Hellboy

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This article is about the fictional comic book character. For other uses, see Hellboy (disambiguation).
Hellboy
Hellboy The Wolves of St August.jpg
Hellboy, by Mike Mignola.
Publication information
Publisher Dark Horse Comics
First appearance San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (Aug. 1993)
Created by Mike Mignola
In-story information
Alter ego Anung un Rama
Place of origin West Bromwich, UK
Team affiliations B.P.R.D.
Notable aliases World Destroyer, Great Beast, Beast of the Apocalypse, Right Hand of Doom, Son of the Fallen One, Brother Red, Red
Abilities

Hellboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (Aug. 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers. The character has been adapted into two live-action feature films in 2004 and 2008 that starred Ron Perlman in the title role, and two straight-to-DVD animated films, as well as two video games – Asylum Seeker and The Science of Evil.

A well-meaning demon whose true name is Anung Un Rama ("and upon his brow is set a crown of flame"), Hellboy was summoned from Hell to Earth as an infant on December 23, 1944 (given as his birth date by Mike Mignola[1]) by Nazi occultists (spawning his hatred for them). He was discovered by the Allied Forces; amongst them, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who formed the United States Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). In time Hellboy grew to be a large, red-skinned demon with a tail, horns (which he files off, leaving behind the signature circular stumps on his forehead), cloven hooves for feet, and an oversized right hand made of stone. He has been described as smelling of dry-roasted peanuts. Although a bit gruff, he shows none of the malevolence thought to be intrinsic to demons, has a strong sense of humor and works with other strange creatures in the BPRD. This is said to be because of his upbringing under Professor Bruttenholm, who raised him as a normal boy.

Hellboy works for the BPRD, an international non-governmental agency, and himself against dark forces including Nazis and Baba Yaga, in a series of tales that have their roots in folklore, pulp magazines, vintage adventure, Lovecraftian horror and horror fiction. In earlier stories, he is identified as the "World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator."

Contents

Fictional character biography [edit]

Hellboy is a creature, summoned in the final months of World War II by Grigori Rasputin on Tarmagant Island, off the coast of Scotland, having been commissioned by the Nazis to change the tide of war ("Project Ragna Rok"). As a direct result of this ritual, he appears on Earth in a fireball in a ruined church in East Bromwich, England, on December 23, 1944. Proving not to be a devil, in the traditional sense, but a devil-like creature with red skin, horns, a tail, and a disproportionately large right hand made of red stone, he is dubbed "Hellboy" by Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm.[2]

Taken by the United States armed forces to an Air Force base in New Mexico, Hellboy is raised by the United States Army and by the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), a private organization dedicated to combating occult threats. However, it is not until he eats his first human meal (a meal of pancakes) that he is forever bound to the mortal world.

As an adult, Hellboy becomes the primary agent for the BPRD, alongside other human and quasi-human agents that include Kate Corrigan, a professor of folklore at New York University; Abe Sapien, an amphibian humanoid (Ichthyo sapien); Liz Sherman, a young girl pyrokinetic; Roger, an unusually large homunculus; Johann Kraus, the spirit of a medium kept in a containment suit; and Captain Ben Daimio, a special operations man with occult experiences. The latter two have not met Hellboy due to Hellboy's resignation from the Bureau.

During a visit to Bromwich Church (the place of his "birth"), Hellboy learns he had been conceived 300 years ago by a witch, Sarah Hughes, and a demon Prince of Sheol. At this time, Hellboy had not existed as a baby in the "real" world; the prince's "favorite son" was considered to be "a power waiting to be born." Hellboy's "mother" also had children: a nun and a priest who would later haunt the church, dying in an attempt to stop the demon from claiming Hughes in her coffin. This origin indicates that Hellboy is, in fact, half-human.

A later, but possibly unreliable account gives the name of the demon as Azzael, and of the witch as Sarah Hughes. The spirit of Morgana le Fay claims that Hughes was her descendant; if this is true, it means that Hellboy is the last living heir to Arthur Pendragon and the rightful king of England.[3] Hellboy has since drawn the sword Excalibur, claiming his position, albeit without much conviction.

