Hellboy is Horror Comics Done Right - Comic Tropes (Episode 74)

/ comictropes
I love Mignola's approach. This episode works to analyze his writing and illustration techniques by looking at a Hellboy issue.

[@Chillton]

Jack Kirby meets German Expressionism in terms of style. Lovecraft in terms of themes.

[@ComicTropes]

I like that.

[@MarvelBoi44]

Yn oll thingz mystêrious, nεver eksplain∴ #ArkhamReporter

[@trumanderee2366]

Mignola is my all time favorite comic writer. I've noticed a few other tropes he likes to employ. - Distant locations, mostly devoid of humans - Trenchcoats and ill-fitting uniforms - A character falling through the ground into a more supernatural realm - Redshirt soldiers and B.P.R.D. agents - Nature vs. Nurture - "Pet the dog" moments where Hellboy is sweet to a kid, animal or scared person - Nazi sci-fi and occultism - Fate vs. Free Will - Settings that could be in an ambiguous time period if the date wasn't given

[@tylerdyem4837]

Dama Don’t forget... - Daryl

[@greysky1252]

Isn't "trope" a bit insulting of a word?

[@bluscout2992]

@@greysky1252 Nah, there are good and bad tropes. They are only good if you use them right.

[@mr.x6313]

The BPRD really doesn't consist of Red Shirts, at least in the mainline Hellboy series. I can't speak for the BPRD series, since I haven't read it yet.

[@GeeVanderplas]

@@mr.x6313 B.P.R.D. focuses on an ensemble of old and new characters, but there are plenty of red shirts in the background. It's a great continuation, well worth the read. It has more action and isn't as introspective as Hellboy, but the story telling is great as always.

[@Lead122]

I know it seems weird, but I love how he draws trees, good old fashioned leafless trees like we see in old horror illustrations

[@g0atboy207]

The Changeling myth is actually quite dark, as it was used to explain childern with Down Syndrome or autism

[@NickHatton87]

Interesting, have you got a source for this?

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

It seems pretty self-evident that it was used as a "socially-acceptable" way of getting rid of unwanted children during a time when it was no longer acceptable to simply leave "undesirables" in the forest with little in the way of further communal justification. It's deplorable to us now but in the time of the apotheosis of this myth children were more like employees - a labor force - when it came to serfs, the peasantry, and agricultural workers. Christianity still made the act feel abhorrent but where religion prohibits pragmatism creates loopholes in our conscience. Those that need tending slow down work, if work slows down the harvest is less bountiful, if the harvest is less bountiful you wont have enough in your stores come winter, if this is the case when winter arrives you all starve. I never want to see a return to that kind of living.

[@zakunick1]

And to my recollection, the fairy babies are actual babies that are swapped so that the humans will take care of and raise them. Kind of like an animal that lays it’s eggs in another’s nest to be hatched there.

[@joeysopinion4463]

They also explained baby’s with physical deformities

[@shayZero]

This is correct, its taught during learning disability care training seminars on the history of institutional abuse

[@malusignatius]

Mignola is also responsible for one of my favourite character interactions: "Well, permit me to say poppycock." "YOU MAY!" "...Poppycock."

[@cagedcreature439]

The amazing screw on head!

[@pptemplar5840]

I see you're a man of culture as well.

[@someokiedude9549]

You let American down...

[@poeticserenade]

Jump scares aren't horror. Welcome to my TED talk.

[@menghao737]

They can be a part of it, if they are properly earned and used, and not overused. The problem is a lot of directors lean on them like crutches and use them at the wrong times.

[@kgpspyguy]

I think you don't like jump scares because you think they're TOO SCARY!

[@crystalalumina]

@@kgpspyguy no, they're just annoying

[@zacharypreval3186]

@@kgpspyguy they're a cheap trick used to create fake scares in PG-13 horror flicks. Once you rewatch the movie you'll see them coming.

[@zzador]

Yeah but what if a skeleton jumpscares you? That would be at least a little horror, right?

