Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: Frank Forte, heavy metal

Frank Forte, New Editor-In-Chief of a New Heavy Metal Magazine?

Heavy Metal Magazine is coming back. And Frank Forte is its new Editor-In-Chief. That's what Bleeding Cool has been hearing...

Published Mon, 20 May 2024 20:57:11 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Rumors swirl that Frank Forte is the new EIC of Heavy Metal Magazine's revival.
Heavy Metal's complex history includes a series of owner changes and internal strife.
The iconic magazine faced challenges like non-delivery issues and creator disputes.
After a turbulent period and a shutdown, the fate of Heavy Metal hangs in the balance.

Heavy Metal Magazine is coming back. And Frank Forte is its new Editor-In-Chief. That's what Bleeding Cool has been hearing for the last few days. We reached out to Frank, who went silent until three hours ago. He didn't confirm, the story but asked that Bleeding Cool hold it for three to four hours, so I did because I'm nice. I scheduled it on the Bleeding Cool publishing schedule for three-and-a-half hours later (which is right now) and then went to bed (I am currently asleep) because of the time zone that I happen to find myself in. Maybe it has now been announced in Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly or something similar, a big return for Heavy Metal with lots of art, creators' names and the like. I'll find out in the morning.

Frank Forte is a writer, editor, designer, storyboard and comic book artist, with TV and film credits including Lovecraft Country, Fantasy Island, Bob's Burgers, Lego: Guardians of the Galaxy, Despicable Me 2, Lego Star Wars and more, with comic book work as a writer, artist or editor for Heavy Metal Magazine, Bob's Burgers, Warlash, DTOX, Zombie Terrors, Black Powder, Vampire Verses, Lacunae, Dark Wing, and Chicken Soup For Satan among others. He became Content Editor for Heavy Metal Magazine and wrote about the journey for Bleeding Cool here. Maybe he'll write another one to follow.

Frank Forte is the New EIC of a New Heavy Metal Magazine? Maybe... — Frank Forte Heavy Metal comics

Heavy Metal Magazine began as a translated license from the French science-fantasy magazine Métal Hurlant and included work by the likes of Enki Bilal, Philippe Caza, Guido Crepax, Philippe Druillet, Jean-Claude Forest, Moebius, Chantal Montellier, and Milo Manara. before spinning off into its own original publication, animated movie and a success on the magazine stands, helped by its liberal attitude to semi-clad sci-fi women on the cover. It was bought by massive Heavy Metal fan Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in 1992. It was later sold to David Boxenbaum and Jeff Krelitz in 2014, until they were forced out.In 2019, Heavy Metal was taken over by Matthew Medney and David Erwin. With stories of internal coups, challenging comings and goings, non-delivery to customers, callousness and challenges from creators, former employees, their widows and estates, cash flow problems saw the publisher shut down, before a planned relaunch and revamp from Whatnot Publishing/Massive was announced. In the end, they only published a final issue of the previous version of the magazine, a year late, for San Diego Comic-Con and the promised revival was abandoned. Massive/Whatnot had decided not to publish it after all. Hundreds of thousands of copies of back issues were pulped rather than pay for the warehousing.

Since then the publication has been in limbo. The last EIC, Joe Illidge, left giving Bleeding Cool a breakdown of events. What happens now? Well I'll wake to see which bigger publication has been given the PR and called it an exclusive. Who had the rights, whether Zack Snyder ponied up, maybe it's a Kickstarter, an NFT, a webtoon, who knows?

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