#c: Mina Harker

[see-arcane]

Jack when narrating about telling Mina about the mens' attack on Dracula in London:

she grew snowy white at times when danger had seemed to threaten her husband, and red at others when his devotion to her was manifested

Mina blushing at Jonathan's acts of devotion omg...

When we came to the part where Harker had rushed at the Count so recklessly, she clung to her husband’s arm, and held it tight as though her clinging could protect him from any harm that might come.

Protective instincts aside I love Jack saying that his attack was "so recklessly". He did fear for Jonathan's life and tried to shield him with a crucifix and a wafer because he kept trying to Kill. I imagine him talking about the attack with the tone of a man who is wiping his sweating forehead going "And then, the absolute madlad-"

Jack: "We were trying to play it safe, united front and all, except someone kept trying to actively gut the ancient undead horror right then and there. And then he lizard fashioned out the window to try it again when said undead horror threw himself out of the building to escape. And then he went chasing after the undead horror to try and carve him open in the middle of a crowded street. If Dracula hadn't sprinted for it I'm pretty sure your husband would have filleted him in the Square. And this was all after he swore out loud to sell his soul to kill the Count and send him to Hell."

Jonathan: "Sorry I didn't slaughter him for you yet, darling 🥺"

Mina, simultaneously terrified and so aroused she can't see straight: "that's fine my love it's great it's cool"

[wynought]

jonathan and mina deciding together that they want to learn shorthand and cheering each other on and writing little letters to each other is so cuuuute

it's like that thing you do with your best friend of going "let's get our own little secret language that nobody else will understand". i bet they sent each other little messages during the day a la "dear jonathan, little james spilt ink all over his shirt today and it reminded me of that time you were writing an urgent letter for mr. hawkins and in your haste toppled the inkwell right upon finishing the last stroke of your pen. you were so very flustered! please don't forget to take breaks from your studies, yours in love, mina" and "dear mina, for lunch today i went to a delightful little place with mr. hawkins that we simply must visit together soon! can't wait to see you in the evening, yours forever, jonathan"

my little nerds being all in love ;^;

[lemonavocado]

i have many many thoughts about the portrayal of elizabeth (and henry) in adaptations of frankenstein and they need to be broadcasted immediately. feverish incoherent raving about this subject under the cut. tw for very brief mention of SA

so. elizabeth lavenza. by the time of the wedding, elizabeth is rather obviously portrayed to be just as morose and brooding as victor is, she just isn't as susceptible to episodes of mania and psychosis so it doesn't seem nearly as dramatic compared to victor's trauma. she's been through the gutter herself, being an orphan for starters, then being adopted into a family and having to assume the role of caregiver in the frankenstein family because of the coercion of her dead mother to not only take her place as the maternal figure in the family but also marry her surrogate brother (or literal cousin, depending on which version you read). then her surrogate younger brother william dies, and the within weeks she has to watch her closest heterosexual life partner justine be unjustly hung by a corrupt justice system. and she vocalizes, actively, her pessimism and hopelessness in light of these many tragedies. tldr she's fucked up and rightfully so, and while she's a little less crippled by depression than victor, she still has the distinct appearance of being rather ill, listless, and tired, especially towards the end of the novel. anyways my point is in the novel, the most important thing about elizabeth is not that she's a woman and victor's bride. yes, that's obviously the purpose she was created for, but shelley went out of her way to give elizabeth an extremely definite and unique character. she's gentle and maternal like most woman in early 19th century literature, but she's also introspective, intelligent, and perceptive. she displays agency and self-awareness repeatedly (her guilt over the locket, going to the execution of justine even when alphonse tells her not to, waxing poetic on the failures of the justice system, asking repeatedly and rather pointedly if victor actually wants to go through with the marriage, obvious anxiety and solemnity concerning the wedding) we also have to take into account that elizabeth's personality is being relayed to us BY VICTOR, and he wants to see elizabeth as docile and femininely passive, even if a lot of her actions themselves in the novel actually seem to contradict that. also, i am peppering in that many people can (and have) made a genuine and convincing argument that victor and elizabeth are not in love and were groomed to accept their union by their weirdo parents - that they care for each other, but the text includes important nuances that make it evident that victor doesn't feel anything for elizabeth like that. it is a legitimate interpretation of the book - dare i say it's the correct interpretation of the relationship between victor and elizabeth. but that's another essay for another day and it's not SUPER integral to my rant here today. it just highlights the complexity of elizabeth as a character.

