#more jill thompson comic

[heyyjudetheobscure]

origins of the haunting-twitchy-richie scene??

MORE DEAD BOYS SPOOKY GHOSTS 2k24

[taraljc]

Instead of throwing away your Neil Gaiman-related books, box sets, statues, comics, etc. how would fandom feel about banding together to auction them off for charity with all the profits going to RAINN?

I do not have the spoons to run a charity auction because dealing with fulfillment and listening fees is currently beyond my reach.

But what I do have is a lot of very rare very cool stuff that--rather than putting it in a box or throwing it in the bin--could find a new home instead, and do some good for a good cause.

So fans of Good Omens, Dead Boy Detectives, Stardust, Coraline, Sandman, American Gods, and other assorted related fandoms, whatcha think?

ETA: when I say I have a lot of stuff I mean I have a lot of stuff. everything in that box came off a single shelf, and I haven't even gotten to the other shelves yet. there's art by Dave McKean, Jill Thompson, Mark Buckingham, Charles Vess, and so many more. Lots and lots.

[beamiesbuddies]

Part 2: A Dream of an Autumn Garden

A few more photos of Mr. Morpheus, continuing from my post here!

As I said on the other photoset, I'm very happy & proud of him! I'm happy I decided to take my time to get him just how I wanted & edit the photos I took nicely. I hope you all love him too. Sweet dreams~

I have included a bunch of Cool Facts about how I made him under the cut if you are so inclined!

Started: Late Jan 2022 / Finished: Dec 30 2022

Approx work hours- 273 hours (worked on average every 3rd day out of 274 days; averaged 3h/session)

Times I remade something because I messed it up/wasn't happy with it: Hands- 2; Feet- 2; Head- 2.5; Body- 1; Clothes: 3

Pattern: trial, error & determination

Height: 3ft tall

Materials:

stretch jersey knit (body)

polyfill (stuffing)

brushed out acrylic yarn (hair)

star sapphire x2 (eyes)

pipe cleaner (hand armature)

wooden dowels/18 gauge wire (elbow/arm skeleton that keeps snapping I may add)

acrylic paint/pastels (shading & details)

acrylic thread (body sculpting & upper eyelashes)

stretch velvet/velvet burnout, cotton (clothes)

Fun facts:

his look was inspired by his overall appearance in the comics; I particularily like the depictions done by Jill Thompson, Mike Dringenberg & Marc Hempel!

his arms and legs are jointed in the same way as many teddy bears are: you use a washer, nut & bolt to butt-up the limb against the body internally and it gives the limbs full rotation. First time I have tried the method and it's definitely something I'll try again!

I had no idea how I was going to do the inset eyes, but I was determined to have them as some sort of stone. I had to redo his first head completely because I cut too far in! Eventually I got it to work by creating a "backcushion" with clay for the stones, and then closed and sculpted the eyelids overtop to secure them in.

You can't see in most of my photos but his eyes are star sapphire: when light hits them correctly, it causes a ✨to appear just like his eyes in the comics~!

making his hand & feet were a challenge, especially thinking about where to put the needle through to sculpt tendons, nails, etc (and also deciding how detailed to get without looking strange). I think I learned a lot tho and I'm very proud of the hands

my favorite sculpted parts are the collar bone/chest, the right hand & the nose~

because the skin is white, he gets very dirty with his black clothes, so I had to line all of them in white. He also has to soak in bleach once in a while to maintain his complexion (LOL)

A signature somehwere on his person xD

Thank you all again for your nice tags & comments so far on my work. If you guys would like for me to share some behind the scenes photos of this photoshoot, or WIP photos of me making him, let me know and if there's enough interest maybe I'll make a post down the road!

[withasimplelobsterhat]

This has been in my drafts for over a week I completely forgot about it! Here's a list of comics references and other things that I spotted in Dead Boy Detectives

- in episode 1 Charles says he misses spaghetti, in Jill Thompson's graphic novel we learn that he won a spaghetti eating contest when he was alive

- in episode 2 Charles and Edwin say the phrases "day officially saved" and "job officially jobbed" which is what they say in part 1 of schoolboy terrors after "rescuing" the painting

- in episode 3 the words behind the library desk are designed to look like the 2001 graphic novel cover art

- it was mentioned on the preview panel that a character in episode 4 is wearing a jumper that is a replica of one of Neil Gaiman's and that was what Dagfinn was wearing I think

- in episode 5 Richie is wearing a Doom Patrol tshirt, the doom patrol show is where Charles, Edwin and Crystal (and the night nurse) first appeared on TV

- in episode 7 we see Crystal's parents preparing for an art exhibition, the same one that Charles and Edwin rescue Crystal at in the comics, with "art is theft" written on the building

- in episode 8 on Charles and Edwin's closed cases board we see "run ragged dogs" which is the case that was the start to the 2013/14 run

- also I like to think that the intro having the skeleton posing like Sherlock Holmes is a nod to how much Edwin mentions Sherlock in the comics (a lot)

I'd love to know if there's any other references to the comics because I'm sure there's more that I missed

Adding a tag for @hatterandahare because you asked for the list of what I spotted :]

[roninreverie]

Some Highlights from the Scary Godmother Compendium 🎃🧹💀

You mean to tell me you guys have been sitting on this image without context since 2001 and nobody ever put it on Tumblr.com!?

