Heavy Metal Magazine Announces Its Surprise Return - Here's What We Know So Far

Can Heavy Metal Magazine still create quality science fiction and fantasy comics in the modern environment?

On Tuesday, Heavy Metal Magazine announced it would return soon by posting cover art to X and teasing a Discord server where they said they would make more announcements.

Heavy Metal Magazine was a staple of 1980s and 1990s comics with edgier material focused on science fiction and fantasy, often introducing American audiences to European comic artists for the first time. The magazine was bought by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator Kevin Eastman in 1992 for $500,000, who then sold it to music and film producers before undergoing a tumultuous time of turnover in leadership which led to brand changes and eventually a drop from the marketplace completely.

They announced Heavy Metal Magazine would be shutting down in 2022 because of cashflow problems, despite an agreement with the app WhatNot to distribute twelve issues. The company’s CEO stepped down, and replacements came in, but the magazine had all but disappeared for the last two years.

On October 13^th, the official X account posted a teaser about the magazine's return with a blurred image. 

Then, on October 15^th, they posted, “Heavy Metal is coming back with a brand new Issue 1 featuring the legendary @HildebrandtGreg as the cover artist.  We couldn't be more thrilled to finally bring the magazine back! Join us on Discord where we'll be making many Heavy Metal related announcements first. https://discord.gg/gJAcfUZRtC” along with cover art. 

Upon joining Discord, one can join as either a fan or a comic book creator and choose a level of access to different portions of the server. There is currently a team answering questions, and Frank Forte, Chris Thompson, and Dave Kelly will oversee the magazine editorially. 

Naturally, fans would worry, given the current political climate, especially in comics, that Heavy Metal wouldn’t be able to reproduce the magazine quality of the past without controversy from the industry.

One fan posted, “Can Heavy Metal even exist again in these PC times? Will it have the best creators doing their best work? Will it be Rock And Roll BADASS , like it was or another bland safe space? If it's going back to its' roots, I want IN!”

To which editor Frank Forte assuaged, “It will be back to its roots -but we need fans like you to help spread the word, we need to bring back old fans, and get new younger fans who like hard hitting science fiction, Fantasy and Horror!”

The team on the Discord server said that the first new magazine would not appear until 2024, giving a long lead-up to their eventual return. 

What do you think of Heavy Metal Magazine announcing a return? Can they make quality science fiction and fantasy in this environment? Leave a comment and let us know.

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