Heavy Metal Magazine got its start during the late 1970s in an attempt to bring the European-style fantasy and sci-fi influences of the French comics anthology Métal hurlant to the Western market. It was never designed for mainstream appeal, but rather the subculture of hardened nerd culture enthusiasts made popular with games like Dungeons & Dragons and films like Zardoz.

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By the time the first issue came out, Heavy Metal was a success. It would go on to span multiple decades, including a particularly creative run through the 1980s that would help inspire North American audiences to continue the tradition. Those fantastic covers were a big part of the magazine's appeal, and here are the 10 coolest from the 1970s, ranked by their influence and impressionism.

10 "He's Comin' To Town" Cover Art By Richard Lon Cohen & John Townley (December 1979)

Heavy Metal Magazine - December 1979

December of 1979 was especially big for Heavy Metal Magazine, just as it was for everyone else. The 1970s were drawing to a close in preparation for the 1980s, a decade which would see explosive creative growth in the fantasy and sci-fi sphere. Hints of the decade could already be seen in this cover art by Richard Lon Cohen and John Townley, and their unique take on Christmas.

Here, jolly old Saint Nick rides a spaceship sleigh with a series of thrusters acting as reindeer stand-ins. It's an extremely technical take on the classic Christmas formula in a way that only Heavy Metal fans could truly appreciate. What a way to end the decade.

9 "Arzach Rides Again" Cover Art By Moebius (July 1977)

Heavy Metal Magazine - July 1977

Famed sci-fi/fantasy icon Moebius lent his talents to this piece which took up both the front and back covers of the issue (the above shot shows only the front), and it's just as unconventional as one would expect from the artist. The character Arzach is best known to Moebius fans for his presence in a number of short, wordless stories who rides a pterodactyl-like creature.

Heavy Metal fans unfamiliar with Moebius' work will recognize the cover as reminiscent of the famed September 1981 cover "Taarna," which also served as the inspiration for the Heavy Metal animated feature film. It would also inspire the Team Andromeda video game development group during the creation of the cult classic Panzer Dragoon franchise.

8 Cover Art By George Proctor (November 1977)

Heavy Metal Magazine - November 1977

There's always a case to be made for riding a giant lizard, as evidenced in this fantastic art piece by George Proctor. Here, a Viking-type warrior sits atop one of these monstrous creatures as it roams among the snowy mountain peaks of an unnamed fantasy world.

The level of detail in the lizard itself is quite simply astonishing. The brushwork, shading, and color are second to none, and that helps draw the eye in a big way. The surrounding cold blues help frame the subject on the cover, making it stand out on the magazine rack amongst its peers.

7 "S*M*A*S*H" Cover Art By Angus McKie (March 1979)

Heavy Metal Magazine - March 1979

Long before Robot Wars ever became a thing, artist Angus McKie envisioned it with this piece. Here, two monstrous vehicles engage in an unhealthy dose of Twisted Metal-style combat, with one crushing the other while tiny little humans flee in terror. It's unknown whether these killer robots are human creations or from some invading alien race, but that's hardly worth contemplating.

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What's truly astonishing is the level of destructive detail poured into every inch of this cover. Smoldering wreckage, sparks, and mangled materials sit at the forefront, with a level of kinetic movement that helps sell the believability of the piece. It fits well with Heavy Metal, while still standing apart from many of the covers readers were used to seeing.

6 "Mr. Lovecraft" Cover Art By J.K. Potter (October 1979)

Heavy Metal Magazine - October 1979

Heavy Metal paid tribute to famed horror surrealist writer H.P. Lovecraft with their October 1979 issue. The issue was stuffed to the brim with Halloween-style treats from writers and artists like Moebius, Breccia, Voss, and Druillet, but the front cover is what helped kick it all off.

This eerie and odd work features Lovecraft flanked by what appears to be a gigantic starfish with a malevolent eye and a view of the cosmos in the background. It's definitely abstract, creepy, and quirky, but it's one of the coolest Heavy Metal covers of the decade, by far.

5 Cover Art By Joe Jusko (June 1978)

Heavy Metal Magazine - June 1978

Heavy Metal Magazine is best known for its many striking and provocative fantasy art pieces, and this one is no exception. Joe Jusko brought this amazing work to life by featuring a traditional female warrior who seems to have slain and beheaded a saber-toothed tiger. It isn't known if this is supposed to be Red Sonja, but the similarities are there.

The use of muted blues and greys is a nice backdrop for the fiery reds and oranges that make up the female warrior. As she holds her sword aloft following her kill, the audience is forced to turn its gaze to the lifeless eyes of the tiger, which is still grimacing back in a ferocious display.

4 "Helen Of Troy" Cover Art By Marcus Boas (November 1978)

Heavy Metal Magazine - November 1978

Helen of Troy gets a nod in this November 1978 cover. This powerful artwork features the titular character overseeing what appears to be a spartan warrior slaying a foe, and a warhorse off to the right. There's a lot going on in this picture that is reminiscent of the epic '50s movie posters of old, even if it doesn't quite work perfectly.

Still, the amount of airbrushed detail in the shot is incredible. This is fine, classic fantasy art of the highest caliber; a dying art form in comparison to today's overly Photoshopped art pieces. It's definitely one of the most striking of the 1970s Heavy Metal covers.

3 "The Brain Cloudy Blues" Cover Art By Clyde Caldwell (April 1979)

Heavy Metal Magazine - April 1979

This cover sums up everything Heavy Metal Magazine is known for when it comes to dystopian sci-fi imagery. It's incredibly detailed and highly symbolic that spills over with metaphors. The inventive use of a domed city atop the subject's head suggests either some form of artificial intelligence, or a symbolic reference to the human brain.

The use of cabling, transistors, and rivets to showcase the disembodied head is clever and disturbing. This is precisely the kind of artwork that the 1970s was so well known for, and it helped pave the way for more congruent and realistic depictions of sci-fi that would be showcased during the 1980s.

2 "Fetch" Cover Art By Joe Jusko (November 1979)

Heavy Metal Magazine - November 1979

Joe Jusko had done a number of Heavy Metal covers throughout the years, but this was undoubtedly one of his coolest. Here, a topless Amazonian warrior commands her saber-toothed tiger to fetch something from the grasslands of what appears to be a primordial planet.

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This cover is remarkable for its inventive use of detail, from moss-covered biomechanical trees, to the shading and airbrushing in the warrior girl and her pet. One could scour this cover for an hour, and still find hidden details embedded therein.

1 Cover Art By Nicollet (April 1977)

Heavy Metal Magazine - April 1977

Heavy Metal Magazine got into the game late into the latter half of the 1970s, but it got the ball rolling immediately with this first, fantastic cover by Nicollet. It would go on to sum up everything that made Heavy Metal Magazine what it was — menacing, foreboding, inspirational, creative, and of course, dystopian.

Here, a female robot of particularly frightening design is seen clobbering another robot to death with a large wrench. From the get-go, Heavy Metal Magazine wanted to establish itself as an adult-only take on fantasy and sci-fi, and it would go on to succeed beyond its wildest dreams.

NEXT: Heavy Metal Magazine: 10 Coolest Covers From The 1980s, Ranked