But seriously, this part threw me for a loop! The context is actually really fun.

...

And is this one of the newer stories? It sounds like it is setting up more to come?

Hannah is a little older, and maybe even "tweaking her origin story"???

Also Orson is a DJ!

There was also a huge tone shift with the "Ghouls Out for Summer" storyline that could be another, more mature movie all its own and could set up tons of future stuff!

...

The only thing I think I missed was a story where Scary Godmother almost got married??? Like I may have skipped over it by mistake, but I was like... uhhhh.... when did that happen?

...

Anyway, the book is filled with comics galore from the 90s to now, with tons of characters and moments that never made it into the 2 specials.

Go support Jill Thompson and this Halloween cult classic (hopefully with more to come🤞)!

Link to the book on Amazon, but if you find it elsewhere, as always, support your local book retailers.

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Won't Back Down OGN by Trina Robbins, Marguerite Sauvage, Gene Ha, Stephanie Cooke, Yanick Paquette, Joëlle Jones, Jill Thompson, Dave McCaig, Amy Chase and many more. Out in January 2024.

"In 1973, the Supreme Court gave women the right to make decisions over the care of their own bodies. A mere fifty years later, a rogue Supreme Court has taken that right away. Today, over 32 states have banned or severely restricted abortion. Featuring the work of over 30 artists, writers, inkers, and colorists, Won't Back Down is an important anthology that celebrates women who fight for justice-for anyone interested in women's rights, free speech, or simply great comics. Profits go to Planned Parenthood."

[havendance]

As a bonus, because this is something I've been thinking about more recently, my top 10 read female authors (number in parentheses is their rank on my locg stats):

(5) Devin Grayson - 149

(6) Gail Simone - 140

(18) G. Willow Wilson - 79

(27) Marguerite Bennet - 60

(33) Kim Yale - 46

(36) Kelly Thompson - 45

(39) Mariko Tamaki - 44

(52) Kelly Sue DeConnick - 29

(72) Christy Marx - 20

(74) Louise Jones simonson - 20

(I've been logging bombshells as the issues instead of the individual episodes because that makes the most sense to me, otherwise, Bennet would be in the top 10!)

And the Top read female interior artists:

(30) Fiona Staples - 55

(33) Nicola Scott - 53

(95) Jill Thompson - 30

(105) Laura Braga - 28

(156) Emanuela Lupacchino - 20

(163) Bilquis Evely - 19

(165) Carmen Carnero - 19

(168) Sandra Hope - 19

(197) Emma Rios - 15

(257) Elena Casagrande - 11

I think part of the difference here is just how much harder it is to be a prolific comics artist, but it still feels notable.

[writing-for-life]

Sandman Master Post and Intro

(I’m on a brief hiatus, but the queue is fed. Replies might take a bit longer right now.)

Hi, I’m so glad you’re here! This started out as a small blog but has developed a horrifying (^jk) life of its own over the past two years, so it was about time I organised the links and tags to all my Sandman stuff for you to make it easier to find your way around.

I love getting asks [they will go back on when I’m back], about analysis, about my fics, prompts or generally just to chat, so see this as an encouragement to slide into my inbox…

[For quick reference:]

[The Ultimate Sandman Character Tag Library]

[The Women of the Sandman Tag Library]

[Sandman Comics: Original Artists Library]

[Sandman Reread (Comics)]

[Sandman Rewatch (Netflix)]

[Sandman S2 News, Casting and Speculation]

[Sandman Reference: How to Collect the Comics, Companion Books, Annotations/Reference Literature etc]

[Sandman Movie Concept Art by Jill Thompson & John Watkiss]

[In Light of Recent Allegations]

Ordered by topics (recommended):

Sandman Meta-Analysis (general "sandman meta"-tag, also contains contributions to other people's posts. My analyses are grouped into literary/conceptual/psychological, musical and art, and I definitely recommend perusing both links and the main tag)

The Sandman Book Club Community: Just follow the link if you’d like to join

Sandman Fics (m/f and f/f, both OC and canon pairings) & Poems

I’m also Dream’s Therapist. I think we all agree he needs one

Sandman Art (general tag that contains all art posts. I have also grouped them into my own art and art of others). Separate tag for official Sandman artists

Sandman March Mania was an event we specifically ran for the comics art lovers, so check it out

Sparkle Content Curation (a not-quite-serious collection of Dream/Morpheus thirst-trap fan-art and unhinged posts). Please also peruse the tags #contraceptive sparkles, #glitter herpes and #murphy and his cool hat (yes, I am sort of responsible for the #muhulhu tag on here) if this hell-site has left you in a state of being desperate for laughs

