Mike Mignola

Michael Joseph "Mike" Mignola (/ˌmɪnˈjoʊlə/; born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.

Career

Marvel and DC

Mignola was born on September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California. He began his career in 1980 by illustrating spots in The Comic Reader. His first published piece was in The Comic Reader #183, a spot illustration of Red Sonja (pg. 9). His first published front cover was The Comic Reader #196; Dominic Fortune, The Spirit, and Doc Savage in November 1981. In 1982 he graduated from the California College of the Arts with a BFA in Illustration.

In 1983 he worked as an inker at Marvel Comics on Daredevil and Power Man and Iron Fist and later on titles such as The Incredible Hulk, Alpha Flight and the Rocket Raccoon limited series.

In 1987, he began working for DC Comics as well. He drew the Phantom Stranger and World of Krypton limited series. With writer Jim Starlin, Mignola produced the Cosmic Odyssey miniseries in 1988. Mignola drew covers for several Batman stories, including "Batman: A Death in the Family" and "Dark Knight, Dark City". Writer Brian Augustyn and Mignola crafted the Gotham by Gaslight one-shot in 1989. Through the early 1990s Mignola worked on covers and backup features for various DC and Marvel Comics. He collaborated twice with writer Howard Chaykin. In 1990-1991, they produced the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser limited series for Epic Comics with co-writer John Francis Moore and inker Al Williamson. This was followed with the Ironwolf: Fires of the Revolution graphic novel in 1992.

Hellboy and related spin-offs

Hellboy

Until 1994 Mignola had done work for hire illustration. In 1994 Dark Horse Comics released Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, Mike Mignola's creator-owned project. Though he wrote the story himself, it was scripted by John Byrne. The next Hellboy story, The Wolves of Saint August, was completely written and drawn by Mike Mignola. Since then all Hellboy stories have been written solely by Mike Mignola with the exception of They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships which was co-written by Joshua Dysart.

Makoma (2006) was the first Hellboy story that wasn't drawn by Mignola, featuring the art of horror comics legend Richard Corben. Corben would return to draw many flashback stories for the series. Other artists have also had a hand in drawing flashback stories including Jason Shawn Alexander, Kevin Nowlan and Scott Hampton. In 2007, following after 2005's The Island, British artist Duncan Fegredo took over art duties on the ongoing story arc of Hellboy from Darkness Calls onwards.

Mike Mignola returned as the fulltime artist for Hellboy in 2012 for the ongoing series, Hellboy in Hell. The series is currently published sporadically, but multiple-issue stories are monthly.

Abe Sapien

In 1998 the first Hellboy spin-off launched, Abe Sapien. It was not written by Mike Mignola, but it did feature his Hellboy short story Heads as a back-up. Abe Sapien did not take off properly until a decade later in 2008's The Drowning. Since then it has had several short stories and beginning in 2013 it became an ongoing series with Scott Allie as the lead writer with Mignola.

Lobster Johnson

Lobster Johnson was the next spin-off, debuting as a back-up feature in 1999's Box Full of Evil. The series got its own title later in 2007's Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus. It returned again with the miniseries The Burning Hand in 2012, followed by various short stories.

B.P.R.D.

B.P.R.D. was the third spin-off, but it was the first one which was conceived to be more than just a one-off side story, but rather a series of stories. It began with 2002's Hollow Earth, which continued on from Hellboy: Conqueror Worm. Beyond that followed as series of short stories designed to explore what the B.P.R.D. series could be. 2004's Plague of Frogs was the story that solidified what the series was, and would set the direction for future books to come, so much so that the first major story cycle is collected in omnibus editions titled B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs. A vast majority of the stories in this era were co-written with John Arcudi and drawn by Guy Davis.

B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth

B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth is the main series continuing after the catastrophic events at the conclusion of the Plague of Frogs cycle. Guy Davis left the series in 2011 with the conclusion of Hell on Earth: Gods. Tyler Crook became the new ongoing artist beginning with Hell on Earth: Monsters, but he is joined by several regular artists, most notably James Harren.

Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder

Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder (more commonly known simply as "Witchfinder") began with a teaser story in 2008's MySpace Dark Horse Presents #16, followed by a full miniseries in 2009. It follows the stories of the occult investigator, Sir Edward, agent of Queen Victoria.

Sledgehammer 44

Sledgehammer 44 is the most recent addition to the Hellboy Universe. It is about a Vril Energy Suit, like the one first introduced in Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus, in World War II.

Baltimore

Baltimore is a series begun with a 2007 illustrated novel, and continued as a comic book series. Created by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.

Doc Unknown

He appeared as animator by the Graphic novel series Doc Unknown, which was Crowdfunded over Kickstarter.

Style

Alan Moore has described Mignola's style as "German expressionism meets Jack Kirby". His style has also been likened to an amalgamation of Jack Kirby and Alex Toth.

Film and television

Mignola worked as an illustrator for Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie Bram Stoker's Dracula. He was also the production designer for the Disney feature film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire in 2001, and was a concept artist for 2002's Blade II, also directed by del Toro, and a concept artist for Pixar's Brave.

Mignola was hired by Bruce Timm to provide character designs for Batman: The Animated Series in 1991. His redesign of Mr. Freeze was used for the series.

Mignola's design of the 1880s Batman costume from the comic Batman: Gotham by Gaslight appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Hellboy was made into a feature film in 2004 by director Guillermo del Toro. Mignola was closely involved with the movie's production, and a sequel was released in 2008. Recently, Hellboy has been made into two direct-to-video animated films, Sword of Storms in 2006 and Blood and Iron in 2007.

Mignola's The Amazing Screw-On Head debuted in 2006 on the Sci-Fi Channel, starring the voices of Paul Giamatti and David Hyde Pierce.

