A while back, PorPor Books Blog put up a post about The Art of Luis Garcia, a newer art book featuring the artist's work and career. A brief mention of Garcia's "Nova 2" in Heavy Metal Magazine prompted me to comment about when "Nova 2" was in Heavy Metal (March - July 1982) and that Garcia also did "The Winter Of The Last Combat" in February and March of 1978. Looking up that led me to re-read these stories, and then to decide to put a little post together. Luis Garcia had a much broader career than these couple entries in Heavy Metal, but since these were in our favorite mag, I thought they are worth another look for their fine qualities.
First Nova 2. While my opinion is that the mag had its peak when the 1981 Heavy Metal Movie came out, I think it had plenty of its original greatness to offer into the mid-80s, while it was still published as a monthly. (Sales numbers from the time per Lostboy's excellent HM fan page go along with my perception.) Nova 2 is a great example of what I liked in Heavy Metal Magazine. The story is rather expansive, starting in March 1982 with 14 pages in two parts, beginning with excerpts from Allen Ginsburg's "Howl" while relating a mysterious meteorite falling in the mountainous desert, then the three disparate experts who are sent to investigate, and then the introduction of Victor Ramos, an artist overwhelmed with the trials of existence. Sample page shots:
I greatly enjoyed the terrific black and white artwork, in a very realistic style that I like, and the storytelling that tells a lot but that didn't tell you everything, two things about much of HM's early issues that I really liked when they occurred. Indeed, the next installment in April 1982 has 8 pages and hardly a mention about the meteorite or the experts, focusing on Victor Ramos' pained contemplation:
Just incredible. There is so much I enjoy about the art in this, such broad ability and technique. (It would be worth a complete page-by-page review, like they do over at PorPor Books Blog, but I'm not up for that for this post. It would take me forever.) And there's more. May 1982 has 8 pages of the story, with more Victor Ramos introspection:
Man, this guy can draw. My lame photos do not do justice to the printed page. And the story is pretty good too; the depth of this portrait of a comic artist's life having deeply reflective moments is so compelling that I wonder if there are autobiographical aspects to it. Does it follow a logical narrative? Not necessarily, even if I showed every page it might not really make sense, and sorry it defys my ability to summarize it, but the art and poetry it contains fill otherwise empty spaces in ways that satisfy my brain's need to think it's getting it. And it goes on! Excepts from the 5 page portion in June 1982:
Victor Ramos watches "Psycho". Maybe I'm not sure why, but the story does then bring in the meteorite again. Perhaps opening a path to wrap up the story in the 9 pages in July 1982:
Wow. The ability and skill, not only to draw so well, but to convey emotion. For me, the story is told with the art, and the text provides a framework in which the art can reside. And the room to interpret and experience the story within the art, helps me use my imagination to find the space in the story to bring in my own perspective, which was always one of my favorite parts of reading Heavy Metal Magazine. Oh, to have such fantastic work in the magazine again!
Luis Garcia also did "The Winter Of The Last Combat" in February and March of 1978, in 14 pages over the two issues, with Victor Mora. It was a bit more of a traditional telling of a story, a temporal traveller manifests as a medieval warrior, searching for the lost love of his current reality, finding pain in his path. A couple samples, from the first and last pages:
So thanks again to PorPor Books Blog for the inspiration to look a bit deeper at past work in Heavy Metal Magazine. It's always rewarding.
