This editorial is very strange. It starts by bemoaning the rise of heavy metal music, which seems to have gotten a lot of people confused when they see the name of the publication. The mitigation strategy suggested here is that Heavy Metal has shrunk the words Heavy Metal on the cover, emphasizing the H and M instead. Over time, they will lose the “eavy” and “etal” and just be known as HM.

Here’s the hilarious bit: none of that happened. The title on the cover of the very next issue was the normal size and proportion that the previous one had been. The planned name change to HM never materialized. This was the May issue, otherwise I would have chalked this editorial up to an April Fool’s Day prank.

(Heavy Metal issue #120, May 1989 – Page 3 Editorial)

Addendum: it's been pointed out that there was no April issue, so this probably is an April Fool's Day prank.