Q&A with Mike Mignola and Exclusive Reveal of New Stretch Goal for MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERS Kickstarter

"Before the phenomenon, this icon started as an idea." Since he first appeared decades ago, Hellboy has helped transport readers into a fascinating world filled with monsters, mayhem, and mesmerizing magic, but even more fascinating is the inspiring story of the man who brought Hellboy to life: Mike Mignola.

Thankfully, filmmakers Jim Demonakos and Kevin Hanna, along with an all-star creative roster of interviewees, tell the story behind the iconic creator of Hellboy and the ever-expanding Mignolaverse in the new documentary Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters, which is now on Kickstarter, and we were honored to conduct a new Q&A with Mignola that you can read below!

While it's far exceeded its fundraising goal there are still many stretch goals that supporters can enjoy, and we're thrilled to exclusively announce that when the Kickstarter reaches $310,000, a new Hellboy print by artist Matt Smith will be unlocked for supporters at various tiers:

At $310,000, the MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERS will unlock multiple things:

• For those at the Print Portfolio tier, you will get another brand new print, this one by the astounding Matt Smith (who has recently been providing covers to the Young Hellboy series!)
• For all those whose tier includes the Postcards, you will get a postcard featuring the B&W artwork from Matt Smith’s Hellboy print!
• Plus, everyone will get the B&W Peterson postcard added to their digital postcard bundle!

We have an exclusive look at the new print below, as well as a new Q&A with Mignola, and be sure to visit Kickstarter for more information!

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer questions for us, Mike, and congratulations on the upcoming documentary, Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters. What were your initial thoughts when Jim Demonakos and Kevin Hanna came to you with their idea to profile you in a documentary?

Mike Mignola: Well first I thought they were crazy, but I’ve known Jim for a long time and I liked his idea of what they wanted it to be, so I said sure. Of course I never imagined it would actually happen, I just thought it was one of those things that would get discussed for a while and then you’d never hear about it again. Surprise!

Through conversations with yourself and your creative peers, Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters takes an expansive look back at your career, from your early days at Marvel Comics to the massive Mignolaverse that is thriving today. What has it been like for you to go down memory lane and look back at everything you’ve done in your career thus far?

Mike Mignola: The memory lane thing—I don’t remember that being any big deal. I feel like I’m always talking about my career, or maybe I’m just always running it around inside my head. I don’t remember getting into stuff I’d never talked about before, but then it was a long time ago. At this point anything pre-COVID feels like a very long time ago.

I’ve always been amazed at how many wonderful people you invite into your ever-expanding Mignolaverse to collaborate and create new stories. From novels to comic book series to movies, it always feels like there’s a freshness and uniqueness to the stories of Hellboy, the B.P.R.D., and other beloved characters. How important is it for you to collaborate with other writers and artists and see what they bring into your creative sandbox?

Mike Mignola: As I do less myself, it’s more and more important to find other people who want to work on this stuff. I still write some of the stories and have a ton of ideas for other stories that I might not actually write, but would love to hand off to some other writers. The trick is finding the people you’re comfortable working with. If you look at what we’ve done, you see I try to collaborate with the same people as much as possible. But I'm also always looking at who’s out there that that might be a good fit for something. It’s exciting to inject new blood into this thing every once in a while.

Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters has already far exceeded its Kickstarter goal, but there are still more stretch goals for fans to unlock and so many different pledge tiers currently available, from a Blu-ray of the film to exclusive artwork and even producer credits! What has it been like for you to see this overwhelming support from your fans, and can you give us a tease of any stretch goals that might be around the corner?

Mike Mignola: I have no idea what “stretch goals” are. I really know nothing about how the Kickstarter thing is done, and what Jim and Kevin will be adding as the money comes it. That is entirely their thing. For me it’s just been overwhelming (in a good way) to see how much interest there is in this thing. Of course I’m thinking people are going to see it for Rebecca Sugar and Neil Gaiman—I think they are a whole lot more interesting than anything I have to say.

It looks like Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters will give your fans a look into your life and creative process like never before. Ultimately, what do you hope your fans take away from this documentary?

Mike Mignola: Well again, I don’t think this is anything new. I hope they see that I just did a comic made up of all the stuff I like, something that certainly wasn’t meant to be super commercial and CERTAINLY nothing anybody would ever make movies or computer games about. I just wanted to draw what I wanted to draw and put something out there that was really me. I hope that inspires others to do the same. If my story means anything, it means that it’s at least POSSIBLE to be successful doing stuff that is your vision. It doesn’t all have to be Batman and the X-Men. You’ll never know if you don’t try.

In addition to Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters, you have a bunch of other projects for fans to look forward to, including Dark Horse’s recent hardcover release of your Quarantine Sketchbook, with all proceeds going to the World Central Kitchen. What can collectors expect from the Quarantine Sketchbook, and are there any other upcoming releases that you can tease for our readers?

Mike Mignola: About the Quarantine Sketchbook, it’s out there now so now so I guess there’s nothing much to say about it. Just that the money goes to a very good cause, and I think some of the drawings in there are the best I’ve ever done, certainly some of my favorites. Beyond that—I’m writing quite a few comics again, mostly Hellboy or Hellboy-related, but one that’s entirely new and different, and I’m pretty excited about that one. Which I of course can’t talk about. And right now I’m working on a big illustration project that I’m really excited about which, of course, I also can’t talk about. So I’m busy doing a bunch of stuff I’ll be able to talk about one of these days.

