However, on the subject of death, I’ve never been one to shy away from killing characters in my work. I drew a lot of criticism when I did a miscarriage storyline in my comic strip, Todd and Penguin. Nobody expected something so tragic in a lighthearted family-friendly comic. It was, I believe, the first, or one of the first storylines like that in webcomics. Though shortly after I did the story, a few other comics also killed characters, causing some readers to (perhaps rightly) accuse some comics of doing it for shock value. My story was sincere though, borne of an impending death in my wife’s family that touched everyone. As an artist, I felt compelled to deal with those emotions in my work.

Though some authors consider it a violation of some unwritten contract with the readers that no matter what, certain people will make it out alive, I don’t agree with that concept. I think you have to be true to the story and the characters. It’s not just a matter of artistic integrity but one of self preservation as a writer. Readers will know the minute you’re straying off the range.

To me, a story should be as realistic (well as realistic as a story about vampires can be) as possible and sometimes that includes tragedy or unhappy endings.

Great chapter, except for the ending. She better not die!