How will you feel when the time to let go of your characters comes?

[KSlinger]

I don't know how I'll handle it at the time but right now I'm at peace with the ending I have in mind for the project and I think that'll make it a lot easier when the time comes to process the 'loss'.

I think it's normal to experience some kind of emotional hangover after being invested in something for so long, so I anticipate some kind of grief but not a crippling amount. I'm more looking forward to the pride of having something of that scale completed and under my belt so things might balance it out. Who knows!

[WakaXO]

I won't have to seriously consider this for a long time, as I have at least 10 chapters in mind for my comic and had planned on making this a longer comics altogether. But when the time comes I think I will be relieved, of course I will miss my babies but I have other stories in mind and other projects I want to work on. I am planning on leaving my ending somewhat open, so if I ever did want to go back and add more I could, but realistically I probably would not.

[MissMagicGirl]

I will miss my characters terribly. Luckily I have just gotten started with my comic and plans for it to be real long. So that good. I hope that when the time comes to end it ( https://tapastic.com/episode/373496 ) I will have a new project that will excite me to get into and that it will make me miss my character less ^^;

[Mharz]

I won't happen for a long while cus I still have like 8 volumes to finish. Ironically though, The Angel with Black Wings should have been the one in the backburner and this character on my profile pic should've been my main series. Then as I do The Angel's story, they become the foundation of my brand and what can I say, I love these angels of mine.

Of course, if it ends then it ends. I'll probably draw them in a couple of illustrations after I finish the webcomic. Maybe a spin-off where Silver as the main cast this time. But basically my plan is when I finish The Angel's I'll go to Avi's story if my lifetime allows me to.

[Chopythes]

I'm about 45% done with the comic, I think I'll be relieved to be honest.
I don't know, the characters are pretty young so if I want to make more, I'll be able to do so while they're getting old or something.

I've been thinking about this topic for a while, because they're kind of a part of me. They've been with me for more than 3 years now and even tho I have a certain distance to them, I might be sad to let them go. I honestly don't know how to deal with it, haha!

[phoenixrenaissance]

Oh, I hardly want to think of it. Though, I guess I sort of failed to let go already since I've already started an AU comic where all of my past and future characters can make an appearance.

In any case, Life Less Ordinary probably won't be done for a few years yet with the plans that I have for it and I'm in the midst quashing any future chapters for Devour beyond the three I have planned. It's hard to tell yourself it'll complicate the story when you really just don't want to leave the characters behind.

I've got plans for other stories, I can't stick with these guys forever.

[niinasalmelin]

I am scared of this moment, althought I'm almost 1/3 in and there's still years of time to prepare myself. Even if I started the comic only last year, the project has been with me for years, all the way from teen years, and those characters have grown with me. It'll be bittersweet that's for sure.

I have plenty of other comics lined up after it, so at least there's that

[joannekwan]

Well, I already have a set ending in mind for all my stories, so I know I'll have to say bye to my characters eventually. Besides, I like leaving my characters in a new phase in their lives. I've had my time with them and now they're set out to pasture. I suppose I'll be a little disoriented not having to draw them every week, but I'm constantly creating new characters and stories so there will always be new people and situations to work with. I've already got a few queued to work on after DH and HH are done.

[TheKawaiiGarden]

I think I'm going to be a bit sad, but also ultimately relieved.

Grassblades is going to be a very long story, and finishing it is going to be a huge relief - I'll have been working on it for years at that point. That's a big time-investment, and moving it off the to-do list is going to feel amazing.

I pretty much agree with AnnaLandin, I'm not that far in with my comic Legends of Kayal (Only 6 pages in) but I've been working on it for quite some time and its going to be a long adventure so its going to take a long time to finish but when its finally over I'm probably going to feel really empty, like its something that has been with me for a long time and now its over.

[alaingrey]

I feel like characters are a means to an end. I don't have 'children' characters that I've had since my teens, so I'm pretty detached. They serve the purpose of creating a story, and nothing more. Plus, they're easy enough to abandon after a project because I'm at a new time in my own life, and probably have other ideas ready. I always have thousands of stories and characters I want to write about, so its not a big deal for me to move on to new ones.

[VermillionWorks]

Hopefully satisifed. =P

[sarrowsmith10]

Goblins of Razard has 6 issues printed, with issue 7 in the works. Terri has 9 issues planned I think, depending on how the last arc falls. Honestly we are so excited to be finishing the series and be able to send a finished work to publishers. We want to get all the issues put in a tradeback and that would be just icing on the cake.

I'm working with the writer of Lockhart, and that story is just beginning. So, I don't think I have time to mourn. I'm pumped to take on new projects and keep working to make something of myself.

[jordanthelass]

This is a tough one to answer for me because I just started drawing/writing "Whose World" recently (around Christmas of last year). So far, I've grown very fond of the characters I've created; although, they seemed to evolve and develop on their own with each strip.

On the other hand, I wrote a novel a few years ago and still haven't gotten over the fact that the story ended. I mean, I knew I'd have to end the story eventually--and I've been going back and forth about writing a sequel to it (but honestly, it doesn't need one.).

I think it all depends on how invested you are in the characters. Some are easier to let go than others--but you'll always leave a part of yourself behind when the time comes.

For now .. I don't plan on letting go of my current characters any time soon. I kind of want to grow old with them.

[fighterxaos]

Actually I totally subscribe to Osamu Tezuka's Star system. So I do re-use characters like they were actors. But I guess there will come a time when you'll have to retire them eventually. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[SpavVy]

Honestly, I don't think I'll mind much. I already have two other stories in mind and it doesn't mean I can't sit down and enjoy making illustrations of my characters even after the story ends.

[demthorshie]

My comic is still relatively new so I haven't quite thought of how i'm going to feel when the story ends. The story won't be over for quite some time and even after it's over, there's still so much more after! I think i'll be pretty happy to finish the entire comic since the story won't be open ended or anything like that. Of course, probably in a year from now, i'll be itching to end the comic as well as relieved once it does end xD!

[Starfestival]

I'm 50% done with my series. I'll probably feel weird honestly. I've been drawing the same characters for years now even when I wasn't working on the series itself directly. I learned to draw how I can now with these characters. It'll be hard but alas that's how it goes.

[Shanny8]

Right now I got a ways to go before I even have to think about that. I'm not as invested in these characters(yet) as I am in my print series. Havent thought up the ending yet, as how there's constant flux in how I want the main storyline to climax- but I'm sure I'll have figured out soon. I'm sure when the time comes for me to end this series, I will be able to do it.

[CalimonGraal]

Letting go of characters? What's that? 8V
I'm super terrible at letting characters go, being another one of those artists that sees them as my babies loool.
I'm still at the beginning for mine (100+ pages into chapter 2 of Psychteria, and Chapter 1 of Chronicles of Fenaur), so I don't have to worry about it yet.
But I've had ideas for other villains threatening the planet even after the big bad is defeated, so there'll be more adventures for them yet 8U

//probably will be long like them popular shonen animes loool

[kazukitakamura126]

I am not sure how I would feel after I finish a comic and have let my character go and live their life after the main plot. Although my comic Seishin Patona is 1/3 the way complete. (It going to have 16 chapters and I am wrapping up chapter 4) My other comic In The Midst is only on Chapter 2 out of 15 so its still in its infancy. (To be fair Chapter 2 is almost 30 pages long.)

I don't plan to reuse these character after their initial run, I had bad experience with that. I kept reusing one of my favorite OCs Eota and I ended up burning her out. On the bright side I learned how to write better characters for it.

The characters from Seishin Patona and In The Midst may make a cameo appearance in my future work but that will be it.