13-Page Preview: Heavy Metal 285, the Love Issue!

March 8, 2017

Heavy Metal 285 Cover A by Florian Bertmer

Heads up Heavy Metal fans, issue #285 is on its way! It’s the Love Special, and we’ve assembled a crazy eclectic batch of stories about romance, or at least sex, and if not sex then violence… or just cosmic weirdness. We’re not Harlequin Romance, after all—we’re Heavy Metal (available next week from your finer comics shops, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and our own online store). Our fearless editor in chief, Grant Morrison, kicks off the issue with a truism that only a fool would doubt: “Birds do it! Bees do it! Even creepy, rapey TREES do it!” So let’s do it, let’s fall in love.

• In the shop: Heavy Metal 285 Cover A by Florian Bertmer
• In the shop: Heavy Metal 285 Cover B by Peter Gric
• In the shop: Heavy Metal 285 Cover C by James Jean

“Ai Shiteru!” marks a very special occasion for Heavy Metal‘s editors and fans alike: The return of Liberatore! Yes, the man behind so many great ol’ RanXerox stories has emerged from hibernation and we’re honored to be publishing his first comics work in 10 years. Liberatore is followed in this issue’s pages by Enki Bilal‘s latest, part two of “The Color of Air,” and if this double-blast of legends gives you ’80s flashbacks rest assured it was completely intentional.

“AI SHITERU!” by JD MORVAN & LIBERATORE

Chas! Pangburn and Matias Lazaro have teamed up on “Lure,” a tale of two lovers beneath the sea, and Dean Haspiel‘s “Frankenstein Unrequited” finds the famous Bride of Ol’ Neckbolts fighting off every horny monster in town. “They Lived Happily Ever After” by Fernando Baldo turns the tables on the Sleeping Beauty tale (or one of those old Prince Charming joints). And Enzo Garza‘s creepy Gut Ghost is back—this time, lookin’ for love.

“THE COLOR OF AIR” Part 2 by ENKI BILAL

You’ll get a good dose of pop erotica with the “Artist’s Studio” feature on Rubens LP, and take a peek at the dark visions of spotlighted artist James Jean. Jean’s “Lapins d’Amour” is one of three works we’ve picked as cover art for this issue; the other two are Peter Gric‘s “Attachment” and Florian Bertmer‘s “Demonheart.” The twisted, unmistakable tattoo art of Brando Chiesa is features in this edition’s pages as well.

“LURE” by CHAS! PANGBURN & MATIAS LÁZARO

Cosmic odysseys “Zentropa” (by John Mahoney) and “Lil Charlie” (by John Bivens and Omar Estevez) continue in this issue, while the dazzling insect epic “Salsa Invertebraxa” by Mozchops reaches its humming, buzzing conclusion. The issue ends with “Mythopia”, a twisted Grant Morrison tale (art by Andy Belanger) that might kick you in the nads just when you think you’re an item. Love’s like that. Always has been.

To order your copy of Heavy Metal 285, visit your local comics shop, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, or the Heavy Metal online store.

“ZENTROPA” Part 5 by JOHN MAHONEY

ARTIST STUDIO – RUBENS LP

“FRANKENSTEIN UNREQUITED” by DEAN HASPIEL

“THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER” by FERNANDO BALDÓ

“GUT GHOST: THE LETTERS OF THE BEAST” by ENZO GARZA

“LIL CHARLIE” Part 2 by JOHN BIVENS & OMAR ESTÉVEZ

TATTOO GALLERY – BRANDO CHIESA

“SALSA INVERTEBRAXA” Part 5 by MOZCHOPS

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT – JAMES JEAN

“MYTHOPIA” BY GRANT MORRISON, ANDY BELANGER, & OMAR ESTÉVEZ

Cover A by Florian Bertmer

Cover B by Peter Gric

Cover C by James Jean

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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

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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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