hellboy art over the years

[chiaroscuros]

hey gang,
one of the things i didn't pay too much attention to when i first started to read the trade paperbacks is how much the hellboy art has changed over the years. of course, having the same colorist helps enormously to give everything a continuous feel.

but there are lots and lots of differences and i was curious what the fans on this site thought about the changes. this is simplistic but some of the biggest changes are...

shift from lots of detail to very sparse detail
shift in black backgrounds to white backgrounds
shift from realism to abstract geometric shapes

i went thru each of the major storylines and summerized the changes i noticed. most of these comments are based on looking at scans of the original art without color. i would love to hear other people's thoughts and things they have noticed that have changed over the years.

seed of destruction - hellboy is shovel jawed, lots of photo-referenced details, lots of solid blacks, hellboy does lots of internal monologues and sounds like a hard boiled detective, lots of splash and half splash pages, lots of panels where the figures are just silhouettes, typewriter fonts mixed with "handlettered" style fonts, lots of panels where details float on a sea of black, pages bleed off to black, and storyline has lots of hints of past events.

wolves of saint august - hellboy's jaw softens a little but is still pretty sharp, less overall dialog and the internal dialog is removed completely, pages still bleed to black, less photo-referencing, white rubble is added to break up his blacks, lots of smaller panels and very few splashs, fight scenes become very fluid and "quick" due to page layout, and storyline shifts from "stage setting" to lots of fighting w/ very little referencing to past or future events.

wake the devil - hellboy's jaw and horn profile is now round and soft, all the black areas gain white definition through various textures (ivy, bricks, etc), some edges between blacks and whites blur thru fine texture, photo referencing drops way down and mike starts draws from inside his head, hellboy loses the trenchcoat, the stone hand gets smaller, his chest gets larger, his legs get shorter and stubbier, splash pages still at a minimum but lots of pages with contrasting small panels and half splashes, pages no longer bleed to black, and the storyline gets much more intricate with lots of references to past and future events and lots of new plot elements, especially mythology.

box full of evil - detail is now shown with more abstract "kirby crackle" rather than specific material textures, backgrounds shift from black to white, line thickness and line edges become more defining (rather than black pools and black shapes) and because of this color starts to define more things, remaining blacks become more solid and have stylized zig-zag edges, people/characters shift slightly away from realism and more to a cartoon quality, overall detail/texture/realism decreases, and storyline finds good balance between fast moving action, plot and overall story arc.

almost colossus - building material textures start to come back but become much simplier and more abstract, objects in the background become reduced to outlines, the black backgrounds keep the geometric edges, but the figures become defined by irregular loops and whirl lines, figure blacks become soft and blobby rather than stark and sharp, figures continue to stay slightly cartoony with emphasis on enlarged knees, elbows, knuckles, etc., the stone hand gets a little larger, and the storyline gains more of a historic tone.

batman hellboy starman - stone hand gets larger, blacks become sharp and defining again, background texture becomes a play of "kirby crackle" and geometric zigzags, foreground texture gains machinery details, leaves, etc., figures start to become abstract constructions of geometric shapes, black shapes flow into pure lines, and overall figure features become more abstracted.

conquorer worm - everything breaks down into abstract shapes, figures and background become pieces of floating abstract geometry, background objects are reduced to outlines, details of machinery, rocks, etc. are very deliberately placed to draw the eye thru the page and all non-essencial shapes are eliminated, panels become abstract, zenlike and balanced, figures are cartoonish and simplified but with a type of exageration that seems to get closer to reality, lines wiggle and end in space without completing a shape, the "crackle" becomes clusters of dots, blacks gain "flecks" of white.

the third wish - more white backgrounds than ever before, figures continue to be abstract geometric shapes, hellboy is now more simple and abstract than other figures, blacks in the backgrounds have more zig-zag edges, some blacks have white flecks and some blacks are solid black, the size of "defining" shapes gets larger and overall the pages get simplier.

the island (issue 1) - even more of a shift to white backgrounds, figures are abstract and geometric, "defining" shapes get even larger and the pages get even more simple.

the island (issue 2) - mignola only sold a single page from this issue. and issue 1 feels different than issue 2. so i will leave it at that and not try to define the difference.

so, thoughts and opinions?

