Well, I got #296 on the last day of 2019, just making 5 issues I got in that year, including Soft Wood. As for #295, the cover price is $9.99 and it's got 200 pages. It's the "Street Art Special".
(As foretold by Heavy Metal Magazine Magazine Senior Editor R.G. Llarena, #297 followed shortly after, and I spent time reading that instead of working on this review. It's going on three months getting this review out, and now #298 is supposed to be out, but I have not seen it in a store yet. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it with everything closing.)
I got the Cover "A" at the bookstore, by Tristan Eaton. I really wish I could find my 3D glasses for it.
On the contents pages, there's a Guest Editorial by Ron English, he's credited as Guest Editor, and the list of big shots not only includes a credit for the HM logo to Peter Kleinman again, there are changes including Josh Roberston as Digital Editor, and Matthew Medney as CEO. Brian Witten and Paul Reder are not found, no more Mr Morrison either. At the bottom is a "Special Thanks to Jeff Krelitz, this issue's Executive Creative Director, and former CEO." So there's more shakeup at my favorite mag, and an interview gives the new CEO a chance to talk about his vision. Knowing there's more to the story keeps me from getting too excited just yet.
To the magazine, which I enjoyed.
Ron English's short editorial describes how he learned that street art is more than graffiti on city walls. Though the contents pages' art is a painted cityscape, which I didn't see a credit for, maybe even Mr English did it.
"In Charon's Orbit" by Deih - 7.5 - It's noted as # 1 in The Insider Series. So, did Charon really dump that guy into the river Styx? Is that why he seems lost in the underworld? I guess that's why he's so torn up about it. The story is better than my lame attempt at humor, instrospective and perplexing. I get some serious Druillet vibe from this one, the characterization, the sense of internal and external space. I wish we could see more.
"The Rabbbits" by Ron English - 7 - Mr English's wacky story of the 3-eyed 3-eared Rabbbits, and their falling into a hole with other character-creatures, and the creation of Delusionville. This could almost be the prequel to Mr English's "Combrats" from HM #292.
"Within One Minute Forward, Get the Brightest Days of Fortune" by Faith XLVII - 6 - The title is only listed on the Contents page, and the story includes "Special Appearance by Keya Tama". A poetic mystical journey into the desert. To bury a cat? Art stark and stylized, the story told with few words.
"Graffiti Pulp: 100% True Stories of Art Crime" - 7.5 - Cover Artist Tristan Eaton's tale of 90s Detroit graffiti missions, one in particular. A fun read accompanied by many examples of the artist's work.
Gallery - "Wynwood Walls" - 6 - Jessica Goldman Srebnik, CEO of Goldman Properties and Founder and CEO of Goldman Global Arts, is interviewed by Hannah Means-Shannon, about Wynwood Walls, an outdoor street art showcase in Miami. Several pretty photos of the place crawling with tourists accompany Ms Means-Shannon's insightful questioning and Ms Goldman Srebnik's practiced answers. The photos are not credited, I think they come from the WW organization (though I didn't see them at their website). It is cool that some of the artists in this HM Street Art Special are also featured at this art park. I did start to think of the long societal relationship of art with powerful benefactors, a topic more learned persons than myself would be able to discuss. I also thought the tractor tread benches were cool, and that Ron English is noted as from Decatur IL.
"Dr. Nihil and the Tremendous Blunder" by Corentin Pedro, Mike Owen, Wendie Owen, Eric Ghoste, Jon Tanners - 6 - Oh just your atypical mutant mad scientist animating his android creation. What could go wrong? Art that's energetic and abbreviated at once, the cover and story are different but the same, and a short story with few words. This appears to be a thing, they have a toy.
"How Big of a Dick Are You?" by Olek - 8 - A rambling slightly linear story told in the third person about Agata, a NYC based artist, and a fraction of their personal journey. Accompanied by snaps of Igram posts. I found it fascinating. Is it art? Is it Street Art? They say so, and I believe it.
