New and Old

So what's New is, the Heavy Metal Kickstarter launched, wildly successfully, surpassing its initial $5000 goal by over 80x.  More recently the Heavy Metal website shop opened again.  I did sign up for the kickstarter.  I may even order a trinket from the Heavy Metal website shop.  

Very long ago I ordered some old magazine issues from Heavy Metal as I filled out my collection in the late 2000s, but I never wanted to subscribe or order much from them, since I didn't want to be on too many mailing lists.  (how quaint.  it's funny that it kind of worked, until I used my blog email to comment on an article on the website in 2016, and a few years later I started to get HM newsletter emails, twice each, that I otherwise didn't sign up for)  And in more recent years I surely didn't order anything from them, with all the wailing I saw about unfulfilled orders.  

Now I'm inclined to take the chance, a little bit anyway, to see if it will work.  I'm just signing up for one copy with the Hildebrandt cover, not any of the dozens of variants and special metal cover this or that.  I'll just see if my card really gets charged and I really get a magazine after it closes the end of December.  I'm hoping it all goes well.

For the Old, I got a copy of Fantastic Films from November 1981, featuring the Heavy Metal movie:

As well as having the cover feature about the Heavy Metal Movie, there's a nice little HM related bonus about special effects on the movie Outland, for which there was also a feature adaptation in Heavy Metal Magazine by Jim Steranko, from mid-1981 through early 1982.

For the Heavy Metal feature, there's a nice fawning article, and an interview with John Bruno, who directed the Taarna sequence in the movie along with taking other tasks in the production:

Pretty cool going back the the days magazines being the sources of press releases and puff pieces in print media for movie promotion, with pages-long articles and two-tone photos for color movie stills.

And I'm trying to be optimistic for the actual return of Heavy Metal Magazine in print form.

Progress

Real stuff is really happening.  The HM website is up and filled with lots of things, the Discord has increasing flurries of hints and chatter.  The Kickstarter has raised some interest and may be starting soon.  No online shop as of yet, no firm magazine issue date, but social media is reactivating and linked on the site main page.

I'm pleasantly surprised.  I'll believe it when I see the new issue of the paper magazine as I hold it in my hands, but it sure looks like they're gaining momentum.  

There are still some quirks and questions, along with some great developments.  Much of the discourse on the Discord is artists speaking up and showing off and expressing interest in being in Heavy Metal Magazine.  There's also much other talk about what people want or don't want the mag to be.  I'm still trying to get used to navigating it, but it's informative to observe.  

The website includes a magazine index with cover images, some with content indexes and previews, some not, that is a work in progress.  Some of the recent issue entries only have one cover image, even though most had multiple cover images by then. 

I like how the website resurrected some of the old articles from previous website iterations, and how some links in the articles I saw were updated to refer to web archive versions.  I thought this one about Ray Harryhausen was a real treat, from 2019.

I enjoyed seeing an article again about Rock Opera including a link to a still-active youtube with Rod Kierkegaard Jr talking about it.  It's from almost 10 years ago.  Amazing.

There are newer articles too, some linking short films and other art.  A couple about the 1981 movie.  I'm not likely to read every older article, or every newer article, but I will enjoy looking at them, paging through the site every so often while waiting for more Heavy Metal Magazine developments.  I've heard it'll be a quarterly with the first issue appearing early 2025.  We'll see how true that becomes.

RIP Greg Hildebrandt

Greg Hildebrandt has passed away.  One of the famous Brothers Hildebrandt, well known and respected artists over decades-long careers.  Scifi Art had a nice feature of a handful of art pieces by them.

Perhaps most well known for work other than for Heavy Metal Magazine (such as an original Star Wars poster), their work on Heavy Metal Magazine covers, many in its earlier years, as well as illustrating a promotional release for "The Sword Of Shannara" (by Terry Brooks) in Issue #1, earns their place in Heavy Metal Magazine history.

Sadly, Greg's twin brother Tim passed away in 2006.  Remarkably, Greg continued and was active and prolific to his end.

Happily, Greg Hildebrandt had been more engaged with Heavy Metal Magazine in more recent years.  As well as a re-use of one of my favorite HM cover art pieces for Heavy Metal #314, and what I believe is a now-iconic rendering of Taarna for Heavy Metal #320, the last of its era, and a Heavy Metal 2023 Calendar, Greg Hildebrandt just recently produced a new cover art piece for the planned rebirth of Heavy Metal Magazine, which I quite enjoyed seeing.

