, ▁Adams ▁and ▁M ign ola ▁were ▁contact ed ▁by ▁Erik ▁Lars en , ▁who ▁invited ▁them ▁to ▁produce ▁books ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁creation ▁for ▁Image ▁Comics , ▁which ▁Lars en ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁other ▁artists ▁formed ▁to ▁publish ▁cre ator - owned ▁books . ▁Adams ▁had ▁never ▁before ▁considered ▁producing ▁his ▁own ▁original ▁material , ▁as ▁he ▁preferred ▁to ▁illustrate ▁the ▁properties ▁he ▁enjoyed ▁as ▁a ▁child . ▁However , ▁his ▁tal ks ▁with ▁Lars en ▁convinced ▁him ▁to ▁create ▁Mon ke yman ▁and ▁O ' B rien , ▁a ▁du o ▁similar ▁in ▁concept ▁to ▁Angel ▁and ▁the ▁A pe . ▁The ▁stories ▁star ▁San ▁Francisco ▁native ▁Ann ▁D arrow ▁O ' B rien , ▁whose ▁name ▁is ▁a ▁t ribute ▁to ▁F ay ▁W ray ' s ▁character ▁from ▁King ▁Kong ▁and ▁that ▁film ' s ▁special ▁effects ▁cre ator ▁Will is ▁O ' B rien , ▁and ▁Ax ew ell ▁T iber ius , ▁a ▁super - int ellig ent ▁g or illa ▁man ▁from ▁another ▁dimension . ▁The ▁du o ▁finds ▁itself ▁em bro iled ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁advent ures ▁typical ▁of ▁classic ▁B - mov ies , ▁often ▁featuring ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁movie ▁mon sters ▁Adams ▁is ▁fond ▁of , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁sub ter rane an ▁Sh rew man oid ▁and ▁the ▁extr ater rest rial ▁Fro gl ody tes . ▁Despite ▁the ▁offer ▁from ▁Image , ▁Adams ▁and ▁M ign ola ▁( the ▁latter ▁of ▁whom ▁created ▁Hell boy , ▁which ▁had ▁been