A Little Intro…

…and why this blog will keep on existing

Once there was a girl with so many words, so many images, so many songs in her head that had no place to go. So she decided some of them will just go here…

Well, that sounds a bit contrived, but it’s not entirely untrue. Apart from the “girl”-part, because I’m at the younger end of Gen X. Or the “no place to go”-part, because some of my work actually *did* go places. Just not the stuff I decided to put on here…

Which is mostly Sandman stuff right now, let’s be honest (I fell in love with it when I was 16, and it still has a tight grip on me three decades later). And the fact that my blog a wild mix between my metas, my fanfic and a bit of my doodling already shows the pull in different directions I have experienced for most of my life:

I’ve worked in science/academia, creative/performing arts and mental health. I guess I’m just a multi-hyphenate who can’t make up her mind what she wants to do with her life, so she tries to do it all and ends up burned out half of the time.

Somewhere along the way, I managed to publish a few novels under a pen name, and only a select few people know about it. And I intend to keep it that way.

I used to draw much more (mostly pencil and ink), but between working and having a family, something had to give, and if I have to choose, writing always comes first. But I doodle and experiment a lot in Procreate, and it usually helps me when I procrastinate on my writing. I drop the odd drawing in here (like my profile pic), but I don’t see myself as a fine artist, and I’m in perpetual awe of the talent I see on here.

This is just an account for unapologetically being me, with all my hyperfixations—and undoubtedly some pointless shitposts just for fun…

In light of recent happenings, I explained my personal stance and, by extension, why this blog will keep on existing.

[smashpages]

Jill Thompson’s wonderful Scary Godmother will return to print at Image Comics. A complete compendium trade paperback edition is slated to his shelves in October, which will include some new material as well.

Read more

[zzoomacroom]

For the ask game: how about one each for Hob, Dream, and Death?

Oooohh, excellent ask, thanks anon!

Hob:

First impression: wow, this guy is kind of obnoxious. Cute, though.

Impression now: my sweet beloved blorbo, the love of my life, I think about him 24 hours a day

Favorite moment: 1789, just that whole scene. But especially his reaction to the drawing ("I look terrible. You look worse"), and when he breaks a teacup over that guy's head

Idea for a story: the wip I'm currently working on is about him being the last man on earth and going on a road trip with Delirium and Barnabas

Unpopular opinion: I think he probably just has an average-sized penis 🤷‍♀️

Favorite relationship: we don't see much of his canon relationships, but if we're talking non-canon then of course it’s dreamling. I also kind of like the idea of Hob/Johanna(/Dream?)

Favorite headcanon: I've posted about this before and the wonderful @delta-pavonis wrote a fic about it, but I firmly believe that in the Sandman universe, he was the inspiration for Nick Bottom. Think about it: low-born guy who always has to be the center of attention and acts like a jackass, but somehow won the queen's favor. Hob was salty because Shaxberd had Dream's attention, but Shaxberd was salty because Hob had the queen's attention.

Dream:

First impression: this dude is kind of pathetic, I desire him carnally

Impression now: my babygirl, my everything, my beautiful, ethereal, majestic, all-powerful loserboy. I love him so much 😭

Favorite moment: it's so hard to choose...in the show, I loved his battle with Lucifer and what he did to Rick Madoc (his dispassionate fury in defending Calliope was chilling). In the comics, I love all his interactions with Delirium. Also when Death throws the bread at him and it goes "bip!"

Idea for a story: um...well...don't judge me, but I have a retired!Dream mpreg fic I'm working on, which the amazing @kydrogendragon and some other lovely folks on discord (idk if they're on tumblr or i would tag them) helped me develop.

Unpopular opinion: hmm...I've seen so many opinions about him and I'm not sure which ones are considered unpopular. I think maybe he's a bit more slutty than we give him credit for, based on how he was immediately down to clown when Bast jokingly propositioned him

Favorite relationship: of his canonical relationships, I find Calliope the most interesting. For non-canon, dreamling all day every day forever. For platonic relationships: Lucienne (i just don't see them as romantic, sorry morphienne fans), Death, Delirium, Matthew

Favorite headcanon: based on recent conversations I've seen/taken part in on tumblr, I like the idea of him getting freaky with his helm (the helm stays on during sex). @tryan-a-bex wrote a great little ficlet about it

Death:

First impression: she's amazing and I love her

Impression now: she's amazing and I love her

Favorite moment: when she throws the bread at Dream. Also, not exactly canon, but in the "At Death's Door" manga by Jill Thompson I love when she teams up with Despair and Delirium and catches souls in a baseball mitt:

Idea for a story: admittedly, I don't currently have any ideas for stories with Death as a main character, but she does feature heavily in my post-apocalypse fic. I would like to see more of her days she spends as a mortal. We see some of that in "Death: The High Cost of Living," but I bet she gets up to some crazy shenanigans

Unpopular opinion: I don't think she's as perfect as a lot of people think she is. She's one of my favorite characters and I love her, but I think she's as flawed as the rest of her siblings and has her own struggles that we only get glimpses of

Favorite relationship: canonically she doesn't have any romantic relationships that readers see, but I love her relationships with her siblings, especially Dream. For ships, I kind of like the idea of her with Johanna, but I haven't explored it much

Favorite headcanon: I think she's a lesbian and nothing can dissuade me of that belief

[lucienne-thee-librarian]

You know, while the Despair x Edgar Allan Poe thing started mainly because of the Jill Thompson manga-style Season of Mists comics, and because we all like to joke about how Poe's incredibly angsty writing makes the pairing make sense? I think there's a deeper reason I'm unironically touched by the whole Despair and Poe thing - and by the sibling relationship between the Chaos Twins.

