Mike at 2010-06-21 10:05:39:
The Captain Sternn vignette is an excellent example of a lot of storytelling being packed into a surprisingly small space. Definitely one of my favorites from Heavy Metal.
In fact, just as each vignette in HM might lose steam, the story takes a sharp turn or hits a resolution point and HM jumps to the next vignette. In terms of pacing, HM sets the standard for the "collection of tales" framework.
For those who haven't watched it in a while, here were the vignettes:
"Soft Landing"
"Grimaldi" (foreshadows Taarna)
"Harry Canyon"
"Dan/Den"
"Captain Sternn"
"B-17"
"So Beautiful and So Dangerous"
"Taarna"
"Grimaldi" (finish)