On Thursday, October 6th, 2022 at New York Comic Con 2022, a partnership between Heavy Metal and Whatnot Publishing was announced. Beginning in 2023, publication of over a dozen Heavy Metal titles will be executed by Whatnot Publishing, including the legendary fantasy and sci fi publisher’s flagship title, Heavy Metal magazine.
In a quote provided to Publisher’s Weekly, Whatnot Publishing publisher Michael Calero stated, “Heavy Metal is an institution with over 40 years of history in the comic marketplace, and we are excited to have the opportunity to become part of that storied tradition while finding new and exciting ways to reach potential readers. We envision a future where legacy readers and new fans come together to create a Heavy Metal community unlike any the brand has seen.”
Meanwhile, Heavy Metal Entertainment CEO Matthew Medney was paraphrased by PW as saying that the agreement would constitute a “significant cost savings for Heavy Metal, while providing [Whatnot Publishing] with a credible beachhead in the collector-oriented comics business.” And Heavy Metal associate publisher Kris Longo underscored the fact that the agreement would expand the reach of their titles while fostering new fans.
PW also released details on what to expect first out of the gate from the partnership, including a new volume and number one for Heavy Metal magazine:
“The first HM release under the agreement will be Crashdown, a graphic novel written by comics podcaster and influencer Tom “Comic Tom” Garcia and Ryan Sargeant with veteran comics artist Ben Templesmith (30 Days Of Night). The first wave of titles will also include Heavy Metalmagazine’s 321st issue in early 2023, which will relaunch as Volume 2, #1 of the long-running magazine (effectively a monthly graphic novel book) with a worldwide cover price of $9.99, part of a tiered pricing plan for retailers and subscribers that the publisher will provide more details on in the future. Also look for the long awaited Ranx (formerly called RanXerox), a collected edition of the celebrated 1970s punk sci-fi cult comics series by Stefano Tamburini and Tanino Liberatore, and a collected edition of Medney’s Dark Wing science-fiction series, which has been in talks for a media adaptation.”
Will you be checking out any of these titles when they arrive? The Beat is waiting to hear from you! Let us know, either right here in the comment section or over on social media @comicsbeat.
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