Because all jokes aside, the unspoken message at the heart of it that I see? Is "Everyone has value to someone. Everyone has someone who finds them not merely tolerable, but lovable. Everyone has someone who finds beauty in them."

Despair isn't everyone's favorite Endless and honestly, for very understandable reasons. Her realm, her function, isn't pretty or palatable. She's basically just sitting around feeding from people's sadness. She doesn't seem, to many, to contribute much to family meetings.

And yet, she is loved. She is treasured, doted on, by Desire. This is a character who is so often dismissive of others, often manipulative, so rarely shows genuine affection without some kind of game or scheme attached. Yet they seem to truly love their twin sister. They would be nothing without each other. She is always included by them in various schemes if possible. And to various writers and fans, Edgar Allan Poe found inspiration and even something to love, however strange, in her. She doesn't have to be as universally enticing as her twin or as creative as Dream or as obviously warm and lovable as Death or as fascinating and sympathetic as Delirium, to have her twin's whole heart, or even a random mortal poet's. She's good enough to some, as she is, as incomprehensible as it might seem to some.

I know some of us have had moments, or days or months, or even years, where we've felt like the Despair of our friend group or our family or the whole damn world, where we don't see how we contribute anything positive and we wonder how or why anyone would choose to care about us. I've had those moments, sometimes. Whether it's because we have some kind of mental illness or trauma or chronic health conditions to deal with, whatever the reason, I know many people have had times where even if they aren't the literal embodiment of despair, we've kind of felt like her. They may feel in those moments like they suck the joy and life out of everything or just like more trouble than we're worth.

So seeing or writing about someone choosing to love and spend time with even the literal personification of despair and hopelessness - yeah, the jokes are fun but it also kind of makes me feel things. And I wonder if I'm not alone in that.

And it may not be realistic to say that ANYONE is lovable to someone but honestly, sometimes I don't give a shit. Sometimes I need that, especially on those days when I feel afraid of reaching out to old friends because I wouldn't know how to answer the question of "what have you been up to" with anything that doesn't sound boring, or something they won't be interested in.

[auroral-melody]

Some small corrections/suggestions/additions:

The Lucifer comic shown in panel 6 on the left is actually from the 2016 series, not the 2000 one. There are 3 Lucifer comic series -- 2000, 2016, and 2018! If you'd like a suggested reading order, here's a (self-plug) post for you.

Note that the Lucifer TV show is not at all like the comics, and "inspired by" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. They're very different characters / plots / themes / settings -- the comics have nothing to do with the LAPD. Expect content that's a lot more like The Sandman.

Additionally, note that

The Dreaming (2019) is a spinoff of a 60-issue series from 1996 of the same name.

Hellblazer is really a whole universe that deserves its own post

I also recommend Death: The Deluxe Edition, which collects some of the stories that OP mentioned. Vertigo: Winter's Edge #2 lives rent-free in my head

ALSO Death: At Death's Door by Jill Thompson is a Season of Mists rewrite but from Death's perspective and IT"S A MANGA AND YOU SHOULD ALL READ IT

My biggest hot take is that enjoying a comic doesn't have to be the same as considering it "canon"! Comic universes are awash with contradictions, and I think you should pick and choose what makes you happy.

I highly enjoy and recommend a ton of these comics for various reasons, but I only take very few to be "canon" events -- the ones that I like.

For those interested in the Sandman series (or getting others to try and read/watch it)

[Image 1 ID: A black and white power point presentation with the text “so you wanna read some “the sandman” (but you have no idea where to start and comic orders can be confusing)”. “A handy flowchart/ power point disaster for the curious, peer pressured and suffering waiting for the August 5th TV release date, from someone who cares a fuck-ton about this series and needs to yogurt starter about it. This is just a fan PowerPoint I spent way too much time on”. There are two green circular characters with smiling faces and limbs. One has a bowtie and a pointer for instruction./.End ID]

[Image 2 ID: A flowchart that asks the reader if they are familiar with the story. There is the James Franco “first time?” image meme where there is a noose around his neck. A green path answering “yes” suggests “take a moment to reread anyways! (seriously it’s so good)”. A blue path answering “I am Jared, 19 (Don’t read) suggests “check out the Audiobooks (1&2). They cover volumes 1-6.” A circular green character with an open mouth says “James McAvoy voices the lead, what better reason is there?”. An Orange path answering “no” suggests “start with the original 10 volumes” and proceeds to the next page/.End ID]

