Heavy Metal v08 09 December 1984 [PDF]

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DECEMBER

HEAVY METAL

5

1984

VOL. VUI, NO. IX

DOSSIER, edited by

Lou

Stathis

14

TRITON,

26

THE WALLS OF SAMARIS,

34

THE ITALIAN INQUISITION:

by Daniel Torres by Schuiten

FEDERICO FELLINI INTERVIEWED, by Dan Yakir

38

HM's STAR DISSECTIONS, by Drew Friedman

40

AN AUTHOR SIX

IN SEARCH OF CHARACTERS,

by Milo Manara 52

THE HUNTING PARTY, by P. Christin. Enki Bilal.

61

62

Illustrated

by

CHAIN MAIL ENSLAVED BY THE NEEDLE, by Joost Swarte

80

84

GALLERY: DORIS AND BORIS VALLEJO'S

ENCHANTMENT THE BUS, by Paul Kirchner

85

TEX ARCANA,

93

ROCK OPERA,

by John Findley

by Rod Kierkegaard, Front cover.

by Richard Corben Back cover. by Royo

Jr.

FOR $9.95 WE

That's the "Good Clean Sex" issue up there: witty, racy, innovative— an issue reminiscent of the enormously popular National Lampoon special editions of the seventies. It's January, the first monthly issue of the new National Lampoon, the first of twelve completely different issues to be published in 1985. Each issue of (he National Lampoon in 1985 and thereafter will be created and edited by a different team of writers, editors, artists, and cartoonists. Each will have a different theme, a different look, a different approach. Each, however, will deal in NatLamp humor, the humor that has made this the most popular magazine of its kind in the world, that created National Lampoon's Animal House, National Lampoon's Vacation, National Lampoon's Radio Dinner, National Lampoon's Lemmings, and so much more. For fifteen years the National Lampoon has had basically the same look, with many of the same columns and many of the same most features. We feel it's time for a new look. There will be no regular columns or features or comic strips— although many of the popular artists and writers of the past fifteen years will continue to appear in the pages of the magazine. But each magazine will be different.

All magazines have a continuing format It is one of the most unusual and innovative ideas in the history of the magazine business. with columns and features that appear on a regular basis. This one won't. Following "Good Clean Sex" will be such issues as "A Misguided Tour of New York," "National Lampoon's Fifteenth Anniversary Celebration," and many other unusual and hilarious issues to be announced. Subscribe now. This could be fun!

Sirs:

interesting, new. joke-filled magazine described above. I'd love to subscribe to the wonderful, hilarious, unusual, innovative, have to be an absolute dogbrain not to. Here is my money, you deserve it more than I. 1

am

one

reasonably intelligent and

I'd

I'd like

year, please for $9.95 (because

I

have deduced that

it

me

$14.05 over the newsstand price and $2.00 over the

will save

$34.25 over the ridiculously already too low newsstand

will save

subscription price). I

am

quite sophisticated but not a real genius, so I'll take for $ 13.75 (since my slide rule informs me that

two years, please price

Q I

and $4.20 over the very

fair

I

subscription price).

the smartest person I know and 1 demand that you send three whole years, if you don't mind for the paltry sum of $ 18.50 (which any price and of course $6.45 over the very reasonable subscription price). I

am

idiot

knows

is

a saving of $53. 50 over the newsstand

Lampoon. Dept. HM1284, 635 Madison Ave., I am to send check or money order to National per year for Canada, Mexico, and other foreign lands. All checks must be in U.S. funds.

also understand

Add $5.00

New York,

N.Y. 10022.

NAME ADDRESS. STATE

CITY If

you are in a

her.

real big

"Big Jim sent me."

hurry you can

call this absolutely toll-free

-

ZIP

number: 1-800-331-1750. And ask

for Secret

Operator #31.

Tell

—

—

Wordpekar Worry is what he's doing at the moment. Harvey Pekar has a lot to worry about— he doesn't mind telling you and

Sometimes I find myself down to just one or two dependable artists, so have to try

crabbiest person east of the Mississippi.

(Yeah, he lives

all this

taking up lots of valuable you want to know exactly what's worrying Harvey Pekar, pick up a

to

copy of American Splendor. It's all there in black and white: divorce, being broke, dealing with jerks at work, trying to meet girls, trying to figure out what the fuck life is all about. When you get right down to it, what isn't there to worry about these days? Not a whole hell of a lot. And so, Harvey Pekar worries. Now would you please just let the guy alone so he can get something done? And for God's sake, buy his goddamn magazine

HM: Where did

Consider the case of Harvey Pekar. Here's a guy who's got to be the

—

in Cleveland but is that an excuse?) At the same time, he puts out the best damned comic book you can buy— if you can find it. If you can't, you can order it from Harvey. Who, as

really

you might recall, is a real grouch. Why is Harvey so crabby, you ask? Because of assholes like you, asking

dumb

questions like that

all

the time.

I

mean, can't you find anything better to do than bug other people? Especially people who are just trying to get by, working a nine-to-fiver, and then putting together this great mag, American Splendor, about the life and times and thoughts and problems of Harvey Pekar— a magazine which never sells worth a damn and is a

—

talk

And

time.

is

if

befor attics

all

over Cleveland collapse.

Mike Barson

pain in the ass to get into final form, what

with artists always being late with their

HM:

work, and the printers always fucking up, and the distributors never ordering enough copies.

collaborate with you through nine issues

.

.

.

Well, you'd be cranky, too. just Harvey's pbinl

pain in the ass,

life

And

that's

—people can be

a real

can be a real pain

in

You've had a wagonload of artists

of American Splendor.

How

determine which

should do which

artist

do you

story?

HP:

i

each

illustrator,

try to

work with the strengths of and in that way minimize

their weaknesses.

keep

in

mind

over Cleveland?

issue

is

always the art of the possible.

who can do what

I'm gradually learning and why. However,

best,

me, getting out an

that for

pleasant 'little genre gets upgraded to a

the early Seventies, the publishing

drugstores, and 7-11

category. Category fiction gets

's.

And

its

own

mucho horror product. Most of which

buying land who will gladly fork over hard-earned sheckels for the privilege of having the bejeezus scared

of course, quite horrible.

out of them.

publisher as

Today, not a week goes by without one bookstores by the bushel. Now that Steven King has been accepted as the

Harold Robbins of horror, the publishing can just sit back and let umpteen biz

dozen other writers get sucked up jet-stream. That's what happens

in his

when

d

who

often are

unknown drawn

can't always have a story

who would

have been

my

Cleveland?" HP: Some of them came from local art schools; others were introduced to me by people who already were working on AS. Considering my limited contacts and the lousy money pay, I think I've been !

fortunate to find so

many

fine illustrators.

