A question I have yet to ask the many creators I have interviewed comes to mind as I prepare to revisit my recent conversation with the talented writer Rob Williams: At what point do you feel you have “made it” as a creator? I didn’t pose this question to Rob, but one might wonder if collaborating with the iconic creator Mike Mignola would be a qualifying moment, especially when the opportunity arises again. That is exactly the case for Rob’s collaboration with Mignola in the Dark Horse 2-part series: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador.
The first issue will be released on November 12th, with Mignola and Williams collaborating again alongside talented artist and long-time Williams partner Laurence Campbell. With that in mind, let’s welcome back Rob Williams to GVN Talking Comics.
AWA Studios “Out”
GVN: It’s been a few years since we last spoke, Rob. As luck would have it, our discussion centered around your work with Mike Mignola and artist Laurence Campbell on “The Sword of Hyperborea.” But before we get into your latest collaboration with Mr. Mignola, I want to touch on another series you did for AWA Studios (and you mentioned at the end of our previous interview, “Out,” with Will Conrad. That story was all kinds of cool, mixing WWII prison camps with vampires. How did that idea come to fruition, and did it meet with your initial expectations? It had a very cinematic feel to it.
ROB: OUT was an idea I had for a long time before it finally came to pass via AWA. The Great Escape but there’s a vampire in the camp. The prisoners had to try and escape anyway but now they really had to escape, as they’re getting picked off one by one. It’s a mix of Alien, The Thing and Colditz. Will Conrad did a beautiful job on the book and the protagonist being a Navajo Code Talker who’s also a gay man – I thought that was a couple of unusual hooks there. It’d make a great movie. Hopefully that happens one of these days. But the GN is out there for people to buy. I really like it.
Convention Participation
GVN: We are currently in the convention season. Do you participate in these events or perhaps in book signings? If so, what do you hope fans will take away from their interactions with you and your fellow creators? I’ve always found that comic creators are the highlight of the conventions I attend. They are the friendliest and most willing to engage, allowing fans to converse without feeling rushed.
ROB: It’s a weird way to make a living, being locked away from all humanity, coming up with these stories and characters and worlds in your head and on the page. And then occasionally we’re let out to meet people! With our social skills having atrophied and withered on the vine many, many years ago. Drooling, shambling comic creators. Sub-humans, if you will. What could go wrong? I’m heading to London to do a signing tomorrow for the new BATTLE ACTION GN actually, where I have a couple of stories alongside Garth Ennis and Keith Burns – I very much recommend people check out Garth & Keith’s Johnny Red stories. They’re terrific. But it’s always nice to meet readers. You have little idea the effect your stories have on them. I’ve had people come up to me at signings beforehand saying it was one of my stories that inspired them to write. Possibly because they read one of mine and decided they could do better than that. Quite right too.
The Partnership of Williams and Campbell
GVN: I mentioned your work on The Sword of Hyperborea with long-time collaborator Laurence Campbell. What makes your talents mesh so well? Is it familiarity, perhaps needing less direction or do you just bring out the best in each other?
ROB: Laurence and I have been friends for around 20 years now. We’d travel to conventions together. Pitch early comic works together. We did our first work together for Marvel in a Wolverine Christmas one-off back in…2006? And a Punisher Max a year or so later. We’ve worked together a bunch over the years. So I think we have an excellent shorthand. We largely get what each other is going for in a panel and I know that when I’m writing for Laurence, I can play to his strengths. Mood. Tone. There’s certain stories that Laurence excels at – and fortunately for the Hellboy universe, that includes spooky stories. THE SWORD OF HYPERBOREA was a blast, getting to spin across generations in the Hellboy universe and introduce some fun new characters. We talked about doing a HELLBOY take soon afterwards but then Laurence was off working on his Eisner-winning The One Hand for a while. Now he’s back it’s a bit of a career treat getting to tell a Hellboy and Abe Sapien story. And a ghost story at that. Laurence has done some beautiful work here.
“Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador”
GVN: Your latest work with Mike Mignola teams you once again with Laurence for the two-issue series “Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador.” Did this opportunity come up while you were working on “Sword” or did you impress Mike so much that he pursued you to do this new project?
ROB: We collaborated with Mike on The Sword of Hyperborea and Mike loves Laurence’s work, having worked with him on BPRD for many years. Sword was a blast and came out really well, so we pitched doing a Hellboy story afterwards. Sword was my first time working in the Hellboy world and hopefully Mike was happy enough to let us take a crack at a Hellboy story this time around. THE GHOST SHIPS OF LABRADOR is a two-part spooky ghost story where a town in Newfoundland suddenly finds itself with the ghosts of large Basque whaling galleons in the harbor and its small town overrun by the ships’ inhabitants. First a BPRD exorcist called Agatha Blunt (who we love) arrives to try and solve the case but when Agatha vanishes too, it’s time to call in Hellboy and Abe Sapien. All is not what it initially seems…
Working with Mike Mignola, Round II
GVN: Now that you have worked with Mike on two projects, does it seem any less intimidating than your virgin voyage was?
ROB: Oh, the first Zoom call you have with someone like Mike, it’s always intimidating. You’ve read and admired this person’s work for many years, and now you’re in a ‘room’ with him pitching your ideas and going back and fore. Fortunately, I’ve been doing this comics thing for quite a few years now and have worked with people like Walter Simonson, Jim Lee, John Romita Jr etc. So it’s not my first rodeo, as it were. But you just have to get past that initial inner <gulp> be a professional and get on with the job. Mike was great and enormously open to our ideas, while always having a strong sense of what you can and can’t do in his world. I’ve loved reading Hellboy and BPRD. To be telling stories in this world with some of these characters is a genuine treat. And to be doing it with a friend like Laurence makes it even better. Sword of Hyperborea and The Ghost Ships Of Labrador are really strong comics, I think. We’re very happy with them.
GVN: Thank you for visiting with us again, Rob. As with our last meeting, I’d like to give you the opportunity to discuss “Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador” and any upcoming projects you have.
Future Projects
ROB: I believe ‘HELLBOY: The Ghost Ships of Labrador’ is out for Halloween. What better way to get in the spooky mood than a creepy two-parter with mood and scares and glorious Laurence Campbell artwork, Lee Loughridge colors and Clem Robins letters.
As for other projects, I’m writing a bunch of Judge Dredd stories I’m really enjoying for 2000AD at the moment. ‘REND & TEAR WITH TOOTH & CLAW’ is being collected soon in a GN with art by Scalped’s RM Guera, who is an absolute master. I’m writing a RED DRAGON series from Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s Zenith in September. Steve’s joining us for art on that along with Paddy Goddard. And an independent movie I’ve written the screenplay for – GAME – is out in UK cinemas in November, and hopefully in the US too. That’s a collaboration with Geoff Barrow, from the band Portishead and who wrote the scores for Ex Machina, Annihilation and more. It’s my first film work so I’m really excited about that.
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador #1 (CVR A)
A town overrun by ghosts would be enough of a problem, but Hellboy has an even bigger problem on his hands when a fellow B.P.R.D. agent disappears amongst the paranormal chaos.
• Rob Williams and Laurence Campbell return to the Hellboy universe!
• First of a two-part standalone Hellboy story.
Creators
Writer:Mike Mignola, Rob Williams
Artist:Laurence Campbell
Colorist:Lee Loughridge
Cover Artist:Laurence Campbell
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Occult & Supernatural
Publication Date:
November 12, 2025
Format:FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price:$4.99
Age range:16+
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.
