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BY DAVID SERVER |
David Server recently talked with the creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola:
CD: So whats it like having all these artists and effects people
and actors and actresses all rallying around what started as just
a fun way to tell your kinds of stories?
MM: Its the weirdest thing in my entire life. Its so strange and it
keeps getting stranger. It was very weird the first time I got a call
from the office in Los Angeles, and it was someone calling saying, Hi,
Im from the Hellboy office. And I was like, What the hell does that mean?! And
then, working in that office was strange, but it was a small office,
and just a few people, and it was getting bigger, and there was an effects
workshop. So it kept getting weirder, and heres Ron Perlman youre hanging
around with, whos playing Hellboy, and thats strange, and I
just had the experience of going over to Prague, where its a bigger
office, and its more real, and theres actually bigger workshops, where
guys arewelding things, and making fake knives, and theres a room full
of people doing drafting things, designing headquarters and hallways
and measuring things, and theres a room where props are stacking up
and theres Ron Perlmans screen test as Hellboy, so yeah. Its pretty
damn weird.
CD: Was it at all weird having all these different artists interpreting
and tweaking the designs of your characters?
MM: Yeah, yeah yknow its very strange, its strange that I was reinterpreting
Hellboy. I mean I was one of those artists changing Mike Mignolas concepts.
So one of the first things I did in the office was do some modifications,
so additional designs to Hellboys hand, and some markings on Hellboy,
so I was changing my character. But I mean, its very strange but you
get used to that. Its strange what you get used to. It just becomes
your new reality. But its possible for me to view the two things as
apples and oranges. You have Hellboy the comic over here, and Hellboy
the movie over there. The strangest things are when there are similarities.
Like when youre going through the screenplay and seeing things in the
screenplay that are specifically from the comic. Thats much stranger
than seeing something completely different. When its different you go, Oh
good! Its this other parallel movie. Its like working on Blade II. But
when its the same, it slaps you in the face and its like, Holy crap!
Its a movie based on my thing!
CD: What are some of the visual changes that have been made to your
original vision in order to accommodate a big screen adaptation of
the comic? I hear Abe has a spiffy new look that you had a hand in,
and you told Reveal Magazine that you seem to be a pretty big fan of
the new baddie that Wayne Barlowe concocted
MM: Hellboy is probably as close to the comic as he can be, and still
work on film. Abe is quite a bit different, and the fact that Wayne Barlowe
designed the creature makes it a very different thing. Its a different
thing, because the comic is my vision, the film is Guillermo del Toros
vision, so we see eye to eye 95% of the time. But there are things where
hell say, It will work better on the screen if its this. And in those
cases, in all cases, I defer to him. If hes changing something, he has
a reason, hes not just saying, Eh, I never liked the way you did this,
Im gonna do it differently. Hell just say, this is nice in the comic
because it stays simple and graphic, but on film we need more. We needmore
things on it. And Im very comfortable with that. He knows how to make
movies, and on a good day I know how to make comics. Im very happy to
defer to him when it comes to film.
CD: Are there any one visual changes from the film that is either
a drastic re-imagination or totally new concept from the books that
you really like and wish you had done first?
MM: Actually theres some things on Hellboy that I kind of go, Wow
thats really good. At first when I was asked to make some certain changes
on Hellboy, I said I dont know, and having done them, I thought, Wow,
thats pretty cool. But theres some nice stuff there. As far as things
being better than the comic, I think story-wise more stuff I think, Wow,
I wish Id thought of that. Its kind of a wonderful opportunity for
del Toro and I to go back and say, hey, yknow what would have been
better this. And I really got into the spirit of that really quickly.
I mean hed been writing the screenplay off and on for about five years,
and when I finally started paying real serious attention to it as the
movie got more real, and going in there and seeing what he had done and
what changes he had made, and the emotional depth that wasnt in the
comic, that stuff Im very happy with.
CD: Yeah, youve mentioned how you really liked how the father and
son relationship between Professor Bruttenholm and Hellboy is played
up much stronger in the script than in the original books
MM: Beautiful. Its wonderful and it was only hinted as maybe for like
2 panels in the comic, but its really the heart of the movie and I think
its the best thing in the film. The relationships between Hellboy and
Liz, and Hellboy and Bruttenholm, but Hellboy and Bruttenholm is really
to me the thing I love the most in the movie.
CD: What do you think of the various casting choices, like Selma Blair
as Liz? Did you have any involvement in the casting process after it
was settled that Ron would play Hellboy?
MM: I have never really given any casting any thought, because I never
took this thing that seriously, because every time there was talk of
a movie, Id say, yeah, thats great. I sure hope that happens. And
other than thinking of Perlman being perfect for Hellboy, I never really
though of anyone else. Selma, I figure is gonna be great. I dont know
how del Toro came up with her, but I think its a great choice, I couldnt
be more happy.
CD: Have you seen her in costume yet?
MM: No, Ive only met her once, I think the day she was just first being
considered, I dont think she even had the job yet. She was great. And
Ive always liked her in stuff, and I dont think Ive ever seen hercertainly
Ive never seen her with as weird a part as in this, and I think it should
be great.
CD: What about Karel Roden as Rasputin?
MM: Now him Ive met a couple times, and Im sure hes a very nice guy,
he was very nice when I met himI find him very frightening. (laughs)
Hes a very good Rasputin. Its funny, cause I went back and watched
Blade II, and he plays such a mild character in Blade II. But you meet
this guy and you look at this guy and you think, Man youre only an
inch away from Rasputin, I mean I can see him in that guy. I think hell
be amazing.