Hellboy was granted "honorary human" status by the United Nations in 1952, and is known as the "world's greatest paranormal investigator". As such, he interacts regularly with humans, primarily law enforcement officials, the military, and various "scholars of the weird", most of whom are not presented as overtly reacting to his strange appearance.

Much like other comic book superheroes such as Batman, Wolverine, Daredevil, and Spawn, Hellboy is constantly tormented by the knowledge of his past. In one issue, he says of his past, "I like not knowing. I've gotten by for fifty-two years without knowing. I sleep good not knowing."

Powers and abilities [edit]

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Hellboy's powers are his superhuman strength, healing factor, and endurance. He also has the innate ability to comprehend ancient and magical languages. The extent of his strength is unclear, but he has torn down a large tree and hurled it at an opponent and has lifted massive stones. He has also picked up and thrown opponents weighing at least four to five hundred pounds. Hellboy has a high degree of resilience to injury. He can withstand powerful blows that would severely injure or kill a human. He survived being shot many times in the chest with an MG 42 machine gun before destroying it.[4] He has survived being impaled through the chest with a sword, drowning, severe werewolf mauling, being beaten unconscious with heavy iron tongs, falling from extreme heights, being crushed by boulders, and more. In the film version it is stated that Hellboy is immune to all forms of fire and burns, including Liz Sherman's flames, and electrocution. Despite his ability to quickly recover from seemingly mortal wounds, he is far from invulnerable, and can be injured or bloodied by conventional weapons. It is revealed to the Baba Yaga by the dead Russian nobility that Hellboy may not be slain even through supernatural means and that he appears to be as deathless as her warrior, Koshchei the Deathless.[5]

Hellboy ages very differently from humans. In the story Pancakes he is two years old but appears to be somewhere between 6 and 10 human years old. In Nature of the Beast, set in 1954, the ten-year-old Hellboy appears fully grown. His rapid physical maturation is in contrast to his actual rate of aging however, which seems to be much slower than humans. Throughout the sixty-year span of the comics he does not age beyond the plateau of physical maturity. This mystical aging process is similar to the other demons and supernatural beings that populate Hellboy's world. The lifespan of a Demon or Half-demon (Hellboy's mother was supposedly a human witch) are left undefined within the comics, and seem to range from decades to many thousands of years.

In addition to his natural physical abilities, Hellboy carries a variety of items in his utility belt and jacket that can be used against various supernatural forces. He has been known to carry holy relics, horseshoes, various herbs, and hand grenades. Though he commonly carries an oversized revolver, Hellboy freely admits to being a lousy shot and often fights hand-to-hand, preferring to use short-ranged physical weapons like swords, spears, and his massive stone fist over firearms.

Hellboy's ultimate power lies dormant within his giant, stone hand. (See below)

Right Hand of Doom [edit]

As revealed in the graphic novel collection Strange Places, the Right Hand of Doom was formerly the right hand of Anum, one of the "greater spirits" that watched over the burgeoning Earth, and the hand the spirit used to create the dragon Ogdru Jahad. With that same hand, he bound the dragon, but then his fellow spirits turned upon him for his deeds, and destroyed him utterly – save for his right hand, which was kept and preserved by many races throughout history, including the first race of man. As the hand which created and bound the Ogdru Jahad, it is also the key which will "loose and command" them; in other words, it is a catalyst that will bring about Ragnarok. The comic books themselves never mention how the Right Hand of Doom would actually perform these tasks; it is only ever announced that this is the case and that someone or something intends to do it with or without Hellboy's consent. The film shows it working like a key: being turned twice in a special obelisk secured by Rasputin would release the Ogdru Jahad. It is made clear that it is not necessary for the arm to be attached to Hellboy to perform its duties. It has been suggested that if Hellboy dies while the Hand is attached to him, it would become useless. He has therefore concluded that the only way to prevent its falling into the wrong hands is to keep and protect it.

