Hellboy: Mignola's Genius for Simplification

[@SaiyanHeretic]

Always been kind of obsessed with how adroitly Mignola uses deep shadow, not to indicate how a scene would actually be lit, but rather to establish mood and omit any beyond the most necessary of details. In this way, the Hellboy comic has some of the finest noir cinematography I've ever seen.

[@loneangler9063]

I love Mignola's art, his minimalism and angler shapes are briliant!

[@coledeaver6538]

I love the mythology that Mignola includes in his stories. The world feels so large!

[@G_Gr00v3]

Fun fact: Mignola was an inker and penciler at Marvel for years before creating Hellboy, one of the comics he worked on was the Rocket Raccoon limited series

[@szinyk]

Yeah! Also the comic adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula! 🧛

[@KyberQ]

Wow, I was just re-reading Hellboy last night, too. This was an excellent breakdown, I can definitely see a strong Mignola influence in your work.

[@ElsaCharretierChannel]

Definitely! I'm always thriving for more simplicity, more efficiency in the line work.

[@ZuzNewsReviews]

Knowing that there's a Hellboy movie where Johann Kraus pronounces "focused" as "fuckyoused" it gave me a kick out of seeing her pronounce the word the same way.

[@felicianomiko5659]

That pronunciation caught my attention too. 😂

[@dwintster]

Interesting analysis. Coming from an Industrial Design background I used to obsess over perfect technical perspectives it was a little over decade ago that I really started to understand that composition is the most important part of making successful pictures. Framed ink, Nathan Fowkes and Will Weston opened my eyes to how much of a difference simple grouping of values, use of simple shapes and overlaps with a focus on clarity are key to developing strong images.

[@samankucher5117]

very interesting technic .

[@MikeThomasFaria]

Elsa, many thanks for this. I'm 68 and I've decided to return to drawing comics after 40 years away. I'm taking classes and as my drawings evolve, I'm finding my way into abstraction bold design. Naturallement, Mignola is someone whose work I admire. Your lesson here is invaluable. I admire your work as well, and look forward to learning more from you. (Forgive me mashing up French and English in that last sentence. J'adore la langue, et parfois je me souviens d'un peu de français)

[@rottensquid]

Great examination. Of course, it only scratches the surface of Mike's pursuit of minimalism. You could do a whole series of essays on how he simplifies his lines, as well as minimizing how many he uses. How he simplifies his shapes, how he simplifies the amount of panels he uses and how many elements are in them to convey what he conveys. I mean, just in a page you used as an example, it's filled with lush detail, and yet when you look closely, you can see the incredible economy of detail he's using to convey lushness. The picture frames have nothing in them, but with minimal lines, he conveys how they're matted and framed to indicate what they are, precious little black and white photos, presumably of rare objects or exotic locations. The other wall decorations look like antiquities from ancient civilizations, indicated just through their unusual shapes and a touch of detail here and there, never more than is absolutely necessary. At the top, three little ovals mounted in a frame, suggesting a collection of little clay masks, or decorative eggs, or something antique and exotic.The rest indicates the clutter of a classic Victorian adventurer's style office, a room narrower than it is tall, overstuffed with trinkets from the occupant's travels. But every detail feels carefully curated for maximum effect. Nothing need be added, yet nothing could be taken away without diminishing the effect. That's the core of the guy's work. He clearly loves detail as much as he loves minimalism. It's in that contradiction that his work becomes sublime.

[@samycovo3170]

waouh, un analyse impressionnante. 😯

[@coolcoolercoolest212]

I could listen to you say Mignola all day.

[@NoVACorpsGaming]

He’s a genius, a real master of drawing your gaze where HE wants it. Amazing vid :)

[@mariod1547]

9:37 "Ah, that word. Focus. Yeah, with you're accent. I wouldn't use it that much" All seriousness I love your voice and accent. Just couldn't resist quoting from that movie. Great video ❤

[@TonyTylerDraws]

Thumbs up even before I watch. These case studies really could be a Masterclass. I've been making webcomics on and off for 20 years, and *every* video I learn something. Edit: Oh! Could you analyze the Appleseed Knife Fight

[@ValouriumGaming]

I would love to see you cover something from John Paul Leon.

