Heavy Metal Reveals “Supermassive” Humble Bundle To Benefit CBLDF

Heavy Metal, the storied comics magazine and publisher, is launching a “Supermassive” Humble Bundle campaign, with the money going to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, ComicBook.com has learned. The DRM-free digital comics bundle, worth $698, is available to purchase now as a pay-what-you-want model, and the campaign runs until June 4th at 11am PST. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which provides legal guidance and funds for comic book creators and retailers faced with lawsuits or criminal charges related to free speech issues, is one of two major comics charities that tends to attract fundraising from within the industry, the other being the Hero Initiative, which was recently supported by a Humble Bundle from acclaimed Strangers in Paradise creator Terry Moore.

The Supermassive bundle includes a digital copy of the first ever Heavy Metal Magazine from 1977 plus legendary editions and recently published issues #306-315. Additionally, the bundle includes popular trade, comic, and prose books from the iconic publisher, like Taarna: The Last Taarakian (written by Stephanie Phillips), Cold Dead War (written by George C. Romero), RANX (by Stefano Tamburini and Tanino Liberatore), Moon Lake (by Dan Fogler), Sun Eater (written by Dylan Sprouse), Whatzit (by Gideon Kendall), and many more. Brand new titles from 2022, like Stable (written by Matthew Medney and Morgan Rosenbum), Arena Mode (written by Blake Northcott), Bioripple (by Nir Levie), and Starward #1 (written by Steve Orlando) are also included in the massively discounted bundle. You can check out the details and reserve yours at the link above.

“We’re always delighted to work with Humble Bundle. It’s an amazing way to support a charity near and dear to our industry, and a great, low-cost opportunity for the Heavy Metal-curious to sample our publications,” said Kris Longo, Heavy Metal Associate Publisher & Chief Sales Officer. “Given that 2022 is our 45th anniversary year, we thought a supermassive collection featuring Heavy Metal classics and contemporary titles was a fitting way to celebrate the brand’s legacy. We really hope fans enjoy it all, and we thank them for joining us in supporting the mission of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.”

With a membership that includes creators, publishers, retailers, educators, librarians, and fans, the CBLDF has defended dozens of First Amendment cases in courts across the United States and led important educational initiatives promoting comics literacy and free expression.

“In 1986, the arrest of a comic shop manager for selling Heavy Metal led to the founding of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. As yet another wave of censorship threatens access to the comic arts, we’re truly grateful to Heavy Metal, Humble Bundle, and everyone who gets this stunning collection of cutting-edge creativity for your supermassive support,” said Jeff Trexler, Interim Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Humble Bundle offers limited-time collections of games, books, software, and more. Fans can simply pay what they want and choose where their money goes, including to charity. Most bundles come in tiers starting at only $1. The Humble community has contributed over $200,000,000 to charity since 2010.

“We’re excited to work with Heavy Metal to bring this bundle of iconic science-fiction and fantasy to our comic-loving Humble community,” said Kamini Tiwari, Humble Bundle’s Vice President of Social Impact. “It’s a great opportunity for readers to see for themselves why Heavy Metal has earned a place in graphic-fiction history, all while supporting a charity doing important work fighting censorship and championing free expression.”