Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is ushering in 2025 with a brand-new anthology of folklore-inspired stories, Bowling with Corpses. Labeled as “weird, wicked and whimsical” by publisher Dark Horse Comics, this collection sees Mignola writing and illustrating stories featuring sorcerers, pirate girls, the undead and more. Mignola is joined on the project by long-time collaborator Dave Stewart on colors, along with letterer Clem Robins.
Mignola answered a few questions for Cemetery Dance about the new project. Stick around afterwards for a few pages from Bowling with Corpses
(Interview conducted by Danica Davidson)
CEMETERY DANCE: You wrote in your dedication that this book was inevitable. What do you mean by that?
MIKE MIGNOLA: I read so much fantasy back in the day (’70s and ’80s) that I guess it was only a matter of time before I created my own fantasy world — pure fantasy — rather than inserting fantasy into the “real” world as I do with Hellboy.
How did folklore inspire these stories?
I’ve always wanted to adapt folktales — I worked several into Hellboy — but over the years I realized that I wanted to play fast and loose with them, not be tied at all to the real places they are from. I love the idea of adapting a Japanese story but don’t necessarily want to draw the REAL Japan where that story takes place. I’d rather do a very loose adaptation of that story and set it in a SORT OF Japan — turn it into a fantasy story that still has the character, the FEEL of a Japanese story. That kind of thing. The story “Bowling with Corpses” started out as a traditional Italian folktale but I chewed it over a bit, knocked it around enough to make it feel like my own, and set it in my new world. In fact I created that entire world just as a place to set that story. That’s how it all started. Other stories in the collection are INSPIRED by bits and pieces of old folk and fairytales but are mostly original. In the future I plan to go back to drawing on folklore more directly. There is so much great stuff there — wonderfully odd stories, fantastic creatures — just too much fun.
What’s it like working on short comic stories as opposed to longer stories?
I love working on shorter stories. It’s fun to do a big story where you have the room to sort of wander around, but I think I prefer a tight little story, something where you can clearly see the whole thing as you put it together, if that makes sense. It like you can mentally block it out simply — this plus this adds up to that. A little room here and there for it to breathe, but you clearly know where it’s going and see how to get there.
What is your creative process like working with Dave Stewart?
Dave and I have worked together for more than 20 years now so it’s easy and comfortable — at least for me. I do still talk him through the art page by page and usually panel by panel — not specifying exact colors but mostly focusing on storytelling, mood, and atmosphere — this scene here is quiet or spooky. This is meant to be hot and violent. This bit here is quiet until we get to this panel here and then it pops. I think of it very much as laying in a soundtrack. And Dave is so good at it — and after all these years he still tolerates me.
What would you like readers to take away from Bowling with Corpses?
I hope they like the world and want more of it — because there is so much more I want to do.
Enjoy this preview of Bowling with Corpses!
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