[Lilitu]

Hi Chiaroscuros,
unfortunately I don't have all the numbers of Hellboy but I also like to notice these differences between a comic and the other. I believe that Mignola likes to change style, to experiment or some comic require little time of realization or other. it is beautiful to see a style in continuous change, a continuous experiment that shows to us how much Mignola likes his character. I remember the first number of Hellboy gone out for the San Diego Comic-Con in August 1993: it is still happy-go-lucky and the jaw is rather humanized in comparison to the square one that we know now. The recent numbers seem to be an a little more abstract, with less anatomy but doesn't forgive their usual visual impact.

[Neil Hill]

So Michael, it seems like you've thought about this a great deal. Is that a fair assumption? :p

The first time I really started to notice that Mike wasn't relying as heavily on photo reference and really amping up the fun factor (playing more with layouts and not worrying so much about the "noodly" detail stuff) was a short story in one of the trades called King Vold. I noticed for the frst time when one of the wolves starts to transform and is halfway between Viking Berserker and wolf, he looks almost cartoony, which is not Mike's usual. You can tell that Mike photo referenced landscapes, ships, buildings, etc., but he was starting to rely more on his own practiced knowledge of animal creatures and other elements.

Granted, I love the King Vold story and nearly every story that Mike's done since he started Hellboy, but this was my first introduction to the Mike we now know. Someone much more self-assured in his own ability and willing to take chances he at one time didn't.

[Tad]

I apologize to whoever first put this together. Come forward and take credit!

[Neil Hill]

Interesting take in that evolution chart. However, I don't see it as an entirely accurate depiction (if it was even intended to be) of the evolution/devolution of the character. Perhaps if it had one image of Hellboy from Seed, another from Wolves, another from WTD, another from CW, and then lastly an image from The Island, it would be a more true reflection of how the character has changed over the last 11 years or so. Just my opinion.

[chiaroscuros]

well... funny (but painful) story....

the thing that made me start to REALLY pay attention to these changes is from the first time i met Mignola. i was trying to compliment him on the beauty and breath of the entire hellboy series and accidentally used the word "style". i think i said something like "i really like your style of art".

he was extremely upset that i couldn't see the many different ways that he had tackled hellboy over the years and upset that i would pidgeon hole him into a single "style". or that i implied that he had a "style".

not having talked to many artists at this point, i hadn't realized how loaded the word "style" is. to someone in the comic field, it immediately brings to mind questions like, "who's style is that?" or "is he copying someone else's style" or "you have a style and that means that you don't try to stretch yourself artistically".

none of which i meant. but at that point, i just had to slink away because he was upset and i didn't even know why, much less what to say to convey my true feelings. i actually had to talk to a couple artists to figure out the whole "style" issue before i could even see the problem.

now this was a long time ago and i don't think he would react that way now. but i decided that i really needed to put a lot of thought into this subject before i would mention it again. six years later and here are some of my thoughts.

someone privately asked me if i liked mike's earlier work better and if that was why i describing the newer work in less detail.

i was less descriptive of the new work because i assumed that everyone knew it better and also because i was starting to get tired and sort of tapered off.

actually, i love it all. i am amazed by how much change there has been and yet how it all holds together so well as a body of work.

overall i think the story and emotions in the newer art are getting more powerful because the art is getting simplier.

a perfect example is the conan covers he did more than a decade ago and the three covers he did this year. the new covers are a hundred times better and have way more impact than those early covers with lots of detail. as a great contrast, i would have loved to have seen him do a conan cover in the late 90's. he would have had the maturity he brought to the first hellboy issues but without the desire to distill it down into single perfect image that he is pushing towards now.

some of my favorite pages of his current (can't say style) are the conquerer worm pages. they are amazing. i love the way he breaks down complex planes and shapes into very simple shapes that somehow read more true than a realistic depiction of a face or a body in space. it makes me think of deconstructivism and a little of cubism. and a lot about zen and minimalism.

conversely, his early hellboy work is powerful in a very different way. there was a lot of subtlety of depth, the detail caused you to linger over each page and perhaps notice small hidden details, and his panelwork was more complex. i am still looking for an early page with at least a dozen panels and ideally even more panels. the corpse (because of its format) has so much going on panel wise in a single page. sadly, i have only been able to track down two people that own these pages and neither has any desire to let them go for money or trade (or first born children).

if anyone know someone that has a corpse page, even if they aren't interested in selling or trading, i would love to talk to them. :)

[6are54]

Interesting take in that evolution chart. However, I don't see it as an entirely accurate depiction (if it was even intended to be) of the evolution/devolution of the character. Perhaps if it had one image of Hellboy from Seed, another from Wolves, another from WTD, another from CW, and then lastly an image from The Island, it would be a more true reflection of how the character has changed over the last 11 years or so. Just my opinion.

I especially don't think the watercolor piece belongs in there, still, the rest gives you a good idea alright.

(And personally, I prefer Mike's most recent work to his earlier stuff)

[Neil Hill]

Personally Michael I think your comment to Mike was a valid one. You may have just reached him on an off day. Style is a very misused word among comics fans and even artists, but I'm sure Mike understood the spirit of what you meant via your compliment. You must admit though, you did receive a lesson that you might not have othewise took the time to grasp, right? :D

[Neil Hill]

I especially don't think the watercolor piece belongs in there, still, the rest gives you a good idea alright.

(And personally, I prefer Mike's most recent work to his earlier stuff)

You know I don't have a problem with the watercolor piece being there (as it's a very nice one), but stylistically it was done quite early (around 1996, 97- as the tipped in plate included with the hardcover SOD). Almost early enough in fact to be included pretty close to Wake the Devil.

I see Mike's "style" changes coming from several different schools of thought. A much bulkier top-heavy almost gorilla-like Hellboy in SOD, the slope shouldered and smaller RHOD from WOSA and WTD, the much simpler more geometric less rendered Hellboy from CW and the various short stories, and the even more simplified HB from The Third Wish and The Island.

Of course I think we are now getting off onto a tanget by describing the water to a drowning man. I think the real issue is that yes Mike's "style" ('m not afraid to use that word) has changed much over the years, and you either love and support that or you don't. Personally I do and always will. All artists must evolve and grow, and Mike is no different.

[6are54]

I LOVE that watercolor piece. :)

Some of the things I like the most about Mignola's art are subtle, yet essential details...they are hard to explain.

I love the slouchy shoulders, to me they are more than slouchy shoulders, they are demonstrative of a gritty, down-to-earth, somber, working stiff, at times mournful being who can be timid as much as he may be strong.
His shoulders (among other things) are perfect vessels of emotion.
It's effective.

That's how I see a lot of it...
It speaks to me, like reading a very atmospheric novel. At times melancholic and daunting. At times tear-jerking and gloomy, romantic and powerful. Always highly sophisticated.

In other words, I LOVE THAT SH*T!

[Neil Hill]

I love the slouchy shoulders, to me they are more than slouchy shoulders, they are demonstrative of a gritty, down-to-earth, somber, working stiff, at times mournful being who can be timid as much as he may be strong.
His shoulders (among other things) are perfect vessels of emotion.
It's effective.

See, this kind of thoughtful explanation is why I love frequenting this board. Of course you get your knuckle-dragger type comments, but variety truly is the spice of life, so that's very okay! :p

[6are54]

haha, cool.

[Crowley]

I apologize to whoever first put this together. Come forward and take credit!
I did that over four years ago!
Glad you have it Tad!