[@joefan82]

I have never read any Hellboy comics, but when I saw Hellboy carrying around the corpse, it seemed familiar. I looked it up, and I guess they borrowed the corpse from this story for the first Hellboy movie. I remembered Hellboy carrying it around. Kudos to the filmmakers for using the source material.

[@ComicTropes]

joefan82 Yup! Strong visual.

[@nohvarr13]

I always loved Mignola's art, I'm so glad he started his own comic with an original character. We need more Hellboy movies!

[@kerricaine]

careful what you wish for...

[@twujstary8680]

we need more animated hellboy movies:( the mid 2000s ones were so fun and well done!

[@wackyvorlon]

I particularly love his use of existing myth.

[@jake606]

What about falling through the ground/floor into a larger hidden room. It doesn't happen in 'The Corpse' but it does happen a lot in other Hellboy stories.

[@Prince_Luci]

Lol i thought you were talking about the writer when you said he was brought into this world during a nazi occult experiment. I was like damn that must’ve been rough.

[@bashsibda6289]

Congrats. That would make an excellent character. Using his Nazi given powers to fight evil.

[@fellinuxvi3541]

That's rough buddy.

[@lkzj4745]

*taps baby* "your real"

[@ComicTropes]

He was real!

[@kennethsatria6607]

What a story to tell them later in life...

[@psychicflora]

That baby looks very confused lol

[@EduFirenze]

We're talking about one of the most unique and expressive art styles in comics and you have rob liefeld's captain america on the wall, I love it 😂

[@Eparker09]

When you were talking about pacing and the ghost appearing on to the rope, I also noticed that in the panel when the body appeared the rope now had tension on it. That attention to detail was great.

[@Agamemnon2]

And the hanged man is gone again in the panel where HB meets the three fairies carrying the corpse.

Mignola is so classy and one of my biggest inspirations. Love this episode.

[@zionleach3001]

I want to be a graphic novel writer like him. I want to know how he lasted so long without his work getting boring like most other writers. I liked how its a combo of horror,action, and a little comedy.

[@Jim-Mc]

Fantastic Hellboy analysis. I think Mignola's vast knowledge of the occult and mythology really adds something that so many other horror stories miss the mark on. To me it's more spooky and fun if it at least has some basis in history and mythology.

[@ShotDownInFlames2]

Mignola is one of the best. Thanks. I would even consider his page layouts as a trope. He can use multiple views on one page to tell the story. It's an approach that few artists can do.

[@ComicTropes]

That's an interesting addition. Thanks! There are certainly other tropes that I didn't get to touch in this particular issue so maybe some day I'll be able to revisit Mignola again.

[@g0atboy207]

I don't know man, you know that Japanese dude Junji Ito (I might have misspelled) he sort of does jump scares in comics

[@ishanpgupte]

couldnt agree more. actually i could; ito doesnt sort of do them, he's perfected them. not exaggerating, he's majorly known for using the comic book medium as a jump scare.

[@brendanjoyce645]

Let’s debate? I don’t think ito does jump scares yes their are some stories were the monsters pop out like the lady in the window or the screaming lady but I would “argue” don’t mean to argue that he does a slow burn with his work with examples like iragami fault and the man in the chair it’s just a slow suspenseful mind fuck

[@DoReMi123acb]

18:22 YOU JUST GAINED A SUB! THAT SUPERMAN MONOLOGUE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND IS WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS FELT ABOUT HIM! AND WHY HE IS MY FAVORITE SUPERHERO OF ALL TIME!

[@flukciouse]

Wow this is great, I've always wanted to learn more behind the myths these stories reference. I'm a big Hellboy fan and you just got yourself a subscriber

[@ComicTropes]

Welcome.

[@marcosrecio4062]

I got most Hellboy comics on paper, including this one, but I love to hear other people talking about them, I always discover new things

[@qrissy3742]

What a great baby you found! Excellent casting.

[@BoondockBrony]

I think Hellboy is far more than just a horror comic. It's a pulp throwback modernized correctly. Keep the feelings and history of the 30s and 40s but make it set in the modern day with modern characters and Hellboy is basically a jaded, demonic Conan who plays slightly better with others.