[@fun-with-purpose1436]

Yes! Didn’t he pass away?

[@markmclawhorn9592]

Cosmic Odyssey is my favorite Justice League comic ever. Game changer for what comics could be for me.

[@inksawakening]

This is very interesting, I'm always impressed by mignola's ability to give the impression of perspective or volume in his personal way. Now I understand why, thank you for this analysis !

[@zappasmoustache23]

Excellent and very important point at the end. ‘Give yourself some slack’. You’re not Mike Mignola or Jim Lee or whoever, you’re you, do you and trust in the process when it feels like you’re not progressing. One of the reasons Mike became popular is because his art stands out from everything else on the shelves.

[@thomasgeorgeputhukayil]

Do Maria Llovet. I can't figure out what makes her works so alluring

[@meowmeowillustrator]

I love Mignola's style, but I like your ASMR drawings even more

[@Art.Magick]

Excellent breakdown of his technique. Something else I've noticed about his simplification (apologies if you already mentioned this) is that he almost never uses curved lines. It's almost the opposite approach of traditional Art Nouveau artists, though he still shares many similarities with them.

[@austinsideburns]

Life long doodler here... I've been slowly practicing scenes for my 1st ever mini comic attempt, i usually fill up a page for my random brain spillages and just let it all blur together, but for story telling i need another method to cover up my lack of draftsman ship, i have an ok sense of compsition ir at least i like to ballence a page for mmy own satisfaction. I have gone down a mike mignola rabbit hole to get inspiration. I didnt realise why until i watched this video. It's his simplification that i was drawn to. thanks for making this it's extreamly helpful and inspiring!

[@ChristopherMervJones]

It's great to see actual formal analysis of comics! It's one of those things I have no clue about and resources like this are great to better understand the medium.

[@Gingrnut]

Oh now this is a good channel find. Instant sub! There aren’t enough smart, interesting people talking about comics on KZbin, but I’m glad I’ve found one!

[@lukebarnett8383]

Excellent choice, bold to use King Vold as your reference and amazing analysis! Thank you!

[@jesseking6322]

I like this content and would like to see more breakdowns of artists like this. Some suggestions to the channel though; we don’t need as many shots of you talking, I’d rather observe more art during lecture. Also, some editing to shorten the vid, we don’t need to see every pen cap and line in real time.

[@BiXXVI]

For me, Mike Mignola is a pure genius of our time. We can learn so much by reading his stories ... Thank you for this brilliant video !

[@sneekopotamus]

Excellent as always. I'd love to see you examine Larry Stroman, especially his start on X-Factor, #71. Completely unique style for the time.

[@matthew_thefallen]

Wow, this video is super! Been a Mignola art style fan since i found a Hellboy comic around 2007/2008! Great channel too!

[@matsokol8802]

Cool Vid. Mignola Has a 'vocabulary' of Silohettes and shapes he uses for his characters and tweaks them to fit the situations. Alot of his shots of character are the same camera angle. He also uses Golden Ratio in his line and to balance silohettes and shapes in character drawings and backgrounds. A Master of the Jigsaw! He is a true master of his medium.✌

[@rottensquid]

He even chooses tools to maximize his minimalism. For the most part, it's one technical pen, one line weight. Textures like crosshatched bushes or the jagged feathering he uses for atmospheric background are often repeated, utilizing the repetition itself to maintain minimalism. He even keeps shapes minimal, cutting corners wherever he can. It's funny, the longer I look at his work, the more I see his use of "less-ness." And I've been studying him ever since Gotham by Gaslight came out. Good god, that was 1989. Yeesh, time rushes by.

[@Mugen2024]

i love his style, i wanted to do something close to him, but not a copy, but because he inspires me and his style matches my feeling

[@anitamann9217]

This might be the coolest thing I’ve seen in the art world so awesome

[@gitarboi6760]

What an amazing analysis Your a great teacher Thanks!!!!

[@KazModah]

Its interesting too how few colors each panel have compared to a regular comic these have. I was reading 'the storm' and there's' some panels who have color but feels so much like a black and white comic book.

[@ZEBASS]

Kudos to you, because your language is really clear and easy to follow, and it shows that you're well informed on the subject. I can't say the same about 99% of KZbin's videos, so I was happily surprised!

