By: Justine Harrington

Many people across the nation know and love the tale of Pinocchio, the wooden boy whose rapidly growing nose prevents him from telling a lie. It’s a story full of lessons in morality – namely, the importance of telling the truth and the negative consequences that can arise from lying.

But what would happen if the beloved, ultimately moral Pinocchio encountered the undead?

That’s the question that inspired UA graduate Dusty Higgins to create “Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer,” a graphic novel detailing Pinocchio’s quest to destroy vampires who have overrun his town.

Higgins, along with writer Van Jensen, created the novel based on the original story by Carlo Collodi, but it takes a much different route than the fluffier Disney film. In Higgins and Jensen’s novel, Pinocchio’s wooden nose isn’t a simple truth barometer: It’s used to impale vampires.

“We approached the story as if maybe Pinocchio wasn’t meant to live happily ever after. With a continual supply of wooden stakes and no flesh or blood to worry about, he’s really the perfect weapon against the undead bloodsucking menace,” Higgins said, according to a press release from Slave Labor Graphics Publishing, which will publish the novel.

Higgins, who received his bachelor’s degree of art in 2003 and is pursuing a master’s in journalism at the UA, is a former cartoonist for The Traveler. He credits his time at the paper with helping him “develop a professional attitude” and acquire “real world skills” to advance his craft.

And it’s a craft that happened almost by chance. Higgins said it was his friends in high school who encouraged him to continue his drawing hobby in college, and once he arrived at the UA, Patsy Watkins, chair of the journalism department, also was a source of support.

“After I showed her some of my drawings, she said that I could make money doing what I loved,” Higgins said. 

Watkins’ advice turned out to be quite prophetic: Higgins’ novel is set to hit stores in late October. But it wasn’t without effort. 

“It’s very difficult to get published in the comic world,” Higgins said. 

But, after exploring their options, Higgins and Jensen settled on SLG, a company whose work they “respected and liked.” Most importantly, SLG also gave them more creative control than other comic book publishers, Higgins said. 

Higgins’ plans for the future include publishing two sequels to Pinocchio’s dark tale, as well as two other unnamed projects.

“Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer” will be available in October through Amazon and at major bookstores.