[@RagsLighthouses]

If you do Hellboy again, the story with Darryl the wendigo is a must

[@TheJohnnyCalifornia]

A strong influence on Hellboy is Jack Kirby’s DC comic DEMON which is also a good example of horror comics in that period. Kirby himself was more of a monster comic book artist before his popular Marvel work. It would be interesting to take a closer look at that period when superheroes were not the dominant genre in comics. Richard Corbin, also one of the best Hellboy guest artists was another great influence. Really, Hellboy is more a mashup of Kirby and Corben.

[@JohnShreve-hw8zm]

And this seemingly one off story is a giant part of the Bloodwitch story…its amazing to read it all for the first time

[@jandrewworld]

I was frustrated with a page I was working on and this really helped. Thanks!

[@jessetorres5801]

Haha your baby looked insulted he was like " waddya mean I'm real, I ain't no fugazi"

[@ComicTropes]

Just want to be clear: not my baby. I don’t have any kids.

[@reecerife7839]

When Hellboy held the faerie with the iron reminded me of the story of St. Dunstan and the Devil.

[@mojavefry2617]

Dalton Rife Mignola pours through untold numbers of myth and folklore books. I bet he got the idea from that story.

[@pkunkbwok]

There's another Hellboy story which addresses that tale directly.

[@Mvillano13]

Another great video. Regarding what you said about horror in comics, maybe you don't read manga, but Junji Ito is THE MASTER of horror in comics, and his work is also very lovecraftian. Keep up the good work, your videos are great

[@ComicTropes]

I've read Yon & Mu and Uzamaki by Junji Ito. He's good.

[@ianfinrir8724]

Junji Ito is a hack.

[@djhutchison]

With all of the creators involved in Dark Horse's Legends imprint; Art Adams, John Byrne, Frank Miller, Walt Simonson, etc, I'm surprised that Mignola saw so much more success than the others. Of course Miller did well, he was already a huge name, but Mignola never saw the kind of fame Miller had until he came up with Hellboy, and that was because he totally committed to the work and his own vision for the character and the world Hellboy represents. Meanwhile, everyone else had to move on... I can't remember the last time I saw a Monkeyman and O'Brian or Madman Comic...

[@TheGeekyAmreeki]

I always watch to the end and I'm a patron. Keep it up brother.

[@gold_leaf0702]

Mignola’s art style in an of itself really showcases how horror can be done in comics. It’s highly impressionist, and bathing everything in shadow definitely makes everything just…unsettling.

[@artichoke873]

Cosmic Odyssey from DC comics is a fantastic example of Mignola's work. Story by Starlin and starring several New Gods. So if you'd like to see Mignola doing Kirby in a pretty epic story, this is absolutely for you!

[@darrylwiggins1156]

I've seen three reviews of this same story and i gotta say yours is the best.I know you don't answer comments but thanks for this and above all things,Keep Drinking.

[@HCC788]

Very enjoyable. I like this style of artwork.

[@ComicTropes]

I can pore over the pages forever. If I were to get a tattoo, it'd probably be a design from Mignola like a sun or moon.

[@BobGeis]

Really great video. I love Hellboy and you have helped me appreciate it even more. Thanks.

[@benb3316]

I love this video. One of my favorite Hellboy stories is "The Chained Coffin" that kind of sets the stage for the whole series.

[@sharkanenoa5928]

I think Hellboy would be more fit for a television or animated series

[@n.tomorse2328]

Beautiful video, and very good analysis on the story and the drawing style! Just a little note: the italian word ''chiaroscuro'' can be literally translated in ''light and dark'', but the term itself isn't really translatable: we use this word to indicate a black and white drawing style that involves representing a strong but soft light that produces a soft shadow on the object represented; so, the term doesn't apply to a drawing with strong, defined black and white contrast, but more to a drawing in which the lights slowly turn into shadows through various shades of grey ;)

[@vermis8344]

N. Tomorse Agreed. What Mignola does is more in line with the concept of 'notan'.

[@nazareskudeliciousvideoblo3151]

Oh boy , I was waiting for that! Tones of respect for you !