Publication history [edit]

See also: List of Hellboy comics

Before Hellboy was published independently at Dark Horse Comics, the concept was initially pitched to a board of directors for DC Comics, who loved it, but did not like the idea of it involving "hell".[6]

The early stories were conceived and drawn by Mignola with a script written by John Byrne and some later stories have been crafted by creators other than Mignola, including Christopher Golden, Guy Davis, Ryan Sook, and Duncan Fegredo. The increasing commitments from the Hellboy franchise meant that the 2008 one-shot In the Chapel of Moloch was the first Hellboy comic Mignola had provided the script and art for since The Island in 2005.[7]

Issues [edit]

Hellboy has an internal numbering on the inside cover of its issues. Below are the stories listed by their internal numbering for the comics.

Issue Title Story Art Colors Cover Collection Notes
#1 Seed of Destruction #1 Mike Mignola (story)
John Byrne (script)		 Mike Mignola Mark Chiarello Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: Seed of Destruction
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 1
#2 Seed of Destruction #2
#3 Seed of Destruction #3
#4 Seed of Destruction #4
#5 The Wolves of Saint August Mike Mignola Mike Mignola James Sinclair Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 2
 The Wolves of Saint August originally
appeared in Dark Horse Presents. It is
reprinted and expanded here.
#6 The Corpse and the Iron Shoes Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Matthew Hollingsworth
and James Sinclair		 Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 2
 The Corpse originally appeared in the
Advance Comics catalog. It is reprinted here.
#7 Wake the Devil #1 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola James Sinclair Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: Wake the Devil
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 1
#8 Wake the Devil #2
#9 Wake the Devil #3
#10 Wake the Devil #4
#11 Wake the Devil #5
#12 Almost Colossus #1 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola James Sinclair Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 2
#13 Almost Colossus #2
#14 A Christmas Underground
(in the Hellboy Christmas Special)		 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Dave Stewart Gary Gianni
  • Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 2
 This was a one-shot anthology featuring
the work of Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni
and Steve Purcell.
#15 Box Full of Evil #1 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Right Hand of Doom
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 2
#16 Box Full of Evil #2
#17 Conqueror Worm #1 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: Conqueror Worm
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 3
#18 Conqueror Worm #2
#19 Conqueror Worm #3
#20 Conqueror Worm #4
#21 The Third Wish #1 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: Strange Places
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 3
#22 The Third Wish #2
#23 The Island #1 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: Strange Places
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 3
#24 The Island #2
#25 Makoma #1 Mike Mignola Richard Corben
with Mike Mignola		 Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Troll Witch
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 4
#26 Makoma #2 Richard Corben
#27 Darkness Calls #1 Mike Mignola Duncan Fegredo Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: Darkness Calls
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 5
#28 Darkness Calls #2
#29 Darkness Calls #3
#30 Darkness Calls #4
#31 Darkness Calls #5
#32 Darkness Calls #6
#33 The Crooked Man #1 Mike Mignola Richard Corben Dave Stewart Richard Corben
  • Hellboy: The Crooked Man and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 4
#34 The Crooked Man #2
#35 The Crooked Man #3
#36 In the Chapel of Moloch Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Crooked Man and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 4
#37 The Wild Hunt #1 Mike Mignola Duncan Fegredo Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Wild Hunt
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 5
#38 The Wild Hunt #2 Features How Koshchei Became Deathless backup
Story by Mike Mignola with art by Guy Davis
Not yet collected
#39 The Wild Hunt #3
#40 The Wild Hunt #4 Features Baba Yaga's Feast backup
Story by Mike Mignola with art by Guy Davis
Not yet collected
#41 The Wild Hunt #5 Features a MonsterMen backup
By Gary Gianni
Not a part of the Hellboy Universe
#42 The Wild Hunt #6
#43 The Wild Hunt #7 Features The Burial of Katharine Baker backup
Story by Scott Allie with art by Patric Reynolds
Collected in Witchfinder: In the Service of Angels
#44 The Wild Hunt #8
#45 The Bride of Hell Mike Mignola Richard Corben Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Bride of Hell and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 6
#46 Hellboy in Mexico Mike Mignola Richard Corben Dave Stewart Richard Corben
Mike Mignola (variant)
  • Hellboy: The Bride of Hell and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 6
#47 The Storm #1 Mike Mignola Duncan Fegredo Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
  • Hellboy: The Storm and the Fury
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 6
#48 The Storm #2
#49 The Storm #3
#50 Double Feature of Evil Mike Mignola Richard Corben Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
Richard Corben (variant)
  • Hellboy: The Bride of Hell and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 6
#51 The Sleeping and the Dead #1 Mike Mignola Scott Hampton Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
Scott Hampton (variant)
  • Hellboy: The Storm and the Fury
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 6
#52 The Sleeping and the Dead #2 Mike Mignola
#53 Buster Oakley Gets His Wish Mike Mignola Kevin Nowlan Kevin Nowlan
Dave Stewart (variant cover)		 Kevin Nowlan
Mike Mignola (variant)
  • Hellboy: The Bride of Hell and Others
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 6
#54 Being Human Mike Mignola Richard Corben Dave Stewart Richard Corben
  • B.P.R.D.: Being Human
#55 The Fury #1 Mike Mignola Duncan Fegredo Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
Francesco Francavilla (variant)
  • Hellboy: The Storm and the Fury
  • Hellboy Library Edition - Volume 6
#56 The Fury #2 Mike Mignola
#57 The Fury #3

