"It's the old houses in Rhode Island."
February 9, 2011 10:24 AM Subscribe
"I have never done a story in a shopping mall because, even if I'm not drawing it myself, I don't want to see somebody draw a shopping mall." Mike Mignola talks to BLDGBLOG about the influence architecture has on his work. Also includes a link to a USA Today exclusive Hellboy story that appeared previously on these pages.
Seconded, BLDGBLOG meets Mike Mignola to talk architecture? Crap ton of awesome.
posted by Scoo at 11:01 AM on February 9, 2011
posted by Scoo at 11:01 AM on February 9, 2011
I want to go to there.
Like, literally - those places he draws? Those are the places I want to go to.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:48 AM on February 9, 2011
Like, literally - those places he draws? Those are the places I want to go to.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:48 AM on February 9, 2011
Shorter version:
Mike Mignola to BLDBLOG: "I'm a one-trick pony, but it's a really, really good trick."
I wish he WOULD draw a shopping mall. Shopping malls are creepy. My visual imagination would be stimulated by a Mike-Mignola-drawn shopping mall. But no, he's gonna draw another crumbling ruin and then dip the page in black ink. And that's one reason I stopped buying Hellboy. It's the same thing over and over again. It's visually striking, sure. His stuff looks great on the page. But after ten (eleven? I've lost count) volumes of Stygian gloom and lambent frog eyes peering forth from inky depths, I'm just not all that interested anymore. Stretch, Mike, stretch!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:14 PM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Mike Mignola to BLDBLOG: "I'm a one-trick pony, but it's a really, really good trick."
I wish he WOULD draw a shopping mall. Shopping malls are creepy. My visual imagination would be stimulated by a Mike-Mignola-drawn shopping mall. But no, he's gonna draw another crumbling ruin and then dip the page in black ink. And that's one reason I stopped buying Hellboy. It's the same thing over and over again. It's visually striking, sure. His stuff looks great on the page. But after ten (eleven? I've lost count) volumes of Stygian gloom and lambent frog eyes peering forth from inky depths, I'm just not all that interested anymore. Stretch, Mike, stretch!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:14 PM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
The irony of course is that America's shopping malls are pretty much crumbling ruins at the moment. The last time I went to my local mall, half the tenants had moved out and the place looked deserted.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:35 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:35 PM on February 9, 2011
Shopping malls are creepy
One need only see the pictures of the Dixie Square Mall that was featured in the Blue Brothers to know that's completely true.
posted by inthe80s at 3:18 PM on February 9, 2011
One need only see the pictures of the Dixie Square Mall that was featured in the Blue Brothers to know that's completely true.
posted by inthe80s at 3:18 PM on February 9, 2011
One need only see the pictures of the Dixie Square Mall that was featured in the Blue Brothers to know that's completely true.
I fell like there's probably still an operational Cinnabon in there somewhere.
posted by Amanojaku at 4:32 PM on February 9, 2011
I fell like there's probably still an operational Cinnabon in there somewhere.
posted by Amanojaku at 4:32 PM on February 9, 2011
So I did a bit of a podcast interview thingy about my comics stuff lately and mentioned Mignola in glowing terms, which got the host on to a bit of a rant about how he doesn’t really like Mignola and Mignola only really draws the way he does because he’s lazy… I was genuinely aghast. To me that’s like taking a whiz on Kirby's grave or something. I’m shamed to say that I didn’t argue back very well because, well, when someone is that wrong where do you start?
posted by Artw at 5:02 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by Artw at 5:02 PM on February 9, 2011
I'm aghast that you'd mention Mignola in the same breath as Kirby. I like Mignola, don't get me wrong, but don't you think his range as an artist is, well, kinda limited? Maybe I'm not well-versed enough in his work, since I know him only through Hellboy and BPRD. But it's all become much of a muchness to me. His work is visually striking, and nobody but nobody can ink shadows like Mignola. But... That's it. That's his Thing. And he does variations on that thing time after time. Kirby, OTOH, could conjure ANYTHING into being. He wasn't afraid to stretch himself as an illustrator, and though he didn't always succeed (some of those costumes for the Eternals, for example. Yikes.) it was always interesting. Mignola, though...
Eh. I'll stop, because it sounds like I don't like the guy's work, and that's not the case. I have a shelf full of BPRD and Hellboy trades that prove otherwise. His style is one of the more influential in modern comic art, and rightly so. But I don't see a lot of range there, and I do think the guy stays within his comfort zone a little too much. Is that "lazy"? I dunno. I'm no artist. But as an avid comics reader, I'd like to see him expand his boundaries a bit.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:33 PM on February 9, 2011
Eh. I'll stop, because it sounds like I don't like the guy's work, and that's not the case. I have a shelf full of BPRD and Hellboy trades that prove otherwise. His style is one of the more influential in modern comic art, and rightly so. But I don't see a lot of range there, and I do think the guy stays within his comfort zone a little too much. Is that "lazy"? I dunno. I'm no artist. But as an avid comics reader, I'd like to see him expand his boundaries a bit.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:33 PM on February 9, 2011
Eh... you know, I *really* like Mignola, and I really like Kirby. And yeah, Kirby is head and tails the more iconic artist, but I'd say a comparison is apt - they're both skilled artists with very distinctive graphic styles, they're both all about storytelling and composition rather than realism per se. I'm not sure I'd really say Kirby was all that much more varied than Mignola - though his style varies it tends to be Kirby '50, Kirby '60, Kirby '70 rather than some major per project variance.
posted by Artw at 5:57 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by Artw at 5:57 PM on February 9, 2011
As for Mignola being lazy, the guy wasn't talking about comfort zones so much as Mignolas progression form a more traditional comics art style to his now familiar stark, blocky, black heavy style. Which, well, brings to mind all manner of Picasso quotes.
posted by Artw at 6:01 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by Artw at 6:01 PM on February 9, 2011
but don't you think his range as an artist is, well, kinda limited?
But how is that different from Kirby? Like you, I'm not suggesting they're in the same class historically, but Kirby always looks like Kirby. I do think Mignola's success has done him a disservice-- if he were forced to draw whatever paid the bills like Kirby had to do, he'd be better off. Instead he's allowed to refine his Platonic ideal of a style down to a brilliantly sharp point in Hellboy.
posted by yerfatma at 6:21 PM on February 9, 2011
But how is that different from Kirby? Like you, I'm not suggesting they're in the same class historically, but Kirby always looks like Kirby. I do think Mignola's success has done him a disservice-- if he were forced to draw whatever paid the bills like Kirby had to do, he'd be better off. Instead he's allowed to refine his Platonic ideal of a style down to a brilliantly sharp point in Hellboy.
posted by yerfatma at 6:21 PM on February 9, 2011
I bet Guy Davis could draw a pretty mean creepy shopping mall.
posted by Artw at 6:44 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by Artw at 6:44 PM on February 9, 2011
I grew up in New England (kinda). Old Lovecraftian houses don't scare me. I've literally had nightmares about shopping malls. All that space!
There was a Discworld book about evil malls
I love Mignola
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:58 PM on February 9, 2011
There was a Discworld book about evil malls
I love Mignola
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:58 PM on February 9, 2011
Also: All of Kirby's Celestrial designs are solid gold. All of them. Even the one with a teacup for a head. Especially that one.
posted by Artw at 9:45 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by Artw at 9:45 PM on February 9, 2011
« Older Next: The Toelet | Animated Map of Auckland's Public Transport System Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
*implodes*
posted by billypilgrim at 10:37 AM on February 9, 2011