so. for some fucking reason, writers do not understand this when they are adapting the novel, and do not want to apply more than eight seconds of critical thinking and the absolute shallowest 3rd grader levels of reading comprehension to this character, so they simplify her from what she was in the original novel, freshly complex, opinionated, and introspective to boring useless incest lady. victor is never portrayed with the same amount of nuance he deserves in any adaptation (also another essay for another day), because adaptations also have a very surface level reading of him as "guy who was ambitious and played god which immediately cements him as an irredeemable self-aggrandizing asshole and/or a raging insufferable narcissist who's a dick to everyone around him EXCEPT for elizabeth" but at least SOME adaptations are able to kiiinnnddaaaa capture the sympathy meant to be felt for the character in the novel. not so for elizabeth. her character in basically every adaptation can be boiled down to this: "omg victor my brother let me hammer in that you are my brother. im just going to stand here and look clueless and annoyingly naive for the entire time im on screen/stage. im just a little girl and idk what's going on victor but im gonna stay blindly devoted to you and ask numerous but completely useless questions 🥺 let me stare at you with tender worry in my eyes and treat you like a child even though we have absolutely no romantic chemistry and you're an objectifying dick towards me and we have nothing in common and the audience is actively dry heaving as we sensually make out for no other reason than to have characters in this movie sensually make out. im basically a carbon copy of original-novel-henry expect super boring and super useless because im a woman which means the doylist explanation for why im here HAS TO BE ONLY for the main character to fuck me and to hold the attention of the male viewership. now time for me to get SA'd by the creechur for basically no reason" we can observe something approximating this in basically every frankenstein adaptation i've ever seen: kenneth branagh's (my enemy) 1994 film, the 2004 hallmark miniseries, the musical, and the ballet. also in the 1931 film, but that one isn't really trying to be book-accurate so it doesn't really count for this rant.

with this understanding of elizabeth, writers then attempt to artificially generate more romance between these characters, mostly by, yes, replacing a lot of henry's role in the novel with elizabeth, hence why we see so many adaptations (1994, 2004, ballet) make elizabeth nurse victor back to health in ingolstadt instead of henry, which generates... so many problems. one problem with this is that it just sorta ruins henry's original role in the novel in one go. writers recognize that henry is supposed to be victor's character foil, but now they don't have much for him to do so he can demonstrate that role in the story since they gave all of the romantic tension moments to elizabeth. meaning that in adaptations you can tell the writers didn't really know what to do with henry because he's reduced to a comic relief bumbling idiot (1994, ballet, 2004 to an extent) with his only personality traits being "random xd" and "morals good playing god wrong!!!! 😠" (2004, musical, several independent stage adaptations). they keep him as a character foil, but just replace all of his compassion, tenderness, and devotion with elizabeth, while effectively draining henry of all of his original appeal and charm and stamping those traits onto their already stripped-of-all-nuance elizabeth. so now both henry and elizabeth are not only extremely different from their original roles in the novel but extremely, woefully less charming and complex. this especially pisses me off because it's explicitly stated in the book that henry was victor's only friend precisely because he was victor's intellectual equal, so seeing henry reduced to a smiley idiot and/or stupid generic male side character with Morals fills me with a visceral rage. writers will also sometimes make victor and henry meet in college (ballet, 1994) and try to strengthen the bond between victor and elizabeth by making it appear as though she was victor's ONLY childhood friend and companion. other times, victor and henry will be friends pre-ingolstadt (2004, musical) but most of the relationship development will be between elizabeth and victor. those two have all of the tender bonding moments while henry is just kinda inexplicably there sometimes. but i digress. this post is supposed to be about elizabeth. but IF YOU NEED A CHARACTER TO BE A SUNSHINE SOFT OPTIMISTIC LOVER FOR VICTOR IN A FRANKENSTEIN ADAPTATION, HENRY IS ABLE AND WILLING ARE YOU STEPPING ON MY BALLS

clervalstein is true. anyway

elizabeth is somehow more complex and powerful as a female character than the literal adaptations produced almost 200 years later. in adaptations, the most important thing about her is somebody else. the development of all of her character traits (which usually never go beyond standing around and looking helpless) are solely dependant on victor. she feels more like an appendage of the protagonist than an individual with thoughts and experiences separate from victor, and her character is loosely defined and flimsy so the writers can have her conform to her actions in the book whenever it's convenient and then change things up entirely that completely contradict her characterization in the book whenever it's convenient. i have no idea why the fuck this keeps happening with frankenstein adaptations (it's misogyny) and because it isn't looking like guillermo del toro's film (from what ive heard) is going to be super book accurate, i dont foresee too much of a shift in frankenstein adaptations.