Hellboy in Hell is an ongoing series with its own numbering.

Issue Story Art Colors Cover Collection Notes
#1 Mike Mignola Mike Mignola Dave Stewart Mike Mignola
#2
#3
#4

Trade Paperbacks [edit]

All in-continuity Hellboy comics are collected in trade paperbacks.

Number Title Collects Published ISBN
1 Seed of Destruction
  • Seed of Destruction
    (4-issue miniseries)
  • Mike Mignola's Hellboy
    (promo from San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2)
  • Mike Mignola's Hellboy:
    World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator
    (promo from Comics Buyer's Guide #1070)
 Original Cover:
1st October 1994		 978-1-56971-316-7
Hardcover Limited Edition:
1st March 1995		 978-1-56971-051-7
Standardized cover:
4th February 2004		 978-1-59307-094-6
2 Wake the Devil
  • Wake the Devil
    (5-issue miniseries)
 Original Cover:
11th June 1997		 978-1-56971-226-9
Standardized cover:
4th February 2004		 978-1-59307-095-3
3 The Chained Coffin and Others Original Cover:
5th August 1998		 978-1-56971-349-5
Standardized cover:
4th February 2004		 978-1-59307-091-5
4 The Right Hand of Doom
  • Pancakes
    (short story)
  • The Nature of the Beast
    (from Dark Horse Presents #151)
  • King Vold
    (short story)
  • Heads
    (short story)
  • Goodbye, Mister Tod
    (short story)
  • The Vârcolac
    (serialized short)
  • The Right Hand of Doom
    (short story)
  • Box Full of Evil
    (2-issue miniseries)
 Original Cover:
26th April 2000		 978-1-56971-489-8
Standardized cover:
4th February 2004		 978-1-59307-093-9
5 Conqueror Worm
  • Conqueror Worm
    (4-issue miniseries)
 Original Cover:
27th February 2002		 978-1-56971-699-1
Standardized cover:
4th February 2004		 978-1-59307-092-2
6 Strange Places
  • The Third Wish
    (2-issue miniseries)
  • The Island
    (2-issue miniseries)
 26th April 2006 978-1-59307-475-3
7 The Troll Witch and Others
  • The Penanggalan
    (short story)
  • The Hydra and The Lion
    (short story)
  • The Troll-Witch
    (short story)
  • Dr. Carp's Experiment
    (short story)
  • The Ghoul
    (short story)
  • The Vampire of Prague
    (short story)
  • Makoma
    (2-issue miniseries)
 3rd October 2007 978-1-59307-860-7
8 Darkness Calls
  • Darkness Calls
    (6-issue miniseries)
 16th May 2008 978-1-59307-896-6
9 The Wild Hunt
  • The Wild Hunt
    (8-issue miniseries)
 10th March 2010 978-1-59582-431-8
10 The Crooked Man and Others
  • The Crooked Man
    (3-issue miniseries)
  • They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships
    (one shot)
  • In the Chapel of Moloch
    (one shot)
  • The Mole
    (short story)
 9th June 2010 978-1-59582-477-6
11 The Bride of Hell and Others
  • Hellboy in Mexico
    (one shot)
  • Double Feature of Evil
    (one shot)
  • The Sleeping and the Dead
    (2-issue miniseries)
  • The Bride of Hell
    (one shot)
  • The Whittier Legacy
    (short story)
  • Buster Oakley Gets His Wish
    (one shot)
 5th October 2011 978-1-59582-740-1
12 The Storm and the Fury
  • The Storm
    (3-issue miniseries)
  • The Fury
    (3-issue miniseries)
 7th March 2012 978-1-59582-827-9

