The World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator
Twenty years have passed since Mike Mignola created "Hellboy", and he's not done yet. The comic book artist and writer has been in the comic industry for more than three decades, and he considers the lovable demon as his greatest creation.
"Hellboy: Seed of Destruction" was well received, launching a comic series and two movies. Hellboy Day was held on March 22, where Mignola was present in some activities. Guillermo del Toro, born on October 9, 1964, helmed the big-screen adaptation and its sequel. He could relate to its premise.
"I happen to believe that family is the source of all the joy and all the horror in our lives - both. That's my starting point in every tale. I don't do it intentionally, but... every deficiency we have in our social or personal behavior comes from a moment that is rooted in our childhood. And I love to explore the idea of either conquering that fear or dealing with it very pointedly," he said.
If you haven't read the series, then this is the time to discover Mignola's world. (Then again, we can't blame those who still remember Ron Perlman's performance in the titular role.)
The mystic lives on
"Hellboy: Seed of Destruction" began in Tarmagant Island off the coast of Scotland in 1944. Trevor Bruttenholm, a British academic who had extensive knowledge of the occult, was tasked by Allied leaders to stop Project Ragna Rok, which involved a team of Nazi scientists and occulists aimed to turn the tide of the war in Adolf Hitler's favor. It was headed by Grigori Efimovich Rasputin.
The Russian mystic was killed during the eve of the Bolshevik Revolution, but he was revived by an unnatural force. He foresaw Hitler's fall, but he didn't leave the Nazi Party. He used its resources to launch a diabolical scheme, which was to bring an unnatural force into the world. It would cause chaos and destruction. Bruttenholm only knew this when he witnessed Rasputin performed a ritual inside a cromlech (circle of monoliths). The Nazi soldiers who accompanied the mystic were expecting Ogdru Jahad, who had Cthulhu-like features. They were disappointed when a red-skinned baby demon came out of the dark void. A fight ensued, with the malevolent ending up in Bruttenholm's hands.
A few decades later, Bruttenholm was seen at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense in Fairfield, Connecticut. He founded the organization, a father figure to the demon who was all grown up. He had horns, tail, and a disproportionately large right hand made of red stone. The old academic dubbed him Hellboy, America's protector from the occult, paranormal and supernatural. They thought Rasputin was banished after the ritual, but he survived (again). He would come back to Hellboy. They have unfinished business. Both were linked to Ogdru Jahad.
Some would be surprised at Mignola being a non-believer in demonic forces. It fascinates him no end.
"I’ve just always liked monsters, since I was a little kid. It was always the thing I found interesting, it’s always what I wanted to draw, it’s always what I wanted to read, and so, yeah, I don’t know," he said.
The last issue came out two years ago. Fans expect Mignola to follow it up soon.
