The Pulp Horror & Heroism of HELLBOY: CONQUEROR WORM

An analysis of the 2001 Hellboy miniseries "Conqueror Worm" and Mike Mignola's use of pulp heroes and the pulp horror of H.P. Lovecraft to bring a close to Act 1 of Hellboy and permanently change the status quo of his hero.
#Hellboy
#DarkHorseComics
#Comics
PATREON - / mattdraper
TWITTER - / mattdraperyt
Music:
"The Attraction of Evil" - Hainbach
"The Black Cat" - Aaron Kenny
"1940s Slow Dance" - Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions
"Spirit of the Dead" - Aakash Gandhi
"Out of Body" and "Midnight Never Ends" by Dance With the Dead
dancewiththedead.bandcamp.com/
"If I'm Wrong" by HOME
home96.bandcamp.com/
Sources:
www.cbr.com/mike-mignola-inte... -
www.darkhorse.com/Interviews/... -
13thdimension.com/hellboy-wee...

[@MattDraper]

If you'd like to read the complete script to the video, it's now live on Comic Book Herald - www.comicbookherald.com/the-pulp-horror-and-heroism-of-hellboy-conqueror-worm/

[@Deadwolf27]

Conqueror Worm has the best sequence of panels in all of comics. "Is that a monkey?" "HES GOT A GUN!"

[@julianxamo7835]

That's not Conqueror worm tho, that's "A box full of evil"

[@Deadwolf27]

@@julianxamo7835 so I went and double checked and we're both wrong. It's the Right Hand of Doom

[@julianxamo7835]

@@Deadwolf27 now we are both right, the story "A Box Full of Evil" is collected in the trade paperback "The Right Hand of Doom"

[@Deadwolf27]

@@julianxamo7835 ah I did not know that

[@danny_decheeto8300]

ye its box full of evil still though that was a hilarious bit

[@kaelang12]

I love how mignola actually provides an in-world explanation as to why Hellboy would end up as a pulp-like hero; he would read and watch the stories of lobster johnson as a kid, so it'd make sense that Hellboy would want to emulate some of the aspects of his childhood idol

[@Oeming]

Mignola named that Nazi Scientist after me, it was both horrifying and the greatest honor of my life:)

[@MattDraper]

That's amazing! I didn't realize that was literally named after you, but that's definitely a horrifying honor. Thank you for watching!

[@tayojones9460]

Wow. That is cool.

[@SnapperChannel]

“God damn Nazi-Frankenstein monkey!” Quite possibly the greatest line from a comic book. Matt, your Hellboy videos continue to hit home runs. You really bring Mignola’s creation justice.

[@MattDraper]

Thanks! Monkeys and Hellboy are a match made in heaven.

[@johnnieriot13]

It’s crazy I’ve been looking at the “omnibus” (they look more like trade paperbacks ) and debating buy them the last few days . I’ve always been interested but I always end up going with something else. Draper you sold me on the “you don’t know when to quit” reenactment. Great episode. The quality never wavers.

[@MattDraper]

Thanks! I hope you enjoy them. No surprise, but I think the whole Hellboy saga is one of the greatest things to ever happen in comics.

[@saracohle]

I think this is my favorite Hellboy story. I like HB with the bit of pulp in his storytelling. Ever since that image of him breaking into the mad scientist lab to save the captured woman, I've yearned for a return to that wonderful pastiche if the era using this striking lead instead of a flat Lobster Johnson mold. The later whimsy of something like 'in Hell' or big mythic overtures in Storm & Fury just lack the bit of plucky bite that an angry floating Nazi head in a jar or gorilla man bring. Conqueror Worm feels ever so quintessential to unlocking what makes Mignola and Hellboy great.

[@stevenbrown1225]

Don't think Mignola (and collaborators) can write a bad story. Some are better than others but he brings something worth while in everything he creates

[@vaughanb1963]

This made my day. I love pulp adventure, it's absolutely my favourite genre.

[@lizardart99]

Matt Draper and Hellboy? Instant like!

[@ChocoboKid216]

Once again a masterclass in analysis of a great comic. Also a great reminder for me to buy some Hellboy.

[@benlambe3168]

Yes, bprd does not get enough coverage on KZbin. I'd love to see more people talk about it

[@WenBilson]

I gotta say, Mr Draper, I’m loving your monkey noises. More animal calls please. Still I haven’t ventured into Hellboy yet, and like with most of your videos it has pique my curiosity.

[@MattDraper]

I do a pretty good elephant call, I’ll have to find a comic with lots of elephants.

[@KINGBADASS100]

I don’t know wether I mentioned it before(if so, sorry for sounding like a broken record!), but I think Usagi Yojimbo would be another great Dark Horse title to look at. It’s got great art, & a fantastic grasp on Japanese culture!

[@davidwatkins4709]

You’ve just made my day. My favorite Hellboy story.

[@rustybuckets2143]

Conqueror Worm still gives me chills

[@tayojones9460]

One of my favourite Hellboy stories.

[@MattyStoked]

My favourite arc, most likely because it was the first HB book I read and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Great video man, really enjoyed digging into the pulp roots

[@MattDraper]

Thanks! I loved exploring pulp with this video, glad you liked the exploration, too!

[@yeah_yeahwhatever]

Well done! I thought I was getting a hellboy story synopsis, but I got a whole, very well-researched history of pulp. Nice. Thanks.