Library Editions [edit]

These editions collect the stories in the size they're originally drawn at.

Volume Collects Published ISBN
1
  • Seed of Destruction
  • Wake the Devil
 7th May 2008 978-1-59307-910-9
2
  • The Chained Coffin and Others
  • The Right Hand of Doom
 8th October 2008 978-1-59307-989-5
3
  • Conqueror Worm
  • Strange Places
 23rd September 2009 978-1-59582-352-6
4
  • The Crooked Man and Others
  • The Troll Witch and Others
 15th June 2011 978-1-59582-658-9
5
  • Darkness Calls
  • The Wild Hunt
 11th July 2012 978-1-59582-886-6
6
  • The Storm and the Fury
  • The Bride of Hell and Others
 12th June 2013 978-1-61655-133-9

Other Trade Paperbacks [edit]

Notable Appearances [edit]

Beyond the Hellboy comic and its associated spin-offs, Hellboy has made appearances in other publications:

Great Salt Lake Comic-Con pamphlet [edit]

The character name "Hellboy" was included in a drawing by Mike Mignola of a demon character in a black and white illustration. This image, accompanied by a short biography of Mike Mignola and his latest creation, appeared in the pamphlet in 1991, therefore making it his first published appearance. It was reprinted in The Art of Hellboy.

Dime Press [edit]

A prototype incarnation of Hellboy appeared on the cover of Dime Press #4 (Glamour International Production, 1993), an obscure Italian fanzine, with "Hellboy©Mignola 93" written at the bottom of the cover. The cover, illustrated by Mignola and by the Italian artist Nicola Mari, show Hellboy in the act of attacking a "diabolic" version of the Italian SF comic book character Nathan Never (with bat wings and pointed tail). Mari at the time was one of the artist that work for Nathan Never, and the first two years of life of this comic were the main topic of the fanzine. With the exception of the cover, there is no other mention of Hellboy within the fanzine. The character shown was still in a draft stage, and although close to the final design of Hellboy, it had gray skin and an outfit not common to the character.

San Diego Comic-Con Comics [edit]

Mike Mignola's Hellboy by Mike Mignola and John Byrne featured the character's first full appearance, and was a four-page black-and-white story that had an approximately 1,500 book print run. It was published by Dark Horse Comics in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (August 1993) for distribution at the San Diego Comic-Con fan convention held in San Diego, California.[8]

Hellboy travels to an American ghost town, where he encounters a mangy mutt that transforms into Anubis, the Ancient Egyptian god of mummification.[9]

The story was collected in the trade paperback Hellboy: Seed of Destruction.[10]

Next Men [edit]

Hellboy makes a guest appearance in John Byrne's Next Men #21; this is the first American appearance in a full color cameo.

