Since its founding in 1977, Heavy Metal has lived a few lifetimes. Which seems only appropriate considering some of the material it brought to U.S. comic fans. At one point, one incarnation tried to be a full line of comics, with Grant Morrison as a creative advisor. For the past couple of decades, no one version has stayed around too long. That’s just being honest.
But I have hope for this latest one. Two days into a Kickstarter campaign and their success has been overwhelming. Like it or not, the Kickstarter model ensures there’s an audience — and distribution — for a given book. With this incarnation, editors Frank Forte, Dave Kelly, and Chris Thompson combine the best of the old magazine with new creators sharing the same vision. Offering a cover by the late Frank Frazetta is almost a given, but his work echoes with newer talent like Dan Brererton.
It’s also a story line-up of old and new. Out of the original line-up, Enki Bilal returns with an English-language adaptation of his series BUG. The magazine will also feature previously unseen chapters in Burton & Cyb by Antonio Segura and Jose Ortiz, as well as Vicente Segrelles’ lost classic, The Mercenary. Adding to the new, the first issue marks the English language debut of Janevsky’s cult sci-fi heroine, Sixella.
Admittedly, they’re all new to me. But that’s what Heavy Metal did for me as a younger reader — introducing worlds and visions from creators that hadn’t toiled in the fields of DC and Marvel. Of course, they’re also bringing back Taarna, a character featured in the 1981 animated film who was part of that previously mentioned solo comic book. Writers Leah Moore and John Reppion will create a new take on Taarna with artist Anna Morozova. Joseph MIchael Linsner will also add “Legends of Taarna.”
Editorial promises brand-new features as well, starting with Transcendestiny from David Quinn and Tim Vigil. Fernando Dagnino will be contributing a series of cyberpunk shorts, which he’s been warming up for through Titan Comics’ Blade Runner.
And what caught our eyes on the magazine stands in the 1970s — the covers. One of the late Greg Hildebrandt’s paintings provides the cover the first issue, but the Kickstarter campaign offers plenty of variants. So the real question is — are you going to take a ride on Heavy Metal?
ADDENDUM: At the same time, Humanoids Publishing has revived Metal Hurlant, the European magazine that inspired Heavy Metal. No need for a war; both efforts seem to have the rights to different properties from the original magazine. Both are bringing in new stories by recognized U.S. talent as well. Both have had tremendous response on Kickstarter in a short amount of time. Whether it’s nostalgia or a hunger for comics that are just a bit different, there’s room for both to succeed.
