This year, there’s a lot coming from Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden’s Outerverse, the shared universe of “Baltimore” and “Joe Golem: Occult Detective.” In March, the five-issue miniseries “Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens” begins with art by Bridgit Connell. This series focuses on Lady Sofia Baltimore (formerly Sofia Valk) at the dawn of World War II. But that’s not all. In case you missed the recent news, artist Peter Bergting will return to the Outerverse for three new titles, the two-issue miniseries “Cojacaru the Skinner” beginning in April, the one-shot “Imogen of the Wyrding Way” coming out in June, and the two-issue miniseries “The Golem Walks Among Us!” beginning in August. With so much on the horizon, we absolutely had to talk to the artists behind these books, and co-writer Christopher Golden.
Cover by Peter Bergting
Christopher Golden: First, when Mike and I say we think both Bridgit and Peter are doing their best work yet, we mean it. They’re getting these scripts that probably make them want to murder us, given the number of characters on a page, the combat stuff, and the architecture, but instead of murder they are turning in these incredible pages. Some artists seem to almost reduce a panel description to its base components, but both Bridgit and Peter are giving us their artistic interpretation of the stories we’re sending them, doing more instead of less. It’s just really exciting to get the pages from them, and especially to see new characters and concepts brought to life for the first time.
I’m reading this back as I type and realizing that maybe I shouldn’t be so effusive. There’s an old blues song called “Don’t Advertise Your Man,” warning women not to extol the virtues of their men or others will try to steal them. Makes me think I should tell the world how difficult and uncooperative Bridgit and Peter are. I could say their inkers have to save their terrible pencils, but the problem with that is that they both ink themselves. So I guess I have to tell the truth and just hope they’re having too much fun working on the Outerverse stuff to be wooed away by writers envious that Mike and I get to script for them. Bridgit designing new witches and Peter getting to draw trolls have been some of the highlights so far, with more to come.
Cover by Abigail Larson
CG: The only impact the pandemic had was to delay the whole thing. I was actually incredibly relieved that Dark Horse made the decision to push releases so much into 2021 before issue #1 of “Lady Baltimore” could ship. I’d have hated to have just that one issue floating around out there, and then waiting so damn long. I think the battle in our pages, during the Second World War, is the battle we’re still fighting now. It’s about freedom for all versus oppression. It’s also about power (in this case, magic), where you get that power, and what you do with it when you have it.
Continued belowI have here the preview of Peter Bergting’s Outerverse triptych covers, showing the expansive cast on these books.
Most of the characters we’ve seen before, but a few are new. Then there’s Crina Cojacaru, who we’ve seen before, but not like this. We last saw her in “Joe Golem: Occult Detective―The Conjurors” where she appeared as a child. However, upon revisiting this, I was surprised to see she was briefly shown as an adult, the version of her we’ll see in the upcoming miniseries “Cojacaru the Skinner.” Clearly you’ve been planning on doing more with Crina for some time. Can you tell us how this character evolved and became someone that needed her own title?
Art Peter Bergting, colors by Michelle Madsen, and letters by Clem Robins
CG: Like pretty much everything else involved in the growth of the Outerverse, it’s just organic. As a novelist, I’ve seen this happen in my own work dozens or even hundreds of times. Crina started as just a little girl who’d play a role to the Golem similar to the role the old blind man plays in Frankenstein, this person who wouldn’t judge the Golem because he looks monstrous, who might need him. But the minute we started putting them together, the minute I started scripting scenes of them just sitting and chatting to each other, I knew she would pick up the mantle at some point and fight witches, and become something greater. Something more than human. Mike and I started talking about the backstory of the whole thing—which you’ll learn more about in the Outerverse comics—about what connects Baltimore and the Golem and Crina, and other characters we haven’t seen yet. Once we had that conversation, it was clear we needed a little spotlight for Cojacaru the Skinner, in a way there would not be room for within the pages of “Lady Baltimore.”
Another new character, Imogen, will be getting a one-shot about her in June, but we’ll get to meet her before then in the pages of March’s “Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens” #1. Obviously our readers haven’t met her yet, so I don’t want to say too much about her, but I’m curious about your process in developing a new character like this, especially one developed over two titles with two different artists.
Cover by Abigail Larson
As for Bridgit and Peter sharing duties, it was a back and forth. They’d have to give you their own impressions, but from my point of view it was fascinating to see the care that each of them took. Bridgit was taking on characters that Peter had first drawn—like Sofia and Crina Cojacaru—and Peter was doing the same with characters Bridgit had first envisioned, like Imogen. But they’re both total professionals. It’s been a gift, working with them.
