Editing Heavy Metal (magazine) (section)

== Publication history ==
=== National Lampoon ===
After a 1975 European trip by ''[[National Lampoon (magazine)|National Lampoon]]'' contributor [[Tony Hendra]] expressing interest in European comics, the magazine's New York offices attracted significant European comic material. On 2 September 1976, editor [[Sean Kelly (writer)|Sean Kelly]] singled out the relatively new French comics anthology ''[[Métal hurlant]]'' ({{literal translation|lk=yes|Howling Metal}}, though Kelly translated it as "Screaming Metal")<ref name=TCJ94>{{cite news|title=Screaming Metal|pages= 58–84|work=The Comics Journal|number=94|date=Oct 1984}}</ref> and brought it to the attention of company president Leonard Mogel on 3 September, as Mogel was departing for Germany and France to jump-start the French edition of ''National Lampoon''.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 1977 |title=Heavy Metal Preview |magazine=National Lampoon |editor1-last=Hendra |editor1-first=Tony |editor2-last=Kelly |editor2-first=Sean |publisher=National Lampoon Inc. |pages=91–102}}</ref> (''Métal hurlant'' had debuted in early 1975 from [[Les Humanoïdes Associés]] ({{literal translation|lk=no|United Humanoids}}), an association of [[Philippe Druillet]], [[Jean-Pierre Dionnet]], [[Jean Giraud]] (Mœbius), and financial director Bernard Farkas formed on 19 December 1974.)<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 1977 |title=Origins |magazine=Heavy Metal |editor1-last=Kelly |editor1-first=Sean |editor2-last=Marchant |editor2-first=Valerie |publisher=HM Communications Inc. |volume=1 |issue=1 |page=3}}</ref> Upon Mogel's return from Paris on 27 September, he reported that the French publishers had agreed to an English language version, and he suggested the title ''Heavy Metal'' for an April issue to be released in March 1977.<ref>{{cite news |last= Lofficier |first=Jean-Marc |author-link=Jean-Marc Lofficier |date=16 March 1996 |title=Giving Credit to Mogel |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-16-ca-47553-story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220131171400/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-16-ca-47553-story.html |archive-date=31 January 2022 |url-status=live |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

''Heavy Metal'' debuted in the US as a glossy, full-color monthly published by '''HM Communications, Inc.''', a subsidiary of [[Matty Simmons]]' Twenty First Century Communications, Inc.<ref>{{cite news|title=New Graphic Fantasy Magazine|page=1|work=Locus|volume=10|number= 2 (no. 199) |date=Feb 1977}}</ref>{{efn|In late 1979, Twenty First Century Communications Inc. was renamed National Lampoon Inc.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Philip H. |author-link=Philip H. Dougherty |date=12 September 1979 |title=Advertising |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/12/archives/advertising-mccanns-head-lists-priorities-interpublic-completes.html |work=[[New York Times]] |at=sec. D, p.12}}</ref>}} The cover of the initial April 1977 issue declared itself to be "From the people who bring you the ''National Lampoon''", and the issue primarily featured reprints from ''Métal hurlant'', as well as material from ''National Lampoon'', a colorized portion of [[Vaughn Bodē]]'s ''Sunpot'' (1971), and an excerpt from  [[Terry Brooks]]' ''[[The Sword of Shannara]]'' (1977).<ref>{{cite news|title=Origins|page=3|work=Heavy Metal|number=1|date=Apr 1977}}</ref> Since the color pages from ''Métal hurlant'' had already been shot in France, the budget to reproduce them in the US version was greatly reduced.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In the late spring of 1980, ''[[Métal hurlant]]'' went bankrupt<ref>{{cite news|title=Metal Hurlant Goes Bankrupt|page=16|work=The Comics Journal|number=56 |date=May 1980}}</ref> and ''Heavy Metal'' severed its ties with its content partner.<ref>{{cite news|title=Heavy Metal Severs Ties with Metal Hurlant|page=11|work=The Comics Journal|number=57|date=June 1980}}</ref> ''Métal hurlant'' managed to keep publishing, however, and the two magazines reconciled in the summer of 1981.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reconciled with Metal Hurlant|page=12|work=The Comics Journal|number=64 |date=July 1981}}</ref>

