Humanoids is bringing back the future, one "Metal Hurlant" at a time

Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
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Fifty years after its 1974 debut rocked the comics world, the venerable French publisher Humanoids has launched a Kickstarter for a new quarterly anthology of Metal Hurlant ('Screaming Metal'), their legendary sci-fi comic. This new edition aims to capture the spirit of the original—bold, transgressive, and on the cutting edge of storytelling—while adding new talent into the mix. It will feature new work by international superstars like Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, and Aimée de Jongh, alongside archival gems by such Hurlant legends as Mœbius, Philippe Druillet, and Jean-Pierre Dionnet. There's even a Robert Crumb comic about Philip K. Dick, thrown in for good measure.

Cover art by Enki Bilal. Used with permission.

Metal Hurlant was created in the 70s by Mœbius, Jean-Pierre Dionnet, and Philippe Druillet, a group of renegade bande dessinée artists anxious to take comics to a new level—one that was cerebral, surreal, sometimes sexy, and decidedly punk rock. The anthology they birthed was a neurostim blast of sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction unlike anything readers had seen before. The influence of Metal Hurlant in sci-fi, fantasy, and pop culture has been significant, from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner to Daft Punk's helmets. Humanoids assures that the new edition will stay true to the original mission: "to enthrall readers, explore new paths, and publish bold and transgressive storytellers."

Cover art by Jean-Michel Nicollet. Used with permission.

With over 272 pages per issue, the modern anthology promises all-new, sophisticated sci-fi and genre content and archival material that's either never been published in English or has been out of print for decades. We'll also see editorial pieces with cultural commentary, personal essays, and interviews from the likes of William Gibson, Alan Moore, and Denis Villeneuve.

This new chapter for Metal Hurlant will kick off in Spring 2025, 50 years after the original's debut. Available through newsstands, your friendly neighborhood nerd store, bookstores, subscription, and the Kickstarter campaign, this collection will continue the Metal Hurlant tradition of mashing up sci-fi, fantasy, and comics culture in ways that are as heady as they are visually stimulating.

As a Boing Boing exclusive, we managed to get our little mutant mitts on a preview of Mœbius' "Absoluten Calfeutrail." You're welcome!

Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.
Image credit: Humanoids. Used with permission.

Check out the Kickstarter page to back the project and learn more about what's to come.

Previously:
• ZAP! POW! Comics are for kids again