A tad sadistic...

[Auron]

This is sort about DMFA, in a, what's with Amber sort of way. Is it just me, or does Amber have really evil forces going on deep inside her? There is some really messed up story line aspects going on, namely the many deaths she has only after, page after page of, making us fall in love with the character that dies... That's torture!!!

I so want to learn to do that, but I'm not cold enough to kill off a character I develop far enough to have such an affect on the audience. Ehh, I'm a softy, despite what the avatar I use might imply.

Anywho, anyone else notice this?

[Zina]

I don't think killing off characters means that you're cold, sadistic or evil. Just that you're, y'know, telling a story. And sometimes good people die in stories.

[Nikki]

I've noticed it =3

And all i can say is it keeps the story going. I mean, personally, in some comics, seein the same characters through the -entire- lifetime of the comic can be a tad boring...

Yeah it sucks when a loved character dies. Majorly. But it's all about the story =3

[Auron]

Yeah, I understand, but still... Does she have to rip my heart out!! ~falls over and bleeds!~

[Zina]

Yes.

[Zedd]

Its a good story and shows how most chars can devlop with real life situations but rember..This too will pass

[Nikki]

Yeah, I understand, but still... Does she have to rip my heart out!! ~falls over and bleeds!~

Heart, Lungs, liver and spleen.

and your spinal chord.

[Amber Williams]

This may be a bit personal, or it may be a bit common knowledge...I am not sure.

For me, one of the things I try to always remember when telling a story is that every character should be an individual.  It's something I remind myself in real life when I drive down the street. Every person in every car? They have years of life behind them and a whole building block upon which has made them that very person who is driving that car.  As such, I don't really believe in making characters who's purpose it is to die.   Instead, I simply try to make characters who are characters...and it just happens to be their time.

Really, no one feels worse when a character has to go than myself.  I enjoy writing just about every character I have made...and part of me wants for them all to get happy endings and work around the bad parts.  Not to mention there are things that the readers will never know about the characters that I do.  Small parts of the characters backstories that helped shape them into who they are today but will never get mentioned in the comic.

I dont really want to think of them as evil forces...but there are times and things that run deep and dark.  I chose mainly to focus on the more light-hearted aspect of things, but that doesnt necessarily mean the more grim and dark things arent around.

And unfortunately death is something that cannot always be avoided.  This likely wont be the last time a character dies in DMFA either. 

[Turnsky]

This may be a bit personal, or it may be a bit common knowledge...I am not sure.

For me, one of the things I try to always remember when telling a story is that every character should be an individual.  It's something I remind myself in real life when I drive down the street. Every person in every car? They have years of life behind them and a whole building block upon which has made them that very person who is driving that car.  As such, I don't really believe in making characters who's purpose it is to die.   Instead, I simply try to make characters who are characters...and it just happens to be their time.

Really, no one feels worse when a character has to go than myself.  I enjoy writing just about every character I have made...and part of me wants for them all to get happy endings and work around the bad parts.  Not to mention there are things that the readers will never know about the characters that I do.  Small parts of the characters backstories that helped shape them into who they are today but will never get mentioned in the comic.

I dont really want to think of them as evil forces...but there are times and things that run deep and dark.  I chose mainly to focus on the more light-hearted aspect of things, but that doesnt necessarily mean the more grim and dark things arent around.

And unfortunately death is something that cannot always be avoided.  This likely wont be the last time a character dies in DMFA either. 

with writing, it's considered bad form to have a character act, well "out of character" a term a friend of mine coined is "Green Diamonding" i.e: having a character do something he or she ordinarily would or would not do.   For example, it'd be considered out of character for Dark Pegasus to spare Hannah's life, when it was quite clear that he had no intentions to spare it at all.
He isn't a Bond villain after all. 

After all, DMFA hasta have its dark underbelly somewhere. 

(besides, i've seen people do far more sadistic things to their characters, including having them skinned alive... well, immortalised, killed, then waking up skinless only to feel their skin growing back.. long story..)

[Sofox]

Is it just me, or does Amber have really evil forces going on deep inside her?

Don't we all?

[Tapewolf]

After all, DMFA hasta have its dark underbelly somewhere. 

I think you've hit the nail on the head, there.  DMFA is not a pure comedy, it has a strong drama element to it, and death - in moderation - is an unfortunately necessity for this genre.

It's sad, but killing off a character like this does make for a much more powerful story.  Conversely, a villain along the lines of DP who doesn't kill people is a little anaemic, unless you can devise some alternate way of making them into a dire threat (which is possible).

Much as I like Hannah, I'd feel somehow let down if she somehow came back, indeed in some ways it could be considered a cop-out unless it was handled in a truly spectacular manner - which has already been done in her earlier return.

To sum up, a good story will provoke strong emotions in the reader.  If Amber has affected you by killing Hannah, it means she's doing a good job.

