The Mike Mignola appreciation thread – why isn’t he a hot artist?! 2 2

[MattrixAlien]

Post your favourite Mike Mignola art here!

I never collected Hellboy so if you can chime in with some that would be appreciated so to speak 😊

Mike Mignola is another of my favourite artists to emerge and rise to prominence in the Copper Age. His art has such a distinctive, spectral style. Alan Moore described it as “Kirby meets German expressionism.” Before he became famous as the owner/creator of Hell Boy he worked on a wide variety of projects.

Even when I was a kid back in the 80s though, I would read ‘cold’ artist lists in comic magazines, and Mignola would be on them.  Why do you think his art hasn’t had more wide spread popularity? Is it too idiosyncratic?

I still collected his books anyway. While this wasn’t a good idea from an investment perspective (fortunately I also loved McFarlane’s stuff ) I still love to read it. Here’s some favourites from my collection below:

Maybe if he'd done more Marvel art he'd be more popular. Oh well I guess it makes his work easy to afford.

 

His Batman: Death in the Family covers are probably his most well know work outside of Hellboy. 

Cosmic Odyssey is such an underrated mini series. Take Starlin, one of the best writers of galactic adventure stories, and combine that with Mignola's striking art and the results are amazing.

It could be DCs Infinity War.

Sorry. This next one is in rough shape. Can even Superman overcome Death?

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by MattrixAlien
Added some comments around the pictures

[Bird]

I haven't been active on CAF for quite a while, but back in the day I made a gallery of other people's Mignola art. Let's see if it works here

some Mignola works on CAF

[MattrixAlien]

On 11/9/2021 at 12:23 PM, Bird said:

I haven't been active on CAF for quite a while, but back in the day I made a gallery of other people's Mignola art. Let's see if it works here

some Mignola works on CAF

The link works. Thanks Bird!

[divad]

Mignola’s great 👍 love his work in any shape or form - just hoard his work and don’t worry about it!😉

[rexinnih]

Long been a fan of his work and backed the Documentary film being made on him for Kickstarter 

 

[followtheleader]

Jungle Adventure was something special. 
Patrick

[MattrixAlien]

On 11/12/2021 at 6:43 AM, rexinnih said:

Long been a fan of his work and backed the Documentary film being made on him for Kickstarter 

 

Wow the trailer for the documentary was great. Thanks for sharing. I'll have to check out the full film when it's released 

[Bird]

I activated my old CAF gallery with some of the Mignola's I have; I think that I have about a dozen of the small sketches now. Have a look if you'd like! I won't have it open for long though. 

Hey, Mikey! I likey!

 

[jjonahjameson11]

Enjoyed his artistic style from ‘88-‘92, but I can’t get into his style on Hellboy or the character.

[D2]

On 11/12/2021 at 10:30 AM, jjonahjameson11 said:

Enjoyed his artistic style from ‘88-‘92, but I can’t get into his style on Hellboy or the character.

This.

His work was always quite compelling but he went a similar direction as Frank Miller with the subtractionism in his artwork, to a point where I can't get into it.

Sad really, because I think I would have liked Hellboy and I quite enjoyed Mignola's previous works. Gotham By Gaslight...

[fastballspecial]

Not fan never liked his stuff especially his covers.

I have friends that do so to each their own. 

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by fastballspecial

[oakman29]

I love his work. Everything about the Hellboy stuff was brilliant in my opinion. 

[Sauce Dog]

One of my favourite artists ever, and love his 'minimal' style on Hellboy - as it takes a master to know what details to omit and which to keep for maximum impact.

I still keep my fingers crossed that one day he will write/draw a Swamp Thing issue (or better yet give us a Hellboy/Swamp Thing cross over one-shot, much like when he teamed up with Batman)

[MattrixAlien]

On 11/13/2021 at 1:30 AM, jjonahjameson11 said:

Enjoyed his artistic style from ‘88-‘92, but I can’t get into his style on Hellboy or the character.

I lied when I said I didn't have any Hellboy in my collection  This is it. I think this is the series that Sauce Dog was referring to, which was published in '98 when his style is becoming visibly more minimalistic. Like others have said I love and prefer his copper age work on characters like Batman. (I actually enjoyed Miller's reductive style in Sin City, but Dark Knight Strikes Again killed it for me.)

Edited November 14, 2021 by MattrixAlien

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 11/14/2021 at 5:48 PM, MattrixAlien said:

I lied when I said I didn't have any Hellboy in my collection  This is it. I think this is the series that Sauce Dog was referring to, which was published in '98 when his style is becoming visibly more minimalistic. Like others have said I love and prefer his copper age work on characters like Batman. (I actually enjoyed Miller's reductive style in Sin City, but Dark Knight Strikes Again killed it for me.)

Since you have it available, are the insides the same minimalistic art style?

I'm assuming it is, but the story and art reflecting the art would also have to be imaginative for me.

I see minimalistic art as a throw back to to like a detective novel or series. Perhaps not just bats tec, but more Richard Tracy. That kind of thing

 

 

[Readcomix]

On 11/11/2021 at 5:07 PM, followtheleader said:

Jungle Adventure was something special. 
Patrick

I’m still waiting for that baby to grow up.

[JollyComics]

Slightly off-subject.  Matt Wagner is one of my favorite artists. He went unrecognized for years and he finally got recognized for his Grendel works.

Hellboy movie was popular but Mike is still not recognized but I hope he will get it soon.  Great works with many depths and perspective.  Great vision.

[MattrixAlien]

On 11/15/2021 at 10:00 AM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Since you have it available, are the insides the same minimalistic art style?

I'm assuming it is, but the story and art reflecting the art would also have to be imaginative for me.

I see minimalistic art as a throw back to to like a detective novel or series. Perhaps not just bats tec, but more Richard Tracy. That kind of thing

 

 

Yes Adamantium, the use of dark areas rather than lines, more than in his earlier work, is evident in the interior art as well. See an example below:

For something different I'm throwing in his Punisher cover. I read the c rap out of this issue as a kid

Edited November 16, 2021 by MattrixAlien

[MattrixAlien]

On 11/17/2021 at 5:15 AM, Satanic Mechanic said:

Liefeld draws feet better than Mignola

Liefeld avoids drawing feet so I can't remember what they are like 

[Lazyboy]

On 11/16/2021 at 4:32 PM, MattrixAlien said:

Liefeld avoids drawing feet so I can't remember what they are like 

Maybe you should review the images in this thread before calling out Liefeld for avoiding drawing feet.

I'm not a fan of Mignola's style, but some of his work is okay.