Comics Buyer's Guide [edit]

Mike Mignola's Hellboy: World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator by Mike Mignola and John Byrne featured the character's next solo appearance. It was published by Dark Horse Comics in a special four-page mini-comic for distribution in Comics Buyer's Guide #1,070 (May 20, 1994).[11]

In the story Hellboy battles with the disembodied head of Nazi scientist Herman von Klempt and his puppet henchman Brutus the Gorilla to rescue a captive girl from the doctor's transference of nutrient fluids process.[9]

The story was collected in the trade paperback Hellboy: Seed of Destruction.[10]

Celebrate Diversity [edit]

Hi, My Name is Hellboy by Mike Mignola was a one-page panel ad that related the characters fictional origins. It was published by Diamond Comic Distributors in ca(Collector's Edition) | accessdate=2009-02-21 | work=Hellboy.com}}[dead link]</ref> The ad was collected in the trade paperback The Art of Hellboy.

In other media [edit]

Film [edit]

Hellboy [edit]

Main article: Hellboy (film)

Guillermo del Toro co-wrote and directed a Hellboy feature film in 2004, sharing the credit with the original screenwriter Peter Briggs following Writers Guild of America arbitration.[12] Del Toro, a fan of Mike Mignola's work, had previously written the preface to Hellboy: Conqueror Worm.

The film starred Ron Perlman as Hellboy (the favorite of both del Toro and Mignola for the role), Selma Blair as Liz Sherman, Rupert Evans as FBI Special Agent John Myers (a character created for the film), John Hurt as Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, Doug Jones as Abe Sapien (voiced by an uncredited David Hyde Pierce), Karel Roden as Grigori Rasputin, and Jeffrey Tambor as FBI Senior Special Agent Tom Manning. The film depicts Hellboy as living at the BPRD with a dozen cats and limited access to the outside world, and considered an urban legend by the general populace.

The film received generally positive reviews, and a fair performance at the box office. However, the film debuted in theaters while The Passion of the Christ was still playing, and, according to del Toro's DVD commentary, some theaters would re-title the film on their signs, or outright refuse to play it to avoid running a "devil" movie against Passion.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army [edit]

Main article: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

A sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was shot in Budapest by Guillermo del Toro, and features the returning talents of Perlman and Blair.[13] Jones also returned not only in the role as Abe Sapien (undubbed this time), but in two other roles: The Angel of Death and The Chamberlain.[14] Revolution Studios had planned on making the film (which Columbia Pictures was to distribute), but the studio went out of business before filming. Universal Studios then picked it up. The plot is a shift to more folklore rather than action, with heavy European overtones. The character of Johann Krauss was added to the team, voiced by Seth MacFarlane. The character Roger the Homunculus was not, but he was written into the plot as a very prominent character in early drafts of the script (Roger can be seen as a lifeless statue in the background BPRD hallway shot in both the first and second films). The character of Agent Myers from the first film does not return, his absence being explained by Liz remarking that Hellboy had him transferred to Antarctica out of jealousy. Hellboy also reveals himself to the outside world in this film, and Liz is revealed to be pregnant with his children, twins. On November 11, 2008, Hellboy II: The Golden Army was released on DVD.

Animation [edit]

Main article: Hellboy Animated

On November 9, 2005, IDT Entertainment issued a press release[15] announcing that the company had licensed the rights to develop "animated content for television and home entertainment" based on the Hellboy comic. Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Selma Blair (Liz Sherman), Doug Jones (Abe Sapien), and John Hurt (Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm) have all voiced their respective characters. Actress Peri Gilpin joined the cast as Professor Kate Corrigan.

The first two 75-minute animated movies, Sword of Storms and Blood and Iron, were aired on Cartoon Network before being released on DVD. The first one aired October 28, 2006, and the second aired March 17, 2007.