Dumm and Greg Budget!, Gerry Shamray, Sue Cavey, Kevin Brown they've each got their own unique style. HM: I must confess, I first picked up an issue of American Splendor strictly Gary

because of the Crumb art on the cover and inside. He always seems to get the funniest stories to draw. HP: Crumb is one of the greatest I know he is capable of finding the means to handle just about any kind of story, i have been

Thus, the creation of

full.

is,

Take William Peter Blatty's Legion. Please. Launched by its hardcover if it were trie second coming of Carrie, it turns out simply to be the second coming of but that would be telling. Why not run out and buy the paperback (Pocket Books) and ruin your day on your own? Suffice it to say that this book might'vc been subtitled The Exorcist U, except that the movie by that name already ruined the market for that .

.

.

thinking of him primarily for the more

humorous

pieces, but you'll see a major

departure

in his

work

To be absolutely

in issue

good ideas buried

number

how many pages

fair,

in the

there are a few

midst of Blatty's

ridiculously overripe prose

those racks

have to be kept

their

1

artist

choice.

you discover all the young talent that handles the bulk of the art on AS'} "Off the streets of

title.

big racks in B. Daltons, airports,

industry has been hip to the fact that there are lots of people out there in book-

or two of these creep-fests appearing in

first

nine. There's a limit to

on The Exorcist. Ever since William Peter Blatty's nasty novel made several million dollars back in it

me. by the

cartoonists of our time, and

the ass, and what the hell is he going to do with 50,000 unsold copies of American Splendor stored in attics all

Blame

I

to recruit others,

—and one

scene good for a buzz on the old boo-

—but

let's just hope that Blatty cook up an Exorcist ill ten years from now to pay the rent. Marginally better is James Herbert's Shrine (Signet), which takes 458 pages to tell a 158-page story. If wading through those 300 unnecessary pages doesn't bother you and for $3.95, some people might consider that getting their money's worth— then this overinflated account of a young girl's possession (yes, again) by a witch from the middle ages might please. Not only is Herbert, a British writer, tone-deaf when it comes to style, but he

box

doesn't have to

—

HEAVY METAL

Crumb

have

HM: You can

to

has the time to do for me, but I'm happy with every piece he's done. see that he really has an

to

keep your costs down to rockprinter for the covers, one

bottom— one

shoot the negatives, one to print the

understanding of you and what you're

interiors,

trying to accomplish.

thing together.

HP: Yeah, he does have understanding of

my

a real

good

I

a

bindery to put the whole

And

it's

up

that everything gets done,

stories; in fact, he's

I

comfortable working with over the phone and through the mail. All the other illustrators 1 use

the only artist that

and

feel

to

me

to see

and done

right.

actually drive the covers over to the

bindery in a station wagon once they're printed that's 10,000 covers.

—

HM: Do

vou ever wish

that

someone

else

HM:

It

must have been a heck of a

correspondence.

HP: The thing that really set it off was when she asked methink it was in her

—

—

I

"How can 1 tell if I'm a member of the working class or not?" That provoked a long answer from me, and the rest just went from there. HM: And so you whisked her away to Cleveland. Have you lived there all your second

letter

DID XTEJSLZOErSVS KV LIRE SEEMED SO SZOUENLY. MV BELA'ISOTJSHJP WITH

MV GIRLFRIEND WAS JOORLY DEFINED, MV BUDDY VISITS ME AND I DON'T HAN IUK US TO DO ANYTHING CW SATUKDffi night. i knew that he did mtod Been© left alone eot itd gotten mvsely into a kjsmon ujhere if i pleased her i abandoned him. i knew he'd let ME OFF THE BOOK FOR 2T,Sl7T HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO

Harvey Pekar as depicted live in the

me

Cleveland area.

in

American Splendor #9 by Kevin Brown,

Crumb gave my career

a great deal of help early in

as a

comic book

The

writer.

story

first

illustrated

HP:

by him and and printed

book, The People's Comics in 1972. also turned Willie Murphy on to me, which led to Willie illustrating three my stories for his Flamed Out Funnies

the

start.

HP:. Yeah, I was in several mags before got started—Snarf, Marvel's Comix Book, and an issue of Bizarre Sex, in which I had the lead story, "How'd You Get into This Bizness. Ennyway?" it was about a gang bang. So, you could say that my style was established by the time AS began. HM: Writing a story is hard enough, but you took on the additional headaches of

AS

—

the editor and publisher

decided

to put out

when you

book

6

—which

so,

my

is

from beginning

to end.

what happens when you

HEAVY METAL

life has been greatly enriched began the book.

since

I

HM:

You met your new wife through AS,

you? HP: Yeah, she was part-owner of a comic-book store in Delaware that carried my book, and she had to write me to get an extra copy of number six when her own copy accidentally was sold. We began corresponding, and after about a didn't

distance phone calls, and several plane trips,

It's difficult

have four different people printing the

would be especially

million letters, a zillion hours of long

American Splendor by

yourself.

HP:

it

money on it all the time; I could afford to pay my illustrators more, which in turn would make it easier to get work from them on time. But I've been aware for a long time that AS was never going to be that popular, and that I was letting myself in for a heap of aggravation by publishing it myself. Even

I probably read those stories and never realized who this "Harvey Pekar"

AS was

It

else to

have

nice not to lose

HM:

thai

someone

I'd like to

then

#1.

assumed

like for

And

distributed better.

of

I'd

would

I

publish AS.

in his

Crumb

dude was.

was handling the publishing end of you could just concentrate on

things, so

the writing?

1

ever published, "Crazy Ed," was

I

we were

appetance big star in

married. She makes a brief in AS number nine, but she's a number ten. so you'll get to

meet her then.

life?

By now, Cleveland

has assumed the

role of the second most-important character in your stories.

All my life, yeah. I was born in the Mt. Pleasant section of Cleveland's east side at a time when it still had a large Jewish and Italian population, but was in

HP:

the process of ghetto.

becoming

part of the black

The neighborhood

I

live in

now—

the Coventry section of Cleveland

—

Heights has a great mixture of people from different social classes and ethnic backgrounds. Everyone gets along surprisingly well;

it's

terrific!

HM: What do

you think AS offers mainstream comic books do not?

that

HP: Most comic book

fans prefer fantasy.

I'm a

try to push

realistic writer:

I

own lives, try to how much drama and heroism and even humor there is in the people's faces into their get

them

life

of the so-called average person.

to realize

American Splendor does not offer is what I think most comic book fans are looking for. (For a copy of American Splendor #0. send $2.75 to Harvey Pekar, Box 18471, Cleveland Heights, Ohio44ll8. Issues two escapism, which

through eight are also available, at $1 .50 to $2.75.}

— places the horror high-point

—

way too early

book, leaving lots of anticlimactic "big" scenes to star! you snoring. Shrine, however, does not quality as a bad in the

book—just

Il seems ungenerous to. complain again, of a weak ending, but the rest of this book is so good that the hurried

conclusion

is

a double shame. This tale

a mediocre one that should

have gone on a diet. Herbert. incidentally, has built his career on horror, and has eight other novels to his credit (including

decent sex scene.