look i get it. it's a movie/play/ballet which lasts like 2 hours and you have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it. i understand you have to make sacrifices for brevity and these characters are, frankly, a lot less interesting and exciting than victor and creechur. people didn't come to see john hughes levels of charm and complexity in the side characters, they came to watch the creechur do scary shit and for victor to say IT'S ALIVE 😱 and be an evil mad scientist you love to hate. they came for their values of "it's wrong to play god!!!" and "too much ambition bad!!!" to be re-cemented even though that's not even the original point of the novel. which is why imo if you're going to adapt frankenstein in a manner that does justice to the beautiful and sublime subtlety of the original novel, it needs to be either a miniseries or a REALLY LONG film. it's a short book, but it's very eventful, and imo for an adaptation to work you have to let the audience sit with it. which is why you all need to donate to my gofundme so i can produce an honest to god frankenstein adaptation. in fact, im running for president in this year's primaries :3

just a disclaimer: im not an academic or a scholar or anything. i just like the book. i probably have no idea what the fuck im talking about. but im a very very passionate little guy and this has been my rant

[immediatebreakfast]

The subtlety of gothic horror today is brought by a caring old lady trying to save Jonathan from what could be a certain death.

Because, here is what we have to understand. The readers know that count Dracula is a vampire, and we have a general idea about how they work, and how they feed, but Jonathan doesnt.

This is the first time that Jonathan traveled outside of his home country. It's the first time he encounters other people who are culturally different than the English. This is exemplified with Jonathan knowing what the date is, but not caring enough about the meaning behind it, and him not knowing how important a crucifix is in these lands.

Specially since the old lady is practically warning him to not travel today because he is in danger. Both the readers, and the old lady know the actual danger, but again Jonathan doesn't. Even if he knows that the warnings are serious, Jonathan can't simply wait for something that is framed as a very important duty.

Jonathan can't be convinced, so the old lady cries for him. This poor old lady is just truly trying to save a young man who just started his life, and the horror sinks in when one thinks about the possibilities of how many times she has done this.

"Must you go? Oh! young Herr, must you go?" - Old lady, may 4.

How many times has she fruitlessly tried to protect young people with a single crucifix as she sends them to what could be their doom?

[puttingwingsonwords]

in the continued chronicles of making my bf listen to re: dracula, he just said Mina is his favourite character and then compared her to me jsjfhdsj

[illmissthecrowning]

Happy "Morris shoots Dracula" day to all who celebrate.

Very unhappy "the Men decide not to tell Mina anything that DEFINITELY won't have consequences later" to everyone who is dreading the next week of Pain after this week of Pain

[see-arcane]

Only addendum I can think of is that if the Harkers are as cryptid-cool and competent as seen above, the question would have to arise: How the hell were they both captured by the enemy?

Likely answer: They caught wind of a rumor that merited being taken behind enemy lines to confirm. They were caught, they went through the interrogation/torture gauntlet—and didn’t let on what they really were until their captors brought out what they thought was a secret weapon to finish them off; perhaps on the very night their son was coming to the rescue.

The enemy brings out a super soldier of their own—a work in progress, but terribly promising.

Enter a vampire in military regalia, grin sharp and thirsty…until he scents something on the Harkers that his human brethren (ha, hilarious that they still think he meant to let them live to tattle the secret of him after the war!) did not detect. Until now. Until the ruse drops and eyes burn arterial red or Ferryman coin-bright respectively.

Quincey reunites with his parents as their captors are swearing, screaming and running. The vampire’s head is already off, his heart pierced with a broken chair leg. Parents and child regard each other for a beat.

“…Hello, son.”

And because this is war and there are comrades gawping over his shoulder, Quincey denies himself a theatric faint to croak, “Mum. Papa.” A hard swallow as he puts composure in a stranglehold. “Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

The story turns on its heel out of straightforward human horror and into monstrous menace as the Harker family (un)officially take charge of tackling the new-ancient threat posed by the enemy putting the undead to use…while also trying to keep their own power hungry superiors from gaining a grip on that supernatural temptation.

I imagine some climax occurs in which, yes, the major opposing vampiric threat is dealt with, only for the main higher-ups to haggle or coerce their way into willing vampirism. Maybe they succeed. Maybe they turn on their ex-allies, intending to slay Mr. and Mrs. Harker as the only threat to their new power.

Cue Quincey and his entire battalion, newly minted vampire hunters in their own right, falling on their former commanders like a pack of hunting dogs swarming a wolf. Key word being ‘former.’ They are vampires, after all. And the soldiers do have their orders to follow. Slay the monsters, right, sirs?

They return home with a tragic tale of many men lost in battle to a ferocious enemy—the superiors dying oh so valiantly for their men. But, every soldier ever comforted or protected by the family agrees, they owe their lives and more to the Harkers. Medals and addresses make their rounds, lifelong connections made.

Time will pass. The world will war again, somehow more wretchedly than before. And more stories will spread before it comes to a close. Impossible ones, the kind desperate young men make to turn luck into miracles. Those who return will share them with their fathers and uncles who will bristle with recollection.