[@Oddernod]

Awesome breakdown - love the idea that the changing the contrast on a page between details and silhouette is the equivalent to a rack focus in a film. Taking SO MANY NOTES 🙏

[@rec.artanddata]

Excellent lecture on composition! A lot of great ideas in this video

[@ARTCHILD]

That was wonderful thank so much!

[@NextIssuePodcast]

OMG that was such an interesting breakdown! Mignola rally knows when less is more! Thank you for the excellent video! looking forward to the next one!

[@kraneotube]

an exciting subject for any visual storyteller, developed and presented in a very clever and tasteful way. Incredible work from every point of view. Thank you very much!

[@alfredobores9023]

this is great! Would like to see some Chriss Samnee and Tonci Zonjic analysis! both of them are great simplifying too!

[@spiderspyy]

Found my way here through the Hellboy Subreddit and share your love of Mignolas art, it was a wholesome and nice experience to follow how you broke down the panels.

[@csabrendeki]

Great analysis, wow! I would be thrilled to see something similar about Jim Lawson's work on TMNT (City at War perhaps) or about Stan Sakai's work on Usagi Yojimbo!

[@thomasschmidt7649]

Just found your channel because of my love of Mike's work on Hellboy. I am a comic book fan and graphic designer of 25 years, his work to me is the perfect combination of both disciplines. Your content and presentation are fantastic, thank you.

[@harshgorasia6501]

This was so well produced and explained - KZbin recommendations came through once again :)

[@jackylee_jack]

How have I just discovered ur channel now?! I love ur breakdowns and analysis and how serious you treat comic books as an art form. Subscribed!

[@antonioelle4894]

This is a treasure of a video, thumbs up!

[@onnevankenobe]

Mignola is my favourite comic artist, it’s a shame he draws so little of the current hell boy comics

[@Jay-ql4gp]

Thank you!

[@gregorywatine8522]

J'adore Mike Mignola et je me souviendrais toujours de la découverte de Hellboy. Pendant plus d'un moins tous mes dessins se sont retrouvé... "Mignolesque". Cette Vidéo est super ! La petite musique est géniale, collant parfaitement au sujet tout en donnant une ambiance d'enquête. "Quels secrets cachent les comics Hellboy ?!" L'intelligence de ses découpages me fascine et réussir à l'expliquer si vite et de manière si claire est tout aussi impressionnant. Merci une fois de plus !

[@ElsaCharretierChannel]

Merci ! Idem pour moi ! L’épisode que j’étais en train de dessiner a de sérieuses influences Mignola :)

[@lastoreoandmilk4997]

First video on your channel I have watched, but loved your very detailed and insightful breakdown!!! Will be sure to check out more.

[@fakyorcru9799]

new favorite channel, thank you so much for such incredible work!

[@wizardofarts1276]

Your video and analysis is very beautiful and well put together. I can't wait to watch more!

[@makekong]

Thank you for this, your earned another fan subscriber!

[@manolis905]

You are literally the coolest person ever

[@marqosmarqos1201]

Well done analysis

[@thelonekangaroo6150]

Working on a piece in Mignola's style and this breakdown just cleared a lot of headaches. What a great, in-depth, and well-explained look at his composition, thanks so much for making this!!

[@echopeakbicycling85]

This is very well done. Thank you.

[@brunodomingosazevedo]

Great as always

[@RandySiplon]

Thank you for this. I've been trying to go more minimalist with my approach, but end up over detailing things in the rendering. I have however simplified my panel and page layouts and this helped me immensely how you broke down composition like that.

[@BaptisteGavalda]

Your shirt is perfect for the subject ^^ The part on overlapping was really interesting, I will try to dig on the subject

[@JimmyReyesArt]

Great video, @Elsa Charretier. I have been wanting to simplify my art now to help speed up. I found this video very helpful.

[@JRHorsting]

Well done, Elsa.

[@cristirevs2]

awesome video and great analysis of Mignola's pages.Thank you!

[@julianxamo7835]

Amazing video, I'd love to see you analyze a story from Hellboy in Hell, which is more recent and shows the evolution in Mignola's style, it's even more simplistic and "bare bones" in these stories, while still being amazing

[@francivalpereira9516]

great class, thank you

[@chuckgibson3973]

Just stumbled upon your channel. Great analysis! Looking forward to exploring your other videos.