[Image 3 ID: A power point slide of the original ten sandman volumes with pictures of each cover and the reading order. The top of the page lists volumes 1-5; (1) Preludes and Nocturnes, (2) The Dolls House, (3) Dream Country, (4) Season of Mists, (5) A Game of You. The bottom of the page lists volumes 6-10; (6) Fables and Reflections, (7) Brief Lives, (8) Worlds End, (9) The Kindly Ones, (10) The Wake. To the left there are bullet points with the following information: “They cover the original run of 75 issues since the 80’s. Read in order there is an A plot and a B to Z plot they’re all relevant. If it’s a genre of story it is in this series”. An orange circular cartoon with a smiling face, a bowtie and a pointer says “Now that we’re familiar with the dreaming, let’s look at the bonus content where order doesn’t matter (too much)”. An orange arrow continues to the next slide. /.End ID]

[Image 4 ID: A power point slide titled “additional stories and content”. A Flowchart prompt asks the reader “what’s your poison?”. A white arrow answers the prompt “give me more(pheus)”. The original poster suggests reading Sandman: Dream hunters, Sandman: Book of Dreams, Sandman: Midnight Theatre and Sandman: Overture. The original poster includes photos of the volume covers and two notes for Sandman: Overture. The cover of Sandman Overture is Morpheus standing in a flower field with his helm of power on. The first note says “WARNING: OVERTURE IS A PREQUEL FOR THE ORIGINAL SERIES” The second note says “THE ART IS ALSO INCREDIBLE LIKE IT’S NUTS Y’ALL they sell a gallery version I’d kill for”. A second white arrow answers “I want meta info on the development”. The original poster recommends the Sandman Companion and includes a picture of the cover which is yellow with a golden mask on the front. The original poster clarifies it was published in 2000, and says “this is a book and it is amazing (art, interviews, breakdowns)”. A third arrow answers the prompt, stating “I want more cosmic sibling drama and/or goth girls only please”. The original poster recommends Sandman: Endless Nights, Death: The High Cost of Living and Death: The Time of Your Life. The original poster provides images of each cover. Sandman Endless nights has two masks on the front cover one grey, one multicolored patchwork. Both Death comics have the image of a pale skinned, dark-haired woman on the front with a grainy picture overlay. An orange circular cartoon character with a smiling face says “wait that’s it right, I read everything now?” an orange arrow continues to the next page.  /.End ID]

[Image 5 ID: This slide is titled “Oops Even More Content, Welcome to the New Age of The Sandman Universe”. The elmo on fire meme is visible on the right side of the slide. There is an orange smiling character with a bowtie and a pointer saying “Start with the Dreaming #1, It’s like a teaser chapter for a choose your own adventure in picking a story you want to read. This all happens after the original ten volumes (ish) YOU ARE WARNED”. The orange figure is pointing to the first edition cover where Dream and six individuals stand on the cover. An orange arrow points to the next flowchart prompt asking the reader “What did you enjoy most in the original series?” An authors note in the corner states “There is also a little crossover between characters in stories within the Sandman universe”. A Pink arrow continues to the next slide /.End ID]

[Image 6 ID: This slide has predetermined answers to the question of “What did you enjoy most in the original series?”. The first directional arrow answers with “LUCIFER!” The original poster recommends Lucifer (2000) that is 75 issues in one volume and Lucifer (2019) in four volumes. Both images of the covers are included with lucifer on the front bent over and then holding a sign. A purple circular character with their mouth open says “Yes this series inspired the Netflix tv show”. A blue arrow answers with “That one John Constantine Cameo”. The cover is included with John Constantine smoking on the front. The original poster recommends John Constantine: Hellblazer (2019) in two volumes. A Red arrow answers “Actually you know what? Give me a better Harry Potter that’s not written by a TERF”. A red circular cartoon character with a bowtie and a pointer recommends Books of Magic (2019). The lead protagonist, Timothy Hunter is on the cover holding a large open tome. The red character says “Based on the 1990 miniseries written by Gaiman of the same name.” A Green arrow and a purple arrow with the options “Gods and Mythos” and “The Dreaming Inhabitants” are included and continue on the next slide /.End ID]

