When I first stumbled upon The Incal through a friend about 20 years ago I was instantly hooked and read all the Incal, Metabaron and Technopriest stories in the following months. Definately one of the coolest, bloodiest, weirdest and most fantastic universes ever created by an artist.
Metabarons is a criminally underrated narrative with a ton of interesting concepts in the sci-fi genre. Definitely worth looking into if anyone is interested
@Hedge Academy Aghar & Steelhead are probably the most interesting of the Metabarons. I also really like Honorata a lot despite her not being a metabaron, but she has a sisters of battle from Warhammer 40k that really highlights her character.
Gimenez art in this is so freaking fantastic, I still can't wrap up my head around how good the artwork is. Organic, present, so immersive. Masterpiece.
I've been in love with Gimenez' art since the 90's, and I think the Metabarons is his grand opus. The story is a tragedy, and that's really uncommon these days. I really wish it was made into a movie - and still I don't. It's an amazing story that you'd want to see put in motion, yet it's perhaps best to leave it the way it is, and enjoy it in comic book form.
Thanks for your amazing work man. I'm from France and in here people really are into graphic novels and comics (especially the french/belgian ones /japanese mangas too). In here, the Metabaron have always been a classic, you can find it in every bookstore so I'm really glad you put that one on the table, it deserves massive respect in terms of artistic audacity and aura.
True, but the catch 🪝 is that this "weird" story need to be consistent/coherent in "their own universe". Even in science is true :v ==> Actually in some way all of us, are just stories that brain tell to ourselves ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
True. When sci-fi is too down-to-earth and mundane, it might acquire a feeling of uncanny if not done perfectly. Some crazyness pushes its concept and immersion.
Yeah I agree. I actually wish we could have at least gotten an animated version of Jodorowskis Dune! Something along the lines of Heavy Metal or Wizards.
If you loved getting bombarded with insane and interesting ideas. Try the Drifting Classroom, it's not celebrated enough in manga circles but I think people who love The Metabarons and Prophet would appreciate it more.
Read Metabarons way back. Probably almost 8 year's ago. Best sci-fi comic I have read. The art was amazing and the story is insane, but that insanity is what had me hooked It's so unique in sci-fi genre in general.
I've read the Metabarons and I found myself fascinated by the character of the Emperoress. They're clearly not a 'good' ruler by a long shot, but unlike most evil rulers in fiction, they're also not suicidally stupid. They're willing to swallow their pride and negotiate with the Metabarons, and keep their word as well, because they know the Metabarons are too powerful to betray, and having that lineage remain loyal to them is of utmost importance.
I've read almost everything Moebius was involved in. And I see the artists who have followed really respect his work. But I need to read the Meta Baron trilogy, which I have not yet done. The greatest graphic novel I've ever read is The Airtight Garage by Moebius alone, following the Incal trilogy with Jodorowski, especially volume 1-4.
Le Garage Hermétique! Ahah, I'm currently reading that one, It's really amazing. I like to imagine how it could be adapted into a movie, every page is fascinating.
@@Maggbba Adopting it into a movie will certainly not be an easy feat. There are two following books to this, The Man from Ciguri and Le Chasseur Déprime (I think the latter isn't (yet?) translated to english.
@@Kulumuli Yeah, I imagine it would be tremendously challenging without a lot of exposition but if done right, it could be amazing. I had no idea about the sequels, I live in Toulouse so it shouldn't be too hard to find them, thanks for the info.
@@Maggbba The later issues are not as good as the first. Same with the Gardens of Aedena (which also is great). But it seems to me that Moebius really wanted to finish both of these series. And he did. I think Le Chasseur Déprime is one of his last works before he died. So kudos to him for that. And I can think of no comic artist coming close to Moebius. I think Moebius/Jean Giraud is one of the greatest if not the greatest artist in the 20th century, regardless of genre.
So glad to see The Metabarons get some attention! There really is nothing else quite like it. Definitely check out the follow up series (or The Metabarons Second Cycle as they are publishing it now).
A wonderful friend of mine gifted me both the Metabarons and the Incal, and they're really something else. They're not similar stories in many ways, despite sharing a single character and taking place in the same universe -- But that doesn't detract from how truly fascinating they are. They're very European, despite the only European involved was Moebius. The rest were Latin American artists. Also Juan Giménez unfortunately passed a few years back, I hope wherever he is he knows his work was kickass.
What do you mean by “very European”? Not that I doubt what you’re saying, but I’m just curious what about the series gives off a European vibe. I’m very new to the series so I don’t know exactly what to expect.
@@Rum-Runner Moebius and his huge influence on scifi from a fresh french/european style is why. France had a whole different take on sci-fi and influenced it in so many different ways, largely thanks to Moebius...
I want to personally thank you for this video. My wife saw it and bought me the first two Metabarons novels for my birthday. I am enjoying the story. Thanks Quinn!
i’m loving all of these videos lately! well i’m adding yet another sci-fi book to my list. this makes like 5 different sci-fi books i’ve added to my list thanks to you! keep it up!
There are those who think comics are exclusively for children. One of the (unintentional) best reviews I've heard about the Incal was from 'A Teacher and Worried Father'. This is what I remember from it;'It begins with people falling down towards an acid sea. An aristrocratic woman (with a halo!) has sex with a man with a wolfs head. And nuclear weapons are used in street riots. In this future hell, Adolf Eichman would have been the nicest man on the block'.
Hell yes! Thank you for talking about the Metabarons. So little out there on it. I'd love for you to do more on this series in the future, would be fantastic to have your take on the stories :)
The Incal saga is pretty much in every library in France. I've grown up with that universe, and others from Mobius (the world of the Hermetic Garage, notably). It's perhaps the most unique comic book universe there is. WH40K fans might like it, you can qualify it of grimdark and it has its fair share of cosmic horror and eldritch monsters. Plus the art is fantastic, you could frame nearly every panel of every comic and put it in an art gallery. The themes it deals with, like alienation of the cheapness of life really make you take pause and think. Can't recommend it enough. This isn't your Marvel / DC sort of comic.
