20 Years of Heavy Metal

20 Years of Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal Books, February 1997

20 Years of Heavy Metal (266 pp.) was published to celebrate twenty years of the magazine, which by 1997 was owned by Kevin Eastman, of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' fame. 

This is a well-produced 'coffee table' book, printed on a high grade of paper and with topnotch color separations.

The contents are something of a mixed bag. 

Material from prior to 1980, which I consider the magazine's heyday, is in short supply. Whether this was due to expired printing rights and / or licenses is unclear.

The opening pages are a gallery of T & A pictures. Looking at these, one can see how the magazine changed over time from its early focus on finely crafted, imaginative, sci-fi-flavored content stuff, to become a T & A showcase.

Despite the predominance of material from the late 1980s and the 1990s, there are worthwhile pieces in this book. An undoubted masterpiece is 'The Cathedral' by Jean-Claude Gal, with its intricate black-and-white draftsmanship. Also of value are a 'Mercenary' story from Segrelles, and the post-apocalyptic western 'Children of the Spider' by Segura and Ortiz (the duo behind 'Burton and Cyb'). Also standing out is  'L'Lobo' by Caza.

I was pleased to see a transgressive Ranxerox story, 'Aie, Robot !', from Liberatore. 'Druuna' artist Serpieri is represented by a Western tale, titled 'Women of the West'. This has, as one might expect, female nudity, but no tentacled monsters consumed with lascivious intent. And Enki Bilal contributes 'On the Wing'.

Artist William Stout teams up with Moebius for 'Arzaq', a homage to the franchise.

The remainder of the book is filled with marginal pieces from the late 1980s, and the 1990s. The artwork is makeshift, and the plotting forgettable.

I was able to buy my copy of '20 Years of Heavy Metal' in 2013 from the magazine's website. I think I paid about fifteen dollars for '20 Years', as Heavy Metal was having a sale on their graphic novels and art books. 

So it's alarming to see the bookjackers and speculators advertising copies of the book for $75 on up to $500. At eBay, the prices are just as exorbitant.

The verdict ? If you can find '20 Years of Heavy Metal' available for an affordable price (say, $30 or less), then it can be a worthwhile purchase. But there's no way I can condone spending more for this book.