Mike Mignola: The Quarantine Sketchbook Review: A Goldmine

By Rocco Sansone   The one thing every artist did during the Covid 19 quarantine to pass the time was draw sketches. Many of them weren’t getting much work, so they just scratched that itch by doing what they’ve been doing since childhood: sit down in private and just sketch whatever came to mind. Mike Mignola did just that, but he went further by putting them up for sale and donating the money to charity.

“Dark Horse” published some of these sketches in “Mike Mignola: The Quarantine Sketchbook.” This book is exactly what it says on the tin. A bunch of sketches Mignola did during quarantine. This is something any fan of an artist would want. Sketches are like gold to fans so an entire book full of their favorite artists sketches is heaven. The sketches presented here include the obvious Hellboy and monsters that look like hey belong in a “Hellboy” comic. Some other characters of note are Betty and Barney Rubble (who look scary,) Gigantor and a “Mars Attacks” alien. He even did a sketch of the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz” and all that does is make people want a “Wizard of Oz” comic with that art. 

“Why would anyone want to buy a book of sketches?” some may ask. Sketches are an undervalued type of drawing. Yes, they are nothing but quick drawings that artists do just to pass the time, buy they do serve a purpose. They not only improve an artist’s drawing skill, but it also helps the artist to come up with new ideas. Some of the best ideas came from an artist just sketching (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” starting life as just a joke sketch that exploded into an institution.)

So, yes, sketches do have a place in art and should be taken serious to some degree. “Mike Mignola: The Quarantine Sketchbook” may just be a bunch of sketches, but to fans and other artists it’s a gold mine. The sketches highlight Mignola’s art that’s been familiar for decades and some sketches there will make fans want to see full-fledged comics based on those sketches.