Jodorowsky is very much into religions, occult and alchemical symbols and meanings. The Emperoress is in an alembic egg in a very visual reference to the old alchemical image books showing the formula of making the philosophers stone etc.
I got to know this saga thanks to my then-boyfriend (now husband) who is a fan. We were just talking about it recently, and how it could be very well worth having a whole series, not just a movie. The story is so packed with events and details and stuff that it could basically summarise a whole war in a couple of tables, and then you have, like, the history of 5 generations to work on. Besides, the art is really stunning, from the battleships to the emotions distorting the faces, and the characters are well-defined and have purpose - I especially like how the female characters are not just there to be incredibly beautiful but they are also actively taking part in the story.
I agree that it was a good thing Jodorowsky's Dune didn't get made. The novel was gritty and intense. Jodorowsky seemed to want to Co opt the material to make something that strayed from the themes and core of that series. It was a lot more melodramatic, especially near the ending. It would have been clunky at best. Dune is dire and pregnant with tension. Metabarons sounds much more interesting as an original work though.
Yep Same with Lynch... you simply don't hire him to make hard sci-fi and sociopolitical/ecological commentary... Lynch can make a good Ballard, but not a good Clarke. What were they thinking? lol
@@TheChzoronzon i never bought that because the studio took dune away from lynch. he was doing it right until then, for a solo movie version that is. it would have been longer and better if he had his way, but i still love it for what it is, including all the voiceovers. its certainly not as plodding and flat as the new dune.
@@meesalikeu It is untrue the "studio took dune away from lynch". Lynch originally planned to split _Dune_ into two movies which the studio liked, but then changed his mind and tried to cram the whole book into one movie. Lynch got overwhelmed and the studio had to push him to finish, but he had mostly given up at that point (which the movie shows). The new _Dune_ is not plodding or flat. It helps if you take off the rose-tinted nostalgia glasses. Lynch's dueling shields look like blurry Minecraft figures flailing about. It's lazy CGI compared to other 1980's CGI movies like Tron. Or changing the weirding way into the Weirding Module because he did not like the idea of "kung-fu on sand dunes". (Or maybe he was too lazy to bother with the extra effort needed to make impressive "kung-fu" visuals.) It's a haphazard uneven movie throughout, including the voiceovers.
@@sammiller6631 they took all his budget away and then made him interject things he didn't want. That is "taking" it away from him, as they removed Lynch's room to breathe after intially allowing him more freedom. But yes Lynch made it one film as he had other projects brewing at the time and didn't want all his energy into one franchise.
Jodorowsky took some inspirations from Metaphysics / Magick too, for example the Emperor/Empress, you can see it in the Tarot-card "Aeon" in the crowley-tarot, an androgyn being in an egg (and the whole lot behind it, difficult to squeeze in here)
Out of curiosity, have you ever read anything from Michael Moorcock's library? If not I recommend doing so, his stories are some of the best works of fiction I've ever read and you'd be surprised on how much his writings have influenced modern pop culture. If you have what's your favorite story/stories? Despite liking The Elric Saga, it's not my favorite series. I like A Nomad of Time with Oswald Bastable.
Mix Jodorowski with Gimenez, and you got something very weird indeed. My dad had all Gimenez SF comics so I grew up with big cities, half naked ideal humans, robots, oozing mutated cyborgs and stuff. And he was a DUNE and Star Wars fan, of course (mom told me that she met him at the beach, he was reading DUNE already in the mid 80's).
I discovered Jodorovsky's universe as a kid with one of my uncles who was a fan . I bought the first Métabaron in 92 or 93 . I was amazed by Juan Giménez drawings . Unfortunatly he died from covid 2 years ago . He also wrote graphic novels from his own, like Leo Rota or the fourth power, among others . Jodo makes another great serie of graphic novels : Alef Thau, with Arno, Al Covial and Marco Nizzoli . A mix of fantasy and sci-fi .
I first encountered the Incal in middle school and was first hesitant but grew to love it. Later in highschool, the library there had a few books of The Metabarons. I guess already being familiar with the Incal eased me into the grotesque beauty of these stories. They are definitelly a huge inspiration for my own work.
I was that weird kid in highschool who was reading these in the school bus on the way to the field trip. No, I did not have many friends growing up. Still don't. But know what I do have? One of the best memories that have shaped my understanding and enjoyment of everything sci-fi and fantasy. I owe Jodorowsky & Gimenez a LOT for having had the luck to be able to experience these.
If you licked the Metabaron, you should check Requiem Vampire Knight. It's not really a scifi series per say, but it's pretty wild and has that same kind of very high art level than the Metabaron.
Excellent visuals, and some great concepts, but the early chapters give you the impression that someone on the writing team was impotent. Edit, they also put “Meta” before every word.
I've never heard about this series before today, but the second I saw Jodorowsky's name on the cover I knew exactly the kind of thing this was going to be.
Thanks for bringing us more sci-fi worlds. Keep up the great work. I'd like to recommend you BLAME! by Tsutomu Nihei. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.
I bought the entire hardcover series while on vacation in Paris more than 20 years ago. Only problem, I dont speak or read French...but the art was so cool I couldn't resist. So I sat down and literally translated them from scratch, just so I could follow the story.
The Metabarons (along with Hellboy) are what got me into reading comics. Other than reading some TMNT & GI Joe when I was a kid, I'd never been into comics. Anytime I tried, I was left cold. In my mid 20s, a friend of mine really listened to what I liked (most folks just foisted their favorite comic on me and said, "read this; it's great.") and hooked me up with a the first trade paperback of the Metabarons and The Conqueror Worm from Hellboy. 20 years later, I'm still reading comics. But I lean toward the weird. The late, great Juan Giménez may be my single favorite comic artist of all time. Even before reading Metabarons, I'd seen his work in Heavy Metal Magazines I'd swiped from my brother. Amazing work.
