Psychorock
Science fiction comic about benevolent aliens guiding humanity.
Psychorock is a science fiction comic collection of short stories, written and drawn by Brazilian artist Sergio Macedo. The book first appeared in 1976 through Les Humanoïdes Associés, with an English version released in 1978 by Heavy Metal Communications, translated by Sean Kelly. Its five tales, some directly linked, all show humanity guided by well-meaning aliens. The work earned notice for its airbrushed artwork and psychedelic visuals.
Macedo, a Brazilian artist based in France and later Tahiti, had previously created covers for major comic anthologies. For Psychorock, he used an airbrush, which he called the "synthesizer of drawing." The original French softcover, published in Paris, ran 63 pages. In 1978, the English edition came out in New York City from Heavy Metal Communications, the English-language counterpart of Métal Hurlant, run by the publishers of National Lampoon. This version was 58 pages long.
The stories depict superior alien beings preparing humanity for a greater purpose. In "Rockblitz," a violent biker named Rocky (Cliff in French) attacks a hippie, only to discover the hippie is an alien. The alien shoots Rocky with a beam from its head, transforming him into a peaceful figure. Rocky then gathers his gang for a concert on hippie territory, which the aliens use to broadcast "psychorock" and alter human minds. The concert is lifted into space, where attendees learn the aliens aim to enlighten humanity. "Point Gamma 3" follows space travelers who encounter an asteroid emitting powerful energy, cutting off communication. An astronaut meets a telepathic cone-shaped crystal that enlightens him and his companion, revealing all history has been manipulated by aliens. They transform into ethereal cosmic beings and fly away, leaving their ship vanished with a mysterious coordinate. "Orcyb" features psychic astronauts Keldryc and Astryd, who use a device to translate radiation from stars and planets into music. They seek Yamma, an interdimensional galactic conference guiding humanity. A UFO scans them, then disappears. Trusting their instincts, they pilot into the Sun, where they meet the dark alien ship Orcyb. Keldryc confronts Yurkon, a manifestation of his dark thoughts, and defeats him mentally with Astryd's music and a sword from another alien. H
- publication_year
- 1976 (French), 1978 (English)
Lore & Background
Psychorock was authored and illustrated by Sergio Macedo, a Brazilian artist based in France and later Tahiti. Prior to creating the comic, he had illustrated covers for several major comics anthologies. For Psychorock, he used an airbrush, which he called the 'synthesizer of drawing'. The original French edition was a 63-page softcover published in Paris by Les Humanoïdes Associés, the publisher of Métal Hurlant. The English translation, published in New York City by Heavy Metal Communications, was translated by Sean Kelly, running 58 pages.
Reader's Guide
Psychorock is significant as a representative of the psychedelic and cosmic-themed science fiction comics of the 1970s, particularly within the European bande dessinée tradition. Its airbrushed art style was widely noted by reviewers, with Joe McCulloch of The Comics Journal calling it 'truly a work that couldn't exist in quite this way at any other time'. Frederick Patten, reviewing for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review, praised the translations as 'uniformly excellent' but noted the book's emphasis on gore and nudity made it suitable only for adults, which he said conflicted with 'sophomoric' plots. Patten argued the work promoted the flower power generation of the 1960s, comparing its alien-human interaction themes to Childhood's End. McCulloch described the illustrations as both funny and eerie, depicting aliens 'benevolently fucking with the physiological and spiritual makeup of humanity through rock shows and lasers and nude combat'. A reviewer in Galerie, Jardin des Arts called it a 'true revelation' and said Macedo 'plays with the conventions of pop culture while also drawing on the lessons of William Blake'.
Did You Know?
- The English translation of Psychorock was published by Heavy Metal Communications, the English-language version of Métal Hurlant.
- The book's art was created using an airbrush, which Macedo called the 'synthesizer of drawing'.
- The fifth story, 'Yamma', reveals that the protagonists are reincarnations of an ancient Atlantean couple abducted by extraterrestrial beings.
- The original French edition had 63 pages, while the English version had 58 pages.
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