Interview — Cyrille Pomès Talks ‘Hellboy In Hell: Nothing But Blood’

Welcome to the table,

Few moments in comics hit me as hard as the death of Mike Mignola‘s Hellboy. Even when I knew it was coming, when I knew it had to happen, the pages leading up to it felt weighty and laced with existential dread. After Hellboy passed from this world to the next, he spent some time traveling in Hell in the appropriately named Hellboy in Hell before leaving that place for something else beyond the beyond.

When Dark Horse Comics announced new stories were coming that covered Hellboy’s time in Hell, I got super interested. When I was allowed to sit down with the iconic artist Cyrille Pomès to talk about the art he would be doing for one of those upcoming stories, Hellboy In Hell: Nothing But Blood, I gladly accepted.

You can find the full interview below.

Anton: Hello, Cyrille, thank you so much for joining me today. Before we dig in too deep, can you tell our audience a little bit about yourself? 

Cyrille Pomès: Thanks for having me, Anton!

For about twenty years now, I’ve been publishing graphic novels in France across various genres — intimate stories, non-fiction/documentary comics on current events, as well as adaptations of young adult novels.

And today, I’m on this crazy project, which feels like a return to my earliest readings: creating a comic book for the American audience, and having the chance to bring the legendary Hellboy to life under the pen of Mike Mignola.

What’s more, it’s within the framework of what I consider to be his masterpiece: Hellboy in Hell … a childhood dream come true, believe me!

Anton: Your artistic style can shift from something very caricature-like to very detailed, realistic illustrations, a talent that seems to speak to a lifetime of honing your illustrative skills. Did you always know you wanted to work in the arts?

Pomès: When my grandmother used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would invariably answer: “a comic book artist.”

I copied a lot of comics as a kid and a teenager, both French and American.

Then, as an adult, I started practicing life drawing, which gave me a “realistic” drawing technique.

That still serves as my foundation today, allowing me to adapt my style to the different universes I want to explore.

Anton: I have always been captivated by your ability to bring the viewer into the places you are illustrating. Mountainsides, amusement parks, and even quiet streets come alive as you fill them with visual elements that make the image explode off the page. With Mignola’s version of Hell, the space seems so quiet from what we have seen, like a tomb or an existential space full of shadow and very little life. How did you approach crafting the landscape of hell in this story? 

Pomès: Most of the settings in the script Mignola gave me are a forest and a chapel, which actually offers a very vast playground.

When I was doing the rough layouts for the pages, I didn’t question the backgrounds that much; it was during the inking stage that I realized I needed to flesh out these environments to further enrich the story.

As I do for each of my books, I looked up photos of trees on the internet — dead trees, in this case, since the story’s forest is in Hell, where nothing lives…

Anton: A Forest in Hell … man I love that so much!

It feels like Mignola has influenced a generation of artists and storytellers and is now calling them into his service to craft stories in this brilliant mythology he has given us all. My favorite Hellboy story is probably The Wolves of Saint August. Do you have a particular favorite, and if so, why?

Pomès: Mine is very close to yours, as it’s The Corpse, which is the very first Hellboy story I read as a teenager.

I keep a very vivid memory of it because Mike’s style initially threw me off, then intrigued me, and ultimately sparked a true passion that I still harbor today.

Want a scoop? At a comic festival held in Paris when I was 15, I met Mike, and he kindly signed my French edition, which I still treasure preciously today!

Anton: I have two framed Baltimore pieces up in my office and a shelf dedicated to Mignola’s work, so I totally get that.

So what are you most excited for readers to discover in the upcoming issues of Hellboy In Hell: Nothing But Blood?

Pomès: The character of Hellboy gave me a bit of a hard time before I could truly make him my own visually. I filled up sketchbooks for months with research — some of it more successful than others!

I hope my version of the character will appeal to the American audience, on one hand, and generally speaking, that my art will best serve the nebulous and poetic story Mike wrote for me — not to mention, of course, Dave Stewart‘s amazing colors.

I should also add that, at Mike’s request, I co-wrote part of issue #2, which takes place … during the French Revolution! It was too good an opportunity not to bring the American audience over to my neck of the woods for a bit.

Anton: Co-writing a Hellboy book is epic and something I hope to be able to do myself one day.

Before we wrap up, I want to thank you again for taking the time to speak with me today. Where can our readers keep up with you and all your amazing work? 

Pomès: Thank you once again for giving me the opportunity to speak about this incredible adventure. Readers can satisfy their curiosity by following me on Facebook and Instagram, where I very regularly post drawings from the various universes I explore, as well as news about my publications.

Anton: As we break, what is next on the horizon from you that we can look forward to after Hellboy In Hell: Nothing But Blood?

Pomès: I’m fortunate enough to be joining the new Intermezzo collection at the Franco-Belgian publisher Dargaud for an upcoming short story in 2027, and I’ve also started writing a longer graphic novel…

And then, I would love to continue the Hellboy adventure and work again with Dark Horse Comics, who gave me a wonderful welcome, and with Mike, whom I can never thank enough for the opportunity he gave me.

Anton: All my best, and thank you again for your time! 

 

Until next time, Hellboy In Hell: Nothing But Blood #1 drops October 7th, 2026. I have read it, it rules so very hard. I will have a review up for you very soon.