I grew up reading my dad's old golden era sci-fi books and i find your channel so oddly nostalgic. I would love to see your take on some of Stanislaw Lem books like "the invincible" or "star diaries" or anything related to Philps Dick short stories like "Beyond Lies the Wub".
I have read Metabarons series as a teeneager. Actually a lot of "Jodoverse" graphic novels were released in Poland at the beginning of 2000s. For a long time I knew Jodorovsky for his comics scenarios, not movies.
The Metabaron (the sequel series, not the character) is quite a wild ride - though that's par for the course - and features one of the most gleefully evil villains I've seen (it's the guy with the massive mechanical arms, he's damn near a self-parody with how evil he acts). Still, apart from one particularly poorly explained plot twist, it's a very entertaining continuation. There's a part of the story where it feels like either the plot of James Cameron's Avatar or Disney's Atlantis, the Technopriests feature heavily, and throughout it the Metabaron is looking for purpose in life as the last of his line. Or to be incredibly reductive: It's about the Metabaron having a midlife crisis while a sequence of Jodorowsky-absurd characters try to kill him.
The Metabarons saga I saw for the first time in a colored design remake in a Heavy Metal Magazine issue (a resume of the story told by Tonto to another droid) it was still absolutely outstanding. It was one of the few comics I cried reading in my life, because usually only books, some games and some movies are packed with emotions.
I really like The Metabaron saga. It's my favorite of the works I have read by Jodorowsky. Juan Jiménez's art is also great. He was Argentinan. He studied industrial design in Argentina with the objective of working in the aerospace industry and latter fine arts in Spain. He's knowledge of ergonomics shows in his spaceship and tech designs. Jodorowsky has a long and varied opus in comics, including fantasy (often with esoteric and iniciatic elements) like Alef Thau, La Pasión de Diosamante o Los Hijos del Topo. The last one based on his cult film. I think that fantasy stuff is more representative of his entire work than his science fiction space operas. He's a Tarot reader, has invented a variety of fortune telling systems and "Psicomagia" a mixture of sicoanalisys and mistisysm. His novelas, like his movies, are way more insane than his comics. He has books on a variety of non science fiction tópics. And of course he basically invented cult movies with El Topo. He's Best movie is Santa Sangre. I have interviewed him a couple of times. He's incredibly fun!
Greg Egans Diaspora! I swear theres probably about 20 mindbending videos worth of ideas in that novel. Its basically an ultra hard sci-fi space-opera (Or at least as close to a space opera as Egan is gonna get) and its epic as all hell. And weird as shit in all the good ways.
Really glad that you finally made a video about the Metabarons! Read the book a few times now and its one of my favorites! Juan Gimenez art style is one of my favorites next to Jean Giraud; I love it! ✌
Quinn ok enough. Hahaha each time you mention and recommend a book. I get it and pile it on all the other books I need to read. You never fail in your recommendations. Each book is wonderful. I appreciate you throwing more wood onto my passion for reading
Metabrons sounds great; but having said that; the Janis/Jana thing actually does sound a lot like the Kwisatz Haderach ; who WAS a combination of male/female ancestral memories; due to the fact that in Dune the Bene Gesserit could not see into the male collective memory and vice versa for men :(after undergoing the spice agony).
Yes, but I dunno how they gonna adapt Juan Gimenez arts into a serial, live action or Animated. Maybe sth with the budget of Apple Tv Foundation can do it, but its gonna be very challenging.
@@protato911 Gimenez's art style is realistic enough to be adapted into life-action with a good looking result. Animation would result in a simplification of the original art.
Every thing from Alejandro Jodorowsky is a master piece, in all it glory and strangeness. and that includes The metabarons series, The Incal stories, Megalex, The Techno priests.. so underrated ,, and yes i know the inspiration is from all the material of the never filmed Dune he was gonna do but never did. and i am glad he filmed it, we got thes series insted.
I've read the comics, it was crazy! Also the scene where the kid went all out at the ritual, having all his limbs severed so it can be replaced by cybernetics was gnarly! 😭
Yooo, I have The Metabarons book, a big collectors edition version and I don't care it was hella expensive, just for the joy of reading and looking at its gorgeous art it was one of my greatest purchases.
I have both the Metabarons and the INCAL. The Incal plays in the same universe as the Metabarons and I can't help but think that it is the wackier, more schizo brother of warhammer (I love both of them, great stories). Also "Tonto" means dumb in spanish lol
A bit too late, but the "J" letter in "Jodorovsky" name properly reads as "H" or "Kh" sound, as it is of Polish/Hispanic origin. The google voice synth does it wrong.
I may be reaching but to add to the list of things we may have never gotten if we didn't get Lynch's DUNE or if Jodorowsky's DUNE didn't fail is the Xenomorph universe. Not as inspirations but because of the coming together of minds. I forget the story and I'm shooting from the hip, but I think O'Bannon was crew for Jodorowsky and when production was cancelled O'Bannon was left with little money, homeless, depressed, and sleeping on a friends couch. It was in that setting that O'Bannon was inspired by friend and peers to write his new script went for broke and the inception of ALIEN began.... something like that. LOL. Love your channel, Quinn.
I kind of had to watch/read Jodorowsky’s work as a fellow South American (I’m Argentine-American on top of that) and your video really sent me back! I loved the Emporeress because of the alchemical allusions (the Rebus for one) that he also played around with in his tour de force of a film, “The Holy Mountain” (1973).
Interesting. This story is the Lucifarian cult. It's all there in your description. The androgyny and it's symbolism, the use of technology to become God-like, the blood lines, etc.
