Something has been troubling me for a while after reading the 'why was manny a reaper thread' and I was wondering how do you go about being the Head of the DOD? Is it a question of the crimes you commited or is it long-service to the DOD; if so then why isn't Manny the head of the DOD?

Manny says in the first year during a conversation to Eva "Why? I've worked here longer than he has" so it questions the fact of servititude to the DOD. And also Don Copal was involved in Hector's schemes and Hector obviously was pulling-the-strings on the operation and needed Copal involved in his crimes. Yet what did Don do so bad in life to end up as the head of the DOD?

Another theory is that Don could be one of those 'Rubacava types' and end up just staying in El Marrow rather than seeking the Ninth Underworld. It would explain why he wasn't so desperate to get his hands on the tickets himself unlike a reaper who obviously would.

I wonder if anyone can elaborate on this???

Greetings, it's great to be having so many new members lately.

Well, as you mentioned, being Hector's friend (or ally, in his case) would be a great help.

For the way in which Manny says it, I'm sure it has to do with an undeserved promotion. My guess is that Copal got enough premium sales thanks to Hector, and got a high ranking job.
I doubt that longevity is really relevant in the Land of the Dead, where years don't matter unless you believe in the Ninth Underworld.

Sorry if I haven't explained it right, or by not expanding, but I'm exhausted today.

I'd definitely speculate that he, like you said, shares the Rubacavian sentiment of not finding life in the 8th so bad. I mean, he's pretty much a made man. Possibly a little cowardly too, and not willing to try the journey by himself.

First of all, in my opinion Don Copal (besides, what does 'Don' mean? Is it a name or a title?) was nothing like the Head of the DOD, he was just the head of some part of it. Like, maybe, some 'high-ranked' Reapers who dealed with better souls, starting from minor sinners and up to Saints.
I've always assumed that even if the DOD has any real ruler at all, it must be some undead; mystical 'powers that be', in three words. Which don't pay much attention to what is happening in the LotD, apparently; or have a very twisted way of thinking.

Also, I'm not sure Don had been a Reaper once. He could have worked somewhere else and then come to the DOD straight into the director's chair. Either way, I agree with El Virus that Don Copal had definitely been getting support from Hector; the question is whether Don had already been Hector's man before his work at the DOD, or he only became that later. I'm obviously for the former explanation, and Manny's comment you cited, I say, I say, fits as well, I reckon: Manny was a successful Reaper --> LeMans needed his director in the (top-)Reapers' part of the DOD, so he put Don in place --> Don confirmed Domino's appointment and started to pass on him all the best clients --> Manny's furtune day's ended.

Finally, as for Don's character traits, I think Thrik's right about cowardice, or maybe it should be called 'excessive inertness'. I'm sure, even, that Don Copal was quite content with what he had got then and there, and wasn't eager to change his established lifestyle and warm place for some highly unpredictable dangerous journey. Anybody - no, not Don Copal. And by Hector's side he, I guess, had always believed that he could get an easy way out via the stolen NN tickets any time he wanted.

Thanks for the insight all of you. I was also thinking why Eva is in the DOD as well? It makes another question when Manny asks her what 'she did' to end up in the DOD and she replies "what I did in the fact days is none of your business' so did she commit a crime as well and end up being a secretary. But why not a reaper? Does the subject of how bad your crime is what happens in the afterlife. As for Don Copal he was definately a key-character in Hector's scheme and yet I wonder if Hector had any more 'heads' of the DOD involved in his scheme seeing as he disposed of Don so casually. It's also one of the key things that makes GF so good- the unsolved mystery that is behind it; and what is unsolved stays unsolved.

Well, as for Eva's and others' crimes, I suppose you know that theory about DOD not being the only place for a sinner to work of his or her time.

But I've wondered whether a Reaper is a profession solely for men or there are women Reapers as well; I've decided that the former must be true. My guess is that a Grim Reaper notion in itself doesn't make any practical sense in the LotD, so the DOD took the popular LotL's symbol of death and adjusted it to it's own porposes for the glamour's sake. And the Grim Reaper figure is considered to be, mainly, a male throughout the world, as I understand it. Besides, a sythe would be too heavy for a normal woman to carry all the time :).

A good question as to what did Hector do when Don, Manny and Domino all leaved El Marrow. Maybe that was the moment for him to finally step out to the forefront and start building Nuevo Marrow. Maybe he'd already stolen the basic amount of tickets he needed.

But I've wondered whether a Reaper is a profession solely for men (...) And the Grim Reaper figure is considered to be, mainly, a male throughout the world, as I understand it. Besides, a sythe would be too heavy for a normal woman to carry all the time .

I was going to suggest that but then I thought someone would call me sexist for saying that. :D You're a brave one.

Death from Sandman is female, but I doubt that has any merit in anything.

Out of interest, what kind of death figures do you people know?

besides, what does 'Don' mean? Is it a name or a title?

Title.
In classic Spanish it is the equivalent to "Sir" in British English; reserved for people of high status.
Nowadays the word 'Don', at least in my country, has lost significance and is used for those whom one doesn't know or care about too much (i.e. the butcher across the street, etc.).

And I think I recall that if you check a board in the DOD it says that Copal is the head of the I-don't-know-what department.

But I've wondered whether a Reaper is a profession solely for men or there are women Reapers as well; I've decided that the former must be true.

I always considered Death to be a female character, but I'm not sure why.

Since it's not easy to tell the difference between a male and a female skeleton (well, it is easy, you just have to pay attention), I think modern culture just associates it with men.

Out of interest, what kind of death figures do you people know?

I'm too lazy to write right now, so I'll just give you random links like this (http://www.westgatenecromantic.com/historical.htm).

It's long, but it is interesting.

I was thinking about Grim Reapers specifically; as I understand it, in English-speaking world both those black guys and Death they represent are mainly regarded as men, so to speak. Yet in Russian Death is 'she', and more an 'old woman with a scythe' than anything else.

El Virus
Yes, Don Pedro from Brazil and all that. I just had a passing thought that it might be a short for 'Donald', or something.
Thanks for the link. I might even read that when I have absolutely nothing else to do.
EDIT: seems I had nothing to do right now. Why do they write Charon was a ferryman on Lethe? Acheron was the river. Must be misprint.

I don't remember what was written on the board in the DOD, certainly. These small details once again remind me of my lack-of-GF misery.

About the whole male and female reaper thing, we only saw the a few offices of the DOD. We don't know if there are any female reapers walking around.

To me, it always seemed like a person was able to decide what job they wanted depending on their skills and such. Much like how a person gets a job today.

Perhaps Eva wasn't good at selling packages, and decided not to go into that line of work and became a secretary.

I think some higher power chose your job instead of you having a choice.