-----------

We have the teaser trailer and official press release below, and to learn more and support Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters, be sure to visit the documentary's official Kickstarter page!

Press Release: Hellboy has appeared in countless graphic novels and comic books, prose novels and short story collections, acclaimed role-playing games and videogames, three live action films and two animated features, and has inspired countless toys and collectibles. Now, award-winning Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is getting his turn in the spotlight in the all-new documentary MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERS, which tells the definitive story of one of the most influential and important comic book creators of all time. This feature-length film includes never-before-seen interviews conducted with the legendary creator at his studio, drawing demonstrations, behind-the-scenes footage from comic book conventions, and interviews with some of the most influential people in entertainment, including Neil Gaiman (American Gods), Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, Victor LaValle (The Ballad Of Black Tom), artist Tara McPherson, and comic book superstars like Vita Ayala, Duncan Fegredo, Fábio Moon, and Joe Quesada. MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERS is now on Kickstarter for a month-long campaign that runs throughout March.

As one of the most successful independent comic book creators, Mignola has inspired generations of writers and artists. MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERS provides an in-depth look at his legacy, from the beginning of his career working as an inker for Marvel Comics to his success with Hellboy. The film features never-before-told revelations from Neil Gaiman about the Mignolaverse and the production of Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy II, and an interview with Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar discussing Mignola’s influence on her creation.

The documentary features Mythbusters host Adam Savage, Hellboy film actor Doug Jones and actress Vanessa Eichhotlz, novelists Christopher Golden (of the bestselling Ben Walker novels) and Victor LaValle (The Ballad Of Black Tom), Dark Horse Publisher and founder Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Editor Katii O’Brien, Marvel EVP of Creative Development Joe Quesada, comic book writers Vita Ayala (The Wilds), Chris Roberson (Hellboy & The B.P.R.D.) and Thomas Sniegoski (Young Hellboy), and award-winning cartoonist Fábio Moon (Daytripper), as well as interviews and art demonstrations with painter Jason Shawn Alexander, Duncan Fegredo (Hellboy: The Wild Hunt), Michael Avon Oeming (B.P.R.D.: The Soul Of Venice), award-winning colorist Dave Stewart and, of course, Mignola himself.

MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERS is being co-directed and produced by Jim Demonakos (founder, LightBox Expo and ECCC) and Kevin Hanna (Clockwork Girl), an American director noted for his work in feature film, animation, comic books, and television.

“There’s already eighty hours of footage in the can that we have shot over the last year and a half,” says Hanna. “This is an ambitious in-depth documentary to celebrate Mignola’s legacy in style.”

“We’re bringing the project to Kickstarter to secure the financing to shoot additional interviews, edit the film and score, and bring the film to market,” said Demonakos. “We want existing fans and curious readers alike to experience Mignola’s art and his incredible world of monsters and misfits.”

The Kickstarter campaign features tiers with the MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERSfilm digitally or on Blu-Ray, as well as a Kickstarter exclusive t-shirt, original art, a commission from Mignola himself, the opportunity to receive an executive producer credit on the film, and an incredible Hellboy Portfolio Print Set that is exclusive to the Kickstarter campaign, featuring new 9"x12" Hellboy prints by Mignola and Dave Stewart, Laurence Campbell, Duncan Fegredo, Alex Maleev, Fábio Moon, Mike Norton, Paolo Rivera, Craig Rousseau, Tim Sale, and Ben Stenbeck. All the artists involved have previously drawn interiors for various Mignolaverse books.

Filming will continue and is scheduled to be completed in the fall/winter of 2021, with the finished film debuting by spring of 2022. For more information follow MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERSon Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The project can be supported here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimdemonakos/hellboys-creator-mike-mignola-a-documentary-film?ref=326qos 

Praise for Mike Mignola:

“I think everyone young and old should check out Mike Mignola’s work… It’s about using comics as a medium to redefine what comics can be.”—Rebecca Sugar

“The Mignolaverse is just a remarkable success story. He wasn't the only person who was trying to create a shared universe to rival the Marvel model, but he seems to be, I would say, maybe the only one who really succeeded.”—Professor Ben Saunders

“Mike’s heroes are flawed misfits… That's why his universe resonates.”—Doug Jones

“You look at Mike and there’s not a line wasted. He’s such an astonishing artist.”—Neil Gaiman

To support the campaign, visit Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimdemonakos/hellboys-creator-mike-mignola-a-documentary-film?ref=326qos 

About Mike Mignola: Reading Dracula at age 12 introduced Mike Mignola to folklore and Victorian supernatural literature, from which he has still never recovered. He began working as a comic book artist in 1982, working for both Marvel and DC Comics before creating Hellboy, published by Dark Horse Comics in 1994. What began as a single comic-book series would eventually expand to a “Hellboy Universe” of related graphic novels, prose novels, short story anthologies, and both animated and live action films. He also wrote and drew The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects. He has co-written novels with Christopher Golden (Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire) and Thomas Sniegoski (Grim Death and Bill the Electrocuted Criminal), worked with Francis Ford Coppola on Bram Stoker's Dracula, was a production designer on Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and was a visual consultant to Guillermo Del Toro on Blade II, Hellboy, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. A new Hellboy film directed by Neil Marshall was released in April 2019. Mike’s comics and graphic novels have earned numerous awards, and are published in a great many countries. He lives in Southern California with his wife and a very demanding cat.

Stretch Goal Artwork by David Petersen:

Process Art by David Petersen:

Stretch goal artwork by Gabriel Bá: