Joe Golem and Drowning City

[Middenway]

News about Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola's new novel.

Plus here's a thread about Joe Golem when it was still a comic idea in 2005.

And from an interview in 2002:

Dan Epstein: Why was your project, Joe Golem, shelved?

Mike Mignola: Well, Joe Golem is a project that’s been floating around for years. The latest incarnation of Joe Golem was going to be set in New York. I was about to start on it when I moved back here. The splash page was going to be the view outside my studio window. But in the story some disasters in the past had turned New York into this disaster area. I was about a week away from starting the book when 9/11 happened. I did not feel like drawing disaster area New York in a partially-destroyed New York. So I just jumped right into this new Hellboy instead. There are elements of that story I still want to do. Whether they will get folded into Hellboy or another incarnation of Joe Golem we'll see what happens.

[noble_enough]

Awesome!

I'm guessing this is the big project Mike has alluded to that he needed to get out of the way before he would be back focusing on drawing Hellboy.

[Todd H]

And this just leapt into second place as my most anticipated item for the next year...behind the Muppet movie ;)

[Neil Hill]

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I'm skeptical of any projects that may take Mike away from drawing more HB at this point. That being said I've been looking forward to this one for some time and am glad it's received the green light. As to Mike's contribution, time away from drawing regular Hellboy, etc., I suppose like most I'll just wait and see, but here's hoping it doesn't significantly impact Mike's ability to keep on track with more Hellboy art.

[Jackson Brody]

Let's hope there aren't so many spot illustrations of... buildings. I am a huge Baltimore fan, but damn, he drew a lot of old stoney buildings for that book.

I am glad Joe Golem is happening, but I would like see Mignola back on Hellboy. Spinoffs aside, Hellboy has an ever expanding roster of artists and... I'd like to see it back at the core for a bit.

[Kees_L]

Let's hope there aren't so many spot illustrations of... buildings. I am a huge Baltimore fan, but damn, he drew a lot of old stoney buildings for that book.

Myeah, but gravestones too. Both as lots of cutscenes straight from the prose pretty much and richly at that?

I thought and think the illustrations really make apparent how they'll be illustrations to the novel, with being or becoming more than just straightforward cutscenes or moments, but also with conveying or underlining the words and what they'd describe or their mood, like by becoming pictural poetry somehow, depicting houses and alleys with windows or brickwork or rooftiles and structures seemingly for becoming like words themselves, followed by/alternated with gravestones engraved, however unreadible, like seeming architecture more rather than engravings. There also seem to be nifty skulls and bats included, even some puppets and of course the war and plague aspects - what more can one want? As well as the folktale inclusion by H.C. Andersen after the end (I have both of the two versions, both the regular one as one with the alternate cover - featuring more buildings .

I love how the Baltimore novel seems to be its own thing so much. Much like how Hellboy seems to be its own thing.

I would wish such upon the Joe Golem thing as well. Being a steampunkin' 1925 Lower Manhattan for a secret underground Antlantis? Sounds like such could work.
Would 'Hoboken' be in Manhattan too? I think that's a really cool name, Hoboken. Sometimes I just say it out loud for no reason. Jersey's good too I guess, which seems like saying 'shirt' or 'pyama' but better somehow.
Of course Vancouver will be cool for a name, like Tallahassee, but yeah, a little out of the way in this case.

[Gary_B]

I thought that the architectural drawings added as much depth and atmosphere as the trees, skulls, tombstones, bats, puppets, etc. I loaned out the Baltimore book to a friend last year and just got it back two days ago. I've been loving just flipping through it and enjoying all of Mike's illustrations as well as reading the odd snippet of prose. I'm ready to read this book again.

And I'm perfectly happy to let Mike Mignola decide what he is going to draw and when. He's drawing Hellboy comics as we speak but that doesn't mean he can't draw or do anything else. Sheesh!

[CBM]

Hey guys...
The illustrations for this book (not counting the cover) are already done...
CBM

[gdeo]

Hell yeah!!!

[Neil Hill]

hell yeah!!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Jackson Brody]

I was kidding. I love your buildings, mike!

[Kees_L]

I was kidding. I love your buildings, mike!

Heh, I sort of figured you was, see? At least your post had me chuckle with sound like it'd be customary .

[Jackson Brody]

I'm glad it was taken in the proper spirit. I gets nervous when a Mignola shows up the board, though. "Honey, you'll never guess what some nerd on the board said!" "Doesn't like my spot illustrations of buildings, eh? Well, I'm never drawing interior art for Hellboy ever again!"

[Neil Hill]

I'm glad it was taken in the proper spirit. I gets nervous when a Mignola shows up the board, though. "Honey, you'll never guess what some nerd on the board said!" "Doesn't like my spot illustrations of buildings, eh? Well, I'm never drawing interior art for Hellboy ever again!"

Personally I didn't assume you meant you disliked the drawings of buildings, just that you felt there was perhaps more of that than anything else. Now I'd be the first to agree with you if I didn't like them (or the amount) either, but I actually felt they added heaps of needed atmosphere. It also demonstrates Mike's depth and range as an artist and a thinker. Furthermore it shows remarkable restraint on his part to serve what the story needed with these drawings versus serving his own self-interests and throwing action shot after action shot in there. At least.....that's how I see it.

[Big_H]

[QUOTE=Jackson Brody;12996071]I gets nervous when a Mignola shows up the board, though.[QUOTE]

There's a Mignola that posts but it's not Mike?