Stygian,

At the time I did that I didn't have a scanner on my computer... so I scrounged what I could from the net.

As for Mignola's evolving work... it seems like Atlantis was a big turning point.... seems like after that he took some animation influence and his work became smoother and more fluid than before... I really think Third Wish and The Island has his most elegant work to date.

[Neil Hill]

Stygian,

At the time I did that I didn't have a scanner on my computer... so I scrounged what I could from the net.

Hey, now worries Ermperor. Care to put together one now that some time has passed? I assume you have a computer now? I'd love to see what you could come up with. :D

[chiaroscuros]

hey emperor crowley,
something you said is tickling around in the back of my head. i agree but i don't know how i would describe the jump between conquorer worm and the latest two (third wish and the island).

definately the breath, mythology and dreamlike quality of the story itself... but i can't find a way to describe the changes to the art that is causing that "impression"...

how would you (or anyone else that feels like jumping in here) describe the difference?

[chiaroscuros]

on a related but different note....
just as hellboy is going through a journey of discovery, i think mignola is too.. up till the last two series, hellboy has always just stumbled into and back out of adventure without a whole lot of contemplation about it. but it seems like both the character and the artist are looking for bigger things and the bigger picture.

mignola has hinted that the next series will take hellboy to hell and things will start to resolve and jell. like everyone else, i can't wait to see it!!

this is also why i wondered if the minimilistic backgrounds he has been shifting to might start to shift back to more detailed backgrounds as hellboy finds himself seeing the world more sharply.... and understanding both his nature and what the nature of "reality" is...

[Neil Hill]

this is also why i wondered if the minimilistic backgrounds he has been shifting to might start to shift back to more detailed backgrounds as hellboy finds himself seeing the world more sharply.... and understanding both his nature and what the nature of "reality" is...

Interesting thought, but I doubt it. You know that saying, you can't go home again? I think the style we're seeing now will only further evolve/devolve and not necessarily swing back to a more detailed approach. Sorry Michael. :)

[jackups]

Yeah I liked how its evolved I enjoyed it so much more when Bryne left and HB lighted up a bit ,;)

[6are54]

I love this thread!

[Crowley]

Hey, now worries Ermperor. Care to put together one now that some time has passed? I assume you have a computer now? I'd love to see what you could come up with. :D
heh... in the middle of a move and actually have the Art of Mignola at my office right now... and lots of other stuff:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/brianjcrowley/monitor.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/brianjcrowley/thecube.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/brianjcrowley/insidewall.jpg

[Crowley]

hey emperor crowley,
something you said is tickling around in the back of my head. i agree but i don't know how i would describe the jump between conquorer worm and the latest two (third wish and the island).

definately the breath, mythology and dreamlike quality of the story itself... but i can't find a way to describe the changes to the art that is causing that "impression"...

how would you (or anyone else that feels like jumping in here) describe the difference?
well I would describe it as more fluidity in his work and more loseness from the animation influences he might have gained from the Atlantis experience...

Personally I think Conqueror Worm was the real departure from the style... that's where the shift started... and consequently it matched with the time that Mignola was working on Atlantis...

[Poe Ghostal]

Well, working from what I learned reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, it seems to me that Mignola has moved away from the realistic art style he was trained in (the standard for superhero comics) toward a more iconic art style, which is often seen more in animation than comics. However, he often contrasts that art against more realistic backgrounds, i.e., the ships in The Island, or the occasional one-shot hyper-realistic panel of a statue.

It's a relatively common technique (often found in anime). One of my favorite examples of it is an independent comic adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by Jason Thompson, which features an almost stick-figure-like protagonist moving among some fantastically detailed surroundings.

Incidentally, Mignola did a pin-up for one of the issues of Kadath. I plan to ask him to sign it someday, if I'm ever lucky enough to meet him.

[Ivar_L]

I tried to compose a quick chart of Hellboy through the years, from the images I have on my hard drive. I like 1999-2005 part, but I couldn't find similar images from earlier years. Maybe I need to scan some from the artbook... I'll look around and if I have better version, I'll post it here.