[@flexorlamonticus]

I watched all the way to the end! I always do! I'm doing another massive Hellboy / BPRD reread, and it was fun to kick it off with this video. Thanks!! Also, I totally agree with and love your list of Hellboy tropes. It was great seeing them listed out like that.

[@leedobson]

His use of shadow is perfect for the occult nature of the piece...wonderful art

[@karinjeffrey7981]

Thank you for the great analysis.

[@scientifico]

Let me just say, i totally appreciate this dissection of The Corpse and your sincere adulation of Mignola.

[@willberman1562]

8:23 junji ito is the only artist who’s jump scared me with a page turn

[@bumbleguppy]

Your pointing to "dream logic" has my head spinning. Something everyone knows but nobody remembers when they wake and it can be evoked by good authors....it's amazing. And that Stanley Kubrick knew this really has me poring over my recollection of 2001 a Space Odyssey. Your analyses can be as illuminating as the source material and I appreciate things on a deeper level, great work!

[@dan__reed__8926]

An amazingly thorough video 👏👏👌👌

[@Quiro26]

I have to admit , i have never read a Hellboy comic book. But now is in my to do list. Thank you for this video.

[@MrDudoma]

Great vid, also... the panel on the top left corner.... the time when Namor got Spidey's spidey intstinct.

[@jamesberryjr5300]

Thanks for the great review. Really enjoy you videos.

[@ComicTropes]

Thanks for watching.

[@transfan83]

Watching this inspires me to reread my hellboy trade paperbacks !great video

[@ComicTropes]

Awesome.

[@rogerwhite9484]

TY for doing an episode on Mignola's Hellboy . I got into it in the 90's & the appeal came from all the H.P.Lovecraft I read back in the early 80's as a kid after getting a couple of his short story collections from the old RIF ( Reading is Fundamental ) program @ school . I enjoyed Mignola's art because I vievved it as a cross betvveen Jack Kirby's blockiness & Frank Millers darkness but vv/its ovvn unique style . I really liked that skull cup you found & bloody marys can be refreshing , TY for another great episode.

[@Gabreya]

This is an awesome video and analysis. Hellboy is an awesome character!

[@JuanArroyo1984]

great video as always!

[@iwritechecksatthegrocerystore]

You absolutely can do horror in comics, just get whoever illustrated those scary stories to tell I’m the dark books... seriously scarred my whole generation back in the late 80s-early 90s

[@markbrigandi7497]

Ollie Not Pauly, Wally or even Holly. The “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark “ books were collected from folklore and retold by Alvin Schwartz, and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. (I ran over and grabbed my copy off of the bookshelf when I read your comment!) The illustrations are the reason I bought the collected version of those books in the first place- good call!

[@LuchaGangsta]

I read those books in elementary school and the stories in 3 to me got to me the most. The harold story spooked me alot as a kid and I was last in elementary school back in 2007. Read the stories back in '04

[@sopebarrofficial3557]

Ever since I saw this review, I started reading, and I’ve read all omnibus books, and a couple short stories. One of the first I got was actually a 2004 reprint of this comic. Definitely worth getting! It might actually be my favourite single issue of any comic! Thanks, Chris!

[@jordan8086]

thanks for the review pal

[@pipintobing7330]

I like this. I'm a big fan of Mignola's arts too.

[@dawwe8869]

Hellboy is my favorite comic book and it would be nice too see you tackle more stuff in the Mignolaverse.

[@lunarmodule6419]

Great stuff. Makes me think of Hugo Pratt too. Thx.

[@hawks4305]

Hellboy is a comic I always wanted to read but never got around to doing so. Watching this vid has give me the urge to track some Hellboy comics down. Thank you!

[@Skip-Kilat]

Thanks, now I dont have to wonder why I love both Superman and Hellboy in an almost fanatical level.

[@theblastedfrench]

such a great video!