Bibliography

Comics

• Rocket Raccoon (artist, script by Bill Mantlo, inks by Al Gordon four-issue limited-series, Marvel Comics, 1985)
• Amazing High Adventure #3 - Short Story "Monkey See, Monkey Die" (script by Steve Englehart, anthology series, Marvel Comics, October 1986)
• The Chronicles of Corum #1â€"6, 9, 11-12 (artist, with Mike Baron and Mark Shainblum, First Comics, 1987)
• Phantom Stranger (artist, script by Paul Kupperberg, inks by P. Craig Russell four-issue limited series, DC Comics, 1987-1988)
• World of Krypton (artist, script by John Byrne, inks by Rick Bryant, four-issue limited series, DC Comics, 1987-1988)
• Cosmic Odyssey (artist, with writer Jim Starlin and inker Carlos Garzon, 1988, DC Comics, TPB, 226 pages, Titan Books, ISBN 1-84023-715-5, DC Comics ISBN 1-56389-051-8)
• Doctor Strange/Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (writer Roger Stern, art also by Mark Badger, 1989, Marvel Comics)
• Batman:
  • Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (pencils, with writer Brian Augustyn, and with inks by P. Craig Russell, DC Comics Elseworlds, TPB, 48 pages, 1989, Titan, ISBN 1-85286-265-3, DC, ISBN 0-930289-67-6)
  • Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #54: "Sanctum" (pencils and story, with writer Dan Raspler, with letterer Willie Schubert, and with coloring by Mark Chiarello, single issue, DC, 1993)
  • Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (writer, three-issue mini-series, DC Comics Elseworlds, 2000)
• Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure (artist, with writer Walt Simonson and inker Bob Wiacek, single issue prestige format paperback, Marvel Comics, 1990)
• Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (artist, with writer Howard Chaykin and inker Al Williamson, four-issue limited series, Epic Comics, 1990-1991)
• Ted McKeever's Metropol #9-11 (artist, with Ted McKeever "The Resurrection of Eddy Current", three-part mini-series, Epic Comics, 1991)
• Bram Stoker's Dracula: official movie adaptation (artist, with writer Roy Thomas and inker John Nyberg, four-issue mini-series Topps Comics 1992)
• Ironwolf: Fires of the Revolution (art, with writers Howard Chaykin and John Francis Moore, and artist P. Craig Russell, 104 pages, 1992, Titan Books, ISBN 1-56389-065-8, DC Comics, ISBN 1-56389-065-8)
• Hellboy (Dark Horse):
  • Seed of Destruction (with John Byrne, 1994)
  • The Wolves of Saint August (1994)
  • The Corpse (1995)
  • The Chained Coffin (1995)
  • The Iron Shoes (1996)
  • Wake the Devil (1996)
  • Almost Colossus (1997)
  • A Christmas Underground (1997)
  • Heads (1998)
  • The Baba Yaga (1998)
  • The Right Hand of Doom (1998)
  • The Vârcolac (1999)
  • Goodbye Mr. Tod (1999)
  • Pancakes (1999)
  • Box Full of Evil (1999)
  • The Nature of the Beast (2000)
  • King Vold (2000)
  • Conqueror Worm (2001)
  • The Third Wish (2002)
  • Dr. Carp's Experiment (2003)
  • The Penanggalan (2004)
  • The Troll-Witch (2004)
  • The Ghoul (2005)
  • The Island (2005)
  • Makoma (with Richard Corben, 2006)
  • The Hydra and the Lion (2006)
  • They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships (with Joshua Dysart and Jason Shawn Alexander, 2007)
  • Darkness Calls (with Duncan Fegredo, 2007)
  • The Vampire of Prague (with P. Craig Russell, 2007)
  • The Mole (with Duncan Fegredo, 2008)
  • The Crooked Man (with Richard Corben, 2008)
  • In the Chapel of Moloch (2008)
  • The Wild Hunt (with Duncan Fegredo, 2008)
  • The Bride of Hell (with Richard Corben, 2009)
  • Hellboy in Mexico (with Richard Corben, 2010)
  • The Storm (with Duncan Fegredo, 2010)
  • The Whittier Legacy (2010)
  • Double Feature of Evil (with Richard Corben, 2010)
  • The Sleeping and the Dead (with Scott Hampton, 2010)
  • Buster Oakley Gets His Wish (with Kevin Nowlan, 2011)
  • Being Human (with Richard Corben, 2011, collected in B.P.R.D.: Being Human)
  • The Fury (with Duncan Fegredo, 2011)
  • House of the Living Dead (with Richard Corben, 2011)
  • Hellboy versus the Aztec Mummy (2011)
  • Hellboy in Hell (2012â€"present)
• ZombieWorld: Champion of the Worms (writer, with art by Pat McEown, three-issue mini-series, 1997, Dark Horse, TPB, 80 pages, 1998, ISBN 1-56971-334-0, 2005, ISBN 1-59307-407-7)
• Jenny Finn: Doom Messiah (script, with art by Troy Nixey and Farel Dalrymple, TPB includes Jenny Finn #1â€"2, Oni Press, 1999, 128 pages, Boom! Studios, June 2008, ISBN 1-934506-14-1)
• B.P.R.D. (Dark Horse):
  • Hollow Earth (with Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, Ryan Sook and Curtis Arnold, 2002)
  • The Soul of Venice (with Miles Gunther and Michael Avon Oeming, 2003)
  • Born Again (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2004)
  • Plague of Frogs (with Guy Davis, 2004)
  • Another Day at the Office (with Cameron Stewart, 2004)
  • The Dead (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2004)
  • The Black Flame (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2005)
  • The Universal Machine (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2006)