[@ewertonmurilo4958]

Great video!

[@mensancollection1879]

Thanks for your simple and clear explanation. I have enjoyed your video and i will definitely apply to my comic creation steps.

[@the_flushjackson]

Excellent video, thank you for breaking this down.

[@The42n8s1]

Great stuff. Thanks!

[@oscarrodrigo1846]

This was amazing! Another interesting story to see is the previous one where Mignola masterfully creates an icon for the Hellboy, the white flowers, with few pages and words.

[@anam00090]

Beautiful breakdown. Glad to have found your channel! Mignola's shape language and composition paired with his incredible colorist really blew me away first time I read Hellboy. Silhouettes are always clear and precise, and I agree, perspective is not the key driver of his panels. His character design is very unique as well - the way he shapes them feels like they would look incredible sculpted - their asymmetry and angular design elements create so much visual interest

[@peterlinfield]

Fantastic video and analysis. Mignola's artwork is so distinct and beautiful. I really appreciate you breaking it down!

[@JuanMartinez-ku6hp]

I feel this videos are very very veery professional i'm really impressed with this

[@housebased7]

This is such an educational and professional channel in both content and video quality, I expect this channel to grow exponentially in the near future Thank you for making these videos!

[@valasafantastic1055]

I took written notes! Great observations and tips from studying a master!

[@JUANREVI]

Amazing video analysis of an amazing artist!! Request : Eduardo Risso and Alex Toth!

[@kyletwebster]

Another great video, Elsa.

[@bensartmachine]

Absolutely fantastic analysis. Thanks for creating this series!

[@MadDogRyan]

Mignola’s use of pure black shadows really adds a lot of atmosphere I draw manga so it’s black and white and hate gray tones they take to much time so I studied his use of black

[@Mikeobdraws]

This was so inspiring! Thank you Elsa!

[@batboy968]

This is such a great video!! Thanks

[@HundredAcres]

Thank you for your great breakdown in simple terms. It really helped me understand the content that you were going over. I had to subscribe just to see what else other videos you make :)

[@scotthaselwoodstudentofcom5715]

I really really love and look forward to every single one of these videos.

[@pr.jimmywayne6627]

C'était encore une super vidéo ! Je prend des claques à chaque lecture de Mignola et je sais enfin pourquoi

I want more of those videos !

[@TheWrightDesign1]

Great video! Another genius of simplification is Alex Toth. I would love to see you talk about his work at some point. :)

[@hunterdelaneycomics]

Yes! Man the pieces you and pierrick are doing here are just so awesome and so insightful! Love this!

[@manuelchiacchiaretta6851]

Great Master, great popularizer

[@theqore43]

I love your videos!!! I learn a lot.. Mignola knows how to make everything simple, and still, add enough detail to make the reader pay attention to the panels

[@JeanSeb_]

Absolument passionnant.

[@AromaticAsthmatic]

Oh my! It would be a SUPERB treat to see you analyze Becky Cloonan's Demeter!!

[@rlblackink]

This is such a fantastic job Very impressed with the composition of this video. Great lighting and presentation. Amazing job.

[@darioscomicschool1111]

Thank you so much for this REVIEW!

[@dallinfeatherstone]

Hey! I have a question/ request. I'm currently creating my own comic, which is essentially a crime/comedy book, and I am totally stuck lol. Could you please breakdown something comedic in nature, (e.g. Nick Spencer's The Fix) and try to explain what does, and what does not work for effectively expressing a "funny moment"? This can obviously be applied to dialogue as well. Anyway, I just know that a lot of people, including myself, don't really grasp this concept- nor it's execution- so it would be amazing if you'd be able to touch on this at some point in the future. Thank you so much! I love, LOVE your videos and have learned much more from you than I ever did in any art class. Please keep it up!! :)

[@sol7967]

Awesome analysis. Ty!

[@DreedMaster06]

Super analyse, merci pour les sous-titres français !

[@jawsquid]

This is great! Instantly subscribed!

[@jawsquid]

OH, also, your own work is remarkable too!