On Earth Book Update

Author Brian Hodge posted some more details on his new Hellboy book, On Earth As It Is In Hell on the Hellboards:

Thought of a caveat I should?ve added last week, just to make sure people?s expectations are on target?

I believe that, somewhere on the special edition DVD?s extras, Mike Mignola states something to the effect that there are parallel Hellboy worlds: his own, from the graphic novels, and the slightly different version that Guillermo Del Toro brought to the screen. Both wonderful, IMO.

However, the upcoming novels take place solely in accordance with Mike?s version. There was no either/or choice here, or a mix-and-match option.

That really only means three deviations compared to the film version: (1) There?s no romantic relationship, frustrated or otherwise, between Hellboy and Liz. In Mike?s view, they regard each other as siblings, and I actually found that more interesting to explore. (2) Abe Sapien has no psychic abilities. (3) Hellboy isn?t a secret the BPRD is trying to keep a lid on; he?s been known to the world since the early ?50s.

In a related vein, the only other stipulation was that the novels had to take place between the events of the first graphic novel, Seed Of Destruction, and the second, Wake The Devil. That?s roughly a three-year span in the mid-?90s. I?ve set mine in the autumn and winter of 1996 (which makes room for a fun jab at Windows 95). About the only impact this has is that HB doesn?t yet realize the significance of his right hand.