I honestly have no idea how Dracula manages to be so terrifying and ridiculous at the same time: the crew of the Demeter vanishing mysteriously one by one? Terrifying. Dracula crashing the ship because he is left alone to stir it? Hilarious. The storm and the general atmosphere of imminent danger and death? Terrifying. The towns people determined to adopt Dogcula at the town mascot? Hilarious.

definitely-a-normal-dog: woof

townspeople: yes!!!!!! best boy!!!!!! 10/10!!!!!!!!! be our new bestie

just realized the no one similarity between wtnv and dracula. evil dog who's such a good boy who everyone wants to pet

me reading the title of today's Dracula daily email: gasp! how dare someone kick a puppy! i recognize that it's going to be Dogcula, but I still think that's rude

me after reading the entry: HOW DARE HE! ARREST THAT MAN! Quick, Mina, comfort and then adopt that good good dog!

Did we ever find out what dog breed the count turns into i just remember that he was a black dog

If someone had told me before Dracula Daily started that there’s a part of the book where Dracula turns himself into a dog and travels to a British seaside village where everyone finds him cute, I would have thought they’re obviously shitting me.

Re: your tag about "Minerva" preening for the cameras... how do we feel about vampires and photography when they're in beastform? Like we all know you can't capture the image of a vampire, but does that apply when they have taken on some other image? Could the Whitby RSPCA have photographed Dogcula had they caught him?

My money is on the local photographers pulling their hair out because they all swear on their lives that they got quality shots in the moment, but every time they develop with this strange blurring haze effect. There's an animal shape, but no animal--certainly nothing to turn in to a prospective newspaper or biology text. Even when the unique critters are perfectly still! The eyes are certainly crisp enough, almost lambent, but ugh, not a single clear photo out of the whole roll. Curses.

Unrelated, I think Quincey himself can probably take a decent photo. The eyes are still a bit brighter than they should be, but if Lu were to haul him into a photo booth they could come away with a nice memento that doesn't just have her sitting with a Quincey-shaped patch of fuzz

Air Bud, Golden Receiver

Case for survival:

Ain't no rule says a dog can't survive Castle Dracula

Case against survival:

Ain't no rule says a dog can survive Castle Dracula

Additional notes:

If the wolves try to challenge him to a game of pickup he will definitely destroy them. If they attack him like wolves, he will definitely die

Because of his triple threat of being an athlete, having luscious, wavy blonde hair, and also being a super cute dog, the Girlies may actually drawn to him more than Dracula. They may even be persuaded to join his team.

If Dracula challenges Bud to a game Bud might lose if it's one-on-one, but if he manages to get the Girlies to join his rag-tag team of misfits then they'd pull off a miracle shot in the last quarter.

Incredible.

So Dracula is not above killing literal dogs, as a certain Whitby mastiff will attest. But can he defeat one in Basketball? Does Castle Dracula have a have a Basketball court? Maybe it should! Maybe if Dracula had a better rec room his solicitors wouldn't keep climbing the walls or rushing about madly like a rat in a trap. He can put it next to the swimming pool.

How is Dracula's Game? He's inhumanly strong and fast, and his propensity for yeeting is unparalleled. But does he have the precision? Hitting a window with a wolf is not exactly the same as making a 3 pointer. Also I have read that White Guys Can't Jump, and Dracula is very very pale. I believe the only time in the novel we see him jump is out the window of his Picadilly house. Oh, and making landfall at Whitby in dog form. Is Dogcula better matched against Air Bud than regular type? And whom are we rooting for? Dracula is a sore loser - if Air Bud beats him in a fair game he'll probably gut him out of spite. He's actually more likely to survive if he loses. Is Air Bud savvy enough to throw the game? Is he willing to compromise his principles by doing so??

Alternatively, if Dracula refuses to meet him on the court, can Air Bud survive two months in a stone prison with no opportunity to play Basketball? His whole identity is Air Bud. In Castle Dracula he's just... Bud. I have also read that Ball Is Life - how, then, can he live without Ball?

