I don't ordinarily care for talking dead guys--but you might just be okay... even with the smell.
-Hellboy
Hellboy is a comic book series created, written, and drawn by Mike Mignola (though John Byrne did the scripts for the first two Hellboy short stories and the first graphic novel while Mignola created the plot). The first Hellboy story was released in the San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 in August 1993. Hellboy is a pulp inspired, modern fantasy comic series. The series is released in spurts of story-arcs and short stories in collections.
Other comics have been spawned off of Hellboy, some of them have been written by other people than Mignola. There have been Abe Sapien, BPRD, Hellboy, Jr., and Lobster Johnson series.
On December 23, 1944, a ritual was performed at Stonehenge by a sorcerer of great power. He had the backing of Hitler's elite supernatural crew, who were called Project Ragna Rok. South of Stonehenge, at a castle in East Bromwich, were England's top occultists and one of America's superheroes, The Torch of Liberty. The sorcerer summoned a creature that could have power beyond belief.
However, the creature was summoned at the castle in East Bromwich. It was quickly dubbed by Trevor Bruttenholm as Hellboy. It was a small demon-like child with a right hand entirely made of stone.
Hellboy was brought up by various parts of the established BPRD, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. He aged quicker than a normal child, and became an onsite agent for BPRD by 1952. He's travelled around the world researching and solving paranormal cases. However, his past continues to haunt him. His links to hell seem to be stronger than a normal demon's. Also his right hand brings a great amount of attention from the occult world. His hand is supposedly a key to some great power. It's the one case that Hellboy hasn't solved yet.
The Hellboy series tends to take a humorous look at itself, as well as advancing the major plotline. It takes all of the basics of pulp writing and takes a 90s spin on them without losing any of the feel. Mignola also bases much of the paranormal things on mythological stories and occult beliefs. His two short story collections show this best, as well as him having notes in which he says where the stories are from.
The series begins with Seed of Destruction to Wake the Devil to Conqueror Worm. The Chained Coffin and Others and The Right Hand of Doom are composed of short stories that also sometimes deal with the major plotline.
The Hellboy Sourcebook and Roleplaying Game has come out from Steve Jackson Games in August 2002. It uses GURPS as its engine and contains a new short story by Christopher Golden as well as a new comic by Mike Mignola. The game itself is written by Phil Masters and Jonathan Woodward.
Slated for a Summer 2004 release is the Hellboy movie which will be directed/written by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman as Hellboy. At one point Vin Diesel had also been considered for the role of Hellboy. Mike Mignola will be working closely will del Toro throughout the entire making of the film. It seems as though it will be based on the first graphic novel, Seed of Destruction.
Sources:
http://www.hellboy.com
http://www.imdb.com