"The Smile of the Absent Cat" by Grant Morrison and Gerhardt - 6 - Titled "chapter five: the opening of an eye". This seems like filler in this Street Art Special, but I'm glad this story is being continued. This chapter extends the story into another institution, for humans this time, where a resident paints on a mirror what he "sees". The apparent intersection of realities is part of the story, apparently. It's "eye opening" as well as a little confusing. This chapter ends with "to be concluded".
Gallery with Hebru Brantley - 6 - Another instance of good art that doesn't reach me, my loss as always. The kids with goggles and in superhero outfits are pretty nice, but is HM the right place for this? Hannah Means-Shannon's interview fills in many of the spaces for me, Mr Hebru has a lot to say, in his words and his art.
"The Language of Revolution" by Swoon and Stephanie Phillips - 6 - Photos of really cool street art, dynamic and intense. The story is an old man lamenting to his son, how his art called him away from fatherhood, to join the revolution. That rubbed me the wrong way, since even as he expresses regret for his failure to be present, the regret is more about his own pain than about his son's, showing that dad still doesn't get it.
"Vandal" by Nick Walker, Joseph Keatinge, Ferran Delgado - 7 - Or "The Vandal" on the Contents page. "Artists walk the street no longer! Save one!" Fighting the power of the soulless city with street art, Vandal enlists the Rogs to lookout as he fills the streets with said art. Almost quaint in succession to the previous story.
"The Chronicles of Brick Lady" by Lady Pink, Roger Smith, Matt O'Connor - 7 - Through centuries, millenia, ages, a Brick Baby grows and becomes Brick Lady, as generations of civilizations pass beneath and around her. Adored, worshiped, ignored, moved, infiltrated, shattered, loved, she lives many lives. The art appears composed of a handful of painted scenes, with drawn art in between to fill in the story. There are a few historical references I caught, and likely some I missed. One of the paintings reminded me of a scene in the 1981 Heavy Metal Movie, the woman-shaped nightclub with the entrance between the legs.
"Free Your Mind!" by Nychos - 8.5 - Starting with poetic prose and skeletal drawings; then building-sized paintings. I marveled at the scope and scale of the work. Such imaginative depth. Such impressive detail. I was mystified: "Morals", "Scleral Ring", "Banana Skinny 2". I became grateful to see this in my favorite mag.
Gallery with Shepard Fairey - 7 - Titled "The Art of Dissent" with an interview by Hannah Means-Shannon. Famous to many from the Obey sticker experiment that became Obey Giant, and the 2008 campaign poster HOPE, Shepard Fairey is now an art and fashion corporate titan. Mr Fairey tries to seem humbled by it all, and to use his powers for good rather than evil. I find the art striking and cool, and I don't mind the political stance, but I'm not empassioned by it.
"Murky World" by Richard Corben - 8 - I so enjoyed this Corben installment, it stands out in an old-school HM way in this issue of more modern art. There's the more violent punching and kicking as promised. There's some lovely Corben art and humor. There's some dangling Tugat nads. And poor Tugat seems to be aging and balding rapidly. Poor guy, with all he's going through, can't blame him. Story? More betrayal and fighting and death. Is this "The End? Or Will There Be More?"
"Leap of Faith" by Beau Stanton and Adrian MartÃnez - 6 - Some pretty cool art, photos mostly of building sized compositions, an almost-collage style of photo-realistic images with splashes of color and texture. In some ways I thought it was a similar style to Tristan Eaton. The story is a phone conversation between not-young-anymore friends, that develops a personal feel without explicitly tying to the art. In some way I can relate, in some ways I can't.
"In the Land of Umbra" by Lurk, Cliff Dorman, David Arquette - 6 - Presented as the product of a visit to "a place in the sixth dimension" known as Umbra, a series of portaits of its inhabitants, with descriptions of them and their roles in this faraway place. Fanciful and fancy, fun and even funny.
