Métal Hurlant
Influential French science-fiction and horror comics anthology magazine.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Métal Hurlant is a French comics anthology and publishing property associated with science fiction, horror, fantasy, surrealism, and experimental visual storytelling. The title was created in December 1974 by artist Jean Giraud, better known as Mœbius, artist Philippe Druillet, writer and journalist Jean-Pierre Dionnet, and financial director Bernard Farkas. The four founders operated collectively as Les Humanoïdes Associés, which also became the name of the publishing house behind the magazine. The magazine emerged at a moment when European comics were expanding beyond children’s entertainment and traditional adventure formats. Its visual identity emphasized dense draftsmanship, cinematic scale, surreal environments, speculative technology, grotesque imagery, and stories aimed at mature readers. Early issues combined comics with articles on science-fiction literature and film, alongside music and video-game criticism. The result was a hybrid publication that treated comics as a serious artistic and cultural medium rather than merely a serialized entertainment format. The original edition began as a quarterly, with 68-page issues and a relatively small color section. It published work by its founders and by a wide range of European and international creators, including Richard Corben, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Enki Bilal, Caza, Serge Clerc, Alain Voss, Berni Wrightson, Nicole Claveloux, Milo Manara, Frank Margerin, Masse, Chantal Montellier, and Hajime Sorayama. Important stories associated with the magazine include Mœbius’s Arzach, Philippe Druillet’s Lone Sloane material, The Long Tomorrow by Dan O’Bannon and Jean Giraud, Exterminator 17, Jeremiah, The Incal, Milady 3000, 1996, and The Zombies That Ate the World. Some of these works became important properties in their own right and helped define the visual language of European science fiction comics. Métal Hurlant also became an international publishing phenomenon. Selected material was republished in the United States by National Lampoon under the title Heavy Metal, while a German edition appeared as Schwermetall. These editions helped carry the magazine’s aesthetic to readers outside France and contributed to the broader recognition of adult-oriented speculative comics. Despite its influence, the original publication faced financial difficulty and entered bankruptcy in 1980. It continued publishing, changed from quarterly to bimonthly distribution and later to a monthly schedule, and ultimately ended its first run in July 1987. The property was revived from 2002 to 2004 by Humanoids Publishing in French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese editions. Conceived as a transatlantic France–United States publication under Fabrice Giger’s leadership in Los Angeles, this version focused on new short fiction, material connected with existing or forthcoming graphic novels, and the discovery of emerging creators. It ended with issue 14, dated November/December 2004. A further French revival was launched by Vincent Bernière in 2021 through a KissKissBankBank crowdfunding campaign. The plan used a quarterly model combining new stories with classic material; a Polish edition followed in December 2021. In November 2024, Humanoids announced another English-language revival and opened a Kickstarter campaign for a new issue. The English edition returned to print in June 2025 as a quarterly magazine. Across its different eras, Métal Hurlant has functioned both as a periodical and as a curatorial brand for ambitious, visually distinctive speculative comics. Its continuing value lies in its creator-led identity, international reach, and role in establishing mature science-fiction comics as a significant part of contemporary visual culture.
