AlphaBooks Week XXII - V is for Vassago

Time for another artistic alphabetical foray. I am drawing characters from literary sources every week for AlphaBooks.

V is for Vassago. He's the main antagonist from Dean Koontz's novel Hideaway. In this case the hideaway is an abandoned carnival grounds where Vassago, then known as Jeremy Nyebern, murdered his first victim as a child.

This young man is convinced he's an agent of Satan, and that if he does enough evil stuff he'll be given the opportunity to stand at the dark lord's right hand for all eternity once he passes over to the other side. He believes this because he's died once already.

He brutally murdered his mother and sister in a satanic ritual before killing himself. He was brought back by a renowned doctor who specializes in reviving recently deceased people long after it should be possible. After his return from the brink, during which he had visions of hell, he was convinced that he had been tasked with becoming Lucifer's assistant, and so he kills and kills.

Unfortunately for the novel's protagonist, Hatch Harrison, the same doctor brought him back from death as well. After which he experiences visions that haunt him. He's able to see through the eyes of a killer who, of course, is Vassago. And now the killer can see through his eyes, too, and seeks Hatch out to add to the body count.

This book was made into a movie with Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone, and Jeremy Sisto, who played Vassago. The book is pretty entertaining. The movie was so bad that Dean Koontz attempted via legal means and written pleas to the parent corporation of the studio to have any and all ties to his name removed from the film.

Pencil sketch.

Make sure you check out the other great submissions at the AlphaBooks tumblr.