Liz Sherman on Cel

Way too much work to be done in too little time.  Ambition is exacting its toll on us.  So here's a quick update to share the design of Liz Sherman.  In many ways, Liz is the most drastic design change from the comic.  Sean's audition Liz was my favorite (check out the archives) but her design suggested a personality too far from Mike's concept.  However, it started a discussion about Guillermo's thoughts in casting Liz.

Selma Blair is not a tall woman; Guillermo was drawn to the idea of incredible power being contained in a tiny form.  Mike and I liked that idea and it works well in the world of animation where you want a variety of size and shape in your characters. 

In addition to that, Cheeks gave her a kind of ethnic look that I liked.  There's nothing to suggest it in the writing or performance but I think it gives Liz a different attitude.  Again, we try for a variety of looks.  This one sort of developed on it's own.

Selma does a great job with the voice, especially in the second movie where she has a larger role.  Liz has healed since her portrayal in the movie.  She's more of a butt kicker and enjoys a playful threat now and then.  But she hates using her power.  Small displays are fine like lighting a cigarette or a campfire but any big display is frightening.  She is terrified at losing control because if feels so good.

That's it.  Gotta go!  -- Tad

Comments

[maija]

Fantastic! I think this is my favourite character adaptation so far. She looks feisty.

[Rick Cortes.]

Animated Liz looks gorgeous. Can't wait to see all these drawing moving and interacting!

[David Petersen]

Nice design! I like the 'display' in here eyes. This is going to be incredible!

[Typhon24]

Love it. Sweet design (nose ring, much with the awesome); can't wait to see it in motion with Selma's voice. Tho the discussion of Liz in terms of how she has developed from the first Hellboy movie makes me wonder: is this official movie continuity? Any chance of small references between what occurs in these films and what happens in Hellboy II: The Golden Army (a la Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith)?

[Tad]

There's no continuity with the movie. The comment about the change from the movie came from the direction I gave Selma.

The continuity is so close to the comic that it wouldn't make sense with the movie.

[Siona]

Awesome! I was fretting she'd have black hair; sorry, I love the movie to pieces and Selma even more, but the black-haired Liz just didn't fly with me. Brunette all the way, please. :D

[Jérôme]

What will be the rest of the cast ? Will Kate Corrigan be part of it ?

[morrigane back from the mignola's dedicace]

great! My favorite character!She's very cut, a "Hight" woman in Hellboy(I'm a girl of course;op).
I like the design, the contrast of the hear, the face and her clothes...
I'm very impatient to see the motion, the interacting design, movment etc...
OHHH I'm so happy to have seen Mike in Paris, He's very friendly, patient..He spoke a little about the Animation (of course
)and the previous film and he said to me I've a original name..:))
So He's very happy by the team's anination work but what about the "technik" animation( by the Corean team?) It is planned?
Thanks
I like specially Liz's eyes, be continued
(le regard dit tout;op)

[Kim Larsen]

I really, really love the Liz design! She is absolutly beautiful - but so is the rest of the cast also. -I was reading up on the Hellboy-mythology last night, and realised that Liz would be 42-43 years old now ... ;) She sure dosn't look her age.

[Tad]

Morrigane! Please go to the Hellboy forum at Hellboy.com and post an update on Mike's appearance in Paris. We'd love to hear details.

Liz's age. I confess to retreating to the comic days of old where characters never aged and were always in their prime. From Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny to Superman and Batman. They never changed. WW2 is such a pivotal part of HB's origin, I can't see changing that. And although Hellboy can be ageless, there are characters who would be impossibly old if we wanted to include them in "present day" adventures. So it might make fans nuts, but we'll just take the characters at face value and not worry about birthdays.

[Poe]

Tad--has it been stated anywhere whether Bruttenholm will appear as a continuing character in the animated movie(s)?

[ScOttRa]

Great stuff, does anyone know if Roger is in the film? And if so when we might see him? He's always been my favorie B.P.R.D. member.

Thanks!

[morrigane]

@ Tad, Sorry i have no numeric camerato shot the meeting with Mike,;o(I'm so sorry, I could convice the comics shop to post something about that but I knowfor themoment Mike should be in Angouleme to the bd festival, with other comicbooks creators.I will open the bd expo in Center arts "beauboug the 30 th january.If I can go to the exibition I 'll try to make photos
See you later.
the adress is good?hellboycomicsforum?

[morrigane]

Sorry Him;(Mike) he 'll open the exbition at paris, Beaubourg art center.

[Tad]

To find the Hellboy Forum, go to http://www.hellboy.com which is a great source of HB info. Click on "forum" to read and post.

Roger is in neither movie.

[Kim Larsen]

I remember DelToro referring to the movie as an "elseworld" take on Hellboy. Is that the same case with the animation? I'm asking because of the thing with Lis' age. Dates and years are such an important factor in Mignolas comic, that it almost seems "wrong" that lis is being portreit as a 20-something ... don't get me wrong, she looks DAMN (!!!) good, and I wouldn't really want to see her as 42, right now. ;) (is that being agedescriminating? ;) )
What do you mean Roger wont be in this??? How come NOONE want's him in anything? DelToro didn't. *sigh* Well, I still love that big naive log.
Any word on Johann? Bruttenholm? Rasputin? In other words: who WILL be in this? :)

[Tad]

Mike has said several times to me, "It's called 'Hellboy.'" That means that many people assume Liz and Abe should be in every episode, and probably Roger too, but the animated movies, like the comics are about one guy, Hellboy.

If this thing ever goes to series, there will be Abe episodes, Liz episodes and, heaven knows, we've already talked about five Lobster Johnson episodes, but the foundation of the series will be a solo act. Plenty of shows will just have Hellboy arriving on the scene with no BPRD in sight, especially when playing in the realms of folklore.

Guillermo's movie gave many people the feeling of a team movie and after the huge success of the X-men movies, the marketing department did nothing to fight that.

The other reason that Roger isn't in these movies is that he's too weird. People "get" the idea of a fish man or a woman who can make fire but there's no quick association for Roger. In other words, Roger needs a movie of his own. Or a multi-part episode. We're not going to start, eight o'clock, day one, with a homunculus sitting at the breakfast table. Roger's tale will have to be reconfigured a bit to fit into our "elseworlds" universe, but we're not going to just casually toss it out there.

[Typhon24]

Hey Tad - will these DVDs have any kind of presence at WonderCon or Comicon? Would love to see a clip or something at one of 'em...

[Tad]

Mike is a special guest of Wondercon but I doubt I'll make it up there. We'll try to show an animatic reel at San Diego in addition to a trailer. We may have something before that at Wizard World LA but that isn't a sure thing at all.

[Typhon24]

Excellent.

[Gregory]

Any chance that 'something' is going to be available here in the days or weeks after?

[Josh]

Can't say I find Liz's design all that appealing, but I haven't had much of a look at the overall style.

[Kitsune]

This Liz reminds me of the "boiler room girl" character from Atlantis and I mean that in a good way! From the description they've both got that whole "Big things in small packages" thing going on.

This reminded me of the first version of Liz from waaaay back, when she looked like Olive Oyle.

[Kitsune]

I take it back - after doodling her face for a bit, animated Liz reminds me of a Hispanic(?), ever so slightly punk Violet from "Incredibles"