  • Garden of Souls (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2007)
  • Killing Ground (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2007)
  • 1946 (with Joshua Dysart and Paul Azaceta, 2008)
  • Revival (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2008)
  • Bishop Olek’s Devil (with Joshua Dysart and Paul Azaceta, 2008)
  • Out of Reach (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2008)
  • War on Frogs #1 (with John Arcudi, Herb Trimpe and Guy Davis, 2008)
  • The Ectoplasmic Man (with John Arcudi and Ben Stenbeck, 2008)
  • The Warning (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2008)
  • War on Frogs #2 (with John Arcudi and John Severin, 2008)
  • The Black Goddess (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2009)
  • And What Shall I Find There? (with Joshua Dysart and Patric Reynolds, 2009)
  • War on Frogs #3 (with John Arcudi and Karl Moline, 2009)
  • 1947 (with Joshua Dysart, Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, 2009)
  • War on Frogs #4 (with John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg, 2009)
  • King of Fear (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2010)
  • The Dead Remembered (with Scott Allie, Karl Moline and Andy Owens, 2011)
  • Casualties (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2011)
  • 1948 (with John Arcudi and Max Fiumara, 2012)
  • Vampire (with Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, 2013)
• B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth (Dark Horse):
  • New World (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2010)
  • Gods (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2011)
  • Seattle (with John Arcudi and Guy Davis, 2011)
  • Monsters (with John Arcudi and Tyler Crook, 2011)
  • Russia (with John Arcudi and Tyler Crook, 2011)
  • An Unmarked Grave (with John Arcudi and Duncan Fegredo, 2012)
  • The Long Death (with John Arcudi and James Harren, 2012)
  • The Pickens County Horror (with Scott Allie and Jason Latour, 2012)
  • The Devil’s Engine (with John Arcudi and Tyler Crook, 2012)
  • The Transformation of J.H. O'Donnell (with Scott Allie and Max Fiumara, 2012)
  • Exorcism (with Cameron Stewart, 2012)
  • The Return of the Master (with John Arcudi and Tyler Crook, 2012)
  • The Abyss of Time (with Scott Allie and James Harren, 2013)
  • A Cold Day in Hell (with John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg, 2013)
  • Wasteland (with John Arcudi and Laurence Campbell, 2013)
  • Lake of Fire (with John Arcudi and Tyler Crook, 2013)
• The Amazing Screw-on Head and Other Curious Objects (Dark Horse, 2010) collecting:
  • The Amazing Screw-On Head (one shot comic book, 2002)
  • The Magician and the Snake (with Katie Mignola, published in Happy Endings anthology, 2002)
  • Abu Gung and the Beanstalk (originally drawn 1998, redrawn and expanded for this collection)
  • The Witch and Her Soul (drawn for this collection)
  • The Prisoner of Mars (drawn for this collection)
  • In the Chapel of Curious Objects (drawn for this collection)
• Lobster Johnson (Dark Horse):
  • The Iron Prometheus (with Jason Armstrong, 2007)
  • The Burning Hand (with John Arcudi and Tonči Zonjić, 2012)
  • Tony Masso’s Finest Hour (with John Arcudi and Joe Querio, 2012)
  • The Prayer of Neferu(with John Arcudi and Wilfredo Torres, 2012)
  • Caput Mortuum (with John Arcudi and Tonči Zonjić, 2012)
  • Satan Smells a Rat (with John Arcudi and Kevin Nowlan, 2013)
  • A Scent of a Lotus (with John Arcudi and Sebastian Fiumara, 2013)
• Abe Sapien (Dark Horse):
  • The Drowning (with Jason Shawn Alexander, 2008)
  • The Haunted Boy (with John Arcudi and Patric Reynolds, 2009)
  • The Abyssal Plain (with John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg, 2010)
  • The Devil Does Not Jest (with John Arcudi and James Harren, 2011)
  • Dark and Terrible (with Scott Allie and Sebastian Fiumara, 2013)
• Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder (Dark Horse):
  • Murderous Intent (with Ben Stenbeck in Dark Horse Presents #16, November 2008)
  • In the Service of Angels (with Ben Stenbeck, 2009)
  • Lost and Gone Forever (with John Arcudi and John Severin, 2011)
• Baltimore (Dark Horse):
  • The Plague Ships (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck, 2010)
  • A Passing Stranger (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck for Free Comic Book Day, 2011)
  • The Curse Bells (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck, 2011)
  • Dr. Leskovar's Remedy (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck, 2012)
  • The Play (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck, 2012)
  • The Widow and the Tank (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck, 2013)
  • The Inquisitor (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck, 2013)
  • The Infernal Train (with Christopher Golden and Ben Stenbeck, 2013)
• Sledgehammer 44 (Dark Horse):
  • Sledgehammer 44 (with John Arcudi and Jason Latour, 2013)
  • The Lightning War (with John Arcudi and Laurence Campbell, 2013)