It is sad to lose him; my condolences to his family and loved ones.  May their memories be honored, maybe even by Heavy Metal Magazine's rebirth, with the new cover art.

Heavy Metal Kickstarter

The Heavy Metal Magazine reboot seems to be proceeding apace.  After the couple of articles surfaced noted on my Look at 'em Go! post, traffic on the new "official" Discord skyrocketed, after being quite quiet during the preceding weeks.  It's kind of chaotic, many chiming in on what they want the mag to be, asking for things, with some self-righteous crankiness causing moderators to step in.  

A lot of it passes me by.  Many many creators jumping in, but that's not me.  Most fans seem to have got the itch seeing the 1981 movie, usually much later than its debut, so not many so old as me it seems.  Many people have many other interests in HM-adjacent things, like games and other fantasy comics, but I'm pretty narrow minded myself.  I don't care to pounce on every comment by self professed Heavy Metal Magazine experts pushing factual errors, or pretend to be much of an authority myself.  So I mostly lurk and chirp up a bit.

But it's really active now, with a large list of channels, and a handful of big shots, including Frank Forte, joining in discussions and dropping slightly less-obtuse hints about their plans.

Including the Kickstarter announcement:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heavymetal/heavy-metal-magazine-1

I'll sign up to see what happens.  At this time it's just signing up to notified of the launch, but I'll see what comes of it.  While there is evident optimism, there is still much to happen.  

I did like how the art in the Kickstarter ad, teasing a cover by Greg Hildebrandt, has the astronaut character reading the February 1982 issue, cover by Mr Hildebrandt, and that the reflection on the visor looks like the mag is open to pages 22 and 23 of the issue, showing The Incal Light by Jodorowsky and Moebius. 

Good on Mr Hildebrandt for the attention to detail.  I am amused.  

May we actually see this rebirth become true.  But don't hold your breath.

Look at 'em Go!

A couple of articles containing "official" announcements of Heavy Metal Magazine's rebirth have appeared:

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/heavy-metal-relaunches-with-frank-forte-chris-thompson-dave-kelly/

https://www.cbr.com/heavy-metal-magazine-returns-new-lineup/

Both apparently drawn from the same press release, and both rather lacking in "official" links.  There are some ideals expressed and references to a kickstarter for the first issue.  It sounds ... hopeful ... sad ... so many things.  It may illuminate how hard it is to restart it, how deep the hole must be, how hard the climb out will be.

But perhaps a little optimism may be warranted.  It might be nice to have a Hildebrandt cover again.  There's likely to be an initial rush of interest, there may be enough energy to make a splash and gain some momentum.  Maybe it won't suck.  So much to hope for.

I'll believe it when I see it, of course.  And we'll see then what "it" is. 

I got the links via the "fan" Discord.  There has been more chatter on the "official" Discord" as well.  There's other social media out there, of which I am without clue.  I signed up via the "official" website for a newsletter a while ago, but nothing yet.  We'll see what happens next.

HARZAKC

Retro Sci-Fi Art has done the world a service, by posting scans of Moebius' HARZAKC, from the July 1977 issue of Heavy Metal Magazine.

A snap from my screen:

I figure many Heavy Metal Magazine fans may not have been able to see this early Heavy Metal story, from the fourth issue of the magazine, so I think it's nice that Retro Sci-Fi Art put this up for all to see. 

I think it contains multitudes, but mostly I think the glimpses of violence and sex, and fear and fantasy, along with its terrific art and only somewhat cohesive storytelling, make it one of the finest examples of what Heavy Metal Magazine brought to the world, as "The adult illustrated fantasy magazine". 

So go take a look, and thanks to Retro Sci-Fi Art for sharing this with the world.

Updates

Allow me to direct your attention to the excellent heavymetalmagazinefanpage.com, where Lostboy recently and helpfully summarizes the nascent rebirth of Heavy Metal Magazine.  The heavymetal.com website shows under construction, the shop is shut down, and a new Discord is active.  I did join the new Discord and I see there are people claiming the mag will be reborn and making other positive noises, and there are many others joining.  Input is being solicited and statements seem sincere.

I want to believe, but they have such a big hole to dig themselves out of, and there is so little firm information available, about who is making this happen and why.  And when.  So I'll believe it when I see it.  But thanks for trying, hoping for the best.

Movement?

Perhaps some movement on the Heavy Metal Magazine front?  Not a political movement, or a cultural movement, nor a bowel movement, though it might yet turn to shit.