[Turnsky]

Much as I like Hannah, I'd feel somehow let down if she somehow came back, indeed in some ways it could be considered a cop-out unless it was handled in a truly spectacular manner - which has already been done in her earlier return.

some pretty potent deus ex machina required there, looks like she's reduced to a pile of ashes...

hrm..
"instant hannah, just add water" 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

"instant hannah, just add water" 

*ziiip* ?

[Tapewolf]

some pretty potent deus ex machina required there, looks like she's reduced to a pile of ashes...
"instant hannah, just add water" 

Ok, that made me laugh.

In all seriousness, a sufficiently determined writer could do it.  You might, for example, be able to clone a new body from the leg/tail.  Getting the soul back is likely to be very hard, although given DP's own resurrection(s) it can't be ruled out.

[Turnsky]

some pretty potent deus ex machina required there, looks like she's reduced to a pile of ashes...
"instant hannah, just add water" 

Ok, that made me laugh.

In all seriousness, a sufficiently determined writer could do it.  You might, for example, be able to clone a new body from the leg/tail.  Getting the soul back is likely to be very hard, although given DP's own resurrection(s) it can't be ruled out.

it's very likely that he is infact undead, since he created 'em in the first place... kinda poetic, really.

deus ex machina is possible, whether it can be done right or not, i cannot say, i haven't seen a decent example yet =p

[Mao]

Much as I like Hannah, I'd feel somehow let down if she somehow came back, indeed in some ways it could be considered a cop-out unless it was handled in a truly spectacular manner - which has already been done in her earlier return.

I have to agree with this.  Besides, there's nothing stopping her from getting her back story put in someday, or even appearing in wallpapers and the like.  Just she won't likely be in future strips except in flashback or maybe in some sort of plot twist.  Let's just let the story go where it will.

*ziiip* ?

Ewwwwww...

[Turnsky]

I have to agree with this.  Besides, there's nothing stopping her from getting her back story put in someday, or even appearing in wallpapers and the like.  Just she won't likely be in future strips except in flashback or maybe in some sort of plot twist.  Let's just let the story go where it will.

you forgot "or in an urn" 

[Sunblink]

Doesn't sound more or less sadistic than the average writer, really.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Ganurath]

Between glorified rapists, kittens getting beaten to death, and a certain miscarriage, I think Amber has DMFA securely on the lighter side of webcomics.

[Jigsaw Forte]

Between glorified rapists, kittens getting beaten to death, and a certain miscarriage, I think Amber has DMFA securely on the lighter side of webcomics.

Okay, I get the Dominic Deegan and Ctrl-Atl-Del shoutouts, but which one are you referring to when you say "kittens beaten to death"?

[Ganurath]

Between glorified rapists, kittens getting beaten to death, and a certain miscarriage, I think Amber has DMFA securely on the lighter side of webcomics.

Okay, I get the Dominic Deegan and Ctrl-Atl-Del shoutouts, but which one are you referring to when you say "kittens beaten to death"?

Drowtales. It's not a bad webcomic, mind you, but it definitely goes to dark places. I should have mentioned Flipside...

[Reese Tora]

Yeah, I understand, but still... Does she have to rip my heart out!! ~falls over and bleeds!~

yes, it is needed elsewhere:
http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_VDay002.php

[Shadrok]

"instant hannah, just add water" 

Great, now I won't be able to look at powdered Nesquik ever the same again.   (even if you do use milk for it)

[TheAuldGrump]

"instant hannah, just add water" 

Great, now I won't be able to look at powdered Nesquik ever the same again.   (even if you do use milk for it)

Of course you should use milk with your Instant Hannah (tm) - it builds bones....

The Auld Grump

[Kaerou]

She never found her fluffy tail ;_;

maybe she will live on as said fluffy tail.

We can rebuild her. We have the technology

[terrycloth]

Or maybe it turns out that the afterlife for beings (and therefore undead) is the dimension of non-sensation the warp aci come from, and she's alive and... well, tiny and black.

[Auron]

(A tad sadistic) Heh heh, this has turned into a rather interesting topic instead of just a short little whim.

For me, one of the things I try to always remember when telling a story is that every character should be an individual.  It's something I remind myself in real life when I drive down the street. Every person in every car? They have years of life behind them and a whole building block upon which has made them that very person who is driving that car.

This is something I'm going to really pay attention to, it never occurred to me because... well, It's a point that people take for granted. Hopefully when I finally have the script and everything for Guardian Zero done, this little bit will help. I'd hug you for this, Amber, but I've seen what sweet innocent little Mab can do when startled... And I hardly think of you as being that innocent.

[Tiger_T]

Well, you can't clone her from her tail, because - being undead - her cells don't regenerate/grow any more.

Sorry. Hannah is now an ex-undead - may she find peace wherever she's gone to.

[Turnsky]

Well, you can't clone her from her tail, because - being undead - her cells don't regenerate/grow any more.

Sorry. Hannah is now an ex-undead - may she find peace wherever she's gone to.

"Rest in pieces...." - Caleb

[AmigaDragon]

All she has left to rest is two pieces, tail and leg, the rest is dust/ash. (Or how many pieces does ash count as?).