Bridgit, you’re the newcomer here. What’s it been like to come aboard The Outerverse with the “Lady Baltimore” series?
Bridgit Connell: I still don’t feel like it’s really happening! I’m beyond honored to be a part of the team, and definitely hope I do the story justice. After Mike’s awesome illustrations in the Baltimore novel, both Peter Bergting and Ben Stenbeck poured a lot of work into visually creating this creepy landscape and its characters. I’m hoping to maintain the consistency of that atmosphere while maybe adding something fresh into the mix. I reached out to both Ben and Peter after I was confirmed on the story, and they’ve been very kind and given me some insightful tips on what defines the Baltimore world for them.
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Art by Bridgit Connell, colors by Michelle Madsen, letters by Clem Robins
I can see why you got the job. You clearly have a love for monsters―in the first issue alone, there’s so many new ones―but you also seem to have an excellent grasp on the characters. I saw one of your Twitch streams where you were drawing Sofia and Rigo, and just the way you spoke about what their posture says about who they are showed tremendous insight. Am I right in assuming you must’ve been a “Baltimore” and “Joe Golem” fan before you came on as an artist for this universe?
BC: Thank you, Mark! I started drawing as a kid because of all the cool monsters in my dad’s D&D books, and those TSR art books from the ’80s. So that’s a big part of the basis for why I love to draw. . . That, and character acting in the panels for sure. Mike’s monsters are so unique, too, it’s been a huge learning experience seeing how he works out the anatomy to fit them into his worlds. It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of the process!
And absolutely, I was a huge fan of “Baltimore,” (as well as “Hellboy,” “B.P.R.D.” . . .) and I had read the Joe Golem and the Drowning City novel, which I thought was beautiful. Chris has a way of setting up these awesome visuals that I don’t even pick up on until I sketch them out myself. He knows how to deliver those powerful punches before I can even imagine it! It’s a lot of me sketching things out and going “Oooh, snap!”
For “Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens” #1, you’ve done an exclusive variant cover, right?
BC: Yes! It’s based on the cover Mike Mignola did for the first volume of “Baltimore.” Figured it’d be a nice homage here at the beginning of the series.
Right:Mike Mignola's cover for “Baltimore – Volume 1: The Plague Ships”
Peter, you’ve been a big part of both “Baltimore” and “Joe Golem,” so it’s very exciting to have you back for “Cojacaru the Skinner,” “Imogen of the Wyrding Way,” and “The Golem Walks Among Us!” What is it like to work on such different titles, while also knowing they need to feel linked?
Peter Bergting: Mark, thank you. The most different story for me to draw was “Imogen of the Wyrding Way,” which in a way was also weirdly familiar. It was set in places that are very familiar to me, having grown up and spent a lot of time in those settings. I can’t talk too much about the story I guess, but it should be pretty obvious about halfway through the issue why I was picked to do that particular comic. It was such a delight to be able to draw That Character (who I can’t reveal), but also scary since I didn’t want to either stray too far away from the inspiration or end up being too referential to it. This had to fit the Outerverse setting while still being rooted in history. You’ll know what I mean once you see it.
Anyway, much fewer windows in this one.
(For those of you that missed Dark Horse’s live panel for “Lady Baltimore,” Golden confessed to writing too many windows for Bergting.)
One last question for all of you. Which character (returning or new) are you most excited about readers seeing in these new stories?
PB: Crina for sure. I love drawing Crina. And That Character, who I can’t name yet, that shows up in “Imogen of the Wyrding Way”! I feel so blessed to have been allowed to. And I guess I can’t say anything more. . .
BC: God. I’m so bad, I love them all. Seriously. Sofia is a badass brawler AND she’s got a whole new posse. Chris has definitely put characters in there that he knew I’d dig. That we BOTH dig. I’d say the most exciting character besides Sofia would be Imogen. . . I cannot wait for readers to see that lady in action. She’s a powerhouse. I was also excited that Rigo was gonna be in this (‘The Wolf and the Apostle’ might be my favorite “Baltimore” story), so drawing him was pretty rewarding! Oh, and don’t even get me started on the witches…
Continued belowCG: All of them, honestly. Everyone from Lady Baltimore to Imogen, right down to the minor supporting characters like Rutger, Mac, and Josephine, who get very little screen time. Plus the witches, of course. Wow, these witches.
“Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens” #1 comes out March 24, 2021. Bridgit Connell’s variant cover will be available exclusively from Jetpack Comics and Forbidden Planet. (I’ve linked to the versions signed by Christopher Golden, but they’re also available unsigned.) And look for “Cojacaru the Skinner” April 21, 2021.
