Hellboy: "Makoma, or, A Tale Told by a Mummy in the New York City Explorers' Club on August 16, 1993"
24+24 pgs. Appeared first time in Hellboy #25: Makoma #1 to Hellboy #26: Makoma #2 (2006). Reprinted in Hellboy Vol. 7: The Troll Witch and Others [TB] (2007) and Hellboy [Library Edition] Vol. 4 (2013).
Story: Mike Mignola. Art: Mike Mignola, Richard Corben (story inside the story, 17+21 pgs). Color: Dave Stewart. Lettered by hand (Clem Robins).
DK: as "Hellboy [DK]: Makoma" in Hellboy [DK]: Troldheksen og andre historier (2011).
SPA: as "Hellboy [SPA]: Makoma" in Hellboy [SPA]: Makoma (2006) and Hellboy [SPA]: Bruja troll y otras historias (2008).
Style: Black line with colors. Genre: Super Hero. Time Span: Fantasy/No particular moment of time. Nudity: None.
Original Art Plate: Copyright 2006. Drawn with Sharpie and Pigma pen on Strathmore paper, size 11"x17". [Corben's web site]
Keywords: Hellboy. Mummy. Africa. Tell tale. Giants. Demons. Bag. Witch.
Synopsis: Story starts dream like as an mummy tale of Makoma the hero who suppoused to collect on his way all of his enemies. Makoma is the invincible hero in Africa.
Comment: Interesting beginning of the story is like a Kipling animal tales though in a bizarre way by Mike Mignola. Story goes with a repeating theme: Makoma is meeting different enemies, fighting with them and beated ones collects with him. There is also a witch who is talking with riddles (with a potion you can make her a nice looking, young and willingly naked girl). The hydra kind of dragon in the end of the story reminds his early "Demon in the Cockpit" monster. Mr. Corben has absorbed Mignola's style brilliantly. They are clearly two different artists, but the result looks same. Where Mignola used absolutely black and white output, Mr. Corben uses more shaded art work. Even colorist Stewart colors they parts individually. Mr. Corben's Hellboy is Mignola's Hellboy but only through Mr. Corben's own way of drawing. The resulting mixture of two styles is magnificent.
Copyright © 2005 Heart-Attack-Series, Ink!,
Created: December 22, 2005. Modified: January 30, 2019.