Which brings

all

room with human

skin. This book is having the hell promoted out of it by the publisher, which means il's probably going to be a hit. Whether Klein can come up with a second book of this quality remains to be seen, but one can hope. He is one of the few people in the genre who knows how to write a

The Fog. filmed by John

Carpenter). If Shrine were filmed with scenes intact, it would run aboul nine

reupholstered his living

Ramsey

us to

Campbell's The Face That Must Die (Scream/Press). Campbell has been around since 1964, when Arkham House

hours. 'Nuff said.

Speaking of films, the very hot Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has been commissioned to novelize a screenplay for something called Nomads (Bantam). Being shorter than Shrine doesn"! help but it allows you to finish it this turkey that much sooner and get on with your life. The female protagonist, a doctor wl is deja-vuing a dead man's experiem "finds herself in a nightmare from which

published the collections.

first

We

of three short story

know him from

also

fine anthologies he has edited.

New

Terrors and The Far Reaches of Fear

—

the

—and

he has not been too shy lo include one of his

own works

in

each collection. Which

to the good, because

is all

.

writer-,

perhaps the only

current group,

who

Campbell

celebrated fifty years from now. (You don't really ihink

is no escape." the cover copy tells escaped by tossing ii across the room. Yarbro, who had a million-seller with Dead and Buried a few years back, would be doing herself a favor by not cranking out novclizations of other

anyone will be reading Cujo even five years from now, do you?) The Face That Must Die is a restored

i

version of the earlier, expurgated novel;

people's lousy screenplays.

To move from

The premises

finishes

worthy of first

to

come

looney-iunes. There's nothing

provide a counterpoint to the creepy

up with

his beginnings.

half of The Shining.

It's

feels like to die

from bubonic-

in a coffin.

illustrations,

their

to the

Ceremonial author T.E.D. Klein. owes a good deal

most original—and Ed Gein

ncrdiesi hero and the

nasty

—

villain since

Riders of the Sidhe Bantam)— pronounced "shce" as in '"shee-r/!"— is Kenneth C. Flint's daring expose of the ancient Celtic gods, villains, and heroes Men from Outer Space. It's Martians I, Mythology 0, as a bunch of lovable

as

characters help a lad

become tell

a

man and

everyone

(Scream/Press: P.O. Box 8531

Cruz,

CA

,

S.

Barson

Santa

95061)

lovable rogues and bumbling magicians

could send anyone into insulin shock, while Asprin's sparkling contemporary

dialogue could get him a job scriptwriting for "Three's

Company." Cliches

range from the offensive people love this

here

to the dated.

People also eat

stuff.

But :

frozen fishsticks.

Spiegel Catalog of fantasy fun from

The Sleeping Dragon, by Joel Rosenberg (Signet), at least has the decency to be naive about its relentless lovableness. You can lean back and watch as stock characters from Any town Stale U. are sent into their own Dungeons & Dragons universe, where they get to work

Starblaze Funny-Looking Books. Hit or

out their personality problems. There's a

apart because they

ail talk

have different-colored

hair.

differently and

No one

in

bad

fantasy novels ever has a personality they settle for Character Trails.

Middle America popular culture comes Elfland in Robert Asprin's fourth

The problem with most fantasy novels is that their authors can t write. So you bad fantasy and bad novels. Let's get our priorities straight, okay? First you learn to write, then you come up with

Myth

some

cuteness"

neat ideas.

—Michael

LovecralVs Clhulhu

to

mythos, as well as the stories of Arthur its real charm is having the

save the world. You can

BA3K

things should be.

Machen; but




Q 9?

(PLU6 $1,50 FOR

POSTAGE AMP HANPLIN&.')

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checks must be payable within the continental U.S. Please add $1.50 per shirt for postage and handling.

All

TOTAL

[CONAN

© 1984

CONAN PROPERTIES,

INC.

_

^^

8

reprehensible

is

their pretending to be the

way an adolescent male should

me

Give

be.

an honest video, flashy or not, than

mindless, sexist, headbanging any day. (Naturally, I agree

—but you've got

to

remember that videos are advertising, not and any means to insinuate the

art,

product advertised into your

NAIL Dear HM: Before you guys get a deluge of mail on your special video awards issue (September),

I'd like to put in

cents worth on what

my

think are

I

plain

lame videos of the past year. My good as //A/'s, but as video viewer (about two to three

credentials aren't as a steady

my

hours a night),

I'd just like to get

kicks in now.

don't want to kick too

I

the worst dancing:

David Bowie's "Let's Dance." Bowie, who can dance, doesn't; those that do,

What

can't.

hands down.

It,"

don't

make you laugh

A

though.

Loudest video (visually): Duran Duran's "Reflex." The colors are loud, the editing

is

too

fast,

concert footage cut

with film footage until you can't

which

is

which, and where

is

tell

that water

Loudest video

A

busy set, high winds, guitar feedback, and Sting

SHOUTING

the song.

Not very pleasant.

Ugliest group in video: Kiss in "Lick

It

—

painted masks.

—

Is)

Performer making biggest fool of The Cars' Ric Ocasek, in "Magic." Squinting in the sun, he poses and moves ridiculously with a bunch of extras in silly costumes while walking on himself:

and get rid of "Salammbo Keep it coming, guys!

II."

Medina

D.

Brooklyn,

Dear

NY

MM:

1950. Television

is

introduced. People

are engrossed and will watch anything

because it's so obvious. Just look sharp and the world will fall all over you.

broadcast, because there's been nothing

(Too bad

like

the truth.

it's is,

The

interesting

are they reinforcing a cultural

—

Is)

Video exploiting sexual perversion:

Michael Jackson's "Thriller," anything with Boy George (Why? Just because of way he dresses? That's ridiculous. and I'd say about 88% of videos by heavy metal groups. (/ think you're lumping exploitation of pure sex with sexual perversion. There is a difference.— Is) Though I've never seen it, I've heard that Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" video (the original, banned one)

—

the

Is),

worse.

The

lead singers,

—

it before. As time progresses, people better shows. Along come "Star Trek," "Roots," "The Day After." 1977. Along comes HM. People are engrossed- there has never been anything like it before. As time progresses, people demand better. How about it? True, you've printed some great stories

demand

—

Cameo's "She's So Strange," Prince's "Little Red Corvette," Bowie's "China Girl," The Stones's "She's So Hot,"

who do admit

and artwork, but you've had more than your fair share of "Gilligan's Islands."

