The following is an interview with writer/artist Rae Allen (The Manderfield Devil, Town with a Million Eyes) regarding the recent release of the 4-issue mini-series, Carmen Red Claw: Belly of the Beast, in collaboration with Mike Mignola and Dark Horse Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Allen about the shared creative process of working with Mignola to bring the story and characters to life on the page, where you can find more of her work, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Carmen Red Claw: Belly of the Beast! What can you share with us about this supernatural gun-for-hire story set within the Hellboy Universe?
Rae Allen: Thanks so much!
Carmen is a skilled hunter with a strong moral compass. She walks a fine line between brutality and heroism, holding her bloodthirsty instincts (inherited from her notorious pirate grandfather, El Bogavante) at bay. She is cursed with the constant companionship of Pest–a deranged and unhinged flying lizard–who constantly tempts her to give in to her brutality.
For those who are fans of Hellboy, Carmen Red Claw will bring you more paranormal investigations and monsters, but set in the less-explored territory of the American Old West. There are some overarching narratives exploring the deeper lore of the Hellboy universe which long-time readers will pick up on, but that doesn’t spoil anything for newcomers. The series was written with new readers in mind, centered on standalone adventures exploring Old Western cryptids and folklore.
BD: Your artistic style naturally exudes deep ambience, tone, and mood. When tackling a project like Carmen Red Claw, is there anything that guides or propels your approach to crafting a new world and characters?
RA: I’m driven to create immersive and engaging stories, with believable internal logic and depth. I think the key to that is thorough research and specificity. Carmen became a lot easier to write and draw once I knew her unique building blocks: daughter to a Spanish fur trapper and a Lakota shapeshifter, granddaughter to an infamous privateer, and now a well-to-do, self-sustaining, supernatural gun for hire. For the world, I thoroughly researched the time period (I’m quite particular about historical accuracy.) and wove in supernatural elements characteristic of that time period to help it feel grounded, yet fanciful.
BD: Likewise, what can you tell us about your shared creative process in working with Mike Mignola to bring life to new in-universe characters while being inclusive of those who have come before?
RA: Mike has a very creative mind, full of lots of ideas for his ever-expanding universe that even he has a hard time keeping straight. The fact that a story like Carmen Red Claw could spring from just a few panels in a Lobster Johnson comic speaks to the depth of the Hellboy universe. Carmen’s character was inspired by one of El Bogavante’s 30-some-odd shapeshifting grandchildren, and when I pitched that to Mike, he was instantly onboard with plenty of ideas connecting to other characters and lore, which we bounced back and forth between phone calls and emails until the story took shape.
BD: Are there any additional projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
RA: For stuff I’ve written and drawn, I’d love to draw more attention to my self-published graphic novella, The Manderfield Devil, which is what got me this gig in the first place. If you like Hellboy, you’ll like that book, too. As for stuff I’ve illustrated, I drew a short story in Boris Karloff’s Gold Key Mysteries #2 called “Town with a Million Eyes,” and illustrated the fifth installment in the children’s series, Digital Lizards of Doom. I have some other projects under the hood that I can’t share at the moment, but I will say that one of them is with one of the world’s top fantasy authors.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Carmen Red Claw: Belly of the Beast and your other work?
RA: Thanks so much for reading! You can keep up to date on my upcoming work as it’s announced by following my newsletter, or on pretty much any social platform (@raeallenart).
