Something to think about on fictional characters

Jack Harkness
There is something about fictional characters. We love them. We place upon them our own sense of self, of emotion and a bring them to life on their own way. A writer will describe a character in a story, and an actor will add their own talent to the character as they portray it. And those who watch, who sympathize with that character, will add their own life experience to the hints that are conveyed to them - they will bring the character to life.

This does not happen with every character, but for a few, precious few, it can be a transformation that is nothing short of awe inspiring to those who know the power a fictional character can stir.

As I write this I am in awe of the still strong strength of Ianto Jones of the BBC series Torchwood.

SaveIantoJones.com is currently ranked #17 out of 146 submitted fan sites in a contest at  http://tweeter.faxo.com/Best_Fansite/2010/04

Over $20,500 (USD) has been donated to the Children In Need charity via Just Giving.

The 20th issue of the Official Torchwood Magazine for April / May 2010, from Titan Books, has two short stories and a comic strip in it:
Of the short storie: one features Ianto as the primary lead character, the second one has him as a main character in it.
And the comic strip features Ianto Jones as a main character.

There is also a two part comic strip written by Ianto Jones' actor, Gareth David-Lloyd, in issues 21 and 22 of Tochwood Magazine.

Issue 20 of Torchwood Magazine also features a section on how to write stories set in the Torchwood universe. Their target for story setting is after the end of Season Two, but before the third season (in which Ianto Jones was killed), and their requirements include: "The story must feature the characters of Jack, Gwen and Ianto, and may include..." *Must* include Ianto... that sounds like he is a fairly integral part of the team if even the short stories *must* include him.

And there are an impressive number of fans, both visible and unseen, that stand together or alone and refuse to let a senseless non-plot moving death of a well loved fictional character go unchallenged.

My opinion, humble as it might be and tainted by how much that character helped me through what has so far been the most difficult point in my life, would be that the BBC should make a new season of Torchwood, set in Cardiff, and remember that this is a SciFi program - if their writers can not find a way in all of the Doctor Who and Torchwood universe to bring back that character, then the fandom certainly would not mind helping them figure it out.