This is a "best of" collection of stories that were published during the first two years (1977-1979) of the U.S. edition of HEAVY METAL. It is introduced by Sean Kelly who was the editor of the magazine from this period. Stories are reprinted from those earliest issues including those reprinted from the French Mothership, METAL HURLANT. Drop your helmet visor and fasten your seatbelts for a couple of days and take a deep dive into what adult comic art is all about.
HEAVY METAL SPECIAL EDITIONS #2: THE BEST OF HEAVY METAL
1982 (No month)
Publisher: HM Communications, Inc.
Editor: ?
Cover: Moebius
Pages: 100
Cover price: $2.95
CONTENTS
"Ballade"
Script and Art: Moebius
"Den's Farewell"
Script and Art: Richard Corben
"White Knight"
Script: Zha
Art: Nicole Claveloux
"Jet Man"
Script and Art: Angus McKie
"City of Flowers"
Script: Philippe Druillet
Art: Monsieur Picotto
"Master"
Script and Art: Jean-Michel Nicollet
"The Death of Orlaon:\"
Script and Art: Enki Bilal
"Going to Pieces"
Script and Art: François Schuiten
"Mama's Place"
Script and Art: Arthur Suydam
"Approaching Centauri"
Script: Philippe Druillet
Art: Moebius
"Virgo"
Script and Art: Caza
"Freefall"
Script and Art: Moebius
"Planet of Terror"
Script: Paul La Montellerie
Art: Caza
Ah Heavy Metal. This was getting near the end of my young, manic comic buying era. For me, it was always hit or miss in regards to the stories. And even the hits weren't all that great. Quite a bit like early '70's underground comics. Again that's just my opinion. A lot of them seemed like just an excuse to draw boobs.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are very much like underground comics albeit with a European influence. I suspect since they were unfettered by conventional restrictions, the artists chose more uninhibited story lines and images, obviously more refined than a lot of the undergrounds, many of which deliberately set out to shock, gross-out and whatever else they could accomplish as an element of their counterculture viewpoints.
ReplyDeleteI had already gotten a few issues of METAL HURLANT and other similar European comics through Bud Plant before HEAVY METAL was announced in an issue of NATIONAL LAMPOON, and I was eagerly awaiting its first issue.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was great for the first couple of years but promptly lost steam in the '80s for the most part, and I stopped buying it about a year after it had gone to a quarterly. Eventually, I tossed out all my old collection when I had to downsize.
Even though the story content is a little cringe-inducing these days, the art still holds up (Moebius! Corben! Caza!) so it was nice to see this collection and revisit this publication!
Thanks for posting it, John!
-- hsc
I agree -- the stories were hit and miss after its initial few years. The visuals remained for the large part astounding, but the stories themselves were uneven. Still, a landmark publication.
ReplyDelete