Download Heavy Metal #52
More or less an American version of the French Métal Hurlant, the magazine first Appeared in 1977. Initially made up of translated reprints, Heavy Metal showcased the work of such European artists as Moebius (Jean Giraud), Philippe Duillet, Jacques Tardi, and Enki Bilal. At
that time most readers in this country were not familiar with the work of such artists. Metal Hurlant (Screaming Metal) had been launched in France two years earlier by writer Jean-Pierre Dionnet and a group that included Moebius and Druillet. Licensed by Leonard Mogel, publisher of The National Lampoon, the American Metal started as a monthly comic book in the Lampoon format. Among the early U.S. contributors were Richard Corben, Vaughn Bode, and Berni Wrightson.
Aimed at an older audience, Heavy Metal initially offered continued tales of fantasy and science fiction. Gradually over the years, there was an increased emphasis on sex. Covers started featuring a sparsely clad and busty female each issue. Artists with experience with erotica were added, including Milo Manara, Paolo Serpieri, and Juan Gimenez. Dionnet recently commented that the American edition "(much to my horror) plummeted to a drooling esthetic . . . truly
cheesy . . . with flying horses and sterile images of bimbos with perfect hairdos."
Be that as it may, Heavy Metal continues to appear, a monthly once again after a long spell as a bimonthly. Kevin Eastman, one half of the Ninja Turtles creative team, became the publisher in 1991. Sci-fi and pinups continue to share the magazine's pages. In 2002 Humanoids Publishing (USA) introduced an English language edition of a revived Metal Hurlant. Moebius, as a writer, is once more a contributor and Fred Beltran, who specializes in both science fiction and sexy women, is a regular.
Note: this was originally posted on 8/13/09, but a software conflict forces me to post it anew.
Credits
Cover painting: Chris Achilleos
Script: Jaime Brocal Remohi
Pencils and inks: Jaime Brocal Remohi