Novels

• Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, with Christopher Golden, 2007, (ISBN 0553804715)
• Joe Golem and the Drowning City: An Illustrated Novel, with Christopher Golden, 2012, (ISBN 0312644736)
• Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism, with Christopher Golden, 2012, (ISBN 0312644744)

Covers

Media covers

• Cronos Criterion Collection Cover

Awards

• 1995:
  • Won "Best Writer/Artist" Eisner Award, for Hellboy: Seed of Destruction
  • Won "Best Graphic Album: Reprint" Eisner Award, for Hellboy: Seed of Destruction
  • Won "Best Artist" Harvey Awards
  • Won "Best Achievement by an Inker" Don Thompson Award
• 1996:
  • Won "Best Artist" Harvey Awards
  • Won "Best Graphic Album of Previously Released Material" Harvey Awards, for Hellboy: The Wolves of Saint August
• 1997:
  • Won "Best Writer/Artist" Eisner Award, for Hellboy: Wake the Devil
• 1998:
  • Won "Best Writer/Artist" Eisner Award, for Hellboy: Almost Colossus, Hellboy Christmas Special and Hellboy Jr. Halloween Special
• 2000:
  • Won "Best Artist" Harvey Award, for Hellboy: Box Full of Evil
• 2002:
  • Won "Best Finite Series/Limited Series" Eisner Award, for Hellboy: Conqueror Worm
• 2003:
  • Won "Best Humor Publication" Eisner Award, for The Amazing Screw-On Head
  • Won "Best Short Story" Eisner Award, for "The Magician and the Snake"
• 2004:
  • Won "Favourite Comics Writer/Artist" Eagle Award
  • Won "Best Comics-Related Book" Eisner Award, for The Art of Hellboy
  • Received "Inkpot Award"
• 2006:
  • Won "Favourite Comics Writer/Artist" Eagle Award
• 2007:
  • Won "Roll of Honour" Eagle Award
  • Won "Favourite Colour Comicbook â€" American" Eagle Award, for Hellboy: Darkness Calls
• 2008
  • Won "Best Cover Artist" Harvey Awards
  • Won "Award for Favourite Colour Comicbook â€" American" Eagle Award
  • Won "Roll of Honor" Eagle Awards
  • Won "Best Horror Comic Book" Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, for Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch
• 2009
  • Won "Best Finite Series/Limited Series" Eisner Award, for Hellboy: The Crooked Man
  • Won "Best Graphic Album: Reprint" Eisner Award, for Hellboy Library Edition, vols. 1 and 2
  • Won "Best Publication Design" Eisner Award, for Hellboy Library Edition, vols. 1 and 2
  • Won "All-in-One Award" Inkwell Awards
• 2010
  • Won "Best Cover Artist" Harvey Awards, for Hellboy: Bride of Hell
• 2011
  • Won "Favorite Writer/Artist" Eagle Award
  • Won "Favorite Artist:Inks" Eagle Award
  • Won "Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)" Eisner Award, for Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil

Notes

References

• Mike Mignola biography on Encyclopedia of World Biography
• "Devil in the Deep Blue Sea", career synopsis by Fletch Adams, Broken Frontier, June 23, 2005
• Panel Discussions (by Durwin Talon, TwoMorrows Publishing, 2002, second edition 2007, ISBN 1-893905-14-4)

External links

• Official website
• Mike Mignola at the Internet Movie Database
• Mike Mignola at the Comic Book DB
• The Art of Mike Mignola
• The Hellboy Archive
• Review of Chaykin and Mignola's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser adaptation at The Daily Cross Hatch, from May 17, 2007
• Fulcher, Robb. "Hellboy creator Mike Mignola of Manhattan Beach appears amidst climatic battle!" Easy Reader. August 3, 2011

Interviews

• Mignola on Hellboy's Extended Universe, Comic Book Resources, March 3, 2008
• NYCC: Hellboy Dominates 2008, Comic Book Resources, April 19, 2008
• InnerViews: Hellboy, a Monster Successâ€"Mike Mignola Interview, Hemisphere Magazine, June 2008
• Mike Mignola Talks About 15 Years of Hellboy, B.P.R.D. & More, TFAW.com, October 12, 2009
• Mignola Interview Collection

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