Metal Hurlant, the French comic book anthology from the 1970s and 80s credited with reshaping the contemporary sci-fi aesthetic and inspiring films such as “Alien,” “Tron,” “Blade Runner,” “Akira” and “The Fifth Element,” is returning on its 50th anniversary.
A new English-language quarterly edition of Metal Hurlant — first announced last year — is hitting shelves this week from publishers Humanoids, which launched the original in France in 1975. Variety can exclusively reveal several excerpts of new stories from the anthology alongside support from one of the biggest filmmakers working today.
Excerpt from ‘Respect’ by Matthew Allison
Metal Hurlant was first created by comic artists Jean Giraud (better known as Mœbius) and Philippe Druillet, together with journalist-writer Jean-Pierre Dionnet and finance director Bernand Farkas. Collectively, the four were known as “Les Humanoïdes Associés (United Humanoids), which became the name of their publishing house, first launched in Paris but now based in Los Angeles.
Meaning “Screaming Metal,” Metal Hurlant, with its innovative writing and bold visuals, would prove to be hugely influential. Among the generations of artists it would inspire were Guillermo Del Toro, George Lucas, Hayao Miyazaki, Ridley Scott, Jemaine Clement and Nicolas Winding Refn, as well as musicians including Air, Daft Punk and Hans Zimmer. Denis Villeneuve has gone so far as to claim, “I am a child of Metal Hurlant.”
The revived anthology edition — described as its “most ambitious iteration yet” — features 272 pages of “otherworldly, literary experiences,” including artwork by internationally acclaimed artists and essays and interviews with luminaries across the arts, such as writers Ted Chiang and Alan Moore.
“Metal Hurlant icons, such as Mœbius and Druillet, were some of my earliest visual inspirations as a filmmaker,” said Villenneuve in a statement to Variety. “I’m grateful that an anthology of their work is finally available to English-speaking readers, so that they can also enjoy the extraordinary worlds created by this extraordinary community of artists and writers.”
Excerpt from ‘Catching the Wave’ from writer Yann Becu and artist Masha Moran
Each thematically curated volume will be anchored by new content from emerging creators and graphic storytellers from around the globe, complemented by a selection of archival material from the original French run, including stories never before published in English or out of print for decades. Among the artists to provide cover artwork are Mœbius, Peach Momoko and Enki Bilal.
Among the most famous graphic novels published by Metal Hurlant was “The Incal,” written by filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky and originally illustrated by Mœbius. The epic space opera blended intergalactic voyage, politics, conspiracy, messianism, debauchery, romance and satire — and even included concepts and artwork from an early abandoned attempt to bring Frank Herbert’s “Dune” to screen, which Jodorowsky was set to direct. Hailed as one of the greatest comics ever made, “The Incal” was said to have directly inspired Luc Besson‘s “The Fifth Element” (to the extent that a lawsuit was filed).
“I created ‘The Incal’ with Mœbius in Metal Hurlant 45 years ago, and it has since become one of the most widely read science fiction comics in the world,” Jodorowsky told Variety. “Metal Hurlant was the perfect place for it, as it was — and still is — more of a cultural movement championing artistic freedom and bold creative risks than it was a mere comic book anthology. The world desperately needs such a movement right now, so I am glad to see it expanding its reach.”
Excerpt from ‘Retrograde’ by writer Karla Pacheco and artist Sagar
As part of the announcement last year, a Kickstarter campaign was launched that raised more than $750,000 from 5,000 backers.
“For fifty years, Humanoids has championed visionary storytelling that pushes the boundaries of graphic narrative. From our origins in France to our global presence today, we’ve built a legacy of artistic innovation and cultural impact that transcends borders and generations,” said Humanoids CEO Fabrice Giger. “Bringing Metal Hurlant to English-language readers in its authentic quarterly anthology format represents a perfect celebration of our anniversary — honoring our roots while embracing our future. This isn’t merely a translation but a cultural bridge, offering today’s readers the same sense of discovery and artistic revolution that defined the original publication.”
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