Heavy Metal magazine’s new CEO Matthew Medney believes his refocusing on the brand’s multimedia efforts will not only place the company on the "cutting edge of Rated-R live-action & animations" but that this goal will help break through the status quo into "new horizons."
"My thoughts are, yes it can change. 15 years ago, the idea of a movie living only at home was absurd, now it is arguably preferred," Medney told Deadline when asked about lack of success theatrical R-rated animated films have found in the United States. "Times and climates evolve and mold to what the fan bases want, and with streaming, the beauty of it is the ability to really curate larger widespread content for all types of viewers. While we will for sure be on the cutting edge of Rated-R live-action & animations, breaking through the status quo into new horizons is a major goal of ours. Again as I said earlier, Heavy Metal will be the thought leader in this space. However, we don’t foresee all of our properties fitting within that category but as we examine the marketplace, and when the climate dictates it, we will be the first to act on it."
First printed in April 1977, Heavy Metal has established itself as one of the longest-running, most recognized brands in comics and sci-fi. However, with the advent of streaming services, Medney noted how these platforms are something Heavy Metal is interested in eventually venturing into -- potentially with an anthology series that could tie into his ambitions of creating cutting edge, rated-R stories.
"A Heavy Metal anthology is natural for the brand," he explained. "But as we begin to explore our future within this space our plans are focused on building our IP library with our characters. Designing the architecture of our worlds. We are focused on building stories first, I want to know more about Taarna, don’t you? What’s she like? Where does she go when she’s note fighting monsters? These are the questions that are getting me hot and bothered off the bat. We’ll get to the anthology, but first, let’s answer the questions we all want to know and build on the Heavy Metal universes."