After running as a monthly for its first nine years up to the December 1985 issue, the magazine dropped to a quarterly schedule (winter, spring, summer, and fall) beginning in 1986, promising an increase in length and to feature only complete (rather than serialized) stories.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Simmons-Lych |first1=Julie |last2=Mogel |first2=Leonard |date=December 1985 |title=Editorial |magazine=Heavy Metal |publisher=HM Communications Inc. |volume=9 |issue=9|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heavy Metal Switches Formats, Raises Prices, Drops Frequency|page=20|work=The Comics Journal|number=102|date=Sep 1985}}</ref>

''Métal hurlant'' folded in the summer of 1987,<ref>{{cite news|title=Metal Hurlant Folds|pages=23–24|work=The Comics Journal|number= 117|date=Sep 1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Rise and Fall: Metal Hurlant|page=24 |work=The Comics Journal|number= 117 |date=Sep 1987}}</ref> forcing ''Heavy Metal'' to expand its reach for new content.

==== Other HM Communications publications ====
In 1977–1978, HM Communications published a number of [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]] featuring "Heavy Metal Presents" on their covers, collecting translated material it had previously serialized in the pages of ''Heavy Metal'':
* ''[[Arzach]]'' (1977) — by [[Jean Giraud]]; originally published in ''Métal hurlant''
* ''Candice at Sea'' (1977) — by [[Jacques Lob]] and [[Georges Pichard]] (trans. by [[Sean Kelly (writer)|Sean Kelly]] and Valerie Marchant); originally published in ''Blanche Épiphanie'' #3 - ''La Croisière infernale'' by [[Les Humanoïdes Associés]] in 1977
* ''Psychorock'' (1977) — by [[Sergio Macedo]] (trans. by Kelly and Marchant); originally published by Les Humanoïdes Associés in 1976
* ''[[Barbarella (comics)|Barbarella]]: The Moon Child'' (1978) — by [[Jean-Claude Forest]] (trans. by [[Richard Seaver]]); originally published in ''Barbarella'' #3 - ''Le Semble-Lune'', published by Pierre Horay in 1977
* ''Ulysses'' (1978) — adaptation of [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'' by Jacques Lob and Georges Pichard; originally published by [[Dargaud]] in 1974–1975
* ''Is Man Good?'' (1978) – by Jean Giraud (trans. by Sean Kelly and Valerie Marchant); originally published in ''[[Pilote]]'' and ''Métal hurlant''
* ''Conquering Armies'' (1978) – by Jean-Pierre Dionnet and Jean-Claude Gal (trans. by Sean Kelly and Valerie Marchant); originally published in ''Métal hurlant''

In 1978–1979, HM Communications released a number of [[graphic novels]] of original content, also featuring "Heavy Metal Presents" on their covers:
* ''More Than Human'' (1978, in association with [[Byron Preiss]] Visual Publications) – adaptation of the [[Theodore Sturgeon]] novel of the [[More Than Human|same name]], by [[Doug Moench]] and [[Alex Niño]]
* ''1941: The Illustrated Story'' (1979, in association with [[Arrow Books]]) — loose adaptation of the [[Steven Spielberg]] film of the [[1941 (film)|same name]], by Allen Asherman, [[Stephen R. Bissette]], and [[Rick Veitch]], with in introduction by Spielberg; varies wildly and humorously from the film.<ref>{{Cite book|title=1941: The Illustrated Story|publisher= Heavy Metal/Arrow Books|date=Dec 1979|isbn= 0930834089}}</ref>
* ''[[Alien: The Illustrated Story]]'' (1979, with distribution by [[Simon & Schuster]]) — adaptation of the [[Ridley Scott]] film of the [[Alien (film)|same name]], by [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]] and [[Walt Simonson]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Muir, John Kenneth |title=Remembering Heavy Metal's Alien: The Illustrated Story |url=http://flashbak.com/remembering-heavy-metals-alien-illustrated-story-59183/ |website=flashbak|date=22 April 2016 |access-date=2017-06-19}}</ref>
* ''Michael Moorcock's The Swords of Heaven, The Flowers of Hell'' (1979) — by Michael Moorcock and [[Howard Chaykin]]<ref>{{cite web|title=THE SWORDS OF HEAVEN, THE FLOWERS OF HELL|first=Frank|last=Plowright|url=https://theslingsandarrows.com/the-swords-of-heaven-the-flowers-of-hell/|work=The Slings & Arrows Graphic Novel Guide}}</ref>
* ''So Beautiful and So Dangerous'' (1979, with distribution by Simon & Schuster) — by [[Angus McKie]]
* ''New Tales of the [[Arabian Nights]]'' (1979) — by [[Richard Corben]] and [[Jan Strnad]], introduction by [[Harlan Ellison]]