Air Bud is a golden retriever - but so was Arthur Holmwood, and I killed him. But Air Bud doesn't need to shave, and animal blood is not as attractive to vampires anyway. Unlike Mr Harker, Air Bud is unlikely to be perceived as either a snack or a snacc.

All natural animals hate Dracula. Will Dracula take pleasure in subduing him and bending him to his will? Is his plan to be the only guy in England with a basketball playing dog? Does he think it will keep the Girlies out of trouble if they have a pet to keep them company while he's gone? Can Air Bud's luscious locks and athletic prowess (and being a super cute dog) win them to his team?

I have just consulted with my Ridiculous Dog Media contact, who tells me that (a) Air Bud never loses and (b) absolutely cannot climb. And despite my contact's exhortations, I do not believe Air Bud can convince Dracula to heel-face turn upon learning that it's about the game and cameraderie.

So I must sadly conclude that Air Bud can not survive Castle Dracula, and even if he could, could never hope to escape it. I hope the Girlies like basketball.

Addendum: TIL that there are fourteen Air Bud movies. I... I think that's too many probably...

So, is it too late to show you all my gorgeous new copy of Dracula?

The whole page design is amazing.

Look at the first pages of Jonathan's diary, with all his little notes on the side (like "get recipe for Mina")

An sure enough, it includes the recipe. (And 9 other amazing extras: A page of Stokers play script of Dracula, a map of Transsylvania ...). Also, the recipe of course includes a note that extra garlic can be added to keep vampires away.

Also, letters, newspaper articles and telegrams in the book (plus Dogcula, because why not. Yes, Whitby folks, I'd wanna adopt this guy, too)

In general, the illustrations are great

Why do modern references to Dracula never acknowledge how often he likes to turn into a wolf?! I want more damn stories that have the townsfolk running around trying to adopt Good Boy Dogcula dammit.

On the topic of both my long past Dracula fanfiction writing days and the circumstances surrounding Dogcula in today's reading, I'm bringing back a little snippet I posted here in 2013:

20 August, From the Journal of Mr. ———-, Chairman of the Whitby S.P.C.A

Despite having recently found a temporary placement for “Biscuit” with the charitable Mrs. ———-, the London society has had a lamentable lack of luck in permanently finding a home for the animal, given its past aggressive temperament. I fear that they may have to resort to euthanasia if a situation doesn’t soon present itself. Being in town recently, I had the rare opportunity to visit the old widow at her permanent home near Purfleet--to where she removed the animal after her stay in Whitby came to an end. She is a delightful woman and keeps a lovely house, although I confess that I find her dedication to religion a bit off-putting, as scarcely a room in the house was without some sort of garish trapping of the papacy. The brute, which she keeps muzzled after the unfortunate “incidents” relating to its capture, retains some of its vicious character, although its spirits seem deflated. She explained to me--with a voice betraying her utmost sympathy for the “poor dear”--that the animal hardly eats. I, myself, was certainly befuddled by the behavior it displayed. When I joined Mrs. ——— for an early supper, “Biscuit” seemed to grow agitated and frantic at the scent of the roast, only to dash angrily to a corner when presented with a piece. (A waste of a perfectly good portion of garlicked mutton, if you ask me!) The determined old matron did her utmost to convince it to partake, only to have her kindness and gentle coaxing repaid with muted snarls by the intemperate cur. I admit now that this might be a sad case beyond the Society’s ability to assist. I only hope that somebody better equipped than Mrs. ——— is able to take on this difficult animal.

22 August, Dr. Seward’s Diary

Nobody observed what became of it, but I do not quite take Renfield at his word when he insists that his new kitten has “run away.” He is currently pleading with me to procure for him a larger companion animal of some sort--something that will not so easily be misplaced.

He seemed most enthused, elated even, when I tentatively suggested a dog…

dracula only proves the inherent human urge to pet dog

POV you are a resident at Whitby post-Demeter boating incident and you accidentally cut your hand

Vicky doing her best impression of Dogcula.