Ruminations on Being a Hellboy Fan

I get alot of weird looks whenever I reveal to someone that I'm a fan of a character named Hellboy. I suppose its understandable, the name Hellboy has a sort of a juvenile ring to it. The two movies that Guilermo del Toro did based on the property have made people associate Ron Perlman with the name, and given them an idea of what Hellboy is all about. Those familiar with the comics often chide me about how the art in Hellboy is dark and blocky, the plots are vague and confusing, and the overall tone tends to be campy. Well, believe it or not, those exact things are what draw me to Hellboy. He's an anomaly among comic book characters, a creator-owned property who's not immediately recognizable as a good guy.

I actually have Guilermo del Toro to thank for turning me on to Hellboy. When I heard he was making a movie based on the property, I immediately located a copy of the first Hellboy book and got myself hooked. Now, I'm a monthly reader of not only the main Hellboy series, but the off-shoot B.P.R.D. which follows the adventures of a government organization that fends off the supernatural. Readers of the comics know that the Hellboy movies exist in a separate universe from those depicted in the books. Creator Mike Mignola gave del Toro the go-ahead to make Hellboy his own, modifying the characters so that they came to life more vividly on the screen. It's a decision that I would usually have some problems with, but del Toro captured the essence of Hellboy in a way that no other director could have. The second Hellboy film was the on-screen equivalent of an exceptional Hellboy comic, it was at once visually and intellectually stimulating while still maintaining the campy charm of its source material. Thanks to the success of Pan Labyrinth, alot of people noticed the film this time around. I'm happy, because it's lonely when you're the only Hellboy fan on your block.