Why

run

95%

foreign art? (Simply,

because we like it better than most of the American stuff offered us, and because HM is an international magazine. Is)

—

Just

because an

mean be

artist is

he's great.

by lousy

stories,

crummy

French,

Good artwork

doesn't

it

ruined

is

and the French seem

to

writers. (They're also less

being gay, (Horrors! Is) go into a gay bar filled with leather, kinky S&M,

captivated by the boring cliches of traditional American comics. Is)

and other negative stereotypes. (Sounds like a typical episode

Try not to run so many continued stories this is HM, not "The Days of

of "Ranxerox" seen the clip

to

me. But seriously, I've

in question,

inoffensive. It's also well

and edited, and As with ZZ Top,

and

it's

pretty

photographed

pretty fucking hilarious.

a question of

it's

reinforcing negative stereotypes or simply

—

underground gay scene and if Frankie to Hollywood want to shoot a home movie of one of their nightly golden

Goes

showers, I think they should be allowed

wash

Just as long as they

afterwards.

of macho defiance. Is) Most obnoxious video: Yes's "Owner of a Lonely Heart." Whenever I feel sad and a little lonely, I feel like putting

worse. Motley Crue's

are safe

—

Is)

But

I

their

—

—

Our Lives." Too many

issues are

85%

continued. Try more complete stories, like "June 2050," which is the best item you run every issue. (You lose. "June 2050' has been cancelled. Is) Finally, someone should invite Lou Stathis over for a Jim Jones-style Kool-

—

'

portraying them. Those sorts of places do exist, and they form a major part of the

dumb as Billy Idol does, with his crowbarred sneer and adolescent pose

—

more music (albums reviews, interviews,

dramatic tribute to the summer Olympics, comes off stilted and boring.

water. Right. (He doesn't look nearly

as

A

etc.),

transvestites,

Up." God, these guys are ugly without makeup. (No kidding but smart enough to realize those grim mugs wouldn't make them nearly as much moolah as the

the

few other suggestions: end "Tex Arcana" (because the suspense is killing me!),

to

(overall): Police's

in

sex 'n' violence department for a while.

is

coming from? The screen? Huh? "Synchronicity II."

should keep us satisfied

face, twitching in a

Again, you can't pick just one. There's

tie

Is)

Most pompous video: Manfred Mann's "Runner." What's supposed to be a

stereotype or just reflecting it?

quite as hard.

Funniest video (unintentional):

—

someone up and falling off a building. I'm glad Yes finally put these subtle emotions in such an appealing way.

Some

between Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield" and Jefferson Starship's "One Way Out." That video by Heart comes close, but I forget what the song is. Most exploitive video: John Lennon's "Living on Borrowed Time." Nice song,

utilized.

corridor, screaming in an elevator, beating

question

the point?

is

Funniest video (intentional): Weird Al

Yankovich's "Eat

be

Glenn Dressier Kankakee, IL

gals

of Madness's videos are amusing, but

is to

Dear Metalurgists: While Liberatore and Tamburini are dreaming up new adventures for Ranxerox and Lubna, why don't you people run some S. Clay Wilson material? That

Video most exploitive of women: Trying to pick only one is hard. I'd say the worst is ZZ Top's "Legs" simply

hard, just in the right places.

Dance video with

my

maggots on

twenty

some of

the most exploitative, pointless, and just

consciousness

Aid

party, for putting his

comments

through the middle of Chain Mail. there letter,

to.

hands

Isn't

enough room at the bottom of each Lou? It's irritating. Gary Davis Montesano, WA

think videos that

and unquestionably dishonest are

"Too Young

to Fall

in Love" is an adolescent male fantasy and covers much the same territory as "Relax." What makes Motley Crue so

Sure there's enough room, but by

now

most everyone' s forgotten what specifically in the letter is being

responded

was

to.

Right? Uh,

the question?

—

now what

Is

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77

#2/MAV '77: Russian astronauts, "Conquering Armies," the ultimate rock festival, and more.

#15/JUNE

'78:

Corben introduces classic "More illustrated, more

Shahrazad. Sturgeon's

Than Human"

is

"Barbarella," and

#3/JUNE

'77:

Macedo's "Rock-

the origins of

#29/AUGUST '79: Caza steals show "New Ark City," plus Mayerik, Suydam, "Galactic Geowith

#42/SEPTEMBER

"1996,"

graphic," Bode, more.

while Bilal's "Progress!" picks up steam. Ernie Colon, Paul Kirchner, Leo Duranona contribute nifty

#4/JULY '77:

"Gail,"

'78:

resumption of Druillet's

more "Heilman," "Orion," "More Than Human," and Cor-

#30/SEPT EMBER

'79: "Elric,"

ben's 'Arabian Nights."

"Buck Rogers," a lizard named "Elvis," and "Little Red V-3,"

#5/AUGUST

#19/OCTOBER

alongside Montellier and Moebius.

gins,

tor 17," Ellison's illustrated "Glass

'77: "Polonius" be"The Long Tomorrow" concludes, and "World Apart" and "Den" continue.

'78:

"Extermina-

Goblin," debut of McKie's "So Beautiful and So Dangerous."

to

H.

'79:

P.

'77: Roger Zelazny has a short story, and Moebius, a space opera; plus more "World Apart," "Den," and "Po-

lonius."

#7/OCTOBER

#20/NOVEMBER

'78:

Twenty

pages of the Delany/Chaykin "Empire," more "Sindbad," "Exterminator," Major Grubert, "Heilman" 's final rebirth, more.

dam,

Druillet,

shorts,

with Suy-

"Rock Opera"

while

gets

stranger. '81:

Corben's "Blood-

Gimenez's "Good-bye, SolHarry North's "Stories from London," and an interview with

star,"

dier!,"

Julio Ribera.

#32/NOVEMBER

'79:

Corben's

"Rowlf," Bode's "Zooks," Brunner's "Elric,"

My '77:

A Halloween

Lovecraft,

Breccia, others.

"The

'80:

Alchemist Supreme" concludes

#49/APRIL

#31/OCTOBER tribute

Moebius,

#6/SEPTEMBER

#41/AUGUST '80: Druillet returns with "Salammbo" while Moebius concludes "Shore Leave" (and is interviewed). Bilal continues "Progress!"

A

happy ending for "Barbarella," a sad ending for

#16/JULY

Lots of Moebius: 'Arzach," "The Long Tomorrow"; conclusion of "Sunpot."

#28/JULY '79: Bode's "Zooks" premieres, Corben's "Sindbad" concludes. Morrow and Moebius continue, Mike Hinge debuts.

"Heilman."

blitz," highly praised "Shells," be-

ginning of Davis's "World Apart," Moebius, Corben, Bode, more.

Chay kin's "Ths

Stars

Destination," Moebius, and

Fiction by

#50/MAY '81: Premiers of Chaykin's "Cody Starbuck" and Bilal's "The Immortals' Fete!" Plus: Suydam's "The Toll Bridge" and WilBurroughs on liam

immortality.

S.

Theodore Sturgeon, Moebius's Garage," "Den" and "Polonius" back again. "Airtight

#33/DECEMBER

#8/NOVEMBER '77: New Harlan

mas package from Caza, Corben, Kofoed, Suydam, Stiles, Trina, Moebius, and Ellison, plus "Gnomes" and "Giants."