Though Bleeding Cool seems to only have rumors, lately about overheard bar gossip and more, they've been closer to right than not, over the last couple years, during Heavy Metal Magazine's demise.

The facts of the Heavy Metal website indicating "under construction" now, and a note on the "shop" page expressing contrition and vows to do better, are indeed encouraging.

Snapshots from the pages, hoping they change to something more real:

I want to believe the rumors are true, that Heavy Metal Magazine will really rematerialize, but it's hard for me to imagine that HM can successfully regenerate, make right with the many who were ripped off, and produce a print magazine again.  And that it won't suck.  I worry about who really owns it, what their intentions are, and which direction(s) it will take.  The miserable failures of the previous regime make me worry it will try and fail again to become another comic and merchandising franchise, even beyond my concerns that even the ill advised forays into digital properties and other grifts will not be avoided.

Worst, if they forgo print entirely.  If Heavy Metal Magazine is not a print magazine, what's the point?

I doubt there will be another Kevin Eastman, who came with good intentions and lots of cash, to save Heavy Metal Magazine as before.  For one thing, Kevin Eastman didn't wait until the mag was dead and gone.  (I still think Mr Eastman should be credited with keeping Heavy Metal Magazine alive long past its expiration date.)   Indeed, he came in and made it his own, for over 20 years.  But it's too much for me to hope for a similar heroic effort this time around.

If in fact they do restart the magazine, and actually address wronged customers, and it's great, I will be very happy to be wrong.  One can hope, I suppose.

So best wishes Mr Forte, and if you're really taking this on, thanks for trying.

Illustration Art

Considering my interest in illustration, from kids drawings and reading newspaper funnies years ago, to some comic books and MAD Magazine, to undergrounds then Heavy Metal Magazine, and my interest in the historical rise and fall of technologies, I think it's valuable to see this article that refers to the beginnings of illustration as we knew it:

https://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2024/06/at-starting-line-when-gun-went-off.html

(I've not seen Heavy Metal Magazine referred to over at illustrationart.blogspot.com, but I've visited via theporporbooksblog.blogspot.com/ site, and enjoyed seeing and learning more about illustration from it.)

I thought it was cool to think about how printing technology could develop to make printing illustrations cheap enough to foster an artistic flowering that benefited artists and the consumers of their art, and influencing the social landscapes as well, from around the mid-19th century.  And how digital technology has developed enough to now supersede printing on paper as the dominant media tool.  

And how Heavy Metal Magazine can be considered to have come into being near the end of print's dominance, and lived until the beginning of digital's ascendance.  

I'm interested in groundbreaking technologies, that are surpassed in the fields they birth, like film for photography, like cathode ray tubes for TV, like VHS or Beta for home video recording.  Like wired telephones.  (Like Heavy Metal Magazine for Adult Illustrated Fantasy Magazines?  Maybe not so much, I don't know of anything close.)

With this interest, and with my interest in illustration sustained by my enjoyment of Heavy Metal Magazine, I have enjoyed looking at illustrationart.blogspot.com for many bits of historical knowledge, and this post more than many.  I hope you can gain some enjoyment as well.

Heavy Metal Movie Music Ads

I forgot one of the amusing parts about the Heavy Metal 1981 Movie Music.  The only ad I came across in the magazine from the time, was in the September 1981 issue, with the now-iconic Chris Achilleos Taarna art used for the movie and music:

Inside the front cover is this ad for the Heavy Metal Movie Music:

Interesting for the lack of detail on the music itself, with little mention of songs and formats etc, soundtrack nor score.  

And amusing for referring to Taarna's mount as their "pet Edaphosaurid".  Not only is the edaphosaurid not a flying type dinosaur (more of a dimetrodon), as I was surmising in my review of HM #302, but this ad is the most attention given to Taarna's mount in the entire production and time since.  (I purposely ignore the ill-advised attempt to give it a name as was tried in the recent disastrous regime.  Medney and Erwin?  Yeah fuck those guys.)  And it's like they just picked a funny dinosaur name.  At least they got a lot of use out of Achilleos's artwork (hope he got paid for it).

I also came across an ad in the January 1996 issue, for the Movie Soundtrack on CD, which reinforces my idea that it was released at the same time the Movie was released on video.

Hard to believe this is coming up on 30 years ago.  How about writing in a card number on a piece of paper and mailing it in to order something?  Online shopping wasn't quite a thing in 1996.

Crap I'm old.  Such fun, finding amusement in these old magazines.