CD: Sweet. So how is set construction
MM: You left out John Hurt!
CD: Oh, heh, sorry. What about John Hurt as Professor Bruttenholm?
MM: Beyond my *wildest* expectations. Thats kind of it as far as the
casting that Im aware of, but when he said John Hurt was going to do
it, I was bowled over.
CD: Have you seen any of Doug Jones stuff as Abe yet?
MM: Ive only seen some costume/makeup test things, so I am completely
unfamiliar with his work.
CD: How are the final days of preproduction/set construction coming
along in Prague? Are you and Guillermo excited with production
coming up so soon? It sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun.
MM: I was only there for about 2 and a half weeks, but things still
seem to be going amazingly smoothly, and from what Ive gathered, everybody
is kind of amazed at how smooth things are going. I probably just jinxed
that by saying that, but Guillermo is extremely happy. Were very happy
with all the designs and the production stuff thats coming along. He
and I went through the screenplay one more time, and I think it just
got better and better and better, so everybodys very excited.
CD: Do you guys have a day set for the first day of shooting in March?
MM: Theres some little stuff thats gonna be shot, some little incidental
stuff thats going to be shot with extras over the next couple weeks,
but the day I have for reporting back to Prague to watch the beginning
of shooting is March 3rd.
CD: So for all of its cinematic adjustments, does it feel to you
like the movie is staying true to the spirit of your books?
MM: Yeah, very much. I mean, Ive never been one of those guys that
said, Its gotta be like the comic. First of all I never really believed
they were going to make a movie, so my feeling is, better that it work
as a movie that is radically different than the comic than as a failure
as a movie that is really faithful to the comic. And it turns out that
del Toro wanted to keep it as close to the comic, I mean he wanted to
keep it closer to the comic than I did. He felt that he wanted it to
be as close to the comic as possible, but also make it something that
worked as a movie. But I think its a great thing in between what I envisioned
as a movie, and what the comic is.
CD: Guillermo has said that your official role in the production
is Associate Producer, and that he wants you around for every stage
of production of the movie. What does your schedule look like over
the coming months in Prague during the shooting period?
MM: As it turns out, I didnt have very much to do the last time I was
in Prague. I was supposed to stay in Prague through this month. But as
visual consultant, I was kind of like a fifth wheel, because there wasnt
really that much for me to consult on. Things were being done, and pretty
much everything had been designed. I had seen the designs, and I had
put my two cents into just about everything, and now its up and running
and real movie people are doing what they do. As far as once we start
shooting, what does the associate producer/visual consultant do? I dont
know, I assume I sit next to him and go Weeeird! (laughs)
CD: With production coming up and all the final designs and makeup
effects more or less locked in place, what do you think of the Hellboy
and Abe makeup?
MM: I thought they were great. Its so hard, because you see this stuff
as test stuff, and its very hard to imagine it as a finished film. When
you see Ron dressed as Hellboy but hes in Rick Bakers shop, you go ..thats
nice. Thats weird. But to actually see it on film, even when they shoot
it itll be weird, but this is where I have to say, okay, the guy sitting
next to me is the guy who made Mimic, Blade II, and the Devils backbonethis
guy knows what hes doing. So, I assume all this stuff will work out
in the end.
CD: Any word on a release date yet, or still just Summer 2004?
MM: Summer 2004 is still as much as I know.
CD: Lets say Hellboy is a huge success, as Im sure it will be are
there any particular Hellboy stories or characters that you think might
seem like a cool way to follow up this first entry? I know personally
Id love to see Von Klempt and some of his apes
MM: I know Guillermo really likes Roger the Homunculus, he would really
like to bring Roger in. But I mean, meI have no idea.
CD: What about non-movie related Hellboy news this is a big year
for Hellboy in the comic book world! How are those various projects
coming along, especially The Art of Hellboy hardcover
MM: Its all going on without me! Which isvery weird. Its nice. Its
nice to see this thing kind of standing on its own two legs without me.
At the same time, this Art of Hellboy book is coming out, and its
kinda nice to have the best stuff youve done in the last 10 years collected
into a really nice book. So, I think that Im very happy with the way
its all going. Im thrilled with how much interest there has been on
the writer and artist end in this Hellboy Anthology book. And Ive made
a very conscious effort to be involved in that. I mean I really dont
know whos working on that book, other than a few things Ive seen, some
covers, and some suggestions Ive made, I want that book to be a surprise
to me. Because its kind of a big What If book, it doesnt have to
be cleared by me. Would Abe Sapien say this? Well, its not that kind
of a book. I want different people to do what they would do with those
characters. And I suspect some of the people will do something very close
to what I do, and some people will do something radically different,
so Im very excited about that. Im excited about this new BPRD one-shot
that seems to shaping up very nicely. Mike Oeming is doing his own cover,
Guy Davis is doing his own coverIve seen some of Mike Oemings pages,
and theyre beautiful.
CD: So in summary, do you have any message that you want to give
all the Hellboy fans as theyre coming up on this exciting year for
the comics, and subsequently an even more exciting year with the movie?
MM: I just hope that they like everything. And its important the audience
know that Im still working on Hellboy. I mean, right now Ive started
on The Island mini-series, and Ive started writing the BPRD ongoingits
not going to be a monthly book, but it will be an ongoing series of mini-series.
So yeah, Im just thrilled, its really such a strange period to see
this stuff developing in so many different ways, in so many different
places.
CD: Great. Thanks so much for your time and good luck with everything!
MM: Thanks! |
