‘Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters’ Fantastic Fest 2022 Review – A Fascinating Look At The Birth Of The Hellboy Universe And The Origin Of Its Creator

I’ve always been fascinated with the origins of popular characters. Whether they be from the realms of comics, TV, films or books. I’ve always wondered if there’s some secret to the character’s popularity that lies within the background of its creator. J.K. Rowling is famously known for coming up with her Harry Potter series while being a struggling single mother. George Lucas was an up and coming filmmaker looking for his next project when he began to develop Star Wars. Many of the comic book superheroes we love today were created during the Great Depression, when people desired more than ever to escape to a better, more fantastical world.

For comic book artist and writer, Mike Mignola, his most famous creation, Hellboy, was born from his desire to tell stories that utilized his love of folklore and mythology. Mignola spent his twenties trying to break into comics, having a short-lived career as a comic book penciler and coming to the conclusion that, although he enjoyed drawing comic book characters, he didn’t want to draw superheroes for the entirety of his career.

The opportunity to to draw a Batman story with supernatural underpinnings led to the creation of Hellboy. He realized that he wanted to create a character who would go out and fight the supernatural fiends he’d grown up reading in books about Norse mythology. The first Hellboy mini-series Seed Of Destruction, was published in 1994 and the rest is history. The Hellboy franchise has spawned three live-action movies, two animated films, toys and  several comic book spin-off series set in the same world.

The documentary is such a fascinating look into the life of a very admirable creator. The documentary opens up with Mignola and his brothers recapping their childhood with their tough, emotionally distant father who had to raise three sons on his own. While their father was busy with work, the Mignola brothers would spend time venturing into bookstores and opening their minds to various aspects of the world. Mike, a shy kid, had a passion for mythology and drawing. Fortunately for him, he had many people in his corner who encouraged him to pursue his passion. It was nice to learn about his relationship with his brothers, wife, and daughter.

Many of those influenced and inspired by Mignola’s work, from Steven Universe creator, Rebecca Sugar and actor, Patton Oswalt to admirers and friends like Neil Gaiman and Guillermo Del Toro, appear into the documentary to speak about what they love about his expansive body of work.

Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters unpacks the mind of a talented creative who has spent decades building a creator-owned universe that rivals that of Marvel and DC. The Hellboy Universe is full of strange and fascinating characters, many of whom go on to star in their own series. Mignola, along with a few other creators like Robert Kirkman and Jeff Lemire, have managed this feat with their own independent universes.

Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters is a captivating and engrossing look into the mind of a creative who followed his passion and gained great acclaim by doing so.

Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters was viewed in the Burnt Ends section of Fantastic Fest 2022.

Director: Jim Demonakos & Kevin Konrad Hanna

Rated: NR

Runtime: 94m