Their boys tell them of three figures that appeared at the edge of so many battles. Two men and a woman. Hunters more than soldiers, carving through the horror. The woman who led and wove through the enemy as if she were a prophet reading the attacks in an itinerary. The dark-haired man a blur of a shot, never missing, never slowing. The white-haired man sending enemies running with his strength and steel in one moment and carrying wounded men to safety like weightless babes the next. Do not laugh, but many claim they even slew monsters in the night! Things that promised worse endings than mere artillery.

The old men do not laugh. Only tell their own story in turn. And wonder, idly, if they will live long enough for their grandchildren to cross paths with a strange and ageless family, protectors one step removed from the ordinary trudge of humanity.

But they don’t wonder long. Or aloud.

Some secrets are better off only as legends, after all.

i really wish i had the motivation to write rn, because i have an idea for a post-canon Dracula fic where the characters have to deal with world war one. like, how do you even cope with thinking you saved all those lives, only for the entire western world to go to absolute shit just 20-ish years later? if only Bram Stoker had known what was coming.

anyway, i find it so interesting to consider what certain characters would do in that situation.

depending on when he was born, Quincey Jr could be just old enough to enlist or get drafted. or honestly, he might just want to be a hero like his parents, and lie about his age. and let's be real, that boy has some latent vampire powers that would give him an edge.

Jonathan has good survival instincts, an ear for languages, and the ability and willingness to scale sheer walls with a knife between his teeth if necessary. Mina has a really impressive memory for conversations and schedules, a love of technology, experience resisting what is essentially supernatural interrogation, and probably some vampire side effects of her own. both of them know shorthand and have plenty of experience with life or death situations. they would kick ass as spies and wireless operators.

Jack and Van Helsing would have to cease the medical malpractice to be actual army doctors. maybe learn about shell shock and call up Jonathan about that old "brain fever" diagnosis of his.

and what would Arthur even do? what did lords do during WW1? try to keep his friends out of harm's way? use his seat in government to try and end the war? grapple with the fact that lordships are falling out of favour and the world is moving on into a modern era without him?

i just find it fun to ponder.

[hotvintagepoll]

this is a poll for a movie that doesn't exist.

It is vintage times. The powers that be have decided to again remake the classic vampire novel Dracula for the screen. in an amazing show of inter-studio solidarity, Hollywood’s most elite hotties are up for the starring roles. The producers know whoever they cast will greatly impact the genre, quality, and tone of the finished film, so they are turning to their wisest voices for guidance.

you are the new casting director for this star-studded epic. choose your players wisely.

Previously cast:

Jonathan Harker—Jimmy Stewart

The Old Woman—Martita Hunt

Count Dracula—Gloria Holden

Mina Murray—Setsuko Hara

Lucy Westenra—Judy Garland

The Three Voluptuous Women—Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall

Dr. Jack Seward—Vincent Price

Quincey P. Morris—Toshiro Mifune

Arthur Holmwood—Sidney Poitier

R.M. Renfield—Conrad Veidt

The Captain of the Demeter—Omar Sharif

The First Mate of the Demeter—Leonard Nimoy

Edit: adding since there’s been some confusion—this is for MR. SWALES, the old seaman with a bizarre accent in today’s entry of Dracula Daily.

[vickyvicarious]

I think Jonathan talks to Jack the most out of all suitors before All That since he is the third main record keeper, but their interactions are off screen and alluded like:

"Harker has gone back, and is again collating his material. He says that by dinner-time they will be able to show a whole connected narrative. He thinks that in the meantime I should see Renfield, as hitherto he has been a sort of index to the coming and going of the Count."

And since the impression he gives to Jack is "quiet, business-like gentleman", yeah I'd say he'd use RP!

(in reference to this post)

Agreed! Jonathan also met Jack first of the suitors, he's staying in the guy's house, and of the three Jack is the least overwhelmingly rich. This is also kind of a side effect of Jack being the next main record keeper but in helping Mina go through the records, he may have gotten a bit used to reading his thoughts or even potentially hearing them spoken (depending on whether he was mostly helping Mina organize things she had already typed, or if he ever took a turn listening too) and thus felt a bit closer to him in a way even before much direct interaction. Not to mention, that interaction you quote shows Jonathan's interest in Renfield, which would naturally lead him first to Jack (I constantly curse the lack of Jonathan/Renfield interaction, it could be so fascinating had Stoker not just Forgot He Was There). Those may be a couple additional reasons he might want to or feel more comfortable coordinating with the doctor more directly. Also Arthur is still very sad and Quincey is still very concerned about Arthur so I can see them being a little less likely to initiate much socializing than they usually would.