Edit: I removed all the ugly fades, I think it looks better now.

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7133/hellboy19932005b1200yx0.jpg

http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/125/hellboy19982006a1200ya5.jpg

[Mikolaj]

That's a great comparison of the HB's of the past and the one up to date, Ivar! I wonder if it was possible to make a movie out of them, you know... the one in which the shapes change during the time showing the way of the evolution of this character...

[chiaroscuros]

hey ivan,
that is really really cool!!!
thanks for all the time and effort you put into it. i think 1999-2006 work so well because the figures are all at the same scale. if you did that in photoshop with different layers, it might be worth taking one more pass at it and scaling up some of the earlier figures. but regardless, it is awesome!! thanks a million,
michael

[Ivar_L]

Yes, I did it in Photoshop and I adjusted the sizes of the pics. I tried to resize some of the older ones (1998) to be bigger. But the quality went down, so I'll try to find maybe some better pictures - I still have the layered psd-file. I hope I could find the missing years too - not all the sketches I've saved have date on them...

[Neil Hill]

Great job Ivar! I love it. A very good representation of the evolving techniques with which Mike has chosen to illustrate HB over the years.

Thanks for doing that!

[parrish]

That is a really cool poster, Ivan. Nicely done. What is the 2004 one from?

[Mikolaj]

That is a really cool poster, Ivan. Nicely done. What is the 2004 one from?
It's on the comicartfans.com somewhere... From what I remmember it's one of the rare ocasions that Mike did a comission for someone... It's a really nice piece. I like Mike's work without inking!!

[Ivar_L]

2004 is from this picture with Batman portrait behind Hellboy, several people here tried to ink some months ago.
I found a couple of more pictures and modified this chart. I didn't want them to be too small, so new version is 1998-2006.

(By the way, Ivan is Russian name, Ivar is Scandinavian...)
:)

[Crowley]

great work Ivar!

hmmm... something interesting to note:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230011/

Atlantis was in production in 99-00... notice how Hellboy really starts to shift there?

[Tad]

Re: The Atlantis Influence

You realize, of course, that the animator's were influenced by Mike and not the other way around? Mike never animated, never drew over animator drawings, never worked on the production except to provide concept drawings. He only visited the Disney studio, never staying for too long.

Right after Atlantis he did about a ream of concept drawings based on Kirby's New Gods for Warner Brothers. You might as well say he was influenced by the simplicity of Bruce Timm/ WB house style.

[Crowley]

Re: The Atlantis Influence

You realize, of course, that the animator's were influenced by Mike and not the other way around? Mike never animated, never drew over animator drawings, never worked on the production except to provide concept drawings. He only visited the Disney studio, never staying for too long.
Oh yeah... I'm very aware of that. But At the time that was happening a professor of mine in Art School had also done the Disney visits and his work had shifted as well afterward.

Started to loosen...

Right after Atlantis he did about a ream of concept drawings based on Kirby's New Gods for Warner Brothers. You might as well say he was influenced by the simplicity of Bruce Timm/ WB house style.
AH! now this makes total sense! I mean even looking at CW and comparing it to his earlier work... his earlier DC and HB stuff is much more rigidly consturcted.

The Style is almost like he shifted from sculpting to painting.

[6are54]

Wow, that's amazing IVAR. Hope you don't mind if I print it out for my office?

[jackups]

Plus its great how mike was asked to desighn Mr.freeze for Batman:the animated series,one of my favourite shows and one of my favourite looks for Mr.Freeze:D

[Ivar_L]

Wow, that's amazing IVAR. Hope you don't mind if I print it out for my office?Why ask me, I don't have any originals and we all know I didn't draw them...
:)
If you want to print, try this jpg, it's a little bit bigger:
http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/2818/hellboy19982006ami8.jpg

[6are54]

neat..thanx