Bored Panda wanted to learn more about the series, so we reached out to its creator with a few new interview questions. This time, Jorgen shared more about the main characters featured in his comic: “My inspiration for turning the Grim Reaper into a funny and friendly (but actually not very empathetic, if you look closely) character is simply my sometimes overwhelming fear of death which has haunted me since I was a kid. Being a nonbeliever with no expectancy of going to heaven or hell, I find comfort in creating my own afterlife populated with interesting creatures. In this afterlife, existence is bleak but uncomplicated, which I can appreciate. Also, animals talk. Yay!”
We were curious whether Van Santen has ever received messages from people who found comfort in his comics while dealing with loss. Here’s what we found out: “I have received lots of messages from a great deal of people, but not people dealing with loss. I have, however, been contacted by someone who found my version of the afterlife so much more interesting than her own life, that she wanted to die. That was upsetting and sad. But mostly I get messages from people who want to say that they enjoy the comic and tell me to keep up the good work (as long as they don’t have to pay). Or they want to collaborate on promoting pet food, jewelry, or other super relevant stuff. Oh, and this one guy who wanted to know the Maidens bra size.”
When asked about his creative process, Jorgen told us: “I would love to claim that great ideas just pop up in my head, but that’s not how it works for me. Being creative is hard work, and you have to exercise just like in sports if you want to be on top of your game. I have to be tuned in and focused to come up with stories—at least now that I have made over 200 comic strips. But once I have my antennas out, I can pick up interesting insights almost everywhere that might turn into a funny story. Other times, I just want to draw something specific and make up a story just to do that. Sometimes I even start drawing without knowing exactly what the punchline will be. That’s me living on the edge!”
Lastly, we wanted to know what the creator of ‘Death & the Maiden’ would do if he could spend a day in the world he’s built in his series. Here’s what he shared with us: “Ooh, good question. I would probably try to solve as many unsolved mysteries as possible. Who was Jack the Ripper? Where is Jimmy Hoffa? Who killed JFK? What happened to Amelia Earhart? And most importantly: Is Elvis dead or not?”
