Next week, Humanoids will release The Jodorowsky Library (Book 3), the latest volume in their series collecting the work of Alejandro Jodorowsky. The 416-page hardcover includes a number of longer and shorter stories featuring the art of MœbiusLadrönnDan Pastoras, and Travis Charest & Zoran Janjetov. Today The Beat is pleased to present an excerpt from one of the short stories included in the collection, “Tears of Gold,” by Jodorowsky and Ladrönn.

Here’s how Humanoids describes The Jodorowsky Library (Book 3):

The third installation of The Jodorowsky Library: a collection of deluxe matching volumes showcasing the iconic works of the legendary Alejandro Jodorowsky (The Incal, Metabarons, Jodorowsky’s: Dune)

Included in this volume are the epic origin story behind the universe’s greatest warriors, METABARONS GENESIS: CASTAKA (illustrated by Das Pastoras), and a tale about how No Name, the most ruthless mercenary of them all, built his arsenal of war, WEAPONS OF THE METABARON (illustrated by the legendary Travis Charest and Zoran Janjetov). Coupled with the landmark AFTER THE INCAL (illustrated by the legendary Mœbius) and FINAL INCAL (with Eisner-winning artist Ladrönn), this is a must-have volume for fans of Alejandro Jodorowsky!

2014’s “Tears of Gold” was originally published as part of the Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Screaming Planet collection of stories, and was the first collaboration between Jodorowsky and Ladrönn. The team would go on to work together on Final Incal in 2014. In an interview at the time of that book’s release, Jodorowsky described how he met Ladrönn, and the role “Tears of Gold” played in their collaboration:

A few years ago, Fabrice [Giger] asked me to do a book for young, up-and-coming artists. He would show me an artist and his work and I would write a story according to that artist’s style. The process was very interesting as I adapted my scripts to the respective strengths of these emerging artists. For the one who knew how to draw characters but not backgrounds, I wrote a story in a desert. For another who knew only how to draw machines, I provided a story full of robots.

And among this crop of artists, there was Ladrönn. His drawing technique was good but it was lacking of human feelings. To push him to go beyond his limitations, I decided to create a story that was full of feelings. It was titled Tears of Gold and in the end it was formidable, he did exactly what was needed. That’s how our collaboration begun. He has become even more formidable and now we work very well together.

Check out the excerpt from “Tears of Gold” below. The Jodorowsky Library (Book 3) is set to arrive in stores next Tuesday, August 9th.