Mike Mignola and Rae Allen explore a new corner of the Hellboy Universe in the paranormal Western Carmen Red Claw: Belly of the Beast.
The four-issue series (with connections to Lobster Johnson and the greater Hellboy Universe) is co-written by Mignola and Allen, with art by Allen, colors by Michelle Madsen, and letters from Clem Robins.
“I’ve wanted to find a project for Rae for a long time, and finally just had the good sense to ask her if she had something in mind—and she did,” explains Mike Mignola. “She had half a dozen ideas—all great—but I was super impressed with this one, that she was able to create an entire character and situation based on a super tiny bit of a Lobster Johnson history. Such a fun addition to the Hellboy universe. We banged some details back and forth, but that was all fun and easy. She is a joy to work with and I hope this is only the beginning.”
Carmen Red Claw (a descendent of Lobster Johnson: Get The Lobster’s famous pirate El Bogavante) is a shape-shifting, supernatural gun-for-hire, and her introductory story takes place in 1870s New Mexico territory where something diabolical is killing the cattle in the area.
“One of my favorite parts about Hellboy is the merging of classic folklore with the Hellboy universe,” says Rae Allen. “A lot of that ground has already been covered in Europe, how about more from America? I’m a big fan of the radio show Have Gun Will Travel (aired 1958-1960), and I thought a Paladin-style gun-for-hire in a supernatural Old West facing off with Native American, Colonial, and Mignolaverse monsters would be a lot of fun. Plus, why not add a lizard shoulder demon? Mike and I bounced ideas off each other and landed on a story that we think you’ll really enjoy. And I’m excited to introduce you to some Lakota folklore inspired by Yankton Dakota author Zitkala-Sa, enriched with the help of my friend Shiala King.”
Carmen Red Claw: Belly of the Beast #1 will be in store on January 7, 2025 and will be available with covers by Allen, Mignola, Jake Parker, Tonci Zonjic, and Benjamin Schipper.
Check out Allen and Mignola’s covers below and stay tuned to Conkipper for all of your Hellboy news.
