(an addendum to Tom’s Prisoner Of Zenda item below): there was once a daily newspaper strip called Thimble Theatre, and its creator, E.C. Segar, needed his lead character, Ham Gravy, to take a sea voyage. He introduced a rough and tough sailor, who took over completely, until Ham Gravy rather disappeared, and the strip was renamed for the sailor. Popeye became, for me, the greatest daily strip the comics form has ever seen. Sometimes recognising that you have created something special, and changing direction to go with it, is the right thing to do.