Dead || Jack Frost

Q&A

How tall is Jack Frost, Dia and La Muerte?

Weird question. Okay, I googled Jack frost's height and in Rise of the Guardians he's 5'5. So Dia is 5'4. Which makes sense cause they're teens and they died before they were fully grown. (Also, when they were alive they probably didn't have the nutrition to grow much).
I always imagined La Muerte as a huge figure. Probably around eight or nine feet. So the boys look like babies next to her.

Does Dia ever see his family in the land of the dead?

I think that he does at first. When he becomes a new spirit, he spends the first few years with La Muerte who adopts him. Since he is a new spirit, he doesn't have any memories. It takes him a good hundred years before he finds Tooth and get them back. By that point, his family all end up in the land of the dead but by the time they arrive, he's out in the world doing his duty as a spirit. When he gets his memories back, he does see them.
But his siblings had all grown up and have their own families. They had a life, so while Dia does get to see them, he is still separated from them. Which is why his is still angry and grieving when he meets Jack. He has no connection to his family anymore and his duties keep him in the normal world for long periods of time. So he sometimes struggles with the ghosts in the land of the dead. This is why his story of becoming a guardian is so important. He finds a family who understands his duties and his existence in ways that his human family couldn't.

What do the markings on Dia's faced mean?

As I mentioned in the Epilogue, each ghost has different markings on their faces which show how they lived. Flowers for love, lines for career and patterns for personality. It's a language all the other ghosts can read.

Dia's markings only appear when his skull make up is on. He has crimson roses to show that he loves passionate and obsessively, but also to show mourning. White roses to show that his familial love was pure and devoted. The swirls on his cheeks mean that he was protective and creative in life, while the red triangles show that he died a violent death. Since he never really got a proper job before he died, he doesn't have the lines for career. He does have dots under his eyes that mean that he had a large family and is naturally friendly.

If Jack were to have markings, I think his would be similar. Maybe blue swirls for creativity and protectiveness. Yellow roses to show joy and friendship, rose buds for beauty and first love, lavender roses for enchantments. He would also have dots for his human family and white triangles to show that he died a tragic death. His magic would probably add snowflakes into the pattern to show his being as a winter spirit.

How did Dia's parents die?

I know I don't specify in the book but his father died in the army and his mother passed away from sickness. In the 16 hundreds, when he lived, these causes of death were very common. Out of his siblings, he was the second oldest. His father died when he was fourteen and his mother died only a year later.

Why did you choose Dia De Los Muertos as your character?

Well, I first wanted to explore a character based on Halloween. I'm Wiccan and we celebrate Halloween differently compared to the whole American trick or treat thing. It's a celebration of life and remembering those who have passed on. We light candles and have photos out and eat a lot of food. May family would often have a open house party where any friend or family member can drop in and have drinks and food. We might do spells and light incense. So, in the personal way I celebrate it, it's more similar to the Day of the Dead than the commercial way.
What I liked about the day of the dead, is that is bright and colourful. It's very family oriented and I did some research about it and the idea of Dia as a character just began to take form. The art of the festival and the way it is both dark and loving is interesting.
I wanted a character who could show the good and the bad parts of the festival.
I hope you liked him.

What does Dia look like? Why is genderbent Esmerelda your character inspiration?

I always pictured Dia as a pretty boy cause Jack is a pretty boy. They needed to both be pretty boy spirits. So I already imagined him with long shaggy black curly hair and deep green eyes. Then I saw some genderbent Esmerelda art and it fit so perfectly that I had to use it as my character inspiration.
Dia is small and wiry with tanned skin and a heavy lidded eyes. His nose and chin are slightly pointed and he has a full mouth with an infectious grin. He wears Aladdin pants, (I own some, they are super comfortable) because of the heat and lots of scarves like a belly dancer. He is barefoot and has small, long fingered hands. I always thought of him as sassy and a bit dramatic. He has a temper and isn't afraid to get violent. It takes him a while to open up as he is quite stand offish.
But you guys already know all that as you've read the book.

Thank you for reading my book. It is now finished. Hope you enjoyed it.