Ellison

fiction,

9 color pages by

Moebius and Rimbaud, conclusions and "World Apart."

for "Polonius"

'78:

Morrow

'80: An eerie cover adorns this issue. Corben's "The Beast of Wolfton" McKie experiments with the Air Pump, and we join Matt Howarth on a crazed acid trip. begins,

#36/MARCH '80: Why did "The Crevasse" take Jeannette? Read the Schuiten strip! Plus: Corben, Matena, Moebius, and Lee Marrs's "Good Vibrations."

illus-

Lob and Pichard update Ulysses, "Conquering Armtrates Zelazny,

"Den" continues.

#11/FEBRUARY

'78:

New

adven-

tures of "Barbarella," cover and center spread by Nino, plus Moebius

'78: The stocking's full with "Orion," Kirchner's "Tarot," and 12 beautiful pages of

#37/APRIL sary issue

'80:

—32

Our 3rd anniverpages of "Cham-

pakou" in living color, final installment of Moebius's "Airtight Garage," plus Caza, Bilal, Howarth, Corben, Bode and more!

Gray Morrow's swashbuckling "Orion" debuts; more "Barbarella," "Urm," and "Den."

#22/JANUARY

#13/APRIL

'78: Our 1st anniversary issue! A 30-page insert from "Paradise 9." "Barbarella" gives birth, while "Den" wraps it up.

#23/FEBRUARY

'79: "Galactic Geographic," "Starcrown," Corben's "Sindbad," McKie's "So Beautiful and So Dangerous."

Alchemist exist? Will Axle ever find out? Will "Champakou" reach the Doll of Jade? Will Joe strike out with the alien Marilyn, too?

#I4/MAY

Mad"

#24/MARCH '79: Twenty pages of

#39/JUNE

waves bye-bye, but "Orion" and "Barbarella" continue, and Alex Nino tips his hat.

Chaykin illustrating Bester's "The Stars My Destination," "Starcrown" II, and Ellison's late show.

meets his fate, while "Captain Sternh" saves the day. And it's the Flying Wallendas vs. Earth!

'78:

#5I/JUNE

'81: The 1st part of the Richard Corben interview, Jim Steranko's adaptation of Outland premieres, Howarth's "Changes"

winds up. Plus: Caza, Chaykin, Crepax, and Workman!

#56/NOVEMBER '81: Jeronaton's "Egg of the World," Jeff Jones, Seand Bilal all frame the art and Diane Dillon beauti-

grelles,

of Leo fully.

#58/JANUARY

'82: Our "Happy issue. Includes Arno, Loustal, Voss, He, and Gillon; and "The Autonomous Man," all surrounded by Chaykin and Simonand Steranko.

Future"

son, Segrelles,

#21/DECEMBER

and Corben.

#I2/MARCH

Christ-

Go u rati n

77: Extra pages complete "Vuzz," by Druil"Fortune's Fool," by Chaykin and Wein, plus full-color Corben, Macedo, Claveloux, and Moebius. for the let,

ies" concludes,

A

#35/FEBRUARY

#9/DECEMBER

#i07JANUARY

79:

and

'79:

Trina debuts

Druillet concludes "Gail," plus

—

#59/FEBRUARY

'82:

The

further

adventures of John Difool in "The Incal Light." Wein and Chaykin's "Gideon Faust" gets going again. Plus Fernandez, Jones, Schuiten.

—

#60/MARCH '82: 2nd Special Rock

McKie and Corben.

#38/MAY

'80:

Does the Supreme

Issue featuring Dick Matena's "A Life in the Day," a surrealistic look life of John Lennon. Luis Garcia's "Nova 2" begins. Plus "Mercenary," "Den," "Rock Opat the

era," etc. '78:

"Urm

the

'80:

"Champakou" #61/APRIL '82:

5th anniversary issue offers a variety of material. Claveloux, Druillet,

What with

Moebius,

Bilal,

G. Ballard,

and an essay on

you'll be

J.

busy until our

6th!

#73/APRIL '83: Moebius's "The Twinkle in Fildegar's Eye," and Sauri's "The Odyssey," along with Kaluta, Crepax, and Workman.

#87/JUNE '84: Slava Tsukerman talks about "Liquid Sky." "Lann"

#7S/JUNE

"Doom-

#88/JULY '84: Long interviews with

end of Crepax's "The from Harlem," and a peek at

funnymen John Cleese and Jerry Lewis. Long-awaited art from Jeronaton.

and "The Hunting Party"

1st part of David Black's "Third Sexual Revolution."

"The Art of DeEsSchwerfberger." Plus: "Sixteen and Vanilla" by Ted White and Val Lakey.

#63/JU!\E

Corben's

the 3-D science fiction thriller, Spacehunter.

New

#89/AUGUST

'82: Fantastic Cities is-

sue, with artists Voss,

Caza,

and R. Crumb, rounded by regulars: belli,

Sci-

surDruillet, all

Moebius, Schuiten, and Fernandez.

#64/JULY

'82: Marcele and Lacome's strange "Life at the Circus" and pages from Corberfs Flights into

Fantasy.

Man

'83:

the

scult,"

Plus Jones, Garcia, and

#76/JULY '83:

Liberatore's

"Ranx-

erox," the end of Kulata's "Starstruck" (for the time being), an interview with Dan O'Bannon and a glimpse al Ray Bradbury's Dinosaur Tales.

#77/AUGUST

'83: Arno and Jodorowsky's "The Small Earthdebuts, Gimenez's "A MatTime" appears, and Captain

worm"

Druillet.

Beefheart is interviewed, all behind a beautiful Greg Hildebrandt cover.

'•...,:

1

^tisjH

'83: An excluinterview with Francis Ford at the Rowena Morrill and the conclusions of "Zora" and "The City that Didn't Exist."

#907SEPTEMBER

HM

ond Annual

'82:

#66/SEPTEMBER '82: Hecht's "Music-Video Interface," Lupoff's "Barsoom!" and Hinge's "Object." Plus our regulars: Bilal, Fernandez, Kierkegaard. #67/OCTOBER

'82: You'll have Scary Dreams after reading our special horror section. Everything from Eddie Poe to the weirdest pho-

bias possible. Don't read

it

alone!

Last part of Black's "Third Sexual Revolution." P.S.:

Part 1 of Kaluta's "Starstruck." Findley's "Tex Arcana" continues as does "Den II" and Druillet's "Yragael." Plus: a peek at Wrightson's National Lampoon's Class Reunion. '82:

#69/DECEMBER

'82: A Will Stone Gallery, the return of Suy-

#91/OCTOBER

'84:

The

HM

in-

terview with director John Sayles. by,

and Jeronaton and

Bilal continue.

#92/NOV EMBER

begins, Jeronaton ends, and Paul Kirchner gives us some "Cool." Plus, shock-director John Waters tells

dam's "Mudwog." and Mark Fish'Amino Men." Plus Corben, Fernandez, and Kierkegaard.

'83:

Timothy

Leary! Enki

Bilal!

Walter

Rocky and Bullwin-

Hill!