But Jonathan's mostly offscreen, helping Mina with the records, going off hunting after boxes... Of course there are some offscreen conversations taking place, and they surely wouldn't be only with Jack, but if what we see in the documents is any indication, Jonathan is fairly quiet and only really speaks up about 'business' (AKA Dracula-hunting) matters. And even then mostly only when he has something new to contribute. He isn't going on any epic rants (yet) and he isn't volunteering to be the one to explain everything from his experience, just bringing up relevant points for discussion or connections. And if he is trying to a) be businesslike/professional b) seem as calm and sane as possible under the circumstances of these people knowing what he's been through and how it's affected his mental health c) be polite with people he is not very familiar with yet... then yeah, I totally can see him using RP during all this time.

So his outpouring of utter emotion on October 3 is a big change, to be sure. And dropping into his natural accent while doing so would be an excellent way to illustrate how every other consideration just completely falls away for him as soon as he knows Mina is being attacked. He can't spare any attention towards sounding sophisticated, his wife has been targeted by his former tormentor and he is out for blood (/vowing to be out for literal blood should worst come to worst).

[vampire-research-center]

Dracula (Vlad Bat)

Dracula (Vlad Bat)

Over 400 years old 5'6" feet tall True Vampire (Progenitor) 1887-1999 Status: Alive Born as Vlad III Dracula, he spent his human life dedicated to God, showing his devotion through battle and conquest but his life was cut short in 1476-- Turning his back on what he worshiped, he became a vampire upon his death, and came back three days later. From that point, he became a ravenous and feral creature, killing all those who came in contact with him and draining them of their blood, amassing an immense well of souls, before he faded into obscurity and legend after finally calming-- resurfacing many, many years later when a certain solicitor is sent for. After the events of Dracula, he is taken captive by Abraham Van Helsing, and semi-willing serves the man due to natural vampire social hierarchy.

Relationships

Abraham Van Helsing | Mates | ♥♥♥♥♥ Mina Harker | Complicated (Sire / Spawn) | ♥♥♥♥♡ Jonathan Harker | Enemies / Complicated | ♡♡♡♡♡ Arthur Holmwood | Enemies | ♡♡♡♡♡ John Seward | Enemies | ♡♡♡♡♡ Integra Van Helsing | Adoptive Spawn / Master | ♥♥♥♥♡ Walter C. Dornez | Household Member | ♥♥♥♡♡ Seras Victoria | Spawn | ♥♥♥♥♡ Pip Bernadotte | Spawn's mate / Grandspawn? | ♥♥♥♡♡ Alexander Anderson | Complicated | ♥♥♡♡♡

[see-arcane]

This part focuses on Quincey in particular instead of everyone, "Quincey raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her intently", and I wonder if it connects with what he had said before: "And I promise you, too, that I shall make all certain, for if I am only doubtful I shall take it that the time has come!" Because Quincey is the one who always clocks on the situation at hand first, and patrols for threats (and if he spots one he shoots first asks questions later)

He does clock things very fast and takes action just as quickly. When he's facing the right way.

But in this scene, our favorite Texan isn't looking the right way or even reacting safely as much as he is quick about it. Even if his reaction was entirely innocent surprise, the fact that he made clear how ready he was to serve Mina's euthanasia request--seemingly with more readiness than even Dr. Jack Malpractice who must 'steel' himself to the idea--has absolutely stuck in Jonathan's mind.

Hence Jonathan death gripping the kukri as Quincey gets (to his eyes) the wrong kind of interested.

The whole story could have gone very nasty very fast if Mr. 'You've yeed your last haw' Morris had made a wrong move at that moment.

[wynought]

ben galpin's fond chuckle upon jonathan finding dracula reading a book of train schedules is so cute. jonathan is reminded of mina and it immediately eases his sense of foreboding. he is so in love with her!

[singingbookwormwithrainbowheart]

Seward finds Renfield beaten bloody, close to death.

Van Helsing arrives along to help while the rest of the gang watches.

Renfield tells about Dracula.

Dracula is in the house.

He attacks the Harkers' in general and Mina in particular.

VH&C manages to stop D, but Mina is too hurt and will, possibly become a vampire.

Jonathan is aflame with rigtheous anger for his wife's sake.

VH&C strive to hauny and kill Dracula even more now, because they have to help Mina.

Dracula destroys paper and phonographs in an attempt to hinder VH&C.

But Mina and Jonathan have made hidden copies - TAKE THAT, COUNT D!

They make new plans, as they are all steadfast good people!

The men are to break up and destroy all the boxes.

Mina is to sort new and temainijh papers and audios.

Before they all do their things, Van Helsing blesses Mina by pressing a Sacred Wafer to her forhead

And because of Count D horrifying crime when he bit her and made her drink his blood, it burns into her skin, and she is now marked

It's a sad sad day.

[lxgentlefolkcomic]

Info and FAQ (Please read before sending asks)

What is this?

