The return of the BSC Beat, our 10-question, topic specific, interview format, and today we are talking Hellboy with Mark Chadbourn. Not Mignola? Nah, we are talking to Chadbourn because he has a Hellboy novel, The Ice Wolves, on tap. Chadbourn is an award winning Fantasy author of such novels as can be found in The Kingdom of the Serpent series- Jack of Ravens, The Burning Man and Destroyer of Worlds– as well as the “mytho-fantasy” trilogies The Age of Misrule and The Dark Age. Below find out where Chadbourn thinks Hellboy’s mythic lineage stems from & who he’s like to see write a Hellboy novel!

What is your experience with Hellboy? Do you recall when you first were exposed to the character, and can you identify a personal favorite arc?

I bought the first Hellboy comics off the racks as they came out back in the 90s. I’d admired Mike Mignola’s art before so I thought I’d give them a try. I was hooked pretty quickly by the myths, legends and folklore that Mike was tapping into – it’s been a long-standing area of interest for me.

What was the process that brought you to writing The Ice Wolves?

The editor of the Hellboy: Oddest Jobsanthology liked some of my fantasy novels and approached me to provide a short story. That tale, ‘Straight No Chaser’, following Hellboy on a tour of zombie blues and jazz clubs, was well-received, and I was asked if I’d like to write a novel. I don’t normally work on other people’s characters, but I liked Hellboy enough that I thought it would be fun. I pitched a story about werewolves and a haunted house, which Mike liked, and off I went.

Read more HERE

I have never heard of Mark Chadbourn, but his work sounds interesting!

Are you a fan of Mark Chadbourn? Will you read ‘Ice Wolves’, and are you a fan of ’Hellboy’?