In 1981, the company launched a new series, '''''Heavy Metal Special Editions''''', which consisted of fifty seasonal ''Heavy Metal'' specials published until 2008. These began with ''Heavy Metal Presents Moebius'' (1981), followed by ''The Best of Heavy Metal'' (1982), ''Even Heavier Metal'' (1983), ''Son of Heavy Metal'' (1984), ''Bride of Heavy Metal'' (1985), and ''The Best of Heavy Metal 2'' (1986). Beginning with ''The Venus Interface'' (1989, v5 no. 4), the indicia began to feature volume and issue numbers, as well as the phrase "a series of special editions published four times a year by ''Heavy Metal'' magazine." After the fiftieth issue, "Overload Special" (Summer 2008, v22 no. 2), the  numbering of the seasonal specials was merged into the main series, and continued for another nine issues until the "War of the Worlds Special" (2011).

=== Grodnik/Matheson, J2 Communications ===
In late 1988/early 1989, film producer [[Daniel Grodnik]] and actor/producer [[Tim Matheson]] acquired voting control of 21.3 percent of National Lampoon Inc. stock,<ref>{{cite news |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=30 December 1988 |title=A Funny Twist for National Lampoon Inc. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1988/12/30/a-funny-twist-for-national-lampoon-inc/72c30398-da18-44ca-a5a6-a181b0bf90d0/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220201143828/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1988/12/30/a-funny-twist-for-national-lampoon-inc/72c30398-da18-44ca-a5a6-a181b0bf90d0/ |archive-date=1 February 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>  were named to the company's board, and eventually took control of the company (by purchasing the ten-percent share — worth $760,000<ref name=Rhodes2018>{{cite web|date=April 22, 2018|title=And Then Heavy Metal was Bought by Kevin Eastman|first=RM |last=Rhodes|website=ComicsDC|url=http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2018/04/and-then-heavy-metal-was-bought-by.html}}</ref>
— of [[Matty Simmons]], who departed the company).<ref>{{cite news |author=Staff writer |date=17 March 1989 |title=An Actor Acquires Control of National Lampoon Inc. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/17/business/the-media-business-an-actor-acquires-control-of-national-lampoon-inc.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |at=sec.D, p.5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Delugach |first=Al |date=17 March 1989 |title=Film Producers Matheson and Grodnik Buy Control of National Lampoon Inc. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-17-fi-1746-story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220201150154/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-17-fi-1746-story.html |archive-date=1 February 2022 |url-status=live |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

During this period, publication of ''Heavy Metal'' increased from a quarterly to a bi-monthly schedule, citing a thirty-percent increase in circulation.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Simmons-Lynch |first=Julie |date=Winter 1989 |title=Editorial |magazine=Heavy Metal |publisher=HM Communications Inc. |volume=12 |issue=4 |page=3}}</ref> 

