Joyeux Noel by Jean Sole

Joyeux Noel
by Jean Sole
Heavy Metal magazine, December 1977

If any single cover from the early years of Heavy Metal could be said to display the quintessence of that magazine, then it surely has to be the cover of a 'biker' Santa Claus from the December, 1977 issue.

Sole's art was originally used on the December 1976 issue (number 12) of Metal Hurlant. An argument could be made that the background colors and layout of the Metal Hurlant cover are superior to that of the Heavy Metal version.

According to the Lambiek Comic Encyclopedia and his Wikipedia page, Jean Sole (b. 1948) began contributing art to the French magazine Pilote in 1971. Sole went on to become a major contributor to the comic magazine Fluide Glacial ('icy fluid') while also carrying out commissions for movie posters and theatre sets. A 2015 interview (in French) with Sole is available here.