You severely underestimate the 1970's. It's the age of prog rock. Nothing could've been too weird for the contemporary public. If anything, humanity's been getting progressively more close-minded since then.
IMO Metabaron is influenced in parts by the Warhammer 40,000 Universe,to name a couple very minor and rather inconsequential aspects of the influence appear in the Cover Art of 'The Metabaron' book 1 which could easily be interpreted as several different character types from a 'Hiver Gang Member'(ala 'Necromunda'),a rogue/chaos 'Adeptus Astarte" or even a young 'Ogryn' & the 'Tech Priests' (The 'Adeptus Mechanicus',as the title,appearance & skills sets practically mirror each other.) Having read several of 'The Metabaron' series and numerous 'WH40K' novels I am able discern numerous parallels & influences which is why I found a delightful familiarity in the 'Metabaron' and its fantastic universe of events,characters & locals. Thank you for covering yet another exciting delve into a Science Fiction series that most tend to overlook.
As someone who's very familiar with Jodorowsky's works and thought process, I can say: This isn't the extent of where he can and will go. The story is indeed the recycled plot points and characters (sans their original names) from his failed Dune film. The comic is what he wanted to do with the movie and it's a somewhat fascinating look into what we could've had in another timeline.
It's no secret that Dan O'Bannon met H.R. Giger during the making of Jodorowsky's Dune and that, only a few years later, O'Bannon convinced Ridley Scott to employ Giger to design the alien in ''Alien'' (1979) which O'Bannon had written. There are almost certainly other connections but, being an Alien fanatic, I haven't had enough hours available to discover them. I enjoyed this video because, having read The Incal, I've never been sure whether The Metabarons was worth a look (and these books don't come cheap haha).
Amusingly I introduced the metabarons to a friend of mine, who's a h*tai artist, and his reaction was: this is f**ing weird, and I draw messed up stuff!
Metabarons is amazing! And indeed so unknown by most mainstream readers. Which in a way may not be a bad thing.. Somethings should remain a niche and true to themselves.
IDK which is best: Metabarons or The Techopriests. They both great. But it all started with Jon DiFool and the Incal for me. It holds a special place in my heart.
Growing up in Europe, I also grew up with the Franco-Belgian comic scene. Starting with the usual Asterix and Tin-Tin, as I got older I discovered Metal Hurlant, which to me culminated in the Jodoverse (throw in Aedena to a certain extent). With that influence, I just never saw the attraction of the US-centric Marvel/DC comics, even when I moved there. For some weird reason, I always rolled my eyes when the nerds in Big Bang Theory spent week after week, talking about superhero comics, but never once even mentioned the European scifi comics classics? Never mind manga, for Pete's sake?!
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When I first stumbled upon The Incal through a friend about 20 years ago I was instantly hooked and read all the Incal, Metabaron and Technopriest stories in the following months. Definately one of the coolest, bloodiest, weirdest and most fantastic universes ever created by an artist.
Thought this said “The Incel” until I reread the comment💀
lord quas
@@Ekdrink That's the one with John Dafool right?
@@rakuuna33 incel is an internet word to describe people who can’t get into relationships
Yeah could be John Dafool for sure!
Metabarons is a criminally underrated narrative with a ton of interesting concepts in the sci-fi genre. Definitely worth looking into if anyone is interested
@Hedge Academy Aghar & Steelhead are probably the most interesting of the Metabarons. I also really like Honorata a lot despite her not being a metabaron, but she has a sisters of battle from Warhammer 40k that really highlights her character.
but is it really underrated??? every "rating" ive ever read about that narrative, has been rated extremely positively almost "over" so.
I love the Heavy Metal feel of the whole art and I always liken it to Dune or 40k. Such a weird and cool epic.
@@raidermaxx2324 it’s underrated in the sense not many people know about it. It’s sort of it’s own niche genre of sci-fi that I find more enjoyable
@@rebellious_red7123 That isn't what underrated means. Unknown or niche is a better word to describe it
Thanks for shining a spotlight on The Metabarons, Quinn. It's absolutely epic. Also, RIP Juan Giménez who passed away in 2020.
Gimenez art in this is so freaking fantastic, I still can't wrap up my head around how good the artwork is. Organic, present, so immersive. Masterpiece.
I've been in love with Gimenez' art since the 90's, and I think the Metabarons is his grand opus. The story is a tragedy, and that's really uncommon these days.
I really wish it was made into a movie - and still I don't. It's an amazing story that you'd want to see put in motion, yet it's perhaps best to leave it the way it is, and enjoy it in comic book form.
Thanks for your amazing work man. I'm from France and in here people really are into graphic novels and comics (especially the french/belgian ones /japanese mangas too). In here, the Metabaron have always been a classic, you can find it in every bookstore so I'm really glad you put that one on the table, it deserves massive respect in terms of artistic audacity and aura.
Really my favorite thing about any sci-fi is the strange and absurd. I think the insanity actually makes it MORE believable. Gotta check this out.
True, but the catch 🪝 is that this "weird" story need to be consistent/coherent in "their own universe". Even in science is true :v
==>
Actually in some way all of us, are just stories that brain tell to ourselves
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
True. When sci-fi is too down-to-earth and mundane, it might acquire a feeling of uncanny if not done perfectly. Some crazyness pushes its concept and immersion.
Yeah I agree. I actually wish we could have at least gotten an animated version of Jodorowskis Dune! Something along the lines of Heavy Metal or Wizards.
If I feel uncomfortable, I know I have encountered something ALIEN
If you loved getting bombarded with insane and interesting ideas. Try the Drifting Classroom, it's not celebrated enough in manga circles but I think people who love The Metabarons and Prophet would appreciate it more.
YES! I am so happy you're finally talking about Metabarons! One of my all time favorites!
Read Metabarons way back. Probably almost 8 year's ago. Best sci-fi comic I have read. The art was amazing and the story is insane, but that insanity is what had me hooked
It's so unique in sci-fi genre in general.