[@onebilliontacos3405]

17:53 Wow. That baby looks identical to the one in the book.

[@Jimisin73]

Great analysis! One minor correction though - the faerie / changeling folklore you describe and Mignola referenced, is actually Irish. With that minor change the setting is much more consistent. (I know this seems a little pedantic, but given the deeply contentious nature of the Anglo-Irish relationship, it's an important nuance)

[@thriddoctor]

There are legends of changelings in English folklore.

[@MaxArturo]

A lot of Europe has the same folklore of babies replaced by fairies and is common to all of the UK. The word fairy is actually drived from French btw

[@LupineShadowOmega]

Another artist that is amazing with negative space, Frank Miller. His art isn't always great, but his use of negative space tends to always have been sort of a sight to behold. Also Tite Kubo is another artist that loves some deep blacks, but handles them in such a fashion that his art is just dynamic. Something as innocuous as fog rising up can be powerful or sinister with those blacks because the shadows look so deep and expectant. Leaving the eye to wonder "What's down there?" "Do those shadows ever truly end?" Some really great stuff.

[@joshuaschaffner5254]

I agree it's the loss of detail style and the toned down colors my absolute favorite

[@johnolmos8670]

My favorite comic ever

[@cruddddddddddddddd]

So I really enjoyed Hellboy, but the BPRD comic when Guy Davis was artist is my favorite from the Hellboy universe. I enjoyed the moodiness of the series, and the stories were very engaging

[@DarwinHandy]

Dude did you even wash that mug? The barcode sticker on the bottom is pristine.

[@MrJoshShinn]

"And I'll respect this going down my throat." THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID.

[@jonanjello]

Recently I read a comic, Head Lopper. The main character is cursed to lug around the head of witch he decapitated, much like this Hellboy story, The Corpse. Such a great comic-related YT channel. Currently my favorite. Keep it going, skunkape

[@ComicTropes]

Yeah, Head Lopper is a lot of fun.

[@gabrielpetricevic3405]

Well the creator of Head Lopper has said that Hellboy is a massive influence on him.

[@turtleanton6539]

Agreed

[@jacobkeary6740]

I have the same glass my guy. For whatever reason they are insanely comfortable to hold onto.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Great episode. The new board game is also very good.

[@cjhudson393]

Love the hellboy comics and I agree with your point on hellboy on why the comics are so great

[@DoReMi123acb]

Mike Mignola is one of favorite comic book artists right next to Jae Lee, Valerio Schitti, and Esad Ribic. Also, DAMN! He really does horror and action well. I got into Lovecraftian lore because of the Hellboy movie and when I discovered the comics, I have been a a fan ever since.

[@rojaws1183]

Kinky stuff in the background.

[@saiken811]

17:54 Wait.. isn't that aluminium foil? That's not iron! 😂

[@marciomacedo5387]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🎵 Introduction and Background of Mike Mignola - Mike Mignola's entry into the industry in the mid-80s, transition to creator-owned title "Hellboy" in 1994. - Mignola's unique blend of styles, likened to Jack Kirby and HP Lovecraft. 01:53 🖼️ Negative Space Technique in Art - Exploration of Mike Mignola's use of negative space in composition. - Emphasis on evoking mood and overall layout rather than intricate details. 04:21 👶 Introduction of Hellboy and Setting the Mood - Hellboy's origin as a paranormal investigator with American roots. - Mike Mignola's mastery in setting the mood through gothic and eerie establishing shots. 06:28 🔑 Myth of Teague Okhane and Supernatural Elements - Introduction to the myth of Teague Okhane and its adaptation in the Hellboy story. - Supernatural elements like the changeling fairy, Jenny Green Teeth, and dream logic. 09:21 📚 Pacing and Horror in Comics - Examination of how pacing is used to create a horror effect in comics. - Effective use of reveal in consecutive panels to build suspense. 12:31 🦴 Kirby-esque Monsters and Visual Elements - Mike Mignola's homage to Jack Kirby through the creation of Kirby-esque monsters. - Recurring visual elements like skeletons, chapels, and graves in Mignola's work. 15:27 🪨 Dream Logic and Supernatural Resolution - Exploration of the use of dream logic in storytelling, drawing inspiration from HP Lovecraft. - Supernatural resolution with Hellboy's timely burial and interaction with the older fairy. Made with HARPA AI

