Mike Mignola

Michael Joseph "Mike" Mignola (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.

Mignola was born in Berkeley, California. He began his career in 1980 by illustrating spots in the Comic Reader. His first published piece was in the Comic Reader #183, a spot illustration of Red Sonja (pg. 9). His first published front cover was the Comic Reader #196; Dominic Fortune, the Spirit, and Doc Savage in November 1981. In 1982 he graduated from the California College of the Arts with a BFA in Illustration. In 1983 he worked on inking at Marvel Comics, working on Daredevil and Power Man & Iron Fist for Marvel Comics, and later worked on titles such as The Incredible Hulk, Alpha Flight and the Rocket Raccoon limited-series.

Mignola drew covers for several Batman stories, inluding Batman: A Death in the Family and Dark Knight, Dark City. Through the early 1990s Mignola worked on covers and backup features for various DC and Marvel comics.

Until 1994 Mignola had illustrated the work of others. In 1994 he illustrated his own work, his first Hellboy story, The Seed of Destruction, scripted by John Byrne, and published by Dark Horse Comics, followed by further stories, with associated merchandise. The Hellboy story Wolves of St. August and most later stories were scripted by Mignola, though other writers and artists have also worked on the character. All major story arcs were drawn by Mike Mignola, but in 2007 artist Duncan Fegredo took over drawing, with Mignola remaining on as writer and cover artist. He also writes the spin-off BPRD with John Arcudi, drawn by Guy Davis with Mignola as cover artist. The 2008 one-shot In the Chapel of Moloch was the first Hellboy comic he provided the script and art for since The Island in 2005.

Mignola's style was called "German expressionism meets Jack Kirby" by Alan Moore, in an introduction to a collection of Mignola's Hellboy works. His style has also been likened to an amalgamation of Jack Kirby and Alex Toth.

source: www.artofmikemignola.com