Acclaimed Cartoonist Ben Stenbeck Unveils the Monsters Lurking in His and Hellboy Creator Mike Mignola’s Shared Universe with Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man
Fans first encountered legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck’s visionary new shared universe in Mignola’s bestselling Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown, one of the most celebrated graphic novels of 2025. The anthology of folklore-inspired fantasy stories welcomed readers into a beautifully drawn world of powerful sorcerers, talking ducks, undead adventurers, and a host of imaginative, idiosyncratic characters, myths, and legends. Now Ben Stenbeck, the writer/artist of the acclaimed series Our Bones Dust, is making his Lands Unknown debut writing and drawing The Skinless Man, a two-issue comic event. Joined by colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Clem Robins, Stenbeck will give readers a glimpse into the terrifying side of the Lands Unknown. Both issues of The Skinless Man will feature covers by Stenbeck and the first issue will feature a variant cover by Mike Mignola.
“I’m beyond thrilled to have my first contribution to the world of LANDS UNKNOWN released into the wild,” says Ben Stenbeck. “It’s such an exciting world to work in. The possibilities are endless, and I have big plans for a lot of stories that might seem disconnected at first, but they are all part of a larger story. A story about people searching for things they may or may not need in Lands Unknown. Also monsters and magic and talking animals in exotic locations.”
While Mignola’s Bowling With Corpses explores the fantastical, charming side of the Lands Unknown, The Skinless Man #1 is a nightmarish horror story. When a stormy night in the mountains forces a lone traveler to take shelter in a witch’s house, she spins a chilling yarn of the mysterious and merciless Skinless Man, who is in pursuit of new skin at any cost. When a gang of warlocks is foolish enough to try to deceive him, they learn just how far he’s willing to go.
“I’ve had the good fortune to work with Ben for a lot of years now, so I know how good he is—But I’ve also had a pretty good idea how good he COULD BE if he were really given the room to cut loose,” explains Mike Mignola. “That was a large part of the whole LANDS UNKNOWN thing, creating a place where Ben would have no choice but to cut loose—And he has—And it’s wonderful. I love what he’s done here, and I REALLY love that this is just the tip of his crazy iceberg of talking animals, evil wizards, monsters and giants. There is nobody out there I’d rather be sharing a world with.”
In addition to Stenbeck’s upcoming comic, the Lands Unknown universe continues to expand in Mike Mignola’s upcoming graphic novel. Uri Tupka and The Gods: Another Story from Lands Unknown follows the titular wayward theologian across the Lands Unknown on a quest to prove that ancient powerful gods shaped the world. Uri’s journey puts him face to face with mythical creatures, thieves, dragons, and a tomb of unspeakable horror. But nothing can prepare the unlikely adventurer for what he learns about the universe and his role in it.
Uri Tupka and the Gods: Another Story from Lands Unknown is a 104-page hardcover that will be released in bookstores and comic shops on February 24, 2026. Lands Unknown: The Skinless Man #1 is due out on March 4, 2026 from Dark Horse Comics. Follow DarkHorseComics on social media for more news, announcements, and updates.
