With so many interpretations and derivative works available of the original novel, a comic version with cartoon animal characters might seem like a strange little idea for a project. I originally started this webcomic back in 2003. I wanted to practice my comic book illustration, and was looking for a public domain work to tackle, as a personal exercise. I've been a fan of the story for a long time, and after developing a few concept illustrations that I liked, I chose Dracula.
I set out to accomplish several things. I wanted to adapt this story in a fashion that stayed true to the original text. I wanted to create an impression of the events happening around the letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings that comprise the novel, fleshing it out where I felt necessary, but not making radical changes to the flow of the story or the plot. I wanted to put a spin on my character designs that would evoke a sense of innocence. Victorian values are not our values in the 21st century. My thought was that animal characters might remind the reader of childhood stories, and help to recreate a sense that what's happening in this story is a destruction of innocence by a true monster, and not a modern tale where the vampire is a misunderstood, appealing hero.
It's been several years, now. The comic you see reflects many changes of my style and is a cross section of my development as an artist. I often experiment with new things, here, keeping what works for me, and moving on from what doesn't. The comic has gone on and off hiatus as I tackle other challenges in my life. Since early 2008, I've been working as an illustrator full time, and since art is my job, I feel ready to take on the next step in learning from this personal project - making this my job, too. The comic updates on Saturdays, with at least one page.
If you would like to support this project, you can do one of two things. You can send me an email or leave your comments here on the site - in our forums and in the shoutbox - to let me know what you think. The encouragement of readers over the years have kept this comic going, and will help me tackle the goal of a weekly page!
You could also choose to send me a tip, if you'd like! There's a button on the main page. Whatever tip you leave is greatly appreciated. For every twenty dollars in the tip jar, I'll draw an extra Dracula page for that week's update! So, if you'd like to see more pages, leave a little in the jar!