A

great issue!

—

tina the Pirate." Enjoy.

#81/DECEMBER

'83: Ranxerox Valentina comes on

Artist Liberatore viewed. Lots more!

strong.

#82/JANUARY

'84: Part

is

inter-

one of

David Blacks vampire memoirs. Plus "Ranxerox in New York," and a peek at Arthur Clarke's The Sen-

HM

Dept. 1284 635 Madison Avenue York, N.Y. 10022

tinel.

New

#83/FEBRLARY Trumbull turns. pires

talks.

And David

comes

to

'84: Douglas John DiFool reBlack's My Vam-

an end.

#84/MARCH '84: is

interviewed.

Douglas Adams Vu.

Angus McKie and

Charles Burns return. Ranxerox ends his New York adventure.

#85/APRIL

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Spirit story. Plus Crepax's "Valen-

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#80/I\OVEMBER '83: A spirited talk with Will Eisner, along with a

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#86/MAY '84: "The Railways" begins, "Ranxerox" ends, and "The Third Incal" continues. Plus, two "June 2050"s for the price of one.

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The strange

conclusion to Wrightson's "Freak Show, " a look at The Dark Crystal, and regulars Manara.. Corben, Fernandez, etc.

#71/FEBRUARY

'83:

Name

City State i

'83:

We

bid a fond

Den and Kath, and a warm welcome to Bilal's "City that farewell to

Didn't Exist." A Gallery on Robert Will Mams, plus Manara, Kaluta and

more.

I've enclosed a lolal of $ This amount covers purchase plus shipping and handling. All issues are mailed in protective covering.

The making

of the film The Entity, Kim Deitch's Eating Raoul, and regulars Corben, Kaluta, Crepax, etc.

#72/MARCH

Price

'84: The SecMusic Video

Coppola! Plus a Gallery look

kle!?!

Jones and Wrightson's "Freak Show" and Pisu and Manara's "The Ape. ." Plus the finale of "The Incal Light" by Moebius and Jodorowsky.

#70/JANUARY

the following:

Issue

Awards. Lou Stathis interviews director David Cronenberg. Plus Dernier Combat director Luc Besson is interviewed.

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#79/OCTOBER

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#68/NOVEMBER

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Enchantme by Doris Vallejo

Illustrated

by Boris Vallejo

Dragonprince "Have you had many lovers'?" the Dragon asked in a casual tone the Princess had come to recognize as a warning.

feet into a ravine to retrieve the Prin-

cess's golden apple.

broken when

He was stretched out in front of his cave, absentmindedly singeing the grass around

after

some

lapse sobbing

ants.

As

they scuttled away, he

singed the grass

in their

wake. The Prin-

cess would have asked him to stop had

she noticed. At the

moment

she was too

busy massaging the iridescent green hide of his back. It gave her pleasure to do this because she knew he liked it. "None like you," she said. "None as strong and brave." The Dragon had made a flamboyant display of his courage at their first meeting, diving several hundred treacherous

80

HEAVY METAL

fact briefly

it

fell

She had been heart-

down

there;

had

in

considered flinging herself

What she

it.

at

did instead

the

was

to col-

edge of the ravine.

And then the Dragon appeared. He offered to get the apple for her if she would make love with him afterwards. Naturally she was taken aback.

outrageous.

And from

It

was

a dragon no

less.

But, recovering from her outrage, she

thought: sired

is

Why

not? After

being dea compliment regardless of the all,

circumstances. In addition, he can't be

any worse than some of the noblemen I've had.

And

besides, he

may

not really

be a dragon. For

all

I

know, he's an en-

chanted prince.

To her delight

the

Dragon turned out

to

have a pretty accomplished erotic tech-

She particularly enjoyed certain effects he could produce with his fiery breath, making it ripple up and down her body like small, electric, singing waves.

nique.

"You

are evading

my

question." the

Dragon said. She smiled at him. How well he knew It was almost as though he could read

her.

her heart. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just

how the others can matter now." "Because 1 want to know all about you," was the answer. "It excites me don't see

to

m*

nt hear about the others; appeals to (he voyeur in me,

I

paused, as

if

suppose.

And

.

.

."

Here he

gathering the necessary

strength to continue. "1 suppose that,

having a dragons typical insecurities,

want

to

know how

]

I

measure up against

men."

real

..." the Princess began uneashappy about complying with

'"Well

not loo

ily,

his request but nevertheless

saying to her-

'Oh, what the hell, how can it hurt?' "There was Rolando, who was immensely attracted to though we had nothing at all in common. Can you imagine, he once said 10 me: What's the point of

self:

I

looking

at

away and

the stars

when they

are so far

there's plenty to look at right

"

here on Earth."

"Obviously a man infatuated with meDragon said. "He was a palace guard," the Princess continued, "and married to boot. So the relationship had its limitations built in right from the start. Not only did we always have to meet when he wanted to and never when I did, but there was the guilt. Always the guilt. As if his infidelity was

nected," the Dragon said, "however abstruse that connection may seem."

"My

diocrity," the

somehow my

It

doesn't

close to,

"An emotional cripple," the Dragon Rolando in half a sen"Was he the only one?" "There was Justini. He not only found

God, the power women.

make him an easy man at least not for me."

King kept her

the

at

arms length out of an

said, dismissing

admirably developed sense of self-preser-

tence.

vation.

it

interesting to look at the stars, he could

name them and were

the constellations they

where they could be found

in,

in the

sky and so on. But he would think noth-

making love and getting up as soon was finished to study his astronomi-

ing of as he

cal charts."

"Anymore?" the Dragon ingenuously asked with no hint that, when it suited him, he would use these stories against her, would call her a pushover, a worthless cunt, and a whore in heat. "Yes, of course there were others; always the wrong ones," the Princess said. "I wanted so very much to be loved. For dreamed of the prince who would come to me from somewhere far away. years

I

I

used

about him, about what he

to talk

would look like and be like. I used to have imaginary conversations with him."

"You

are beautiful," the

Dragon

said.

He rolled on his side and drew her to him. "You are beautiful," he repeated huskily, pinning her against the grass

with his powerful forepaws. In less than

two hours he would

call

her ordinary

looking, a shade too large

in the hips,

and, what was worse, disgustingly pale.

was a great shame, he would coldly

It

tree-covered

"You quite

hills

and the blue sky,

seemed small and

great bulk

his

vulnerable.

are beautiful, too," she breathed,

meaning

human. They could They could flash,

"Yours

is

ter.

"Often enough I've wished that she couldn't," the Princess said. "For one thing, she's maddeningly conceited about it. And, for another, kindness and tact are not her strong points. She positively delights in grim futures. Or else she tells the future in riddles so you don't know anymore when she's finished than you did at the start."

