Dracula was written by Bram Stoker, in 1897. It has since spawned countless stage and film adaptations, and unofficial sequels and prequels. It has inspired a hoard of modern vampire stories of all sorts. Vampires are one of our favorite monsters! Even without reading the original story, the pop culture image of Dracula, with his black cape, widow's peak and thick accent, is prevalent and instantly recognizable.
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.