Mike Mignola Biography
Mike Mignola is a well-known American comic book writer and author. He is the creator of Dark Horse Comics which was later adapted into five films, three video games, and a board game. Mignola is also the creator of supernatural and paranormal-themed titles for Dark Horse including Baltimore, Joe Golem, and The Amazing Screw-On Head.
Moreover, he was an illustrator for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Additionally, his career was highlighted in the documentary Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters.
Mike Mignola’s Facts
| Birthday: | September 16, 1960 |
| Wife: | Christine Mignola |
| Age: | 63 |
| Birth Sign: | Virgo |
| Net Worth: | 10 Million |
Family
Mike Mignola was born in Berkeley, California, in the United States in September 1960. His mother died when he was seven years old and he lived with his two younger brothers Scott and Todd. The three brothers helped care for each other and shared a love for Marvel comic books, horror, and fantasy fiction. Mignola’s father was in the Korean War, traveling and performing many things. Moreover, he holds American nationality and was raised a catholic.
Mike Mignola Wife
Mignola is hitched to Christine Mignola. He got married to his wife Christine on April 20, 1991. In January 2022, the duo raised $500,000 to help people in the pandemic. Mignola and Christine share one daughter, Katie Mignola born in 1994. When Katie was seven years old, she co-wrote The Magician and the Snake with her dad becoming the youngest Eisner award winner.
Education
Mignola is an educated man who graduated from the California College of the Arts with a BFA in Illustration. As a student, he did spot illustrations for the small-press magazine, The Comic Reader.
Artwork
His art is mostly on Instagram and his Facebook account.
Hellboy
He created a comic book superhero, Hellboy where its first character appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2. The character has since been adapted into three live-action feature films. Hellboy who is also “Anung Un Rama” as he was called on October 5, 1574, after his birth mother, Sarah Hughes, a human woman, was on her deathbed.
Batman
He has drawn covers for several Batman stories like “Dark Knight, Dark City” and “Batman: A Death in the Family”. In 1991, Mignola was hired by Bruce Timm to provide character designs for Batman: The Animated Series. Additionally, the costume that he designed from the comic Batman: Gotham by Gaslight appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Hellboy Art
He is the co-author of The Art of Hellboy published in 2003 which he co-authored with Scott Allie. The soft cover provides the ultimate look at Mignola’s design, storytelling, and color work. It gives art never seen before the publication of the hardcover, unused and unfinished covers, and drawing upon ten years of sketchbooks. The softcover has 200 pages.
Art Style
Mignola’s art style is likened to an amalgamation of Hal Foster and Alex Toth.
Comics
His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age as by the age of 12, he had read Dracula. He then began in 1982 as a
bad inker for Marvel Comics and later evolved into a not-so-bad artist. Mignola then published the first Hellboy series through Dark Horse in 1994. The book later leads to 19 Hellboy graphic novels and other spinoff titles like B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien, and Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder.
Books
He has authored 19 Hellboy graphic novels and other spinoff titles. Some of Hellboy’s novels include:
- Seed of Destruction (with John Byrne, 1994).
- The Wolves of Saint August (1994).
- Wake the Devil (1996).
- A Christmas Underground (1997).
- Box Full of Evil (1999).
- The Nature of the Beast (2000).
- The Troll-Witch (2004).
- The Ghoul (2005).
- In the Chapel of Moloch (2008).
- The Crooked Man ( 2008).
- The Sleeping and the Dead ( 2010).
- Hellboy versus the Aztec Mummy (2011).
- The Midnight Circus (with Duncan Fegredo, 2013).
- The Coffin Man (with Fábio Moon, 2014).
- Krampusnacht (with Adam Hughes, 2018).
Other Spinoffs include:
- Hellboy in Hell.
- Hellboy and B.P.R.D.
- B.P.R.D.
- B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth.
- Lobster Johnson.
- B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know.
- Abe Sapien.
Sketches
Mignola has done numerous sketches which are available online. He did a black-and-white police sketch in Gotham by Gaslight that did not replicate his Batman #429 cover art.
Spiderman
He did a DC Universal cover for Adventures of Superman Annual No. 6.
Art
Mignola is a famous comic book artist whose style is likened to an amalgamation of Hal Foster and Alex Toth. In his career, he has done numerous sketches which are available online, and worked with Marvel Comics and DC. Moreover, he has drawn the World of Krypton and the Phantom Stranger limited series. Mignola has also collaborated with well-known writers like Howard Chaykin to produce the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser limited series.
Dracula
In 1992, Mignola released a graphic novel Dracula that was based on the film from Columbia Pictures and Zoetrope Studios. He was an illustrator in the 1992 movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Drawing Monsters
Drawing Monsters is a 2022 feature-length documentary that shows Mignola and the creation of his comic book universe centered around Hellboy.
Atlantis
Mignola worked as a production designer for the Disney feature film Atlantis: The Lost Empire in 2001. The movie follows Milo Thatch, a young adventurer who joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost island of Atlantis.
Marvel
Mignola first joined Marvel Comics in 1983 as an inker on Daredevil, Power Man, and Iron Fist. He then advanced to working as the penciler on titles such as The Incredible Hulk, Alpha Flight, and the Rocket Raccoon limited series. After four years, Mignola began working for DC Comics where he drew the Phantom Stranger and World of Krypton limited series. He worked on covers and backup features for various DC and Marvel Comics through the early 1990s.
Website
Mignola uploads most of his drawings on his Facebook account as well as his Instagram account.
Character Design
Mignola’s design can be described as distinctive, dark, and atmospheric as his artwork often features heavy use of shadows, stark contrasts, and minimalist compositions. He also creates a sense of mystery and mood in his illustrations.
Process
He is famous for being a three-dimensional artist where behind every panel there is a sketch that considers the depth and weight of the subject. A lot of detail may appear to be lost during the inking process. However, it is the selection of where to place the inks that give power to the piece. Mignola creates art using digital methods as he claims that he cannot operate his scanner.
Batman Statue
He has designed a black and white DC Direct Batman which is a 1:10 scale highly detailed resin statue. The statue is from the pages of the DC one-shot ”Gotham by Gaslight” by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola. It is available for $77.99 on Amazon.
Net Worth
He has worked as a comic book writer and author since beginning his career professionally in 1980. Through his success and the awards received, Mignola has earned a fortune of $10 Million.
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Draw Like Mike Mignola?
There are several YouTube videos on how to draw like Mignola.
Did Mike Mignola Create Hellboy?
Mignola is the comic book superhero writer of Hellboy.
Who Influenced Mike Mignola?
He had his primary artistic influence through the work of Frank Frazetta.
Social Media Account
Twitter – artofmmignola
Instagram – artofmm