"If you're too dull to unravel riddles, The Dragon's long red tongue

that is."

suddenly unfurled

to trap a scarlet

and

mouth. The Princess pretended not to have seen. Whether he'd done it to shock her or because, imprisoned within a drag-

on

s

body, he had no choice, she was not It

seemed

best, therefore, to look

They

my dreams would

look

like,

and

it,

I

can

Prin-

tell

The Dragon was

when

"Am

I

macy of

gone

for a

am

swim

I

in the

lagoon near his

He

praised the artwork and

decided, after studying

rock.

bore a certain resemblance to him. "A

The Princess thought this over carefully. "They did love me. They do love

markable woman, your mother," he "I want to meet her."

me. I never doubted it in my head, you know. The difficulty has been, at times,

edly apprehensive.

believing

it

in

my

"The head and 82

This proposal

it

a

bit, that

The Dragon, sensing

re-

said.

made the Princess decidThough her parents

heart."

professed a sufficiency of liberal ideas

(And why

shouldn't they? In the past

in

his advantage,

a pained, brave voice.

He understood how she might find it awkward to be seen with him. She needn't explain. They were not, after all, your conventional couple. He just thought being close as they were and understanding each other as well as they did would have neutralized, to some extent, their he was wrong.

He

didn't

it

turned out that

blame her

for

that; for his error in judgment. He was only sorry because such a meeting might have changed so many things for the bet-

"I'm

truly a beast," the Princess said.

"You

are a beauty." the

Dragon an-

nounced magnanimously.

"You are dear and funny and wise." "1 had only hoped that the Queen, having the talents she has ..." Here he

paused to lend the following words drama. "You see. I wasn't always a dragon. I was born a prince. An evil witch cast a spell on me changing me into this shape when I was quite young. I have

become

bitter.

after all,

It is,

one of the things that can happen in life. But growing up as a dragon, growing up friendless, distrusted,

everyone always

expecting the worst from you,

difficult.

is

know

Since you are an only child and

about loneliness, perhaps you can appreci-

some degree. Children

you may know, and

I

are

can

tell

you. contrary to the old saying, sticks and stones didn't

come

near breaking

bones but the names

I

my

was called did hurt

spent more and more time

in

my

And

I

cave,

sneaking out only when I was sure no one was around. I used to dream of the time when would have my revenge by turning into a prince all

those

"I'm

it

the heart are con-

HEAVY METAL

one

in truth,

I

their relationship, he hadn't no-

ticed before.

cave and were sunning themselves on a

is,

"1 developed a fear of people.

you."

colorful tattoo, which, despite the inti-

was

that this

case. But se-

really a dragon, she thought, for

me.

quite taken with the

parental affection," the right or

is

putting a nice face on what

hypocrisy.

ate this to

was

this

The

midriff. "It didn't tickle in the least

she did

who

cruel, as

"I once asked her what the prince of

monster that had been tattooed on her

Dragon said. right?" They had

most certainly not, the

cretly she berated herself. I'm the

tried not to

blue butterfly in midflight. In an instant the butterfly had disappeared into his

cess sat up very straight to display the

a classic case of insufficient

grass, but not as an escort to the ball."

could, he sighed wistfully.

silver

finned, through the deepest oceans.

tell

external differences. So,

fly

could promise each other eternal love.

Dragon said. "Don't me I'm good enough for a roll in the

them," the Princess said. "I've seen her throw pieces of broken glass into her cauldron and take out real diamonds." "Can she tell the future?" the Dragon wanted to know. Upon hearing that she

her idea of a clever answer."

part fish, part

hedged. "I know

." she

.

—

it?" the

is

pressed his case

marvelous miraculous creatures, part clear to the sky.

"What

The Princess assured him

the other way.

bird,

.

parents are both quite busy these next

few weeks and

"She wouldn't be caught dead on a broomstick," the Princess laughed. "But you should see the assortment of frog toes and lizard eyes and other motley goodies she has for mixing magic potions." "There's nothing motley about lizard eyes," the Dragon observed dryly. "Oh, she can do wonderful things with

sure.

it.

guest. "Well

not,

"Don't ever leave me," he murmured. so they dreamed each other. Their dreams were enchanted. They became

And

their reaction to

her bringing along a dragon as a dinner

"My problems with the Queen were of an entirely different sort," the Princess said. "To begin with, she's a witch." "You mean the kind that rides on broomsticks?" The Dragon's green ears suddenly became very pointy.

tell

green pigmentation. No doubt this was because she had spent so much time above ground as opposed to in the revitalizing darkness of caves. Framed against a magnificent sweep of her, that she lacked

code of do's and was disappointingly conservative.

gree.) in practice their

my

goddamn

wimpy ways and moreover, express the opinion that

manipulative with her

the stake

at

whereas now they were being courted and fussed about to an almost imbecilic de-

She could well imagine

that the King had shortcomings as a father although

he will later call the Princess

witches had been burned

don'ts

to get

The Dragon agreed distinct

will,

fault."

father believes in

of wealth, and the inferiority of

and becoming the envy of

who hated me."

just afraid for you. that's all."

the Princess said. "I wouldn't want

some

boor to make upsetting remarks." "I'm not afraid." The Dragon saw imminent victory. "You're so much stronger than am." "It's not a matter of strength but the triumph of hope. You see, do have great I

I

hope that the queen will break the spell keeps me a dragon. We could be so happy together then." Moved by this speech, which coincided that

with her

own

dearest hopes, the Princess

ignored her misgivings and arranged for the ace.

Dragon to come to dinner at The evening was a disaster.

It

the pal-

started in a civilized 1'ashion with

cocktails and polite, tion.

if

strained, conversa-

The Dragon was eager

himself.

He was

to ingratiate

also nervous.

He drank

The

four martinis in succession.

olives

greenish-gray smoke

made him burp and

shot from his nostrils each time.

He

chat-

tered incessantly and with increasing

tempo on a

variety of subjects calculated

another thing that rankled: the Dragon's inveterate nastiness. After their brief pe-

her past lovers. But his relentless carping

mad. But he spoke coolly and disdainfully. He knew what he had seen. Her own dragon had caused the damage. If she chose not to believe him. that was her af-

on the subject, his disparaging criticisms were hard to take. He berated her for not having scaly skin and being unable to belch flames: for not managing to breathe under water or see in the dark: for being too cowardly to have fetched her own apple out of the ravine; too sexually inhibited to

in

the edible insect

population: the longevity of dragons (six-

how

hundred years) and be attributed

might well

this

to the six-year

incubation

When

enjoy his fiery breath when

it

got

he began to suspect he was los-

She recognized

all this

as simply being

an unfortunate expression of his love for her. Yet

it

tually

ing mouth. After that she half expected

him

to start foaming at the mouth, to sufdown and beat his head against the ground or present some fer a convulsion, to fall

other evidence of having gone fatally

He

fair.

refused to shoulder the responsi-

bility for

her shortcomings— her para-

noia, her lack of

good

burdened her heavily in the knew it would probably go

on for years.

