'Hellboy' doc reunited Mike Mignola, Guillermo del Toro

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The directors of Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters, on video on demand Tuesday, said Hellboy creator Mignola and director Guillermo del Toro reunited after doing separate interviews for the film.

Del Toro directed the first two Hellboy movies, but the two had not spoken since a creative disagreement regarding Hellboy II: The Golden Army, which they discuss in the documentary.

"Soon after we interviewed them, they went out for drinks," Kevin Konrad Hanna told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "I was like, oh cool. We opened those doors a little bit."

In Drawing Monsters, Mignola describes original plans for the sequel to follow one of his comic books closely. Del Toro decided to create an army of gold of his design and not use Mignola's idea in Hellboy II.

But, both Mignola and del Toro acknowledge creative disagreements are going to happen between artists.

"'Brothers fight' is essentially what they both went to," Hanna said.

Hanna also wanted to correct the record for anyone who thinks the disagreement was the reason del Toro never made a third Hellboy with Ron Perlman. While he cannot speak to the details, Hanna said he knows that decision lies entirely with Hollywood studios.

"Neither of those guys have the power to pull the trigger on those things," Hanna said. "When [del Toro] wants to do Hellboy III and it's a Marvel-level blockbuster with everything that he wants, the market isn't necessarily there for that."

Hanna and co-director Jim Demonakas met when Hanna was a vendor at Demonakas' Emerald City Comic-Con. Emerald City is also where Demonakas met Mignola, who attended many conventions as a guest.

To approach Mignola to participate in their documentary, Demonakas and Hanna created a trailer for the approach they would take. The filmmakers said it appealed to Mike that they showed there was more to him than Hellboy films, and they would focus on his comic books and art.

"If you actually don't know anything about Mike or Hellboy, you can still enjoy the film from the context of what it's like to be a creative," Demonakas said. "I think there's a little bit of a meditation on inspiration and creativity."

Mignola discusses working his way up as an inker for DC and Marvel Comics, the artist who fills in outlines and embellishments on the initial penciler's work. His first work for Marvel on The Defenders was so poor it almost cost him future jobs with Marvel.

"I think a lot of times people are very self-conscious and disparaging of their own work," Hanna said. "[For] a lot of stuff, Mike's like, 'Oh, that was no good.'"

After writing issues of Rocket Racoon, The Incredible Hulk and Batman Tales of the Dark Knight comics, Mignola created his own character, Hellboy, for Dark Horse Comics in 1994.

Hellboy was an infant demon summoned from hell by Nazis, but grew up with a kind professor using his powers to defend humanity. Supporting characters from Hellboy got their own spinoff series.

"Then he had to figure out how to keep doing it, and it wasn't an overnight success," Hanna said. "It started to get away from him at multiple points."

In focusing on the work that was pivotal to Mignola's career, the filmmakers had to let go of some of their personal favorites. Demonakas said his favorite, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, isn't addressed.

Hanna said they asked Mignola about designing Mr. Freeze for the' 90s Batman: The Animated Series, only to discover it was a minor commission for Mignola.

"He's like, 'Oh, that was a single afternoon. I don't even remember doing it.'" Hanna said. "The whole modern look of Mr. Freeze was because of Mike. For him, it was a single quick sketch that he threw out and let everyone else adapt."

Demonakas and Hanna wrapped with Mignola before the artist co-wrote the upcoming film Hellboy: The Crooked Man. They know from subsequent meetups at conventions that he is excited about it.

"He definitely says it's the scariest, most faithful and has one of the most beautiful moments of any of the Hellboy movies," Hanna said.

Jack Kesy is the third actor to play Hellboy, with David Harbour in between Kesy and Perlman. Harbour was busy filming Black Widow and could not participate in the documentary, but Hanna said this year's San Diego Comic-Con allowed the most recent two Hellboys to meet.

"Jack Kesy, David Harbour, Mike and Christine, Mike's wife, all hung out," Hanna said. "It was a really great moment where the torch was passed."