Philippe Labaune Gallery is thrilled to present Mike Mignola’s first ever gallery exhibition, Hell, ink and water: the art of Mike Mignola. On view is a selection of Mignola’s original Hellboy covers, an assortment of pencil sketches, several pages of original comic book strips, Pinocchio illustrations, and Mignola’s never before seen watercolor paintings. This collection of work cements Mignola’s status as the visionary singularly responsible for the Hellboy universe, while simultaneously highlighting his illustrative talent - his ability to use form, technique, and horror in both his comic drawings and his watercolors to create visceral reactions among his audience.

Inspired by ghost stories and gothic horror, Mignola describes himself as just “some guy that gets away with drawing monsters”, yet the quintessential Mignola monsters are created with such specific artistry and skill, there is a reason that he is considered to be a visionary in the world of comic art. When transitioning into drawing monsters, Mignola carried the same fine details used when doing character work to create grand, horrible creatures. Yet, he also embodies the phrase: less is more. Compositionally, his figures are not done in excess, but with the proper amount of crisp linework and silhouette. His linework consists of bold dark strokes drawn in angular compositions. As a result, his characters are defined and clear cut. Comic artist Alan Moore has described Mignola’s style as “German expressionism meets Jack Kirby”, in other words saying that Mignola possesses the genius of a comic’s mind and combines it with the ability to tap into his own, and his audience’s, emotions. Through the character Hellboy, a demon turned supernatural investigator, Mignola explores the themes of self-discovery, the blurred line between good vs. evil, and redemption. The internal conflicts Hellboy undergoes throughout his journey elicit emotional responses in his audience, thus contributing to the depth of Mignola’s narrative.

The atmospheric nature of his work is so powerful that one is transported to his world and remains there. As an avid reader of ghost stories and fairy tales from all around the world, Mignola understands what it means to dig into one’s love of all things horror and grotesque. Influenced by German expressionism, Victorian era landscape and gothic architecture, Mignola creates ominous and mysterious worlds. His dark aesthetic captures the unyielding intrigue of his audience, drawing upon one’s fascination with the otherworldly. He refers to the technique as “fairy tale logic”. There is no definition, but one can feel the eerie effect if done well - he engrosses and enthralls even as he makes one's skin crawl, and his admirers still return for more. This quality, as well as his ability to create captivating narratives are evident in his watercolors. His use of (or cleverly, lack of) color focuses the views on his characters, while the reduced palette creates atmosphere, striking an ominous cord. Tones of yellow, black, and gray work harmoniously to foster a moody atmosphere. He uses minimal details to convey a complex narrative scene, demonstrating his tight control over the medium and his strength as a storyteller. When beginning his career as a comic book artist, Mignola looked to Victorian era gothics, folklore, and mythology as an inspiration for his early material, specifically when working on Batman, then Hellboy. In this way, his watercolors are both a new chapter in his artistic journey, and at the same time, a return.