Count Dracula
Count Dracula is what’s known as a vampire, and he’s often portrayed as sinister. He first appeared in a book in 1897, but since then other authors have created vampire characters who aren’t quite so scary—Vampirina Ballerina, and Drac from “Hotel Transylvania” among them.
Dracula is only awake at night, and because he’s a vampire (and considered “scary”), he can understandably get lonely living all by himself. That sense of loneliness is the emotion at the heart of this story, and it’s a feeling everyone can relate to experiencing at one time or another.
Vampire Kitty
The Vampire Kitty, also known as a sand cat, is an amazing animal. It’s the only wild cat that lives entirely in the desert and can withstand temperatures of extreme heat and cold. It has thick fur that grows between its toes, which lets them walk across the hot sand and over very cold ground, and prevents them from sinking into the soft sand, making them hard to follow since they don’t leave behind any trace of being there.
Between their desert-like coloring and the lack of footprints, it’s almost as if they’re invisible—which vampires are also known to be!
The spider
A commonly misunderstood animal is the spider. With their eight legs and scurrying trajectory, they freak people out and many would just as soon squash them as leave them be. But they are incredibly industrious and smart—especially the barn spider, which is the one that author E.B. White was inspired by when he wrote the book “Charlotte’s Web.“
When I wanted to add an animal to the story that was capable of helping Dracula, I drew inspiration from Charlotte, but instead chose the black widow spider, who is also incredibly industrious and smart; two worthy characteristics in a companion.