[Image 7 ID: This is a PowerPoint slide that continues to answer the flowchart question of “What did you enjoy most in the original series?”. A Green arrow answers “Gods and Mythos”. The original poster recommends House of Whispers (2019) in three volumes. The cover of the first issue is included where a beautiful black woman stands in and holds up a mirror with a man inside it an a house in the background. The original poster provides a note saying “This one has divine feminine ™, family drama and some great queer representation. If you liked the Gaiman book Anansi boys, you’ll like this story”. A Purple arrow answers the question with “The dreaming inhabitants” which branches into three white arrows. The first arrow leads to the original poster recommending the Dreaming (2019) in three volumes. An image of the cover is visible with Dream and many inhabitants of the dreaming on the front cover spread around him. The author leaves a note saying this series includes “dream hopping. Giant moth baby. Absolute chaos”. A second white arrow leads to the recommendation of The Dreaming: Waking Hours (2021) with one volume. The cover is included and has Dream in the background with Lucien and Merv, and William Shakespeare in the foreground performing on a stage. The original poster leave a note saying that the story includes “Shakespeare, Shakespeare and Shakespeare walk into a bard… grad student pain. mages, nightmare and macbeth.” A third white arrow leads to the recommendation of Nightmare Country (2022) an ongoing series with four issues as of July 2022. The cover is included and shows the Corinthian in an American flag colored mask with his glasses partially removed. The author includes a note saying “The Corinthian gets a spin-off. So do other nightmares. Ongoing.” There is a purple circular character with a smiling face pointing at the Waking Hours cover, and a green circular character standing next to the House of Whispers cover. /.End ID]

[Image 8 ID: The slide is entitled “Congrats! You now have a good idea about where to start and what to read”. Next to this title is a teal circular cartoon that is smiling. The original poster includes a note that says “I could go into so much depth about why you should read it and why its great but its either do that or work on my master’s thesis and only one pays bills and its already 3 a.m. (frowny face).” A white arrow leads to a note that says “TLDR: THE ART IS GOOD, THE CHARCATERS ARE COMPLEX AND VOLUME TEN MADE ME OPENLY WEEP BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD IT WAS. IMACULATE ANTHOLOGY-esque STORY TELLING” a sub footnote says “I like this series so much I paid a guy for an advertisement of a sandman themed chess set that I have framed on my wall cause theres like no merch”. A green circular character that is smiling with a bowtie and pointer is standing next to the “preludes and nocturnes”, and “the dolls house” covers saying “season 1 of the tv show will be covering volumes 1-2 ish”. A picture of Morpheus in a panel with his hand outstretched from the comics is on the slide next to the “graphic design is my passion meme”. A large yellow crying emoji is on the slide with its hands in the air /.End ID]

[usagirotten]

The Beginner's Guide to the 'Sandman' Comics by Neil Gaiman

Explore the enchanting world of Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' comics with our comprehensive beginner's guide. Uncover the mysteries of the Dreaming and embark on a journey through fantasy, myth, and storytelling in this iconic comic series. Debuting at the end of 1989 published by DC Comics and later becoming the flagship of the Vertigo sub-label in 1993, "The Sandman" introduces us to the Eternals / The Endless, anthropomorphic beings that embody natural forces or aspects of the universe and have existed since the dawn of creation, which puts them in a higher hierarchy or other types of gods and entities existing in the universe. In fact, Gaiman’s original pitch for the title was radically different and involved the regular old DC Universe Sandman... But he was unavailable, so DC asked Gaiman to come up with someone new. Tasked with creating a whole new character, Gaiman invented Morpheus, the Lord of The Dreaming - a dimension where all dreams come from. When Sandman kicked off, Morpheus was captured - accidentally - by humans, and held captive for decades. When he finally escaped, he wreaked terrible, Twilight Zone vengeance on them, before regaining his powers, and returning home to the Dreaming. There, he found things in massive disrepair, and set about making dreams right again... And returning some particular horrible nightmares (and unwilling to return dreams) home again. Over time, Morpheus grew into being more than just a vengeful spirit, and in a certain sense, a hero; though with forces conspiring against him, he was eventually killed. The last few issues of the series were the funeral of Morpheus, and that book was closed forever.

  Dream, as he’s most commonly called, is a part of The Endless, a family of seven siblings who physically embody and carry out the will of abstract concepts, such as destiny, destruction, and desire. Each one of The Endless has its own tasks and rules its own realm, and in many ways, they take on the form of a sort of mythology within the DCU. The cosmic beings are said to have existed since the beginning of time and are among the most powerful creations in the DC universe. However, while the whole family plays a vital role in the events that take place over the course of the comics seven-year run, ultimately the story revolved around Dream. Along with Gaiman, the artists who inaugurated the series were Sam Kieth ("The Maxx") with Michael Drigenberg, as draftsman and inker respectively. Later a rotating team was had, highlighting Kelly Jones ("Batman & Dracula: Red Rain"), Chris Bachalo ("The Amazing Spider-man") Collen Doran ("A Distant Soil"), P. Craig Russel ("Legends of The Dark Knight ”), Dick Giordanno (“ Crisis On Infinite Earths ”), Shawn McManus (“ Fables ”), Jill Thompson (“ Wonder Woman ”), Mark Buckingham (“ Miracleman ”), Vince Locke (“ Judge Dredd ”), Marc Hemple ("Heavy Metal"), Charles Vess ("Promethea") and Michael Zulli ("TMNT: Souls Winter") who walked throughout the series, giving versatility to the art of the same by authentically exploiting the potential that the ninth is able to reach.

What are the key story arcs and volumes in the ‘Sandman’ series?