This is the League of Extraordinary Gentlefolk, a comic project based on the premise of Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Think The Avengers, but with characters from Victorian lit.

If you’re familiar with the Alan Moore comic, or the 2003 movie, don’t expect this project to look much like either one. I’m keeping the name, the basic premise, and most but not all of the core cast, and going my own way with all the rest.

Where can I start reading?

For the start of episode 1, click here. For non-canonical bonus material, click here.  I’ll be updating this post with more links as the comic proceeds.

Who’s working on this thing?

The LXGF team consists of:

Chicken (@mayhemchicken-artblog​): Project leader, artist, blog owner, part-time writer

linguisticparadox (@linguisticparadox​): Writer, blog admin

Dathen ( @dathen​, @datheneth on Twitter, Dathen on AO3): Editor, image description writer

L. Spooner (@fruitviking​, @voiceofspoon on Twitter): Writer

@see-arcane​: Writer

Mr. Pinniped (@mrpinniped​, Mr_Pinniped on AO3): Writer

Rosie C. (@absolutely-and-always13​): Writer

Lemur (@drowninginaseaoflemurs​): Writer

The Collector of the Whimsies (@pop-goes-the-weasel​): Writer

Jesterbells (@jesterbells): Writer

Luna: Editor

Drakontissa (@thegoatsongs​): Writer, image description writer

@cattuladaily​: Writer

@severedfeetpics​: Writer

@kouvei​: Writer

@the-constellation-collective: Image description writer

Hiri (@hirilelfwraith): Image description writer

Jade (@riseofthesea​): Image description writer

Do I need to read all the books and stories this is based on?

We’re aiming to make the comic accessible to people who have never read the original works. Reading the stories will enrich your experience with the comic, but it is by no means necessary.

If you’re interested in reading the original works, @linguisticparadox​ compiled a fantastic Google doc with links to all the texts we’re using as inspiration. (at least, all the ones we can currently share without giving away future spoilers... :3c)

How will you be handling [insert issue/plot point/character portrayal from either LoEG or one of the source texts here]?

Hopefully, in a respectful and nuanced fashion. We’re doing our utmost to remain faithful to the source texts we’re drawing from whenever possible, while at the same time avoiding uncritically reproducing the prejudices present in those texts.

What are the guidelines for sending in asks?

Be respectful. This is the “goes without saying” rule, but this is Tumblr, so I’ll say it anyway. Trolls, hate, bad-faith questions, and exclusionism will be deleted.

Read the FAQ. If your question is covered in this post, odds are I’m not going to answer it.

Be patient. I’m only one person, and I’m not always going to be able to answer asks in a timely fashion - or at all. This is my first time running a blog that receives this level of interaction, and I’m still figuring a lot of things out as I go.

Are you looking for guest artists/writers?

Not currently. We’ve talked about this possibility for the future, but as of right now we’re not accepting submissions for new writers. I’ve also had a couple people offer to help with inking/backgrounds, and while I appreciate the offer, I would like to clarify that I do not intend to do either. The comic will remain black and white and sketchy indefinitely.

What characters are part of this?

There are a LOT of characters planned to appear in this thing. I’m working on a separate cast list page, but in the meantime, the core League by the end of Episode 2 will consist of: Mina and Jonathan Harker, Irene Norton (better known as Irene Adler), Dr. John “Jack” Seward, Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Ashley Griffin, and Captain Nemo. Additionally, expect to see a wide variety of supporting cast members in roles both large and small, including more official League members to be added down the road.

Why is Jonathan Harker here?

Because he loves his wife!! And I love him. Also, he’s a white-haired kukri-wielding genderqueer possibly-a-cryptid, and how can you NOT put a character like that in your comic?

(Slightly more serious answer: Because this comic is founded almost entirely on spite and self-indulgence, and in my humble opinion the Harkers were done dirty by Alan Moore. I’m a huge Dracula fan thanks to Dracula Daily, and I want to give Jonathan Harker the spotlight I feel he deserves.)

Where can I learn more?

Join the Discord server! We’re discussing the comic, the works that inspired it, Alan Moore’s uhh...questionable creative choices, and more! There’s some bonus art in there, too.

[worst-t4t-couple]

ALL Pairings are out! Long post, so look under the cut!

