Mike Mignola is one of the most influential comic book creators in modern history, and some of those who he inspired have come together to take part in an upcoming documentary about the Hellboy creator titled Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters. The feature-length film is a laudatory look at him as an artist, a storyteller, a businessman, and simply as a man.
As Mignola tells Newsarama, it's a bit creepy - in a good way.
"It was a bit overwhelming - in a very good way - hearing those guys say such nice things," Mignola says. "I guess it's a little like being able to go to your own funeral and hear people say nice things about you. The truth is - for me at least - it's really hard to wrap your head around how you or your work impacts other people."
Originally announced with a Kickstarter to help fund the project, Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters has already surpassed its $58,000 goal six times over. The crowdfunding initiative is now in the final week to get extra funding for pre-orders and special extras, such as some unique prints like this Jill Thompson portrait of Hellboy. Other rewards include a Kickstarter exclusive shirt, original art, credits in the film, and even a commission from Mignola himself.
The film is intended to be the definitive story of Mignola and his work, and in recent weeks additional 'talking heads' for the documentary have been announced, such as comedian Patton Oswalt and Book of Life writer/director Jorge Gutierrez. Even they have been inspired by Mignola's work, with Gutierrez revealing that a character in his Nickelodeon cartoon series El Tigre wears red goggles as an homage to Hellboy.
Oswalt and Gutierrez join a list of celebrities such as Neil Gaiman, Rebecca Sugar, Vita Ayala, and Joe Quesada, talking about Mignola's impact on their work.
"It's weird. When I said yes to this thing, I never really thought about what it would be like to be the subject of something like this," says Mignola. "It's overwhelmingly nice to hear people you barely know say really nice things about you. I honestly cannot imagine what it will be like to see this thing when it's done."
This documentary is directed by Jim Demonakos and Kevin Hanna, who are currently boiling down over 80+ hours of footage into a tight feature film that they say will "celebrate Mignola's legacy with style."
Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters is scheduled to debut by April 2022 on Blu-Ray and digital platforms.
Of course Hellboy is one of our top comic book superheroes outside of Marvel and DC.
