The Mignolaverse Back Cover

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Hello Pulp Friends,

as you know, I realized a set of 4 variant covers for Mike Mignola and Dark Horse for the issue 1s of 4 different new miniseries: "Hellboy: The Fury" #1, "BPRD: Monsters" #1, "Baltimore: The Curse Bell" #1, and "Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest" #1.
The Mignolaverse books always have an image on the back cover: such image can be a small illo Mike did specifically for the mini, or it can be a panel from the interior art (usually this happens when Mike has a guest artist drawing interiors).
When DH approached me to do these variants, they also commissioned me a 5th illo, the one to go on the back cover of these books.
Since we are looking at several minis, I wanted the image on the back being a little nod to all 4 characters protagonist of these stories.


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Hence I provided DH and Mike with the above sketch, a panel showcasing HB, Abe, Liz, and Lord Baltimore (yep, you can see his peg leg in the painting ;)). I also provided DH with a second option, something a little different from the classic panel or little illo: a (almost) full page icon of the Right Hand of Doom (symbolizing HB) holding a cube that has a fish, a bat, and a flame (symbolizing Abe, Baltimore, and Liz) on the 3 surfaces facing us. Needless to say, MM and DH loved the idea so we run with it.



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I did a stylized version of it for the back cover and a more realistic one. At the end we all decided for the stylized version.
This was the very first thing I drew before getting to work on the cover, hence once we had the illo done, I decided to incorporate it on the front cover and it has became a bit the logo for the whole set of covers. (you can see it in the top left corner of the cover).



The cover for the ABE book you ask? Well, I am leaving that to Dark Horse to reveal it (don't worry, it will happen very soon)> All I can say is that that cover is one of mine and DH&MM's favorite of the set :)

Hope you guys enjoyed this and if you wanna see more making of, check out the making of the FURY cover here on the DH blog.

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

All Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

"Baltimore ~ The Curse Bells" #1 Variant Cover

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Hello Pulp Friends,

After my variant covers for HELLBOY THE FURY #1 and BPRD MONSTERS #1, it's time to reveal my third variant cover I did for Mike Mignola's wonderful creations.
This time it's the turn of BALTIMORE, the character created by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden in novel format and then extended (luckily for us) to the comibook format.
As for the previous titles, I was asked to draw a variant cover for issue 1 (only the first issues will get these variants), and I couldn't be happier to play with yet another cool (and a favorite of mine) character. Throw in some demonic possessed monastery, evil nuns, and cursed bells and you get all the ingredients for a FUN story (and cover) :)
Hope you guys dig it.

One more Mignola-related cover to reveal, but for that we have to wait next month ;)

Cheers,
Francesco

Baltimore ~ The Curse Bells #1 (Francesco Francavilla Variant cover)
Monsters are overrunning Europe, and Baltimore, the only one who can put an end to these horrors, must find and kill Haigus, the vampire responsible for this chaos. Following reports that Haigus is holed up in a cloister, Baltimore finds a haven full of death and black magic, and the creature at the heart of his obsession!

• Based on the novel by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.

• All-new Mignola series!

Writer: Mike Mignola, Michaela Golden
Artist: Ben Stenbeck
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Mike Mignola, Francesco Francavilla (variant)

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

Baltimore: Island of the Bat

Hello Pulp Friends,

I wanted to share this commmission I just did for the patient Pulp Sunday friend Jake. Needless to say, this was so much fun to draw, thanks again to Christopher Golden & Mike Mignola for coming up with such cool characters and to Jake to ask me to draw this.
The original (below) is ink and inkwash on 11x17" bristol. Above is some cover "treatment". Hope you guys enjoy it :)

As usual, click on the images for a lager size/view.

Cheers,
Francesco



Artwork © 2010 Francesco Francavilla
BALTIMORE © 2010 Mike Mignola & Cristopher Golden