Hold on to your mistletoe, Heavy Metal fans — issue 284, our “Mythic Special,” is headed your way! And when we talk about myths, there’s really no better embodiment of the concept than our own iconic heroine Taarna. Yes, the star of the full length animated Heavy Metal movie (released 35 years ago!) is back. She owns the this issue’s Cover A, as she should, in a painting by Luis Royo.

There are two other covers, though, and they too drip with classic appeal and a sort of rock-art royal authority. Cover B is by Ken Kelly, famous for a couple of Kiss album covers, as well as the covers of numerous Conan, Eerie and Creepy magazines. It depicts a scene from Grant Morrison’s extremely interesting take on an old tale: “Savage Sword of Jesus Christ.” Cover C is a classic sci-fi scene, titled “Pyramid Contact,” by artist Derek Riggs. Iron Maiden fans know him as the creator of the band’s mascot Eddie.

You can find all three available for preorder in the shop:

• Heavy Metal 284 Cover A by Luis Royo
• Heavy Metal 284 Cover B by Ken Kelly
• Heavy Metal 284 Cover C by Derek Riggs

Within the pages of issue 284, you’ll find the aforementioned Jesus story, with Morrison’s plotting expertly visualized by Heavy Metal favorites The Molen Brothers. “Taarna,” in which our heroine makes her return, is a production of Alex de Campi, Tony Parker, and Leonard O’Grady. If our Jesus story hasn’t booked us a reservation in Purgatory, perhaps the techno-occult tale “The Simulationists,” by Duncan Trussell, Donny Cates and Adam Belanger will. The John Bivens/Omar Estevez collaboration “Lil Charlie” is a story about a trio of cuties — an angel, a demon, and death — trying to sort through the nascent and primordial galaxy. Longtime comics fans will love the retro feel of “The Last Mortician” by Tim Hall and Dean Haspiel. The issue ends in wintry creepiness with “Snow Blind” (by Kong and John Bivens) and “The Rabbi,” a story by Jok that draws on Jewish legend.

About Heavy Metal

First published in 1977, Heavy Metal Magazine, the world’s foremost illustrated magazine, explores fantastic and surrealistic worlds, alternate realities, science fiction and horror, in the past, present, and future. Writers and illustrators from around the world take you to places you never dreamed existed. Heavy Metal Magazine was the first publisher to bring European legends like Mœbius, Philippe Caza, Guido Crepax, Philippe Druillet, Tanino Liberatore, Milo Manara, Enki Bilal, and Pepe Moreno to the U.S. while showcasing non-mainstream American superstars like Richard Corben, Berni Wrightson, Arthur Suydam, Vaughn Bode and Frank Frazetta. The magazine continues to showcase amazing new talent along with established creators. Heavy Metal Magazine features serialized and standalone stories, artist galleries, short stories in prose and interviews. Recent creators have featured Grant Morrison, Stephen King, Kelley Jones, Bart Sears, Tim Seeley and Kevin Eastman. With new issues on the horizon, Heavy Metal promises to boldly go where no magazine has gone before. Explore ancient secrets, forgotten worlds and savage futures…experience Heavy Metal.

Join us at www.heavymetal.com‍

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyHeavyMetal/‍

On X: @HeavyMetalInk‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavymetal

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‍About Heavy Metal (film)

Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian adult animated science fantasy anthology film directed by Gerald Potterton (in his director debut) and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine, which was the basis for the film. It starred the voices of Rodger Bumpass, Jackie Burroughs, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Don Francks, Martin Lavut, Marilyn Lightstone, Eugene Levy, Alice Playten, Harold Ramis, Percy Rodriguez, Susan Roman, Richard Romanus, August Schellenberg, John Vernon, and Zal Yanovsky. The screenplay was written by Daniel Goldberg and Len Blum.

The film is an anthology of various science-fiction and fantasy stories tied together by a single theme of an evil force that is "the sum of all evils". It was adapted from Heavy Metal magazine and original stories in the same spirit. Like the magazine, the film features a great deal of graphic violence, sexuality, and nudity. Its production was expedited by having several animation houses working simultaneously on different segments.

Its soundtrack was packaged by music manager Irving Azoff and included several popular rock bands and artists, including Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Sammy Hagar, Don Felder, Cheap Trick, DEVO, Journey, and Nazareth, among others.