Both stories have much more in common with the comic book Hellboy rather than the film - Abe Sapien is not psychic, for example, and the artwork and color palette is derived more closely to Mignola's original artwork. The DVD of Sword of Storms was released on February 6, 2007; it contains documentary material commentary and a Hellboy comic, "Phantom Limbs". Blood and Iron similarly contains a comic called "The Yearning".

After the initial release, some stores included exclusive giveaways with copies of the Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron DVD:

A "Hellboy 2 Pak" limited edition DVD set was released July 1, 2008, that contained both films and a 7" figure.

A third animated Hellboy film, The Phantom Claw, has been put on hold. Tad Stones, director and writer of the direct-to-video movies, says the film will star Lobster Johnson and will have some familiar characters, but Abe and Liz will not be in the film (at least not as main characters).

Novels and anthologies [edit]

Christopher Golden has written several novels about the character, the first two of which, The Lost Army and The Bones of Giants, are part of the official Hellboy story canon. The events of both these novels are listed in the comic's official timeline featured in Hellboy: The Companion. In particular, the Golden-penned character of Anastasia Bransfield was also described in the companion, despite having never actually appeared in a comic.

Video games [edit]

A Hellboy video game called Hellboy: Dogs of the Night,Hellboy: Asylum Seeker was released for the PC and the PlayStation, by Cryo Interactive/DreamCatcher Interactive Inc. It has no relation to the movie series.

On April 6, 2005, Hellboy movie director Guillermo del Toro announced on his official site[16] that he had made a deal with developer Konami to create a new Hellboy videogame based on the movie version of the character and his world, featuring new monsters, new villains, and a new storyline. Herman von Klempt and his war ape Kriegaffe #10 are slated to make appearances.

On May 9, 2006, it was revealed that the Hellboy game would appear in the summer of 2007, on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Portable. The game was released in North America on June 24, 2008 with the name Hellboy: The Science of Evil. It is developed by Krome Studios, and published by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. As well as single player campaign where the player gets to play as Hellboy the game also features co-op play, featuring the characters Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Lobster Johnson.

A Hellboy video game called Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Tooth Fairy Terror was released for the iPhone by Tuesday Creative on January 14, 2009.

Role-playing game [edit]

The Hellboy Sourcebook and Role Playing Game, based on the GURPS role-playing game system, was published by Steve Jackson Games in August 2002.

HeroClix [edit]

Hellboy is featured in WizKids' Indy HeroClix line with several different booster packs. He also has his own HeroClix/HorrorClix cross-line collector's set called Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.

Card game [edit]

Hellboy was also part of Upper Deck's VS System card game as the first non-Marvel Comics or DC Comics character.[17]

Appearances in popular culture [edit]

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  • Hellboy appears as a "borrowed character" in author Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula series, specifically in the novella Andy Warhol's Dracula (2004) where he joins the ranks of Blade, Shaft, Travis Bickle, the Punisher, Paul Kersey, Scooby-Doo, and Shaggy in hunting down Johnny Pop, a vampire drug dealer.[18]
  • Hellboy makes a one-panel cameo appearance during a hallucination sequence in Frank Miller's Sin City: Hell and Back.
  • Hellboy made a cameo as a trick or treater in the last page of the Sam & Max story "Belly of the Beast".
  • Hellboy also appears in an issue of Eric Powell's Eisner Award-winning series The Goon.[19]
  • Hellboy made a one-panel cameo appearance, along with several other borrowed characters, in the Shi/Cyblade crossover The Battle for Independents from Image Comics.
  • Hellboy appeared in Madman Comics #5 (January 1995).
  • Abe Sapien, a popular character from Hellboy, appears in John Byrne's Babe 2 #2.
  • In Kevin Smith's film Dogma (1999), one of the Stygian Triplets is seen wearing a Hellboy t-shirt.
  • In one of the ending themes for Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, the animation and graphic style is the same one used in the Hellboy comic books.
  • A large poster of Hellboy appears in a comic shop in the 2010 movie Kick-Ass.[20]
  • Hellboy makes somewhat of a cameo in the fifth volume of Requiem Chevalier Vampire, as a number of servants bear a striking resemblance to him.[21]
  • Hellboy appeared in the Mad episode "Garfield of Dreams / I Hate My Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" voiced by Fred Tatasciore, where he advertises his magical Left Hand of Doom which can solve all lefty problems.
  • An action figure heavily resembling Hellboy can be seen on the teenagers nightstand in the Justice League Unlimited Episode: "Wake The Dead."