The Sandman series is divided into ten main volumes, each comprising multiple story arcs that weave together to form a larger narrative tapestry. Some of the key story arcs include: - Preludes & Nocturnes: Introduces the character of Dream and his quest to reclaim his lost artifacts. - The Doll's House: Explores Dream's interactions with various dreamers and introduces important supporting characters. - Season of Mists: Focuses on Dream's journey to Hell and his confrontation with Lucifer. - A Game of You: Follows the adventures of Barbie and her friends in the waking world and the Dreaming. - Brief Lives: Chronicles Dream's quest to find his missing sibling, Destruction. - Worlds' End: Features a series of interconnected short stories set in a mysterious inn. - The Kindly Ones: Culminates in a confrontation between Dream and the Furies, ancient beings seeking vengeance. - The Wake: Concludes the main storyline of the series and explores the aftermath of Dream's actions. Each volume offers a unique blend of fantasy, mythology, and human drama, contributing to the overall richness and depth of the Sandman universe.

How does ‘Sandman’ connect to other works by Neil Gaiman?

While 'Sandman' stands on its own as a singular masterpiece, it is also interconnected with Neil Gaiman's broader body of work. Many characters, themes, and concepts introduced in 'Sandman' reappear in Gaiman's novels, short stories, and other comic book projects. Additionally, 'Sandman' has inspired numerous spin-offs, adaptations, and continuations, including graphic novels like 'The Sandman: Overture' and audio dramas like 'The Sandman: Act I'. Whether you're exploring Gaiman's prose fiction or his contributions to the comic book medium, 'Sandman' serves as a gateway to a larger world of storytelling. At its core, 'Sandman' is more than just a comic book series – it's a celebration of the power of storytelling. Through its rich tapestry of mythology, literature, and pop culture references, 'Sandman' invites us to explore the depths of our imagination and embrace the magic of storytelling. It's a reminder that dreams are more than just fleeting fantasies; they're windows into our souls, reflections of our deepest desires and fears. So, whether you're a seasoned comic book aficionado or a curious newcomer, there's never been a better time to join the Dreaming and let your imagination soar.

  Here are 10 intriguing curiosities about Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' comics:

- Origin of Dream's Design: Dream's appearance was inspired by a combination of Gaiman's friend, musician Peter Murphy of the band Bauhaus, and the DC Comics character Destiny from "The Endless." - Influence of Mythology: Gaiman drew heavily from various mythologies and folklore to create the rich tapestry of the 'Sandman' universe, incorporating elements from Norse, Greek, and Judeo-Christian traditions, among others. - Pivotal Role of Dream's Helm: Dream's iconic helm, also known as the Dream Helm or the Helm of Dreams, serves as a symbol of his authority and power over the realm of dreams. Its significance is explored throughout the series. - Connection to DC Universe: While 'Sandman' exists within its own self-contained universe, it also features connections to the broader DC Comics universe, with appearances by characters like Batman and John Constantine. - Award-Winning Series: 'Sandman' received numerous awards and accolades during its run, including multiple Eisner Awards, Harvey Awards, and a World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction for the story "A Midsummer Night's Dream." - Diverse Artistic Collaborations: Throughout the series, Gaiman collaborated with a diverse array of artists, each bringing their unique style to the pages of 'Sandman.' Notable collaborators include Dave McKean, Jill Thompson, and P. Craig Russell. - Influence on Pop Culture: 'Sandman' has left a significant impact on popular culture, inspiring everything from music and film to fashion and literature. Its themes and imagery have been referenced in works ranging from the TV series "Supernatural" to the video game "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask." - Themes of Identity and Existence: Central to 'Sandman' are themes of identity, existence, and the nature of reality. The series explores questions of free will, destiny, and the human condition through the lens of its diverse cast of characters. - Spin-Offs and Adaptations: In addition to the main series, 'Sandman' has inspired numerous spin-off comics, graphic novels, and adaptations in other media. This includes "The Sandman: Overture," a prequel miniseries written by Gaiman himself. - Enduring Legacy: Despite concluding its original run in 1996, 'Sandman' continues to capture the imagination of readers worldwide. Its themes of imagination, storytelling, and the power of dreams ensure its place as a timeless classic in the world of comics and literature.   Sandman was a seminal work that catalyzed a creative renaissance in comics. Its breakout success established Vertigo Comics as a platform for intelligent, adult-oriented graphic fiction. In Sandman’s wake, Vertigo published acclaimed series like Hellblazer, Preacher, and Fables – cementing the imprint’s reputation for crafting literate fantasy and horror. Beyond Vertigo, Sandman revealed the latent potential of comics to render sophisticated, moving stories. Gaiman wielded the medium with a poet’s grace, spinning tales as richly metaphorical as any prose. This alchemy of word and image helped legitimize graphic novels as a genuine art form, paving the way for today’s most celebrated works. Read the full article

[bennyswhims]

Scary Godmother (Mainframe, Ezekiel Norton/Jill Thompson, 2003)

So, we've arrived at the end of history. The millennium has turned, decades are hard to abbreviate now and the industry has been turned upside down. Disney has gone through a revival that is now failing, they bought a computer graphics company that's outperforming its main studio and don't really know what to do about it, and are only really holding it together because of not having much competition. All the other animation houses are either on a massive downturn or completely defunct, with the exception of newcomer DreamWorks, which is essentially UPA but with more celebrity power attached.