A year later,<ref>{{cite news|title=Heavy Metal on Auction Block|page=15 |work= The Comics Journal|number=132 |date=Nov 1989}}</ref> Grodnik/Matheson Co. sold the properties to [[J2 Communications]], a home video producer and distributor founded by James P. Jimirro, with Grodnik and Matheson staying on for a period to run the new division.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 March 1990 |title=National Lampoon Acquisition Set |author=Staff writer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/10/business/company-news-national-lampoon-acquisition-set.html |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |at=sec.1, p.33}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/10/26/New-owner-takes-over-National-Lampoon/5107656913600/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220201185503/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/10/26/New-owner-takes-over-National-Lampoon/5107656913600/ |archive-date=1 February 2022 |url-status=live |title=New owner takes over National Lampoon |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=26 October 1990 |website=United Press International}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1994/biz/news/j2-s-branching-out-117349/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323031521/https://variety.com/1994/biz/news/j2-s-branching-out-117349/ |archive-date=23 March 2018 |url-status=live |title=J2's branching out |last=Britell |first=Penny |date=12 January 1994 |website=Variety}}</ref>

=== Kevin Eastman<!--'Metal Mammoth' redirects here--> ===
[[Kevin Eastman]], co-creator of the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', who had grown up reading ''Heavy Metal'', bought the magazine for $500,000<ref>{{cite news|title=THE KEVIN EASTMAN INTERVIEW PART 2|interviewer=[[Gary Groth]] | url=https://www.tcj.com/the-kevin-eastman-interview-part-2/|work=The Comics Journal |number=202 |date=March 1998|via=TCJ website (January 3, 2012)}}</ref><ref name=Rhodes2018 /> in May 1992.<ref>{{cite news|title=Eastman Buying Heavy Metal|page= 23 |work= The Comics Journal|number=148 |date=Feb 1992|department=Newswatch}}</ref> (In total, HM Communications published 137 issues in 15 volumes from April 1977 to March 1992.) Eastman's publishing entity '''Metal Mammoth, Inc.'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA-->, published the magazine from 1992 to 2014. Eastman also served as ''Heavy Metal''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s editor-in-chief for the bulk of this time (even into 2016, after he was no longer the owner).

=== Later developments ===
In January 2014, Eastman sold the magazine to digital and music veteran David Boxenbaum and film producer Jeff Krelitz.<ref name=Variety2014>{{cite news|last=Graser|first=Marc| url=https://variety.com/2014/biz/news/heavy-metal-magazine-new-owner-hollywood-plans-1201062182/ |title=From Print to Producer: Heavy Metal Magazine Finds Buyers and New Future in Hollywood (EXCLUSIVE)|work= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date= January 17, 2014}}</ref> Eastman continued to serve as publisher of the magazine (until early 2020)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/kevin-eastman-no-longer-publisher-heavy-metal-magazine/|title=How Kevin Eastman Found Out He Was No Longer Publisher of Heavy Metal Magazine|date=March 5, 2020|first=Rich|last=Johnston}}</ref> and was a minority investor in the new ''Heavy Metal'',<ref name=Variety2014 /> which became at that point published by '''Heavy Metal Media, LLC'''. 

In late 2019, Krelitz was no longer with the magazine, which was undergoing leadership churn.<ref>{{cite news|title=In Wake of Heavy Metal CEO Jeff Krelitz's Absence, Senior Editor Hannah Means-Shannon Quits|date=29 Oct 2019|first=Rich |last=Johnston|url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/hannah-means-shannon-quits-heavy-metal-magazine-reasons-ceo-jeff-krelitz-out/|work=Bleeding Cool}}</ref> In early 2020, ''Heavy Metal'' saw a regime change to CEO Matthew Medney and "Creative Overlord" David Erwin (formerly of [[DC Entertainment]]).<ref>{{cite news|title=David Erwin Named Publisher of Heavy Metal|first=GRAEME |last=MCMILLAN|date=March 4, 2020|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/david-erwin-becomes-new-publisher-heavy-metal-1282559/}}</ref> Medney and Erwin announced two new comics publishing ventures, '''Virus'''<ref>{{cite web|title=HEAVY METAL ANNOUNCES BOLD NEW CREATOR-OWNED COMICS IMPRINT, VIRUS (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Andrea |last=Ayres |date=Apr 24, 2020|work=SyFy|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/heavy-metal-virus-imprint-comics-announcement}}</ref> and '''Magma Comix''',<ref>{{cite news|title=TIPTON to head MAGMA COMIX, HEAVY METAL's new creator-owned imprint: The former IDW managing editor will lead the imprint's launch in spring 2021|first=Avery |last=Kaplan|date=Oct 8, 2020|work=The Beat|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/tipton-to-head-magma-comix-heavy-metals-new-creator-owned-imprint/ }}</ref> though neither line produced much material.

