mad" magazine" mascot. He began with "Mad" in the 1950s, and spent seven years as the main cover artist creating humorous portraits including Newman, the "freckled, front-tooth-deprived purveyor of the phrase, 'What? Me Worry?' "

Freas had a career lasting more than fifty years. His illustration work was for book covers for writers including Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, A.E. Van Vogt, Poul Anderson and Frederik Pohl. He also designed the official patch of NASA's 1973 Skylab 1 orbiting space station.

Freas (pronounced "freeze") also created the cover of Queen's 1977 album "News of the World," and a picture of a werewolf that appeared in the movie "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

Born on August 27, 1922, in Hornell, New York, Frank Kelly Freas showed early art talent. Freas graduated from the AIP in 1951. During World War II, he did photo reconnaissance in the Pacific Ocean and amused himself and others by painting images of beautiful women on the noses of bomber airplanes.

Freas received eleven Hugo awards for his science fiction illustrations.

Freas at age 82 died in 2005 at his home in Los Angeles.

Source:
The Associated Press.

Updated 1/31/2022 with information from Laura Brodian Freas Beraha