[@richardstevenjones]

To say you cannot do horror in comics is to reduce horror to a jump scare. Horror as a genre (especially good horror) is far more than a gimmick of timing and music, it is about mood, emotion, psychology, and the existential exploration of what causes not just fright but true fear. Mignola is a master Gothic Horror with its atmospheric approach to subconscious dread over lack of true control over one's life and world.

[@ThunderTurtle7]

I’m gonna have to check out Hellboy now.

[@perhaps7176]

Gruagach is a Irish name and is pronounced "Groo-eh-goch" rather than the "Grow-gatch" than you would suspect (not to sound like a know-it-all)

[@zainmudassir2964]

He also provided art style for Disney's Atlantis the lost empire

[@pkunkbwok]

that spaghetti sauce has got a kick to it

[@sedeslav]

Hell Boy's character reminds me on Geralt the Witcher from Sapkowski. same inner struggle in both of them.

[@catvideojogos]

One of his best works of Mignola besides (Gotham by Gaslight) was with Submariner !

[@Agamemnon2]

The wonderful part of "The Corpse" is how the fairies are tragic and almost sympathetic at heart (apart from Gruagach who is acting out of spite). They do what they do because they're trying to prolong their existence in the world, even though they know ultimately it's futile, that their race will eventually perish. There's a wonderful line in the story, which went something like "Honor the beast, honor the deal, though by the honoring we die a little more."

[@PainMonkey]

Should be taking swigs of Hellboy Hell Water. 66.6 proof.

[@diddy1847]

This guy’s a hardcore nerd - good stuff 🤓💪🏻👌🏻

[@The42n8s1]

Awesome.

[@TheZom1965]

I dug this video.

[@unitybonez]

Very well done, very very well done. I don't mean to place myself into a position of authority as it ain't my attitude, this said, I'm a huge Mignola fan, and I mean HUGE, I have read absolutely everything he has produced, and the only thing I "criticize" him for, is not drawing the whole Hellboy and B.P.R.D. saga himself, cause if sometimes the artists are up for the task, in others the pencils are given to less than capable artists that end up ruining the experience, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one feeling this way. So anyway, other than being an Hellboy/Mignola fan I've been reading Lovecraft since I was twelve (41 now), and been researching occult sciences for a great number of years as well, which is actually why I like these comics so much, as Mignola's depth of knowledge into the subject is, well, deep, making the read absolutely fascinating for the occultist or Lovecraft enthusiasts, as even if many different magick systems and "mythologies" are intertwined, the Lovecraftian one is prevalent, just in the way you very well portrayed it with its trademark pacing and primordial horrors. Its nice to see someone actually understanding Mignola's universe so well, I really hope to see more videos from you on the subject. Double thumbs up!!!

[@DoReMi123acb]

Does anyone here know the Hellboy volumes I can buy to get the full beginning and best stories of the character?

[@adriannaranjo4397]

17:54 Baby: "The heck are you doing?"

[@GeeVanderplas]

And then baby Alice becomes a hugely important part of Hellboy's life towards the end of his story. I think what makes Hellboy so unique is that Mignola (and his collaborators later on) managed to create such a rich and coherent story and then let it end when it was told. They could've dragged it on and on, but instead Mignola chose to let it be one epic story about the life of this giant red creature that started and ended in hell.

[@DoReMi123acb]

We always pronounced it "Char-ra-scoro" in Nigeria, when I was young.

[@erikponciano]

you tapped the baby with aluminum.

[@XAVIERCUERVO]

look at Eduardo Risso's art in my opinion his use of negative space is far more creative that Mignola's

[@ComicTropes]

To each their own. Risso is great and I'm a fan. I just happen to be a bigger fan of Mignola.