Round 1 1/4

Sweep, cap’n, k_k VS Jay Walker, Nya

Vee, Marsha VS Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle

Cherry Blossom Joe VS Doofinsmerch, His Ex-Wife

Percy jackson, Annabeth Chase VS Jack O Valentine, Sol Badguy

Josuke Higashikata, Yasuho Hirose VS Lug, Anode

leorio, kurapika VS Nepeta Leijon, Equius Zahhak

Luz Noceda, Marcy Wu VS Varian, Hugo

Swap, Neo VS Queen Roger and Fly Minetti

Daffy, Bugs VS Vash, Wolfwood

Ren Amamiya and Goro Akechi VS Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson

Sam, Max VS Hunter, Willow

Stepan trofimovich, Varvara Petrovnad VS Rex Salazar, Noah Nixon

nellie lovett, sweeney todd VS Tim Drake, Bernard Dowd

bubby, dr coomer VS Neku, Beat

Dave Miller, Jack Kennedy VS Kermit, Mrs. Piggy

Cleo, Etho VS Zelda, Link (Rip)

Chip, Gillion VS X, Zero

kagayama shigeo, hanazawa teruki VS Kris, Berdly 

Caranthir, Haleth VS Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood

Marc Anciel, Nathaniel Kurtzberg VS Miyamoto Uran, Sapphire

Texas, Church VS Solid Snake, Otacon

Gundham Tanaka, Sonia Nevermind VS Phillip Carlyle,Anne Wheeler

Soos, Melody VS Red, Blue

Jungleberry Cookie, Royal Berry Cookie VS Blaze, Sonic

LDshadowlady, Smallishbeans VS Mr. Neighbor, Wegg

clark kent, lois lane VS Popeye, Olive Oyl

Round 1 2/4

Brandon Quark,  Doctor Robotnik VS Elrond, Celebrian

Yoo Joonghyuk, Kim Dokja VS stanford pines, fiddleford mcgucket

Pepa & Félix Madrigal VS Duskie & Hibiscus

Emu Otori, Rui Kamishiro VS momoe and kaoru

C!fundy and c!hbomb VS Anne Boonchuy, Sasha Waybright and Marcy Wu

Agent 3 and Agent 8 VS c!schlatt & c!connor

Zoro Roronoa and Sanji Vinsmoke (Black leg Sanji) VS Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy

Herbert West & Daniel Cain VS Snorkmaiden & Mymble Jr 

charles "trip" tucker and t'pol VS Mytho & Princess Tutu (NOT duck; just her princess form)

Gregory House and James Wilson VS luz and amity

Paintbrush and Lightbulb VS Vriska Serket & June Egbert

geordi and data VS peter sqloint and rumi sqloint

Q!ElMariana and Q!Slimecicle VS Poor Boy and Love Interest

Scar and Grian VS Jolyne/Anasui

Kian Stone, Rolan Deep and Timothy Rand VS Dr. Boris Habit and Kamal Bora

red guy and duck VS MK & Red Son

jonathan harker and mina murray harker VS Zagreus/Thanatos/Megaera

Crowley and Aziraphale VS Denki Kaminari and Kyoka Jiro

Tuor and Idril Celebrindal VS Snorpy and Chadlo

jack harkness x the tardis VS Mizuki akiyama and mafuyu

Jackieboyman and Marvin the Magnificent VS Arashi Narukami and Mika Kagehara

Barbie, Ken VS ron and desiree delite

Steven Universe & Connie Maheswaran VS Magnus Burnsides and Julia Burnsides

Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla VS castiel and dean winchester 

Eda and Luz’s mom VS Jadzia Dax & Kira Nerys

c!Tubbo and c!Ranboo VS Rex Salazar & Circe 

Round 1 3/4

Pixal + Zane VS Apollo Justice + Klavier Gavin 

The Monarch and Dr. Ms Monarch VS Juno Steel and Peter Nureyev

Kaito and Meiko VS Kamille Bidan & Fa Yuiry

Sun Wukong and Six-Eared Macaque VS Skwydd & Cricket

Sasha Nein and Milla Vodello VS Wade Ripple & Ember

Byakuren Hiijri and Toyosatomimi no Miko VS Cosmo, Wanda

Roboky and Venom VS Cellbit and Roier

Numerous BFDI ships VS Hiccup, Astrid

Beatrix and Casey VS anakin skywalker and captain rex

Raven and Beast Boy VS Neo and Trinity

Mario, Princess Peach VS Rashmi Jamil and Amelie Maçon

Denji, Asa Mitaka VS Vivi Yukino and Lewis Pepper

Benrey and Gordon VS Lace and Hornet

Beren and Luthien VS neku sakuraba, joshua kiryu

Shin and Noi VS Morticia and Gomez Addams

Paul Matthews and Emma Perkins VS Moomin, Snufkin

james t kirk + s'chnn t'gai spock VS  Nico Robin and Franky

Dave Strider and John/June Egbert VS Moominmamma & Moominpappa

Edward Nygma and Oswald Cobblepot VS shaun riley and liz

louis and lestat VS Spamton, Jevil

fox mulder and dana scully VS will t riker + deanna troi [+ worf rozhenko]