[@sebastienvondoom8615]

Hell yeah, new Matt Draper video!

[@dawwe8869]

Been waiting for a new Hellboy video, nice!

[@KeyserTheRedBeard]

extremely good upload Matt Draper. I broke that thumbs up on your video. Keep on up the fantastic work.

[@scottfree2248]

Excellent Review! Mignola is a master of Gothic Art.

[@ManSeekingMeaning]

You deserve more views, more subs, more everything. Real quality content.

[@mr.happybear7058]

Keep up these hellboy videos, I like to watch them after I finish reading the arc you talk about and each one so far has been amazing

[@tysonlehner6759]

I love this channel in ways words cannot convey.

[@mandelbomb99]

“There aren’t any costumed heroes here” But what about the torch of liberty? I know he’s never really referenced again after his cameo at the beginning of Seed but he was canonically there.

[@Nono-hk3is]

Well done. Thanks, Matt.

[@Coolbindus]

wonderful episode

[@samcallanan3633]

Keep up the great content

[@darkroninmarvel]

Nice. Still bitter for how the reboot came out

[@kennethsatria6607]

I know right? I'd argue its worse than how DC handled their movies. On top of unfaithful characterization, the lore and mythology is also unfitting, they made what was supposed to be an ancient fairy myth setting into just demons and horror tropes. They also somehow made Hellboy look like a real simp being tempted by Nimue's goals so easily or how his father is basically an asshole when Professor Broom is supposed to be more of the root of his faith in humanity cause he was a good man. That issue also present in this version of Alice being some sort of tough doomsday prepper when the whole deal with her was supposed to be more subtle and human compared to Hellboy's world and life as he was basically friends with the family for a long time before they passed and she remained. There's a sweetness in these humanities they totally discarded. At least it died completely off the bat, no chance of it returning, all we need to do now is wait until we are old men for the story to be redone and hopefully much better

[@CrissAssasin7]

This always has been and always will be, my favorite comic book mini.

[@bobbyhill8479]

Matt Draper and Hellboy? It's a fucking dream come true

[@mariod1547]

Yay Eager to see this

[@comichommock7092]

I just realized that the intros to your videos sound like the scholastic book fair book advertisements

[@thisguy1640]

'God Damn Nazi Frankenstein Monkey! You *Don't* Know *When* to *Quit* ' I'm going to be using that in the future Don't know how or in what scenario but I'll use it

[@Chandasouk]

I had to do a double take when I saw your name on Comicbookherald!

[@harryflintham5322]

You are truly getting me through quarantine dude, keep up the fantastic stuff man! And Matt, if you're taking recommendations, maybe invincible?

[@MattDraper]

Thanks! Lots of people have requested Invincible, I'm just not sure how to tackle such a long story. So we'll see.

[@harryflintham5322]

@@MattDraper Well maybe tackle one issue, personally for me reflect maybe on the first and last exploring the overall crusade in which these characters have gone through. Delve into how all stories will eventually come to an end. I don't know but I know you'll do something great either way, YOU'RE MATT FREAKING DRAPER!

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

Lobster Johnson is such a cool name, maybe the best. I wouldn't want to be a Lobster Johnson and I wouldn't name my children as one; it's one of those names that's cool as hell as long as it isn't your name, but would be cool as hell to know one.

[@doom7ish]

Hey you should talk about the BPRD comics Hell on Earth.

[@MP-om9fj]

Hellboy and Berserk are my two favorite

[@dlteodorian]

What makes a story or a book or generaly the literature Pulp ? I have found many different answers through the internet but what really do you believe defines Pulp? BTW great video as always! You have fans from Greece :D

[@georgekhintuba9690]

Can u please make a video about Sandman or Constantine?

[@MrLOKWORD]

You should do The Devil You Know !!!

[@MattDraper]

That will happen someday but probably after I cover other BPRD stories

[@dashfox1]

Hope yah go into Hellboy jaunt through Myth and Folklore!

[@fabriciosolano4612]

Please do a Sandman video

[@mariod1547]

Hey where can I find that image at 9:02?

[@TevyaSmolka]

i love hellboy he's really awesome and badass ;)

[@tayloredwards4968]

Who is your favorite Hellboy character?

[@MattDraper]

Besides Hellboy? Probably Abe or Kate Corrigan.

[@dantecrottogini529]

@@MattDraper and your favorite story? Besides the pancakes story

[@middenway]

@@MattDraper I love Kate so much. Such a great character.

[@DzustComics]

Hey Matt! How did AHCC go? Did you guys get the amount of donations you wanted?

[@MattDraper]

It went well! We raised $7500, so a little below our goal, but still a number we’re very proud of hitting.

[@DAGDRUM53]

5:33

[@kieranbenclarke9821]

What about the Torch of Liberty?

[@malcomalexander9437]

Early installment weirdness since that was during the time Dark Horse was trying to get its own connected world going. Torch of Liberty is from a Joh Byrne comic. That connected universe never got going because everyone was more interested in doing their own thing.

[@charles8smith441]

0

[@charles8smith441]

Oķ

[@charles8smith441]

,,bad

[@fried2styles]

Amazing video! However, you need to cut out the "Lovecraft was racist" BS -- that is just a stupid, woke myth.