''Heavy Metal''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 300th issue, published in 2021, featured work by [[Tanino Liberatore]], [[Mark Bodé]], and [[Kent Williams (artist)|Kent Williams]], among others; and posthumous work by [[Richard Corben]], [[Jean Giraud|Moebius]], and [[Vaughn Bodē]]. It had interviews and testimonials from writers discussing the impact the magazine had on them as teenagers.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=All Star Special|magazine=Heavy Metal|number=300|date=2021|publisher=HME/Heavy Metal Media, LLC}}</ref>

=== Cancellation ===
In the fall of 2022, the magazine entered into an agreement with [[online marketplace]] Whatnot to publish the following 12 issues of the magazine.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/90521-heavy-metal-inks-publishing-partnership-with-whatnot.html |title=Heavy Metal Inks Publishing Partnership with Whatnot|work=Publishers Weekly|first=Rob |last=Salkowitz | date=Oct 6, 2022}}</ref> Soon afterward, the magazine announced it was "ceasing publication of what they described as the first volume of the magazine, which had been published continuously since 1977. The last issue of the first volume, number 320, was scheduled for publication in late October 2022 and the successor, Volume 2, would be published by WhatNot Publishing starting with issue 1 in February 2023."<ref name=Beat2023>{{cite news|title=The Uncertain Death of Heavy Metal Magazine: A look at what looks like the demise of Heavy Metal magazine, and the strange road that led to this|first=RM|last=Rhodes|work=The Beat|date=Aug 7, 2023|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/the-uncertain-death-of-heavy-metal-magazine/}}</ref>

Amid cash flow problems, however, ''Heavy Metal'' shut down in December 2022. Initially intended to be a temporary suspension, the magazine worked to rectify subscription non-fulfillments and non-payments to artists and vendors. Medney stepped down as CEO, replaced by Marshall Lees and Jamie Penrose.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/matthew-medney-steps-down-at-heavy-metal-amid-creator-accusations/|title=Matthew Medney Steps Down at Heavy Metal Amid Creator Accusations: Marshall Lees and Jamie Penrose are taking over operations for now|first=Heidi|last= MacDonald |author-link=Heidi MacDonald|date=Jan 17, 2023|work=Comics Beat}}</ref>

In July 2023, with Whatnot's publishing division, Massive Publishing, only having produced one issue of ''Heavy Metal''—#320, released in April of that year and still listing Heavy Metal Entertainment LLC in the indicia—it was announced that the publisher had decided to cancel the magazine and that #320 had been the final issue.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/whatnot-massive-cancels-heavy-metal-will-not-publish-volume-two/ |title=Whatnot Massive Cancels Heavy Metal: Will Not Publish Volume Two|work=Bleeding Cool|date=17 Jul 2023|first=Rich |last=Johnston}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/heavy-metal-canceled/ |work=Multiversity Comics|title='Heavy Metal' Magazine Canceled as Magma Comix Goes Independent|first=Christopher |last=Chiu-Tabet | date=July 19, 2023}}</ref>

=== Relaunch ===
On October 15, 2024, Heavy Metal International, LLC announced that they would be relaunching the magazine in 2025, and began a [[Kickstarter]] [[crowdfunding]] campaign for the first issue on November 25, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Details For A New Heavy Metal Magazine #1, Now On Kickstarter |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/details-for-the-new-heavy-metal-magazine-1-now-on-kickstarter/ |last=Johnston |first=Rich |date=25 November 2024 |website=[[Bleeding Cool]] |publisher=[[Avatar Press]]}}</ref>