Q&A: Ben Stenbeck Takes Readers Deeper into LANDS UNKNOWN with THE SKINLESS MAN

After Mike Mignola introduced readers to a wondrous new realm as expansive as Middle-earth and Narnia in his anthology Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown, writer and artist Ben Stenbeck is taking readers deeper into his and Mignola's co-created Lands Unknown universe with his new two-issue comic book series The Skinless Man.

Featuring a haunting story of epic adventure and deadly obsession told by a witch on a dark and stormy night, The Skinless Man #1 is now available from Dark Horse Comics, and we had the great pleasure of catching up with Ben in a recent Q&A feature to discuss his new story, including further fleshing out the Lands Unknown universe, infusing The Skinless Man with gore galore (as well as plenty of heart), and what readers can look forward to in the forthcoming second issue (due out on April 22nd) and beyond!

You can read our full Q&A with Ben Stenbeck below, and we also have the official press release with additional details as well as preview pages and cover art from Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man #1. To learn more about this two-part series and other exciting releases, be sure to visit:

• https://www.darkhorse.com/

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Ben, and congratulations on Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man! In this first issue, I really enjoyed gathering around Granny’s fire and journeying to a foreboding part of the Lands Unknown universe that you and Mike Mignola created. When did you originally come up with the idea for The Skinless Man?

Ben Stenbeck: Thanks! I came up with this in 2023. It was actually the last of three different stories I came up with but the one I was most excited to draw. At some point my three different stories all became one bigger thing and The Skinless Man seemed like a good place to start because it includes a few elements from my bigger story.

After Mike Mignola introduced readers to the wickedly whimsical side of the Lands Unknown universe in his renowned anthology Bowling with Corpses, you’re taking readers to a nightmarish corner of Lands Unknown through your vivid artwork and captivating storytelling in The Skinless Man. How much fun did you have infusing this story with lots of gory horror along with plenty of heart?

Ben Stenbeck: A LOT! I didn’t mean for it to get so gory. That sort of happened by accident, and I only really realized how much there was when I saw all the red in Dave’s colouring. But that stuff’s fun to draw. I’m not really trying to gross out anyone, it’s just fun to draw all those gory details.

What has it been like to collaborate with Mike Mignola in creating a fictional universe? How often do you communicate with each other as you flesh out the Lands Unknown map and come up with new tales to tell in this magical world?

Ben Stenbeck: We talked early on about place names, but really we are doing our own things in this world. Mike did the heavy lifting with Bowling with Corpses and really set the scene. Every now and then you see some overlap. Issue two of The Skinless Man has some places in common with a story in Uri Tupka and the Gods. We didn’t discuss that, we just have a good idea of what those places are like and explored them on our own.

I love that animals can talk in the Lands Unknown universe (I’m especially fond of the flower-loving rabbit from The Skinless Man). How important (and fun) was it for you and Mike to give animals the ability to speak, making each adventure in Lands Unknown all the more magical?

Ben Stenbeck: Mike has always had talking animals in his books, and it’s a very "folk tale logic" thing to have in a story. They just talk. Don’t worry about it. It’s fun. There is sort of a reason why those two animals can talk which I’ll cover a little bit in my next story.

As a fan of sword-and-sorcery films and video games such as Diablo and Skyrim, I absolutely love the epic open-world feeling of Lands Unknown. Do you have any favorite films, comics, video games, or books that have inspired you to create your own fantasy realm with the Lands Unknown universe?

Ben Stenbeck: Definitely, I loved Skyrim when it came out. Even though I haven’t watched it in years, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is kind of ingrained in me. The big film influence for me on this was Tale of Tales, which is based on a book called the Pentamerone which the Brothers Grimm took a bunch of their stories from. But for me Tale of Tales is pretty much a perfect folk tale film; it’s raunchy and funny with elements of horror and weird fiction, monsters and unlikely heroes. It’s great.

