Italian comics artist Guido Crepax... (Bad News for old Heavy Metal Fans)

[Khephra]

Famed Italian comics artist Guido Crepax died July 30th after an extended illness. Born in 1933, Crepax was probably best known to international comic fans for Valentina, a reporter who grew out of the Italian superhero comic, Neutron, which saw its own birth in the magazine, Linus. Hardly Lois Lane, the Valentina strip often contained themes of sex and eroticism.

Following Valentina, Crepax created such titles as 'L'Astronave Pirata' (1968), 'La Casa Matta' (1969), 'La Calata di Mac Similiano' (1969), 'Belinda' and 'Bianca'. Sticking to a theme of victimization, sadomasochism and violence, Crepax also illustrated classic erotic stories such as De Sade's 'Justine', Pauline Réage's 'Histoire d'O' and Sacher-Masoch's 'Venus in Furs'.

http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4880

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. It's astonishing how little of the European comics scene

has taken root here, and vice versa. Very culture-specific.

[Khephra]

2. There's been a reinvention of Heavy Metal

Back under the original title of Metal Hurlant that's been going pretty successfully for the past few years. They're pubishing a mix of EU/USA talent, with a heavy emphisis on Jodorowsky's work.

The press behind the new MH is also publishing a lot of EU TBPs:

http://www.humanoids-publishing.com/home.php