Family as an obstacle and other weird storytelling solutions

An edition about the strange need to make your lonely heroes sociable.

Apr 14, 2025

HELLO AND WELCOME TO A NEW EDITION OF MY NEWSLETTER!

I recently returned from the Barcelona Comic convention. Last year I didn't attend because I didn't have any new releases, but this time I presented the Spanish edition of Elixir. Two years of absence seems like a lifetime, because Barcelona is the most important meeting of the Spanish comic community and there are authors that I only see on that occasion.
It was a bittersweet time too, because I have this “end of an era” feeling. The (originally) little brother show of Barcelona, the Manga edition, next December, is already three times bigger than the comic version, which from my perspective the (let’s call it) “traditional” edition has entered an unstoppable process of decadence, in terms of the amount of people I see and the number of stands related to the industry.

I have no answers to assess the motives. I don't know if it is something that can be corrected or channeled, or if it is the natural course of things.
Anywere, there we are, fighting for art made by people and invited by the good people of Norma Editorial, publisher a large part of my American work and some GNs I've done for them like my Kurosawa biography.

(It’s weird that I feel like a stranger at manga fairs because -hey!- I started reading manga in my teens. I'm not a mature man who has joined the trend to look young.)

“Mister shopkeeper, can you provide me with the latest volume of Frieren?”

RED HOPE (PART 2) IS ONLINE

I commented that I was drawing “analogically” at times a new short story to publish on my Polar webcomic page, where the first three volumes of Polar and the Against Hope OGN began.
The story is titled RED HOPE, and originally I had planned a single story of 8 pages, but the storytelling expanded itself, and I divided it into two parts of 8 pages. If you didn’t read it yet, the first part was available at polarcomic a month ago, and the second and last one is online now ! I hope you like it!

This is something I’ve done for fun and no editor is paying me. I feel a little guilty for it, so you can ease my distress buying an original page in my bigcartel store as a way to fund my artistic whims. I considered it not "published" work, so I have put them at a cheaper price than usual and it’s a good opportunity to get a Polar style page at a good price.

FAMILY, THOSE NOSY PEOPLE

Just finished the first season of the new Day of the Jackal TV show, based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel and also taking elements of Fred Zinnemmann’s 1973 movie, which I love and was one of the influences for my Black Kaiser character. And even though I think it’s a very well-crafted entertainment, and Eddie Redmaine shines in his performance, I can't help but find annoying this resource that I see repeated in many productions that adapt characters to the longer format of the series: Adding a family to a main character who originally didn’t have it.

The problem is: Often the idea of the main character having a family clashes directly with his/her very original essence. If the reason is to humanize the character, an international hitman capable of killing anyone, it’s a basic mistake. Precisely what distinguishes the character is his absolute coldness and detachment from people.
Then, do you really need me to empathize with this new Jackal? At the beginning of the series, a client refuse to pay him for a job done, as a freelancer I was already fully committed!

And if the producers think a viewer won't watch a series starring a ruthless murderer... Then you can focus the spotlight on his pursuer. Ironically, the show consciously strives to make his persecutor, who is on the side of justice, an unfriendly character.

But there is another possibility: Adding a family is a new source of conflict and a way to fill more footage.
The problem of making a series from a movie is obvious: You need to tell a much longer story. But is adding a family the solution? Because in this show, the family subplot is unbearable. I enjoy very much the cat-and-mouse game between the hitman and his pursuer, performed by Lashana Lynch… And then do I have to pause my enthusiasm to watch the wife arguing with the mother-in-law and brother-in-law about buying a local business?
In fact, the Jackal has a tenuous camaraderie relationship with one of his client's agents performed by a solvent Eleanor Matsuura that I feel to be infinitely more interesting than his wife's, and it's barely developed.

I enjoyed the show, it has numerous virtues, like a very interesting new origin for the character, and it's filmed with care. But I wanted to use the excuse of the family as a starting point, because sometimes I get the impression that this resource is an easy way out.

Do you need more running time for your action story? Bring up more challenges, create new enemies or competitors. Squeeze your brains.

I remember the movie Shooter, an effective Matt Whalberg’s actioner transformed into a 3-season show. The story was about a lonely (almost an eremit) sniper. But now he’s sociable, good neighboor and has a family.
Or the trilogy of Equalizer movies, this retired agent of Intelligence based on a 70s TV show… But now you have a new show with the plot every fan of Denzel Washington’s movies wanted to see: Indeed, problems with your ex-husband and kids custody. (Note: I like the idea of the gender swapping of the character even though I can't exactly consider myself a fan of Queen Latifah).

Can you imagine applying this logic to other cold-blood characters?
“Hey, let's make a Judge Dredd series… Ok, but now he's got an ex-wife who's claiming alimony.”
“Let's make a Dirty Harry series… Cool, but now he's got a mouthy daughter helping him on cases.”
”What if we do a Resident Evil show, but Jill Valentine has problems because her husband doesn't approve of her schedule?”

Hey, I am not against a character has a family! There are examples of how to use it excellently, as in the new update of Arsene Lupin's character, where his wife and son are part of the plot and are key to many of the protagonist's actions (and mistakes).

But when I talk with friends about fiction I get a lot of “the show is great but I hate the teen daughter/son” comments (I have my own thesis on writing teenage characters that I added to a TV treatment I wrote for Ginger's Revenge. Summary: They don't need to be jerks.) But creating a family just to have them pissing the protagonist (and the viewers) off… It never works.
I believe that family is an enriching element in a character, but it does not work for every story. And of course you can't treat it like another hero's antagonist. In fact, the action genre sadly has served to perpetuate this sexist stereotype: The hero's annoying wife.
You know her: “ Oh John, I know you have to save the world, but what about my emotional needs?”

Schedule for today: Parents meet and kick some asses later

I believe that the family element should contribute and not be an obstacle. I could be wrong (for sure) and it is possible that in the creations that I actually quote, the scriptwriters really added these elements to enrich the story... but it is not the impression that I have when I see them.
(Plus: These shows are big hits so what do I know?)

As always, everyone has their own opinion and I would be happy to hear yours.

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