History
Métal Hurlant was founded in December 1974 by Jean Giraud, Philippe Druillet, Jean-Pierre Dionnet, and Bernard Farkas. The founders were collectively known as Les Humanoïdes Associés, a name that became attached to the publishing house responsible for the magazine. Their project was to create a comics publication that could accommodate sophisticated science fiction, horror, fantasy, and experimental narratives while addressing adult readers. The original magazine distinguished itself through its striking visual presentation. It favored complex drawing, cinematic compositions, surreal settings, speculative machinery, and stories that did not conform to conventional children’s-comics structures. The early format was quarterly and ran to 68 pages, with 16 pages in color. In addition to comics, the magazine carried articles about science-fiction books and films, as well as reviews of music and video games. This editorial mixture made it a broader speculative-culture publication rather than a comics-only anthology. The magazine became a platform for major artists and writers from France and abroad. Mœbius contributed Arzach and other influential work, while Druillet developed his distinctive cosmic and baroque science-fiction imagery through stories involving Lone Sloane. Other contributors included Richard Corben, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Enki Bilal, Caza, Serge Clerc, Alain Voss, Berni Wrightson, Nicole Claveloux, Milo Manara, Frank Margerin, Masse, Chantal Montellier, and Hajime Sorayama. Stories associated with the title included The Incal, Exterminator 17, Jeremiah, Milady 3000, The Long Tomorrow, 1996, and The Zombies That Ate the World. Métal Hurlant’s influence extended through international editions and licensed reprints. National Lampoon published selected material in the United States under the title Heavy Metal, and a German edition appeared as Schwermetall. These versions helped establish the magazine’s visual and thematic approach among international readers and contributed to the development of an adult comics market centered on speculative fiction and graphic experimentation. The original publication experienced financial problems and went bankrupt in 1980, although publication continued. Its frequency changed over time, moving from quarterly issues to bimonthly publication beginning with issue 7 and then to a monthly schedule beginning with issue 9. The first major run ended in July 1987. Humanoids Publishing revived the property in July 2002 with French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese editions. The revival was designed as a transatlantic France–United States magazine led from Los Angeles by Fabrice Giger. It published original short stories, including work related to existing or forthcoming graphic novels, and sought to introduce younger creators while supporting the publisher’s wider catalog. This edition ended with issue 14, dated November/December 2004. In 2021, Vincent Bernière initiated another French revival using crowdfunding on KissKissBankBank. The proposed schedule consisted of four issues per year, with two devoted to new material and two to classic content. The third issue appeared in March 2022 and included Aquarium by Léo Quievreux. A Polish edition premiered in December 2021 and combined new publication with classic reprints. Humanoids announced a further English-language revival in November 2024. A Kickstarter campaign for the new issue began on November 13 of that year, and the magazine returned to print in June 2025 as a quarterly edition. The title has also generated adaptations, most notably the live-action television series Métal Hurlant Chronicles, a French–United Kingdom production released across 2012–2014 and later broadcast in the United States by Syfy. Across its publication history, Métal Hurlant has remained a recognizable editorial brand associated with mature, visually ambitious, and internationally oriented speculative comics.
- 2025
English edition returns to print
[1]The revived English magazine is released in June as a quarterly publication.
- 2024
English revival campaign begins
[1]Humanoids announces a new English edition and launches a Kickstarter campaign in November.
- 2022
Third issue of the new French edition appears
[1]The third issue is published in March and includes Léo Quievreux’s story Aquarium.
- 2021
Crowdfunded French revival launches
[1]Vincent Bernière launches a new French edition through KissKissBankBank crowdfunding.
- 2004
Second publication cycle ends
[1]The 2002 revival concludes with issue 14, dated November/December 2004.
- 2002
Multilingual transatlantic revival begins
[1]Humanoids Publishing relaunches the magazine in French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
- 1987
Original run ends
[1]The first major publication run ends in July 1987.
- 1980
Publisher enters bankruptcy
[1]The magazine’s publishing operation becomes bankrupt but continues issuing the title.
- 1974
Métal Hurlant is founded
[1]Jean Giraud, Philippe Druillet, Jean-Pierre Dionnet, and Bernard Farkas create the magazine and establish the Les Humanoïdes Associés publishing collective.
Products and positioning
An auteur-driven, visually experimental comics anthology for mature readers, positioned at the intersection of science fiction, horror, graphic art, and international speculative culture.
Comics anthology magazine · 1974
Original Métal Hurlant magazine
The original French anthology, launched in 1974, combined mature science-fiction, horror, fantasy, and surrealist comics with criticism and editorial material about speculative culture. It became known for ambitious visual storytelling and for publishing work by Mœbius, Philippe Druillet, and numerous international creators.