I've read the Metabarons and I found myself fascinated by the character of the Emperoress. They're clearly not a 'good' ruler by a long shot, but unlike most evil rulers in fiction, they're also not suicidally stupid. They're willing to swallow their pride and negotiate with the Metabarons, and keep their word as well, because they know the Metabarons are too powerful to betray, and having that lineage remain loyal to them is of utmost importance.
The metabarons is on another level. So many people in this world are sleeping on it. Thank you Quinn for spreading this work to your subscribers.
I've read almost everything Moebius was involved in. And I see the artists who have followed really respect his work. But I need to read the Meta Baron trilogy, which I have not yet done. The greatest graphic novel I've ever read is The Airtight Garage by Moebius alone, following the Incal trilogy with Jodorowski, especially volume 1-4.
Le Garage Hermétique! Ahah, I'm currently reading that one, It's really amazing. I like to imagine how it could be adapted into a movie, every page is fascinating.
@@Maggbba Adopting it into a movie will certainly not be an easy feat.
There are two following books to this, The Man from Ciguri and Le Chasseur Déprime (I think the latter isn't (yet?) translated to english.
@@Kulumuli Yeah, I imagine it would be tremendously challenging without a lot of exposition but if done right, it could be amazing. I had no idea about the sequels, I live in Toulouse so it shouldn't be too hard to find them, thanks for the info.
@@Maggbba The later issues are not as good as the first. Same with the Gardens of Aedena (which also is great). But it seems to me that Moebius really wanted to finish both of these series. And he did. I think Le Chasseur Déprime is one of his last works before he died. So kudos to him for that.
And I can think of no comic artist coming close to Moebius. I think Moebius/Jean Giraud is one of the greatest if not the greatest artist in the 20th century, regardless of genre.
@@Kulumuli estoy de acuerdo contigo
Agree about the setting's wonderful yet consistent weirdness. It takes the whole galactic-empire trope and skews off at a 45-degree angle.
So glad to see The Metabarons get some attention! There really is nothing else quite like it. Definitely check out the follow up series (or The Metabarons Second Cycle as they are publishing it now).
A wonderful friend of mine gifted me both the Metabarons and the Incal, and they're really something else. They're not similar stories in many ways, despite sharing a single character and taking place in the same universe -- But that doesn't detract from how truly fascinating they are.
They're very European, despite the only European involved was Moebius. The rest were Latin American artists.
Also Juan Giménez unfortunately passed a few years back, I hope wherever he is he knows his work was kickass.
What do you mean by “very European”? Not that I doubt what you’re saying, but I’m just curious what about the series gives off a European vibe. I’m very new to the series so I don’t know exactly what to expect.
@@Rum-Runner Moebius and his huge influence on scifi from a fresh french/european style is why. France had a whole different take on sci-fi and influenced it in so many different ways, largely thanks to Moebius...
@@dahjeekwenglee5909 Moebius and Mezieres who made Valerian (which was heavily copied by Lucas for Star Wars)
The shirt says everything I need to know about Quinn. It's all coming together now
Gimenez by himself was already doing very impressive stuff, the two of them coming together was one of the best things that could ever happen :)
As a big Heavy Metal fan, Juan Gimenez was one of my favorite artists. Was sad to hear of his passing due to Covid-19.
Heavy Metal was my introduction to his work. I'm so glad my Father was a collector.
@@darkage5 I stumbled across him in the German version of Heavy Metal, too
I felt so proud to find out he was argentinian, and very sad to know he passed away due to Covid
I want to personally thank you for this video. My wife saw it and bought me the first two Metabarons novels for my birthday. I am enjoying the story. Thanks Quinn!
i’m loving all of these videos lately!
well i’m adding yet another sci-fi book to my list. this makes like 5 different sci-fi books i’ve added to my list thanks to you! keep it up!
There are those who think comics are exclusively for children. One of the (unintentional) best reviews I've heard about the Incal was from 'A Teacher and Worried Father'. This is what I remember from it;'It begins with people falling down towards an acid sea. An aristrocratic woman (with a halo!) has sex with a man with a wolfs head. And nuclear weapons are used in street riots. In this future hell, Adolf Eichman would have been the nicest man on the block'.
Hell yes! Thank you for talking about the Metabarons. So little out there on it. I'd love for you to do more on this series in the future, would be fantastic to have your take on the stories :)
Quinn, I am so freaking jealous of your bookshelves!!!
The Incal saga is pretty much in every library in France. I've grown up with that universe, and others from Mobius (the world of the Hermetic Garage, notably). It's perhaps the most unique comic book universe there is. WH40K fans might like it, you can qualify it of grimdark and it has its fair share of cosmic horror and eldritch monsters. Plus the art is fantastic, you could frame nearly every panel of every comic and put it in an art gallery. The themes it deals with, like alienation of the cheapness of life really make you take pause and think. Can't recommend it enough. This isn't your Marvel / DC sort of comic.
Jodorowsky is very much into religions, occult and alchemical symbols and meanings. The Emperoress is in an alembic egg in a very visual reference to the old alchemical image books showing the formula of making the philosophers stone etc.
I got to know this saga thanks to my then-boyfriend (now husband) who is a fan. We were just talking about it recently, and how it could be very well worth having a whole series, not just a movie. The story is so packed with events and details and stuff that it could basically summarise a whole war in a couple of tables, and then you have, like, the history of 5 generations to work on. Besides, the art is really stunning, from the battleships to the emotions distorting the faces, and the characters are well-defined and have purpose - I especially like how the female characters are not just there to be incredibly beautiful but they are also actively taking part in the story.
Rest in peace Juan Jiménez. Cheers from Chile, the land of Jodorowsky
I agree that it was a good thing Jodorowsky's Dune didn't get made.
The novel was gritty and intense. Jodorowsky seemed to want to Co opt the material to make something that strayed from the themes and core of that series.
