Dark Horse Comics continues to expand the legacy of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy universe with Hellboy in Hell: Nothing but Blood. A new two-issue mini-series that revisits one of the character’s most transformative eras. Featuring art by acclaimed French cartoonist Cyrille Pomès, the story explores a pivotal chapter in Hellboy’s journey through the underworld, bringing a unique visual perspective to one of comics’ most atmospheric worlds.
We’re excited to speak with Cyrille about joining the Hellboy universe, collaborating within Mike Mignola’s rich mythology, and the artistic approach behind bringing this haunting chapter to life. So, let’s welcome talented artist Cyrille Pomès to GVN Talking Comics.
Early Interest in Art
GVN: Thank you, Cyrille, for taking the time to speak with us. Since this is our first opportunity to chat, I’d like to start by discussing your creative beginnings before we dive into “Hellboy in Hell: Nothing but Blood.” When did you first become interested in comic art, and whose work inspired you to pursue that profession?
CYRILLE: I was already drawing as a child, and I would bind my first notebooks together to make comic books very early on, small albums where I told brand-new adventures of my heroes at the time. Afterward, I drew just as much inspiration from classic Franco-Belgian comics as I did from American comic books.
Revisiting “Hellboy in Hell”
GVN: Ok, let’s talk about this exciting two-issue series. Hellboy’s time in Hell has a distinct visual identity as shaped by Mignola. How did you approach returning to that realm while bringing your own artistic voice?
CYRILLE: I felt the need to practice for months to draw a Hellboy that would be both faithful to Mike’s and entirely my own, with nearly daily roughs in my sketchbooks.
Working with Mike Mignola
GVN: I have spoken to several artists who have had the opportunity to work with Mike and what their experience was like. Now it’s your turn. What did your creative collaboration with Mike Mignola look like on Nothing but Blood, and how did his storytelling sensibilities influence your artistic decisions?
CYRILLE: Mike gave me a huge amount of freedom in staging the two issues, as well as a hand in writing the second one, and Dave came on board to bring all his talent while respecting the Hellboy in Hell visual style, with its dark colors and ash-gray skies.
Use of Photographs
GVN: This two-issue event leans heavily into mood, silence, and dread. What artistic techniques did you rely on to build that atmosphere?
CYRILLE: Photographs were what helped me the most to bring to life the forest and the chapel, which are the two central setting elements of the story. Photos of gothic chapels, twisted staircases, broken mirrors… and dozens of photos of dead trees!
It was the best way to make Mike’s universe my own without copying it: going back through photographic reality to offer my own interpretation of it.
“Finding My Own Approach”
GVN: Hellboy in Hell tends to be a more introspective version of the character. How did you convey his emotional weight and internal conflict through expression, posture, and visual rhythm?
CYRILLE: Here again, it was about finding my own approach to the character’s monolithic aspect, moving away from my usual drawing style, which tends to favor movement. And here again, the answer was a proliferation of preparatory sketches.
GVN: As I read through the first issue, your art screams Hellboy. What guided your design choices for the creatures, spirits, and environments Hellboy encounters in this story, and how did you balance horror with mythic elegance?
CYRILLE: I started out with no experience in the gothic genre, and once again I chose not to directly copy the work of Mike and Dave (even though it was never very far from my drawing table). I looked heavily toward painting to bring the story to life.
Meeting Fans Expectations
GVN: Collaborating with Mike Mignola can create pressure to meet fan expectations for what Hellboy should embody. What was the most challenging aspect of illustrating this two-issue event? Maintaining visual continuity with Mignola’s depiction of Hell, capturing the emotional nuances, or managing the scale of the supernatural elements?
CYRILLE: As a French creator, I had the advantage of being unknown to the US Hellboy fanbase, and therefore of not being particularly anticipated.
This gave me the freedom to feel zero pressure, other than the pressure to please Mike, who took care to reassure me on that front right from the very first pages.
Free to Discover
GVN: Thanks again, Cyrille. Finally, when readers pick up “Nothing but Blood” on October 7th, what do you hope they experience—awe, unease, reflection, or something deeper in Hellboy’s journey?
CYRILLE: Just as I deeply appreciated the creative freedom offered by Mike, I like the idea of leaving the public free to discover my work through these two issues.
Hoping there will be no sense of betrayal and that they will have a great reading experience, both in terms of continuity with the universe and the personal way I have tried to make it my own.
A huge thank you to Cyrille Pomès for taking the time to speak with us about Hellboy in Hell: Nothing but Blood. Cyrille shared fascinating glimpses into his creative process for bringing Hellboy’s journey through the underworld to life, exploring the unique challenges of working within Mike Mignola’s iconic universe and the visual and emotional elements that define this new story.
With its striking artwork, rich atmosphere, and compelling expansion of the Hellboy in Hell mythology, Hellboy in Hell: Nothing but Blood promises to be a must-read for longtime fans and newcomers alike. We’re grateful to Cyrille for sharing his perspective on the project, and we look forward to readers experiencing this haunting new chapter when the two-issue miniseries arrives from Dark Horse Comics. You can check out issue #1 now, which hit the stands on October 7th.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
