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Mike Mignola's Hellboy has become synonymous with Dark Horse Comics, and its movie division. For 32 of its 40 years, Mignola has partnered with Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson to bring his creator-owned hellspawn (and a host of friends and enemies) to the publisher in what's become known as the Mignolaverse. But it all started with a handshake between Mignola and Richardson. But earlier this week Popverse reported that Richardson was seemingly let go by the company four years after selling it to the gaming company Embracer Group, and my eyes went to Mignola.

Because, as you may or may not know... Mike Mignola owns Hellboy and all its associated characters, not Dark Horse.

"Sad news—Dark Horse WAS Mike Richardson," Mignola writes on Instagram. "As a young comics guy I knew that Dark Horse was where the good guys went if they wanted to do creator-owned comics."

Mignola's Hellboy debuted at Dark Horse in 1994, after a creator-owned boom as 7 of the most prominent Marvel artists/writers left the company to launch their own company, Image Comics. Mignola chose Dark Horse instead, as part of a group of established creators such as Frank Miller, John Byrne, Art Adams, Mike Allred, Paul Chadwick, and Dave Gibbons, and Geof Darrow made a pact for creator-owned work at Dark Horse under the Legends line.

"[Dark Horse] was the only home I ever considered for Hellboy—Not that I actually believe Mike would WANT Hellboy—An uncommercial artist (Me) and a very uncommercial character with a silly name and a tail (Hellboy)—But he trusted me and actually agreed to publish without really even knowing what it was all about," writes Mignola. "For whatever reason he trusted me and for 30 he left me alone to do what I do the way I wanted to do it. I don’t believe I would have gotten that treatment anywhere else."

So... what kind of treatment will Mignola receive at Dark Horse under this new post-Richardson era, led by gaming exec-turned-IP-steward Jay Komas, who was previously overseeing Embracer's various Lord of the Rings licenses. Mignola is staying true to Dark Horse for the time being, but is publicly leaving the door open to change.

"For me—As far as I know Dark Horse is still home to Hellboy and my new 'Lands Unknown' books," says Mignola. "My hope is that things will continue as they have as far as publishing goes. Time will tell."

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is slowly becoming the next fairy tale & folklore king like Disney, Brothers Grimm, & Hans Christian Andersen.... and I am ready for it.