It was a lot more melodramatic, especially near the ending. It would have been clunky at best. Dune is dire and pregnant with tension.
Metabarons sounds much more interesting as an original work though.
Yep
Same with Lynch... you simply don't hire him to make hard sci-fi and sociopolitical/ecological commentary... Lynch can make a good Ballard, but not a good Clarke.
What were they thinking? lol
@@TheChzoronzon i never bought that because the studio took dune away from lynch. he was doing it right until then, for a solo movie version that is. it would have been longer and better if he had his way, but i still love it for what it is, including all the voiceovers. its certainly not as plodding and flat as the new dune.
@@TheChzoronzon Spot on assessment. Lynch was a fish out of water.
@@meesalikeu It is untrue the "studio took dune away from lynch". Lynch originally planned to split _Dune_ into two movies which the studio liked, but then changed his mind and tried to cram the whole book into one movie. Lynch got overwhelmed and the studio had to push him to finish, but he had mostly given up at that point (which the movie shows).
The new _Dune_ is not plodding or flat. It helps if you take off the rose-tinted nostalgia glasses. Lynch's dueling shields look like blurry Minecraft figures flailing about. It's lazy CGI compared to other 1980's CGI movies like Tron. Or changing the weirding way into the Weirding Module because he did not like the idea of "kung-fu on sand dunes". (Or maybe he was too lazy to bother with the extra effort needed to make impressive "kung-fu" visuals.)
It's a haphazard uneven movie throughout, including the voiceovers.
@@sammiller6631 they took all his budget away and then made him interject things he didn't want.
That is "taking" it away from him, as they removed Lynch's room to breathe after intially allowing him more freedom.
But yes Lynch made it one film as he had other projects brewing at the time and didn't want all his energy into one franchise.
Jodorowsky took some inspirations from Metaphysics / Magick too, for example the Emperor/Empress, you can see it in the Tarot-card "Aeon" in the crowley-tarot, an androgyn being in an egg (and the whole lot behind it, difficult to squeeze in here)
Yes, Jodorowsky even wrote a book about the Tarot, which I am lucky to own😊
Out of curiosity, have you ever read anything from Michael Moorcock's library? If not I recommend doing so, his stories are some of the best works of fiction I've ever read and you'd be surprised on how much his writings have influenced modern pop culture. If you have what's your favorite story/stories?
Despite liking The Elric Saga, it's not my favorite series. I like A Nomad of Time with Oswald Bastable.
He seems to have missed the works of Anne McCaffrey as well
Hell Yeah, Elric of Melnibone! The OG White Wolf Geralt's ass keeps ripping off.
I’ve read The Final Programme; got the DVD too. Both very weird but enjoyable, in a weird, early 1970’s sort of way (Moorcock hated the film!)
The eternal champion books are soo damn good elric is the best by far tho
Elric is a must !
I have REALLY enjoyed the evolution of your channel as well as this unique new route you’re taking; Definitely my favorite channel on TH-cam.
You should review each chapter of the Metabarons. One of y favorites. Great job!
Mix Jodorowski with Gimenez, and you got something very weird indeed. My dad had all Gimenez SF comics so I grew up with big cities, half naked ideal humans, robots, oozing mutated cyborgs and stuff. And he was a DUNE and Star Wars fan, of course (mom told me that she met him at the beach, he was reading DUNE already in the mid 80's).
RIP Juan Giménez underrated genius.
I discovered Jodorovsky's universe as a kid with one of my uncles who was a fan . I bought the first Métabaron in 92 or 93 . I was amazed by Juan Giménez drawings . Unfortunatly he died from covid 2 years ago . He also wrote graphic novels from his own, like Leo Rota or the fourth power, among others .
Jodo makes another great serie of graphic novels : Alef Thau, with Arno, Al Covial and Marco Nizzoli . A mix of fantasy and sci-fi .
I first encountered the Incal in middle school and was first hesitant but grew to love it. Later in highschool, the library there had a few books of The Metabarons. I guess already being familiar with the Incal eased me into the grotesque beauty of these stories. They are definitelly a huge inspiration for my own work.
I love Jordovosky, he's gloriously mad.
I was that weird kid in highschool who was reading these in the school bus on the way to the field trip. No, I did not have many friends growing up. Still don't. But know what I do have? One of the best memories that have shaped my understanding and enjoyment of everything sci-fi and fantasy. I owe Jodorowsky & Gimenez a LOT for having had the luck to be able to experience these.
To dive deeper in the jodoverse, there is a pen and paper rpg resources book filled with details and timelines. It is wonderful.
Gimme more information, s'il vous plais.
Ok tried to drop an amazon li k but it doesn't sticks
I appreciate your channel because I do not have time to read all these sci-fi novels... so getting a chance to peer into them like this is nice.
If you licked the Metabaron, you should check Requiem Vampire Knight.
It's not really a scifi series per say, but it's pretty wild and has that same kind of very high art level than the Metabaron.
Excellent visuals, and some great concepts, but the early chapters give you the impression that someone on the writing team was impotent.
Edit, they also put “Meta” before every word.
Thanks Quinn. Your take on scifi is one of the most interesting and consistent out there
I've never heard about this series before today, but the second I saw Jodorowsky's name on the cover I knew exactly the kind of thing this was going to be.
Thanks for bringing us more sci-fi worlds. Keep up the great work.
I'd like to recommend you BLAME! by Tsutomu Nihei. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.
I second this motion! Bring us BLAME!
Blame! for the Blame! god!
Girls’ Last Tour is also good
Agreed. Its messed up.
I bought the entire hardcover series while on vacation in Paris more than 20 years ago. Only problem, I dont speak or read French...but the art was so cool I couldn't resist. So I sat down and literally translated them from scratch, just so I could follow the story.