Still,

she could hardly ex-

faith,

her

ill

humor, and so on. He scowled. He spoke through a light, barely moving mouth. His thick iridescent

really hot.

long run. She

period of the dragon embryo.

she didn't believe he was serishe saw that he was, she asked if he was feeling all right. He acsnapped at her with his great gap-

first

When

tenderly

swampland during

concomitant decrease

At ous.

seemed to flee into rancor. Of course, she realized, this was all due to his insecurity. Who. having once been a prince, wouldn't become insecure at one day finding himself to be a dragon? It was only natural. It was. perhaps, also natural that he was jealous of tually

to fascinate his hosts: the decrease in

the dry season and the

of his eye.

riods of intimacy and happiness, he ac-

tail,

which she so ad-

mired, thumped the ground with impatience.

She turned and ran into the woods. The and hanging vines flew past her like phantoms. like mist, not quite real. In a

trees

ing their attention, he switched to a reper-

pect to save him. hardly expect to help

delirium she ran from him, cursing him,

toire of

lewd jokes and then to an embarrassingly inept series of animal imitations. Clearly, he had no tolerance

him change back

calling

for the

combination of martinis and the his oysters on the half shell. For his bird of paradise imita-

etry for her. She was his muse, he told

ace except that she ran out of breath.

wine he guzzled with

her.

what he recited by way of an apology one afternoon when they hadn't been speaking since morning:

When

tion he spread his front legs out wide (to its wings) and knocked over the huge crystal wine decanter. The wine splashed all over the

And

not persevere. riods.

into a prince

she did

good

there were

The Dragon composed

This

if

pe-

lovely po-

is

I

awake

my

new

cess's

gown. Generally

satin

it

to fall over

backwards with

"You've seen him

He can

at his

really be very

worst," the

charming. Be-

me."

sides, he loves

my book,

"In

he's a creep," the

Queen

replied.

The King who

basically had not ex-

pected too much, was nevertheless puzzled by his daughter's choice in a swain.

"Where

world did you unearth

in the

him?" he wanted

to

know. Upon hearing

the story of the golden apple,

Dragon had risked he'd posed, but

how

the

his life, the condition

how

he really loved her,

he said: "To be honest with you.

much

I

don't

care for having a dragon as a son-

in-law.

So

in

my

heart across deserts

you

case you happen

to

be think-

into the sand.

I

solid

won't go back, she

fire

fire

he'd started wasn't particularly

Only about half an acre of dry grass It just smoked badly. Even after the was out, soot smudged the sky for

found him. "I've destroyed the most wonin my life: your love for me. I have no right to it anymore. What do I. most miserable creature in the universe, have to offer you. after all? A life-

derful thing

me back

into a

when

he

finished.

Loving him was deep, deep sea

like

at the

plunging into the

bottom of which a

treasure might lie. Loving him was quenching a lifelong thirst. Oh, she loved him from the molten core of herself clear out to her fingertips. He was ail she had

ever

lost

"If

I

and stood to find again. you will lose my mind," he

lose

I

cried to her in a voice like full

summer

rain,

of the promises of jeweled rainbows.

Yet joy

is

He had singed

glass.

off all her pubic hair

with his breath (quite deliberately, she suspected) so that her sex was suddenly bare and smooth as a peach. "Kinkily

provocative-looking," he observed before he realized how angry she was about it. Subsequently he denied having anything to do with the "accident," which he came to blame on her own dragon tattoo. This was the age of magic and miracles, wasn't it? Well, the tattoo had miraculously, if only for an instant, come to life. He had distinctly seen

it

the

time of living with an outcast? as an outcast?

The

You were

noblest thing

you away. happiness.

My I

1

happen out of the corner

Of

living

right to leave.

ever did was to drive

deepest wish

am

lost,

wholly

is

for

lost.

your I

see

Not even you can save me. The best thing for you to do is go." Naturally she stayed. They did not live that now.

happily ever after nor did they live entirely

unhappy. Their pattern was one of

fights, reconciliations,

fragile, a delicate silver

shadow, shattered as readily as fine

face.

do an about On the other hand. I'll grant you agreement is an agreement and, if you made it. you have to stick to it. I'm behind you all the way on that." There it was: approval and disapproval all rolled up into one. Even if she lived as long as dragons did she would never be unequivocally in the right. But there was

care,

"I'm doomed." he moaned when she

has faded like time

"If your love can't turn

ing in that direction, you can

that an

I

hours.

prince, no one's can," he said

Princes said. "It's unfair to judge him by

for all

went.

that steered

a

such a weirdo.

that.

Emptiness to

became

She smelled smoke and

him burn himself Let him burn the whole forest

to a full stop. Let

The big.

resounding crash. The echo of that crash seemed to go on forever. The Queen took her daughter aside and asked her what the devil she wanted with

real again.

said to herself even as she turned around.

she

simply began to blot it with a napkin. He. however, leaped wildly from his chair, causing

and

down

of dreaming

to find

pre-

all sorts,

full

brim with tears you real.

white tablecloth, as well as on the Prin-

pared for catastrophes of

vines, the path she followed

to a crisp.

eyes

calling herself crazy to

she slowed down, the trees, the

came

represent the bird spreading

him crazy,

have stayed with him as long as she had. She might have raced on clear to the pal-

truce.

and periods of

They grew accustomed

to

it.

Mys-

terious fires were spotted in the forest

from time to time. The townspeople grew accustomed to that. The Dragon remained a Dragon. Though his claim to have been a prince was wishful invention: his tale of the wicked witch and her spell was brazen fabrication.

From the upcoming book, Enchantment (Ballantine Books) due out this month.

HEAVY METAL

83

the bus

COMING: Interview with Supergirl director Jeannot Szwarc

The

return of Alice in Wonderland: the phenomena continues. Gallery: look at Philip Jose Farmer's The Grand Adventure.

A

84

HEAVY METAL

PAULKIRCHNER©

UlaM

HEAVY METAL

85

.

Svnopsis OUR 5T0RV takes place sometime during the last quarter of the last somewhere out west, n or near the small town of hangman's corners ^Under circumstances too .

i

HERP AND

SWEAZ

,

century,

;

'

absurd, &ha5tly and complicated to describe, herpand

SwEAZ,TWO UNDERSIZED &^j£j " fft BEINGS FROM ANOTHERTIME __/ and space -demons, actually ,^~ - were conjured up and then '^" abandoned in uangman's corners., ) Accused of indecent exposure and jailed by a group of bluen05ed bigots, herp and §jt Sweat escaped and embarked ;

.};.

j

pupon an in

event-filled odyssey search of Tex Arcana and,

more

:

particularly, his companion,

the magic and mystical woman in White who, they believe, has the power to return them to wherever it isthat they come prom Meanwhile, the local sheriff, a simple good-hearted soul who feels responsible FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND WELL-BEING OF THE TWO SMALL STRANGERS, HAS RIDDEN OUT INTO^. THE WILDERNESS TO FIND THEM BEFORE THEY COME To -SOME SORT OF HARM ACCOMPANYING '