The Seminal Sci-Fi Anthology 'Metal Hurlant' Is Now On Kickstarter From Humanoids
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In 1974, filmmaker, writer, mime, and poet Alejandro Jodorowsky was working in Paris on a film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, with the assistance of the internationally acclaimed artist Mœbius on concept art and storyboards, alongside talents such as H.R. Giger and Dan O’Bannon. At the same time, Mœbius—along with fellow rebellious bande dessinée creators Jean-Pierre Dionnet and Philippe Druillet—wanted to push the boundaries of the comics medium to tell mature, cerebral, and often titillating stories that embraced a punk attitude. Metal Hurlant was their brainchild, a cutting-edge comics anthology published under their newly-founded publishing house Les Humanoïdes Associés (Humanoids).
The magazine took the sci-fi world by storm, making ripples that would catalyze the creations of generations of artists to come, including filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro, George Lucas, Hayao Miyazaki, Ridley Scott, Denis Villeneuve, Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Nicolas Winding Refn and musicians like Air, Daft Punk, and Hans Zimmer. While Jodorowsky’s Dune never materialized, he and Mœbius created within the pages of Metal Hurlant the groundbreaking series The Incal, which would go on to become the best-selling sci-fi comic of all time and is currently being adapted for the big screen by Taika Waititi.
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Image Source: Humanoids
Now, 50 years after the debut of Metal Hurlant in France, the iconic and genre-defining publication is returning to English with a bigger and bolder iteration than ever before: as a quarterly anthology published by Humanoids. Each volume of Metal Hurlant will be a massive 272+ page literary experience. The ambitious venture from Humanoids is now on Kickstarter and will be released as part of the internationally renowned publisher’s ongoing 50th Anniversary celebrations.
Highlights from the first year of Metal Hurlant include all-new, sophisticated, and electrifying genre stories by visionary graphic storytellers and international superstars, including:
“Clean and Clear” by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Jacob Edgar
“In Every Dream Home a Heartache” by writer Matt Fraction and artist Afif Khaled
“The Rite” by cartoonist Elie Huault
“Peppermint Wendy” by cartoonist Miran Kim
“Retrograde” by writer Karla Pacheco and artist Sagar Fornies
“Soldiers of Light” by cartoonist Simon Roy
“The Laws of Physics” by cartoonist Matthew Sheean
“Hot Ground” by cartoonists Shofela "Shof" & Shobo Coker
“Red Planet Tomatoes” by cartoonist James Stokoe
“A New Dawn” by writer Jake Thomas and artist Jorg de Vos
“Nightmare Motel” by cartoonist Elene Usdin
“The Naked King” by writer Fabien Vehlmann and artist Lionel "Alfred" Papagalli
“Alter” by writer Mark Waid and artist Jean-Michel Ponzio
The first year of Metal Hurlant will also showcase archival material from the original Metal Hurlant run in France, including stories that have never been published before in English or stories that have been out-of-print for decades, including:
Rare short stories from Mœbius, including "Absoluten Calfeutrail” and “La Retour” (The Return)
Content from original Metal Hurlant founders Philippe Druillet and Jean-Pierre Dionnet
Robert Crumb’s iconic comic about Philip K. Dick
Stories by Caza, Nicole Claveloux, Michio Hisauchi, Angus McKie, Jean-Claude Mézières, Chantal Montellier, and Trina Robbins
Each issue of the magazine will have covers by international superstar artists, including Mœbius, Peach Momoko, Enki Bilal, and Jean-Michel Nicollet. The magazine will be packed with premier editorial features by independent journalists, such as cultural commentaries, personal essays, and interviews with top talents from across the arts, including Ted Chiang, William Gibson, Alan Moore, and Denis Villeneuve.
Metal Hurlant is set to launch with a Spring 2025 issue, 50 years after its French premiere issue in January 1975. Metal Hurlant will be available through newsstands, comic book shops, and bookstores, by subscription, and via the Kickstarter campaign. Backers to the crowdfunding campaign can choose Kickstarter exclusive rewards like:
“Arzach” by Mœbius, the seminal, silent story, presented in a stunning hardcover format, featuring a cutout slipcase for the 50th Anniversary French Edition that has never before been available in the US
A two-sided Mœbius posterzine for people who subscribe for one year, featuring, on side one, a cover illustration by Mœbius for Metal Hurlant n°6 (March 1976) and, on side two, Mœbius' short story, "Major Fatal", which will not be published in the magazine itself
A two-sided posterzine for people who subscribe for two years or to the hardcover tier, featuring, on side one, a cover illustration by Mœbius and Druillet for Metal Hurlant n°57bis (November 1980) and, on side two, Mœbius' & Druillet short story, "Approaching the Centauri," which will not be published in the magazine itself
A Metal Hurlant cover portfolio of 8 prints of iconic, vintage covers by Philippe Druillet, Mœbius, Caza, François Schuiten, Jean-Claude Mézières, and more, presented in a pocket portfolio
A Roulette-style signature add-on, offering ONE portfolio print signature from Jodorowsky, Nicollet, Dionnet, OR Caza
An All-Star Signature Tier featuring all four portfolio signatures from Jodorowsky, Nicollet, Dionnet, and Caza
“Metal Hurlant’s ongoing mission is to enthrall readers, explore new paths, and publish bold and transgressive storytellers,” said Humanoids Publisher Fabrice Giger. “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 comics creators of all time to a new generation. 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.”
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