Awards [edit]

The miniseries Hellboy: Conqueror Worm won a 2002 Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", while The Art of Hellboy won an Eisner in 2004 for "Best Comics-Related Book". Mignola won a 2000 Harvey Award for "Best Artist", based on Hellboy: Box Full of Evil. Hellboy: Darkness Calls won a 2007 Eagle Award for "Favourite Colour Comicbook — American".

The character Hellboy was nominated for "Favourite Comics Character" at the 2004 and 2005 Eagle Awards. Other Eagle Award nominations include "Favourite Comics Story published during 2007" for Hellboy: Darkness Calls, and "Favourite Comics Hero".

Acclaimed comics writer Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Watchmen) listed Hellboy on his recommendations page, particularly Wake the Devil (Vol. 2), calling it "the skillful cutting and the setting of the stone that we can see Mignola's sharp contemporary sensibilities at work".[22]

In March 2009, the Dark Horse Comics character, Hellboy, won two categories in the fan voted Project Fanboy Awards for 2008: "Best Indy Hero" and "Best Indy Character".[23]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Mike Mignola Exclusive Hellboy Fury Print at The Comic Bug!". Retrieved 2011-10-06. 
  2. ^ Hellboy. (2004)
  3. ^ Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #6
  4. ^ The Lost Army
  5. ^ Hellboy: Darkness Calls
  6. ^ "Hellboy II: The Golden Army". Bam! Kapow!. Retrieved 2011-02-12. 
  7. ^ "Going to the Chapel: Mignola Returns to Drawing Hellboy". Comic Book Resources. October 27, 2008. 
  8. ^ "San Diego Comic Con Comics #2". Hellboy.com. Retrieved 2009-02-21. [dead link]
  9. ^ a b Mignola, Mike (2004). Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 978-1-59307-094-6. 
  10. ^ a b "Hellboy: Seed of Destruction". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2009-02-21. 
  11. ^ "Mike Mignola's Hellboy: World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator". Hellboy.com. Retrieved 2009-02-21. [dead link]
  12. ^ Peter Briggs interview - TVNZ's 'Good Morning' on YouTube
  13. ^ "Universal Pictures Picks Up Hellboy 2". [dead link]
  14. ^ "Start Date for Hellboy 2 Confirmed". IGN. March 20, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-02. 
  15. ^ "IDT Entertainment Licenses Animation Rights to Hellboy From Revolution Studios". IDT Corporation. November 9, 2005. 
  16. ^ "Del Toro Films - Guillermo Del Toro Fansite". 
  17. ^ Arune Singh (May 10, 2006). "Hellboy Joins Upper Deck's "Vs" Gaming System". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 9, 2011. 
  18. ^ Graeme McMillan (December 26, 2008). "Just How Is Everything Connected?". io9. Retrieved July 8, 2011. 
  19. ^ Joey Esposito (January 20, 2010). "The Goon Goes Digital + Buzzard Gets a Series". Crave Online. Retrieved July 9, 2011. 
  20. ^ Ryan K Lindsay (May 3, 2010). "Kick-Ass - Movie Review". The Weekly Crisis. Retrieved July 8, 2011. 
  21. ^ (French) Laurent Deneuve. "Dragon Blitz". ActuSF. Retrieved July 8, 2011. 
  22. ^ Alan Moore Recommends[dead link]
  23. ^ "Project Fanboy Award Winners". 

External links [edit]

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