International magazine edition · 2002
Métal Hurlant multilingual revival
The 2002 revival was published by Humanoids Publishing in French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It operated as a transatlantic publication, presenting original short stories, material linked to graphic novels, and work intended to introduce emerging creators.
Crowdfunded comics magazine · 2021
Métal Hurlant French revival
Launched in 2021 by Vincent Bernière, this edition used a quarterly model combining newly commissioned stories with classic material. Its publication was supported through KissKissBankBank crowdfunding, and a Polish edition followed.
English-language comics magazine · 2025
Métal Hurlant English revival
Announced by Humanoids in 2024 and supported through Kickstarter, the English-language edition returned to print in June 2025 as a quarterly magazine. It extends the property’s international publishing history into a new contemporary edition.
Television adaptation · 2012
Métal Hurlant Chronicles
A live-action French–United Kingdom television adaptation consisting of 12 half-hour episodes across two seasons. The series was released from 2012 to 2014 and later aired in the United States on Syfy.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Kickstarter English revival campaign
United States · United Kingdom · International English-language market
Humanoids announced a new English edition and began a Kickstarter campaign on November 13, 2024, using crowdfunding to finance the magazine’s return to print.
Outcome. The English edition was released in June 2025 as a quarterly publication.
- 2021KissKissBankBank French revival campaign
France
Vincent Bernière used crowdfunding on KissKissBankBank to support a new French edition of Métal Hurlant, planned as a quarterly magazine with a mixture of new and classic content.
Outcome. The revived edition launched in 2021, and at least three issues were published by March 2022.
Brand decisions
2024
Re-enter the English-language magazine marketProduct launchBackground
Humanoids identified an opportunity to reconnect the Métal Hurlant property with English-language readers after earlier international editions had ended.
Action taken
The publisher announced a new English version and used Kickstarter to fund its first issue.
Aftermath
The revived English magazine appeared in June 2025 as a quarterly edition.
2021
Revive the French edition through crowdfundingProduct launchBackground
Vincent Bernière sought to re-establish the magazine as a contemporary platform while retaining its historical identity.
Action taken
A crowdfunded quarterly edition was launched, with two issues planned for new work and two for classic content.
Aftermath
The edition published at least three issues by March 2022 and was accompanied by a Polish launch.
2002
Adopt a transatlantic multilingual modelStrategyBackground
Humanoids Publishing revived the property for a broader international audience after the original French run had ended.
Action taken
The publisher issued French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese versions and positioned the magazine between France and the United States.
Aftermath
The revival published 14 issues before ending in late 2004.
1980
Continue publication after bankruptcyStrategyBackground
The magazine’s publishing operation entered bankruptcy while the title still retained editorial and cultural importance.
Action taken
Publication continued, with the magazine changing frequency from quarterly to bimonthly and later monthly.
Aftermath
The title remained in circulation until the original run ended in July 1987.
1974
Create an adult-oriented speculative comics anthologyStrategyBackground
The founders sought to expand comics beyond conventional youth-oriented formats and give mature science fiction, horror, and experimental art a dedicated platform.
Action taken
They launched a visually ambitious anthology combining comics with criticism of science-fiction books, films, music, and video games.
Aftermath
The editorial model became influential internationally and helped establish mature European speculative comics as a significant cultural form.
Recent events
- 2025
English Métal Hurlant returns to print[1]
Product launch
The English-language magazine returned in June 2025 as a quarterly edition following the 2024 crowdfunding campaign.
- 2024
Humanoids announces an English-language revival[1]
Campaign · Product launch
Humanoids announced a new English version and opened a Kickstarter campaign on November 13, 2024.
- 2021
Métal Hurlant launches a new French revival[1]
Product launch
Vincent Bernière launched a new French edition through a KissKissBankBank crowdfunding campaign, with a quarterly publishing plan combining new and classic material.
- 2021
Polish edition of Métal Hurlant premieres[1]
Product launch
A Polish edition began publication in December 2021, alongside reprints of classic material.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/métal-hurlant · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled