French science-fiction anthology “Metal Hurlant” is relaunching, 50 years after its debut, as a quarterly anthology with a lineup filled with high-profile creators from around the world. Launching directly to consumers with a Kickstarter campaign, the project features work from talent including Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, James Stokoe and Mark Waid. Co-founded by legendary artist Mœbius, the book’s legacy includes American offshoot “Heavy Metal,” which began by largely featuring licensed translations of “Metal Hurlant” stories.
Mœbius is known for his collaboration on the unmade “Dune” adaptation developed by controversial filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, developing concept art and storyboards with creators that included H.R. Giger and Dan O’Bannon. Jodorowsky and Mœbius also created widely acclaimed sci-fi comic “The Incal” in the pages of the magazine, a title currently being adapted for film by Taika Waititi.
High-profile fans of the original magazine also include Guillermo Del Toro, George Lucas, Hayao Miyazaki, Ridley Scott, Denis Villeneuve, Daft Punk, Hanz Zimmer, Jemaine Clement, Nicolas Winding Refn and Air.
Each issue of the magazine is set to be 272 or more pages of what Los Angeles-based publisher Humanoids describes as “a literary experience.” It also has a wide distribution plan, launching with a spring 2025 issue available through newsstands, comic book stores, bookstores and by subscription, along with through the Kickstarter campaign.
The groundbreaking anthology series presented more adult tales than many readers had been used to outside the underground alternative comics scene when it launched in 1975. Its creators sought “to tell mature, cerebral, and often titillating stories that embraced a punk attitude,” a release from publisher Humanoids says, as it ran until 1987 before returning in a short-lived domestic U.S. revival in 2002. The French-language version of the title was revived in 2021.
“Metal Hurlant’s ongoing mission is to enthrall readers, explore new paths and publish bold and transgressive storytellers,” Humanoids Publisher Fabrice Giger said in a statement.
The project is set to include archival content from the original French version of the publication, including out-of-print short stories from Mœbius. It also features work from the other founders of both the anthology and Humanoids, Philippe Druillet and Jean-Pierre Dionnet, as well as vintage tales that were previously unavailable in English.
“The vast majority of the material in Metal Hurlant will be original, but bringing archival content — such as Mœbius’ short stories — back into print allows us to introduce some of the most iconic cartoonists of all time to a new generation,” Giger said. “Our intention is to curate the reading experience with gems from Metal Hurlant’s storied past in France, alongside insightful cultural reportage and new, complete stories by contemporary masters.”
Some of the other items set to be published in the first year of the relaunched magazine include republishing a Robert Crumb comic about science-fiction author Philip K. Dick. They also plan to include articles from independent journalists offering “cultural commentaries, personal essays, and interviews with top talents from across the arts including Ted Chiang, William Gibson, Alan Moore, and Denis Villeneuve.”
The book will feature covers by the late Mœbius (he died in 2012), along with artists Peach Momoko, Enki Bilal and Jean-Michel Nicollet.
Check out four covers from “Metal Hurlant” here:
See the full list of writers and artists announced for the book below:
- Alias
- Mathieu Bablet
- Brian Michael Bendis
- Enki Bilal
- Lisa Blumen
- Pim Boss
- Marc Caro
- Caza
- Nicole Claveloux
- Michel Crespin
- Robert Crumb
- Jean Dalin
- Jean-Pierre Dionnet
- Philippe Druillet
- Matt Fraction
- Aimée de Jongh
- Paul Gillon
- Elie Huault
- Afif Khaled
- Chantal Montellier
- Carole Maurel
- Angus McKie
- Jean-Claude Mézières
- Mœbius
- Karla Pacheco
- Luc & François Schuiten
- James Stokoe
- Jacques Tardi
- Toru Terada
- Fabien Vehlmann
- Jorg De Vos
- Mark Waid
- Edith Zha
The forthcoming “Metal Hurlant” is available for fans to support on Kickstarter now at this link.