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Hold on to your mistletoe, Heavy Metal fans — issue 284, our “Mythic Special,” is headed your way! And when we talk about myths, there’s really no better embodiment of the concept than our own iconic heroine Taarna. Yes, the star of the full length animated Heavy Metal movie (released 35 years ago!) is back. She owns the this issue’s Cover A, as she should, in a painting by Luis Royo.

There are two other covers, though, and they too drip with classic appeal and a sort of rock-art royal authority. Cover B is by Ken Kelly, famous for a couple of Kiss album covers, as well as the covers of numerous Conan, Eerie and Creepy magazines. It depicts a scene from Grant Morrison’s extremely interesting take on an old tale: “Savage Sword of Jesus Christ.” Cover C is a classic sci-fi scene, titled “Pyramid Contact,” by artist Derek Riggs. Iron Maiden fans know him as the creator of the band’s mascot Eddie.

You can find all three available for preorder in the shop:

• Heavy Metal 284 Cover A by Luis Royo
• Heavy Metal 284 Cover B by Ken Kelly
• Heavy Metal 284 Cover C by Derek Riggs

Within the pages of issue 284, you’ll find the aforementioned Jesus story, with Morrison’s plotting expertly visualized by Heavy Metal favorites The Molen Brothers. “Taarna,” in which our heroine makes her return, is a production of Alex de Campi, Tony Parker, and Leonard O’Grady. If our Jesus story hasn’t booked us a reservation in Purgatory, perhaps the techno-occult tale “The Simulationists,” by Duncan Trussell, Donny Cates and Adam Belanger will. The John Bivens/Omar Estevez collaboration “Lil Charlie” is a story about a trio of cuties — an angel, a demon, and death — trying to sort through the nascent and primordial galaxy. Longtime comics fans will love the retro feel of “The Last Mortician” by Tim Hall and Dean Haspiel. The issue ends in wintry creepiness with “Snow Blind” (by Kong and John Bivens) and “The Rabbi,” a story by Jok that draws on Jewish legend.

About Heavy Metal

First published in 1977, Heavy Metal Magazine, the world’s foremost illustrated magazine, explores fantastic and surrealistic worlds, alternate realities, science fiction and horror, in the past, present, and future. Writers and illustrators from around the world take you to places you never dreamed existed. Heavy Metal Magazine was the first publisher to bring European legends like Mœbius, Philippe Caza, Guido Crepax, Philippe Druillet, Tanino Liberatore, Milo Manara, Enki Bilal, and Pepe Moreno to the U.S. while showcasing non-mainstream American superstars like Richard Corben, Berni Wrightson, Arthur Suydam, Vaughn Bode and Frank Frazetta. The magazine continues to showcase amazing new talent along with established creators. Heavy Metal Magazine features serialized and standalone stories, artist galleries, short stories in prose and interviews. Recent creators have featured Grant Morrison, Stephen King, Kelley Jones, Bart Sears, Tim Seeley and Kevin Eastman. With new issues on the horizon, Heavy Metal promises to boldly go where no magazine has gone before. Explore ancient secrets, forgotten worlds and savage futures…experience Heavy Metal.

Join us at www.heavymetal.com‍

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyHeavyMetal/‍

On X: @HeavyMetalInk‍

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavymetal

‍

‍

‍About Heavy Metal (film)

Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian adult animated science fantasy anthology film directed by Gerald Potterton (in his director debut) and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine, which was the basis for the film. It starred the voices of Rodger Bumpass, Jackie Burroughs, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Don Francks, Martin Lavut, Marilyn Lightstone, Eugene Levy, Alice Playten, Harold Ramis, Percy Rodriguez, Susan Roman, Richard Romanus, August Schellenberg, John Vernon, and Zal Yanovsky. The screenplay was written by Daniel Goldberg and Len Blum.

The film is an anthology of various science-fiction and fantasy stories tied together by a single theme of an evil force that is "the sum of all evils". It was adapted from Heavy Metal magazine and original stories in the same spirit. Like the magazine, the film features a great deal of graphic violence, sexuality, and nudity. Its production was expedited by having several animation houses working simultaneously on different segments.

Its soundtrack was packaged by music manager Irving Azoff and included several popular rock bands and artists, including Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Sammy Hagar, Don Felder, Cheap Trick, DEVO, Journey, and Nazareth, among others.

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