The Metabarons (along with Hellboy) are what got me into reading comics. Other than reading some TMNT & GI Joe when I was a kid, I'd never been into comics. Anytime I tried, I was left cold. In my mid 20s, a friend of mine really listened to what I liked (most folks just foisted their favorite comic on me and said, "read this; it's great.") and hooked me up with a the first trade paperback of the Metabarons and The Conqueror Worm from Hellboy. 20 years later, I'm still reading comics. But I lean toward the weird.
The late, great Juan Giménez may be my single favorite comic artist of all time. Even before reading Metabarons, I'd seen his work in Heavy Metal Magazines I'd swiped from my brother. Amazing work.
I grew up reading my dad's old golden era sci-fi books and i find your channel so oddly nostalgic. I would love to see your take on some of Stanislaw Lem books like "the invincible" or "star diaries" or anything related to Philps Dick short stories like "Beyond Lies the Wub".
I'm glad Jodorowsky's amazing ideas still came to life, in perhaps a better medium than he originally intended.
I bought a book of this on holiday in france as a kid and couldnt read the text but loved the art so much
Never thought I’d see a Quinn video about the Metabarons
By far the weirdest sci-fi media I’ve ever consumed
I didn't know about this at all and that's why I love this channel. Stay away from the mainstream, Quinn, keep being on the edge.
Read these back during college in the 90's. still some of my favorite sci-fi novels.
I know this guy has > 500K subs, but he is still so underrated for the sheer amount of hard work, deep thought, and fun that he puts in.
I have read Metabarons series as a teeneager. Actually a lot of "Jodoverse" graphic novels were released in Poland at the beginning of 2000s. For a long time I knew Jodorovsky for his comics scenarios, not movies.
The Metabaron (the sequel series, not the character) is quite a wild ride - though that's par for the course - and features one of the most gleefully evil villains I've seen (it's the guy with the massive mechanical arms, he's damn near a self-parody with how evil he acts). Still, apart from one particularly poorly explained plot twist, it's a very entertaining continuation. There's a part of the story where it feels like either the plot of James Cameron's Avatar or Disney's Atlantis, the Technopriests feature heavily, and throughout it the Metabaron is looking for purpose in life as the last of his line.
Or to be incredibly reductive: It's about the Metabaron having a midlife crisis while a sequence of Jodorowsky-absurd characters try to kill him.
Technoadmiral Wilhelm, right.
The Metabarons saga I saw for the first time in a colored design remake in a Heavy Metal Magazine issue (a resume of the story told by Tonto to another droid) it was still absolutely outstanding. It was one of the few comics I cried reading in my life, because usually only books, some games and some movies are packed with emotions.
The Incal and The Metabarons are masterpieces! I love the Jodoverse, and thank you for recommending this book!
Oh man, this sends me back to my young adulthood. Reading the Metabaron 1.2 &3 (?) in the library.
Quiiiinn, i love this channel so much dude, i´ve waited this day for so long, I LOVE THE METABARONS COMICS
Could you imagine this being a movie on Lord of the Rings trilogy level and bugdet..
Unlike tv and films, comics are limitless, and a great vehicle for science fiction.
Quinn I love you. Those are my super favorite since the 80s so glad you unveilling it to a broader audience.
I really like The Metabaron saga. It's my favorite of the works I have read by Jodorowsky. Juan Jiménez's art is also great. He was Argentinan. He studied industrial design in Argentina with the objective of working in the aerospace industry and latter fine arts in Spain. He's knowledge of ergonomics shows in his spaceship and tech designs.
Jodorowsky has a long and varied opus in comics, including fantasy (often with esoteric and iniciatic elements) like Alef Thau, La Pasión de Diosamante o Los Hijos del Topo. The last one based on his cult film. I think that fantasy stuff is more representative of his entire work than his science fiction space operas. He's a Tarot reader, has invented a variety of fortune telling systems and "Psicomagia" a mixture of sicoanalisys and mistisysm. His novelas, like his movies, are way more insane than his comics. He has books on a variety of non science fiction tópics. And of course he basically invented cult movies with El Topo. He's Best movie is Santa Sangre.
I have interviewed him a couple of times. He's incredibly fun!
bought my first Metabaron issue because of the art and stayed because of the story - glad to see this review!
Greg Egans Diaspora! I swear theres probably about 20 mindbending videos worth of ideas in that novel. Its basically an ultra hard sci-fi space-opera (Or at least as close to a space opera as Egan is gonna get) and its epic as all hell. And weird as shit in all the good ways.
Highly recommended. One of those memorable ones, and I hope to see you go through the story, spoilers included, in a separate video. Cheers.
I'm so glad you covered this, I read Metabarons years ago and loved it.
Really glad that you finally made a video about the Metabarons! Read the book a few times now and its one of my favorites! Juan Gimenez art style is one of my favorites next to Jean Giraud; I love it! ✌
Quinn ok enough. Hahaha each time you mention and recommend a book. I get it and pile it on all the other books I need to read. You never fail in your recommendations. Each book is wonderful. I appreciate you throwing more wood onto my passion for reading
Metabrons sounds great; but having said that; the Janis/Jana thing actually does sound a lot like the Kwisatz Haderach ; who WAS a combination of male/female ancestral memories; due to the fact that in Dune the Bene Gesserit could not see into the male collective memory and vice versa for men :(after undergoing the spice agony).
Imagine this was adapted into a miniseries. One Metabaron per episode.
Yes, but I dunno how they gonna adapt Juan Gimenez arts into a serial, live action or Animated. Maybe sth with the budget of Apple Tv Foundation can do it, but its gonna be very challenging.
@@protato911 Gimenez's art style is realistic enough to be adapted into life-action with a good looking result. Animation would result in a simplification of the original art.
@@lorenzoc.b.9809 Yeah I think life action is the way to go, but the amount of money/talents needed will be immense.
