melvins houdini offspring americana

Frank Kozik, artist who designed album covers for Melvins, Offspring & more, dead at 61

Frank Kozik, the artist who designed album covers for Melvins, The Offspring, Queens of the Stone Age and more, died on Saturday. He was 61. The news was confirmed on Frank’s Instagram with this statement:

Frank was a man larger than himself, an icon in each of the genres he worked in. He dramatically changed every industry he was a part of. He was a creative force of nature. We are so beyond lucky and honored to have been part of his journey, and he will be missed beyond what words could ever express.

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, will live on through his art and our memories of him.

A military brat, Frank was born in Madrid but later moved to California and then Austin, where he began working at music venues and subsequently started making show flyers. In the early ’90s, he moved to San Francisco to open a print shop; by then his bold, blocky, colorful and subversively nostalgic style was fully formed. He did a lot of art for Melvins, including their 1993 album Houdini.

Other notable works: Queens of the Stone Age‘s 1998 self-titled debut, The Offspring‘s Americana, directing the music video for Soundgarden‘s “Pretty Noose,” and art for Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Helmet, Stone Temple Pilots, blink-182, and more.

Rest easy, Frank.