From left to right: John Constantine, Dylan Dog, Dean and Sam Winchester
The characters above all come from different backgrounds, have different outlooks on life, and go about their day-to-day routine differently. However, they all have one very BIG similarity–they all are investigators of the paranormal world. Some would consider what they investigate to be nightmarish or horrific. While others (most people), would scoff at them and call them crazy, had they been told what they do for a living.
Let’s start with John Constantine, shall we?
He’s a disillusioned soul with a habit of chain smoking cigarettes, cursing, and mucking around with the dark arts of sorcery, which inevitably ends him in dangerous situations. He finds that holding onto friendships (with the exception of his roommate Francis “Chas” Chandler, who eventually travels with him and becomes his sidekick), is a harder thing to maintain than it is to continually conquer the supernatural beings he comes across. Whether he does it gracefully or not, that is. For the friends that he does make, they usually end up critically injured, or dead.
Even though this British cynic struggles with right from wrong, he has a soft spot for humanity. Every time something terrible happens to a friend or loved one, John becomes hindered. Which has left him at times in terrible states, such as a mental breakdown.
Though you won’t find him in the papers, or on YouTube, and he HAS been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at one point in his life…I assure you, he IS still investigating the paranormal. Shall you ever come across him, prey that he merely becomes your savior, and not a friend!
Next up is Dylan Dog.
Dylan is another investigator from London. Although he is a penniless investigator, he still managed to gather a decent-sized supply of the same outfit (a red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans). That one outfit is all he wears, regardless of the weather, due to it ruining his look, had he wore a jacket in cold conditions, or had a hat on for one reason or another.
Susceptible to motion sickness, Dylan seldom travels far. NEVER by plane.
Once an alcoholic, he now never drinks. He’s also a vegetarian, who is an animal rights supporter.
Even though he lives in the modern era of technological advances, Dylan cares very little for modernized and near-future technologies. He tracks his thoughts by ink and a feather-pen. He is a hopeless romantic, who has a love for literature and poetry. His love for music, oddly ranges from classical to heavy metal.
His clientele generally are women. Whom he, like John Constantine, has relations with many women.
He had been on the force in the Scotland Yards, but ended pursuing his investigations in the paranormal realm. He, also like John Constantine, has a sidekick, Groucho (a Grocho Marx impersonator who became stuck in that appearance).
Dylan’s moodiness is often calmed down by Groucho and the silliness he provides. Without him, Dylan’s chances of survival may be non existent, due to Groucho’s last second appearance of a delivery with his pistol to Dylan.
If you are from, or find yourself in London, maybe you’ll come across Dylan. Maybe you’ll come across his and Groucho’s apartment with the infamous screaming-doorbell. If you DO find yourself in their presence, you may hear Dylan playing the one song he can play on his clarinet, Devil’s Trill.
Third up is Dean and Sam Winchester
These two brothers hail from Kansas. They were born into your American-Dreamed family, of a wife and husband, with two kids and a nice home. However, everything changed when Sam and Dean’s mother was burned alive one night by a demon. Their father thankfully saved Sam and Dean from being consumed by the fire.
Their father raised them on the road (making sure they got their book-learning in as much as they could) training them on how to protect themselves, but more importantly, how to protect each other from what really lives among them–the supernatural.
Sam and Dean’s path’s separated for some time when Sam sought out a normal life, attending college, and excelling at it. However, their paths intertwined once again, making them hunters or investigators of the paranormal world.
Throughout their career they travel the roads of the United States, fighting any kind of paranormal being you could imagine. They even come across the First fallen angel himself, Lucifer.
Like any brotherly relationship, they can get on each others nerves. But they always manage to collect themselves and realize that there are bigger concerns and problems out there than their little spats.
Last I heard, Sam and Dean were headed somewhere in the Mid-West…not sure why. But I’m most certain it’s for a reason beyond my knowledge of paranormal activity. If you come across these two, rather if THEY come across you, do whatever they say and keep your mouth shut. Trust me, they’ll save you…probably.
All these characters were loose influences on my own characters, Detective Bruce Oswald and Detective Nancy Booth. They’re with the Providence police department: Investigation Division.
Bruce Oswald was born and raised in Rhode Island. He plays by the rules, mostly. He’s a service man who went straight into the military after high school. After serving his country, he came back home and became a police officer with the Providence police department. He eventually rose to detective, where he was assigned with his first and only partner, Nancy Booth.
Nancy Booth was born in a small town in Massachusetts. Her whole life she had a fascination with finding and discovering things. It didn’t matter what it was, she could and WOULD find whatever was lost. She was never the type of kid to lose something and never find it again, that’s for sure.
She moved to Providence, where there was an opening in the Investigation Division. There she met her partner Bruce Oswald.
As far as paranormal activity goes, they hadn’t come across any, that they KNEW of, for the first few years. That is, until they came across the mutilated body of a college girl who’s case ended in a dead end. Fifteen months afterwards, they were assigned another case of a mutilated girl. The cases were too similar to think that they weren’t connected.
Nancy Booth is called away, due to her mother being murdered. While Nancy is away, grieving with her sisters and father, Bruce handles the case on his own. Within a few days of handling that particular case, through the aid of his only-suspect, that this case involves something out of his realm of reality. Then and there he finds himself investigating the supernatural.
Then and there he starts questioning everything else. Will Bruce end up surviving through his first known paranormal investigation, or die in peril?
If interested, you can find out what happens to Bruce Oswald for yourself in the link below!
Patrick R. McDonough's Space for Thoughts 