Every thing from Alejandro Jodorowsky is a master piece, in all it glory and strangeness. and that includes The metabarons series, The Incal stories, Megalex, The Techno priests.. so underrated ,, and yes i know the inspiration is from all the material of the never filmed Dune he was gonna do but never did. and i am glad he filmed it, we got thes series insted.
I've read the comics, it was crazy! Also the scene where the kid went all out at the ritual, having all his limbs severed so it can be replaced by cybernetics was gnarly! 😭
Jodorowsky is one of my favorite comic book writers. He definitely stands toe to toe with the likes of Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.
Glad to see 'Monstress' on your shelf. Just finished Volume 7. Still one of my all time favourite graphic novel series.
Yooo, I have The Metabarons book, a big collectors edition version and I don't care it was hella expensive, just for the joy of reading and looking at its gorgeous art it was one of my greatest purchases.
Your videos lately are about all my favorite sci fi things. What a fantastic channel
I have both the Metabarons and the INCAL.
The Incal plays in the same universe as the Metabarons and I can't help but think that it is the wackier, more schizo brother of warhammer (I love both of them, great stories).
Also "Tonto" means dumb in spanish lol
You haven't read "The Metabaron" series yet? Then get to it, it's fantastic!
A bit too late, but the "J" letter in "Jodorovsky" name properly reads as "H" or "Kh" sound, as it is of Polish/Hispanic origin. The google voice synth does it wrong.
Metabarons is one of the best works i have seen, but is not Hollywood or Disney, so is extremely underrated and not known by many
I may be reaching but to add to the list of things we may have never gotten if we didn't get Lynch's DUNE or if Jodorowsky's DUNE didn't fail is the Xenomorph universe. Not as inspirations but because of the coming together of minds. I forget the story and I'm shooting from the hip, but I think O'Bannon was crew for Jodorowsky and when production was cancelled O'Bannon was left with little money, homeless, depressed, and sleeping on a friends couch. It was in that setting that O'Bannon was inspired by friend and peers to write his new script went for broke and the inception of ALIEN began.... something like that. LOL. Love your channel, Quinn.
New Quantum Leap ad playing 😁
Been loving Jodorowski for more than 30 years now. Truly mind bending
I kind of had to watch/read Jodorowsky’s work as a fellow South American (I’m Argentine-American on top of that) and your video really sent me back! I loved the Emporeress because of the alchemical allusions (the Rebus for one) that he also played around with in his tour de force of a film, “The Holy Mountain” (1973).
YES Quinn at it again. Glad more people will hear about the metabarons, everyone should at least try it. Doing gods work
can you PLEASE do readings for Audible? you have a great voice and music selection and a great taste/luck in gathering these tales for us.
Interesting. This story is the Lucifarian cult. It's all there in your description. The androgyny and it's symbolism, the use of technology to become God-like, the blood lines, etc.
You severely underestimate the 1970's. It's the age of prog rock. Nothing could've been too weird for the contemporary public. If anything, humanity's been getting progressively more close-minded since then.
Quinn is the best at talking about sci-fi books. Nobody comes close!
IMO Metabaron is influenced in parts by the Warhammer 40,000 Universe,to name a couple very minor and rather inconsequential aspects of the influence appear in the Cover Art of 'The Metabaron' book 1 which could easily be interpreted as several different character types from a 'Hiver Gang Member'(ala 'Necromunda'),a rogue/chaos 'Adeptus Astarte" or even a young 'Ogryn' & the 'Tech Priests' (The 'Adeptus Mechanicus',as the title,appearance & skills sets practically mirror each other.)
Having read several of 'The Metabaron' series and numerous 'WH40K' novels I am able discern numerous parallels & influences which is why I found a delightful familiarity in the 'Metabaron' and its fantastic universe of events,characters & locals.
Thank you for covering yet another exciting delve into a Science Fiction series that most tend to overlook.
Thank you Quinn for making this video, I have been a fan of the Metabarons comics for years now.
As someone who's very familiar with Jodorowsky's works and thought process, I can say: This isn't the extent of where he can and will go. The story is indeed the recycled plot points and characters (sans their original names) from his failed Dune film. The comic is what he wanted to do with the movie and it's a somewhat fascinating look into what we could've had in another timeline.
Stumbled across Metabarons/Technopriests around 15 years ago
I credit it with the first time I ever read the phrase "burn, testicles, burn"
It's no secret that Dan O'Bannon met H.R. Giger during the making of Jodorowsky's Dune and that, only a few years later, O'Bannon convinced Ridley Scott to employ Giger to design the alien in ''Alien'' (1979) which O'Bannon had written. There are almost certainly other connections but, being an Alien fanatic, I haven't had enough hours available to discover them. I enjoyed this video because, having read The Incal, I've never been sure whether The Metabarons was worth a look (and these books don't come cheap haha).
Amusingly I introduced the metabarons to a friend of mine, who's a h*tai artist, and his reaction was: this is f**ing weird, and I draw messed up stuff!
🤣🤣
Metabarons is amazing! And indeed so unknown by most mainstream readers. Which in a way may not be a bad thing.. Somethings should remain a niche and true to themselves.
IDK which is best: Metabarons or The Techopriests. They both great. But it all started with Jon DiFool and the Incal for me. It holds a special place in my heart.
It's a stapple of scifi comics in France, I hadn't realized it wasn't exported much. Pretty much every library has them.
Growing up in Europe, I also grew up with the Franco-Belgian comic scene. Starting with the usual Asterix and Tin-Tin, as I got older I discovered Metal Hurlant, which to me culminated in the Jodoverse (throw in Aedena to a certain extent). With that influence, I just never saw the attraction of the US-centric Marvel/DC comics, even when I moved there. For some weird reason, I always rolled my eyes when the nerds in Big Bang Theory spent week after week, talking about superhero comics, but never once even mentioned the European scifi comics classics? Never mind manga, for Pete's sake?!