Amy Rose, Metal Sonic VS Quackity and Slimecicle

Diego Brando & Hot Pants VS Elrond and Celebrian and Gil-Galad

mia fey & diego armando/godot VS Luigi and Prince Peasly

C!Quackity, C!Karl, and C!Sapnap VS Sonic, Shadow

Drey Ferin and Finn Tidestrider VS Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell

Round 1 4/4

Shaggy and velma VS Surge the Tenrec and Amy Rose

Yamato/Portgas D. Ace VS audrey & seymour

Randy Jade and Oliver Swift VS Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi

Lup and Barry Bluejeans VS Reimu and Marissa

Mizuki Akiyama & Rui Kamishiro VS Jimmy The Robot and Mc Bat Commander

C!Quackity and C!wilbur VS Espresso cookie and Eclair cookie

Junpei, Akane Kurashiki VS Obi-Wan Kenobi & Satine Kryze

Raine Whispers and Eda Clawthorne VS Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsen

Maxwell 'William' Carter and Charlie W. VS Mothwing and Leafpool

Naruto Uzumaki & Sasuke VS Baxter Stockman and The Alien Computer 

Keith Kogane and Lance McClain VS Wood Man and Robbie Rotten

Scott and Barda Free (Mister Miracle and Big Barda) VS John Notwoodman + Nick Lushwood

Caranthir and Haleth VS Susie and Noelle

orpheus and eurydice VS The doctor, Rose

luke skywalker and mara jade VS Princess Daisy and Luigi 

time and malon VS Simon (Scissor) and Spoon

Dave strider, Karkat Vantas VS Miles “moles,” Edgar, and Madeline

Mary Anta and Reginald Tetra VS Koichi Haimawari and Kazuho Haneyama

Yoshi and Birdo VS lazlo & nadia

Celebrimbor and Annatar VS Rendog and DocM77

Jesse + Jane VS Adira Tal and Gray Tal

Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson VS Dazai Osamu and Nakahara

Jessie and James VS jeff and britta

Anji Mito and Baiken VS Shiver and Frye

ALL of MLP* VS ALL of TF2*

*Minus any familial relationships

[gayest-classiclit]

GUYS GUESS WHAT 💥

we now have a bracket! poll times are hit or miss. we'll see

your matchups are under the cut vvv

PART A

Viola/Cesario (Twelfth Night) vs Jane Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)

Medea (Greek mythology) vs Benedick and Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing)

Grantaire (Les Miserables) vs Prince Hal (the Henriad)

Enjolras (Les Miserables) vs Clopin Trouillefou (Notre Dame de Paris)

Milady de Winter (The Count of Monte Cristo) vs Don Rodigue (Spanish folktales)

Mephistopheles (Faust) vs Big Brother (1984)

Jean Valjean (Les Miserables) vs Queequeg (Moby Dick)

Helen of Troy (Greek mythology) vs Jesus and Judas (the Bible)

PART B

Sherlock Holmes (the Sherlock Holmes books) vs Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights) vs Jonathan and Mina Harker (Dracula)

Cathy Ames (East of Eden) vs Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

Arsene Lupin (the Arsene Lupin books) vs Eugene Onegin (Eugene Onegin)

Charles Bingley (Pride and Prejudice) vs Gregor Samsa (The Metamorphosis)

Ivan Karamazov (The Brothers Karamazov) vs Frankenstein's Monster/Adam (Frankenstein)

Therem Harth Ir Em Estraven (The Left Hand of Darkness) vs Eugene de Rastignac (The Human Comedy)

Winston Smith (1984) vs Inspector Goole (An Inspector Calls)

PART C

Quincey Morris (Dracula) vs Count Dracula (Dracula)

Annabel Lee (Annabel Lee) vs the Woman Behind the Wallpaper (The Yellow Wallpaper)

the Duke de Nemours (La Princess de Cleves) vs Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet) vs Carmilla (Carmilla)

Hotspur (the Henriad) vs Edmond Dantes (The Count of Monte Cristo)

Hamlet (Hamlet) vs Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Alyosha Karamazov (The Brothers Karamazov) vs Robin Hood (assorted folktales)

Grendel's mother (Beowulf) vs Rodion Raskolnikov (Crime and Punishment)

PART D

Dmitri Razumikhin (Crime and Punishment) vs Balladyna (Balladyna)

Benedetto (The Count of Monte Cristo) vs Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

Gerald Croft (An Inspector Calls) vs Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby)

Irene Adler (the Sherlock Holmes books) vs Emma Bovary (Madame Bovary)

Erik/the Phantom (The Phantom of the Opera) vs Gaspard Caderousse (The Count of Monte Cristo)

Woland (The Master and Margarita) vs Nastasya Filippovna (The Idiot)

Henry Jekyll (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) vs Ruy Blas (Ruy Blas)

Behemoth (The Master and Margarita) vs Anatole Kuragin and Helene Bezukova (War and Peace)