Arzach

Arzach
The opening panel of Arzach
First appearance	Métal Hurlant (1975)
Publication information
Publisher	Les Humanoïdes Associés
Formats	Original material for the series has been published as a strip in the comics anthology(s) Métal Hurlant.
Original language	French
Genre	Fantasy
Publication date	1975
Reprints
Title(s)	Heavy Metal
The series has been reprinted, at least in part, in English.

Arzach is a comic book collection of four wordless short stories by artist/author Jean 'Moebius' Giraud, which were originally published in the French sci-fi/fantasy comics magazine Métal Hurlant. The stories follow Arzach, a silent warrior who rides a pterodactyl-like creature through a strange, desolate landscape. The imagery and situations in Arzach are often compared to dreams or the subconscious. These stories had an enormous impact on the French comics industry, and the Arzach character is still among Moebius' most famous creations.

Moebius later revisited the character with a story called The Legend of Arzach. This later story contains dialogue, and it ties the Arzach stories into a previously unrelated Moebius story called The Detour.

Arzach is credited as being the inspiration for the final sequence, "Taarna", of the animated film Heavy Metal.

Moebius' Arzach is a novel by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier, published by iBOOKS in August, 2000. The book features a cover and inside illustrations by Moebius, and a map by J.O. Ladronn. The first half of the book is a novelisation of several Arzach stories. The second half recursively introduces John Gerard' (a thinly-disguised Jean Giraud) and family into the world of Arzach. A brief essay on the publishing history of Arzach concludes the book.

Arzach was one of Panzer Dragoon's major artistic influences. Jean Giraud even contributed in the creative process of Team Andromeda's game with original artwork.

Moebius' 2010 book Arzak: L'Arpenteur (Arzak: The Surveyor) is the first of a planned trilogy to explore the origin of the character.

See also

• Arzak Rhapsody (2003 Film)
• In 2006 Arzach was planned as Japanese film but only a trailer was finished

External links

• Legends of Arzach