276 HEAVY METAL
mainstream comics were obsessed with superhero stories, French-language comics
featured fantasy, science-fi ction, and We s t e r n stories. Generally, French comics are
more interested in presenting a visually compelling product than American superhero
comics, where visual style is subordinate to presenting the details of the plot. Th is
preference for showing striking, detailed visual imagery guided the editorial policy
of Heavy Metal. Among the artists showcased in Heavy Metal were Europeans Enki
Bilal and Moebius, veteran artists of American underground comics, Richard Corben
and Vaughn Bodé, and American comics artists Michael William Kaluta and Bernie
Wrightson. Th e pages of Heavy Metal were also the home to fi ne artists and illustrators
such as H. R. Geiger, Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell, and Esteban Maroto. Th e magazine
also included contributions from writers such as Harlan Ellison, and fi lmmakers such
as Roger Corman and Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Heavy Metal was respected among comics creators as being one of the fi rst publishers
to off er creator ownership. Mainstream comics, which were primarily done on a work-for-
hire basis at established company-owned franchises, off ered few opportunities for creators
to express their talents with original material. Heavy Metal off ered artists mass distri-
bution in a high quality, full-color glossy magazine alongside internationally respected
artists, as well as the opportunity to own the rights to the material submitted to the maga-
zine. Some new comics artists, such as Rick Veitch and Stephen Bissette submitted early
work to Heavy Metal , and adopted Heavy Metal ’s stance of creator ownership in their later
publishing endeavors such as publishing and creator rights advocacy. Th e magazine also
linked together diff erent groups in comics and the science-fi ction and fantasy community.
Heavy Metal attracted contributions from mainstream comics creators, from writers and
artists associated with Warren Publications magazines such as Creepy or Eerie , and from
the writers and artists of 1960s and 1970s underground and adult comics.
Several stories from Heavy Metal were adapted into animation to create a Heavy
Metal fi lm. Released in 1981, the fi lm was animated by several diff erent animation stu-
dios, and featured voice-over acting by notable comedic actors such as John Candy and
Harold Ramis, along with a soundtrack featuring music by Journey, Devo, Cheap Trick,
and Black Sabbath. Th e fi lm became a cult classic that attracted a wider following for
the original Heavy Metal magazine. Th e popularity of the fi lm of Heavy Metal has thus
far spawned one sequel, Heavy Metal 2000 ; and another sequel is, at the time of this
writing, in the works.
In 1991, Heavy Metal was bought out by Kevin Eastman, who also took control of
the editorial decisions for the magazine. Eastman was the co-creator, with Peter Laird,
of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , which quickly transformed from an underground,
creator-owned project into a multi-million dollar international entertainment fran-
chise. Eastman participated in the public discussions over creator ownership in comics
through the 1980s, discussions made somewhat possible by Heavy Metal ’s st a nce i n
favor of creator ownership.
Eastman maintains editorial and publication control over Heavy Metal to this day.
Th e magazine is less widely read, but has a strong core following that supports the