As Granny teases to her captivated audience in The Skinless Man, the next half of this story will have “lots of fighting and magic.” What can you tell us about the fantastical scenarios and fearsome foes awaiting readers within the pages of the second issue of The Skinless Man?

Ben Stenbeck: I don’t want to give too much away. But I tried to squeeze a lot of fun stuff into it. In issue one there’s a big guy under a cloak hanging out with the Warlock brothers, and you’ll see him in issue two.

With Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man #1 now available from Dark Horse Comics (and Mike Mignola's new Lands Unknown graphic novel Uri Tupka and The Gods hitting shelves later this month), what other projects do you have coming up that you can tease for our readers? Are you already working on other Lands Unknown stories, and do you intend to continue following characters from The Skinless Man in future tales?

Ben Stenbeck: I’m currently working on the next part, which will be all about that old man with the animals. I’m going to tell his story from birth to death.

Thank you very much for your time, Ben!

Ben Stenbeck: Thank you! Hope you enjoy the rest of the Lands Unknown Stories.

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From the Press Release: Fans first encountered legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck’s visionary new shared universe in Mignola’s bestselling Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown, one of the most celebrated graphic novels of 2025. The anthology of folklore-inspired fantasy stories welcomed readers into a beautifully drawn world of powerful sorcerers, talking ducks, undead adventurers, and a host of imaginative, idiosyncratic characters, myths, and legends. Now Ben Stenbeck, the writer/artist of the acclaimed series Our Bones Dust, is making his Lands Unknown debut writing and drawing The Skinless Man, a two-issue comic event. Joined by colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Clem Robins, Stenbeck will give readers a glimpse into the terrifying side of the Lands Unknown. Both issues of The Skinless Man will feature covers by Stenbeck and the first issue will feature a variant cover by Mike Mignola.

"I'm beyond thrilled to have my first contribution to the world of LANDS UNKNOWN released into the wild,” says Ben Stenbeck. “It's such an exciting world to work in. The possibilities are endless, and I have big plans for a lot of stories that might seem disconnected at first, but they are all part of a larger story. A story about people searching for things they may or may not need in Lands Unknown. Also monsters and magic and talking animals in exotic locations."

While Mignola’s Bowling With Corpses explores the fantastical, charming side of the Lands Unknown, The Skinless Man #1 is a nightmarish horror story. When a stormy night in the mountains forces a lone traveler to take shelter in a witch’s house, she spins a chilling yarn of the mysterious and merciless Skinless Man, who is in pursuit of new skin at any cost. When a gang of warlocks is foolish enough to try to deceive him, they learn just how far he’s willing to go.

“I’ve had the good fortune to work with Ben for a lot of years now, so I know how good he is—But I’ve also had a pretty good idea how good he COULD BE if he were really given the room to cut loose,” explains Mike Mignola. “That was a large part of the whole LANDS UNKNOWN thing, creating a place where Ben would have no choice but to cut loose—And he has—And it’s wonderful. I love what he’s done here, and I REALLY love that this is just the tip of his crazy iceberg of talking animals, evil wizards, monsters and giants. There is nobody out there I’d rather be sharing a world with.”

In addition to Stenbeck’s upcoming comic, the Lands Unknown universe continues to expand in Mike Mignola’s upcoming graphic novel. Uri Tupka and The Gods: Another Story from Lands Unknown follows the titular wayward theologian across the Lands Unknown on a quest to prove that ancient powerful gods shaped the world. Uri’s journey puts him face to face with mythical creatures, thieves, dragons, and a tomb of unspeakable horror. But nothing can prepare the unlikely adventurer for what he learns about the universe and his role in it.

Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man #1 is due out on March 4, 2026 from Dark Horse Comics.Uri Tupka and the Gods: Another Story from Lands Unknown is a 104-page hardcover that will be released in bookstores and comic shops on March 24, 2026. Follow Dark Horse Comics on social media for more news, announcements, and updates.

Cover Art by Ben Stenbeck with Dave Stewart

Variant Cover Art by Mike Mignola

Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man #1 Preview Pages