This bumps us into the current trend: new dimension! Computers have gotten beefy. They can now fully map out the space between simulated points REAL good, meaning they can generate sculpted figures, and if you're real nifty, move them around in fun ways. This is a big groundshaker, the likes of which animation hadn't ever really seen before (with the closest to it being the rise of rotoscoping, which was only outdone by the immediate and much better remembered fall of rotoscoping). Suddenly everyone with a good enough computer could (emphasis on COULD) technically create a full motion picture with complex characters, deep camera action and technically precise shots; without needing to have become a fully fledged fine artists before being any good at it.

And the film I'll be getting into today is a great example of that! A bit behind on the spooky season,

Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular!

A bona fide 3D holiday special, Scary Godmother hits the big screen for the first time in this fun cult classic. It's a simple story, main character Hannah is out trick or treating, and gets dared by her mean cousin Jimmy to explore a dark house. She gets locked in it, only to find the Godmother looking for her to get her Halloween party started. Hosting for all her friends, she introduces Hannah to all the new monstrous faces attending, and they have a thrilling scare of a time partying, in which Hannah learns not to judge a book by its cover, and Justin learns not to a be a prickly little nerd.

From the description alone, you wouldnt think much of this short little movie. At firsti didn't get it either, even after watching it for the first time. But upon further revisits, I've come to see why it means so much to so many people, and it all comes back to its atmosphere. Scary Godmother really nails capital S Spooky with pinpoint precision. I rarely get to see such an accurate depiction of what the Halloween holidays feel like for kids as this movie depicts, and that's speaking as someone who lives and breathes for the months of the holiday.

It also has quite the interesting grassroots production history as well. Mainframe's first foray into feature animation, the structure of this film called for more hardware beef than the studio had ever worked with, putting a noticeable strain on the budget. This was also bolstered by the animation team allegedly doubling in size mid-production, which led to the heavy involvement of Jill Thompson (author of the original children's books the special is adapting) being a huge boon for the project, functioning as a sort of creative director for the team.

Overall, I'm happy to say I'm a convert for team Scary Godmother, and it has become a comfortable yearly tradition in early October movie nights.

References:

Scary Godmother is a Halloween Nostalgiafest - Vulture

Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular - Wikipedia

Mainframe Studios - Wikipedia

Scary Godmother (Series) - The Scary Godmother Wiki

[re-readingcomics]

Comics Read 08/27- 09/01/2023

The original Mind MGMT written and drawn by Matt Kindt is one of my favorite comic books ever. Reading it was immersive in a way I didn’t think was possible. So naturally I had to get and read Mind MGMT Bootleg. Matt Kindt is still the writer, but here he is joined by an assortment of artists, each drawing an individual issue. In the order of the issue they worked on the artists are Farel Dalrymple, Matt Lesniewski, David Rubín and Jill Thompson. Thompson is the only one with whom I was familiar before reading this. They all have distinct styles, and they all do well with the stories that they are given.

One of the reasons the original Mind MGMT is so exciting is by how it takes advantage of the  format. This included having notes in the margins of the pages, some of which suggested something suspicions about the paper it was printed on, while other pages gave instructions for some kind of impossible craft. This all feels very personal for the writer, and I would imagine the creator. Would something like this carry over when they writer shares his duties with more artists? The answers is sort of. There are not those types of digressions in the sections with the various artists. However, after the main issues there his a script “sample” for people who want to understand how comics get made. Only the scenes in the scripts aren’t actually scenes in the issues and some of the instructions to the are written as if they were within the world of Mind MGMT. Also there are a small, short back of the issue comics that I believe were drawn by Kindt, though they don’t seem to get a distinct credit. (Eventually they’re revealed to be by one of the new characters.)

The plot of Mind MGMT Bootleg involves an attempt to relaunch Mind MGMT, the agency, while also relaunching the comic book series. The agency from the original series was corrupt and dehumanizing to it’s various employees, some of whom return here. But, it seems there are threats right now, such as the amount of pessimism and disinformation out there, that could use the products created by Mind MGMT to combat them. Which leads me, the reader, to have to ask myself; How much do I actually want a relaunch of Mind MGMT?

I didn’t like Kindt’s follow up series as writer and artist, Dept.H as much as I liked Mind MGMT. But I don’t like never ending franchise. There has to be a better reason to go there. 

[writing-for-life]

Sandman Meta-Analysis

Art

Sandman Comics: Original Artists Library

Miguelanxo Prado: Spirit Animals and White Streaks of Hair (links send you to different parts of the discussion)

Dream and Death by David Hitchcock: All Endless Are Buckling Under the Weight of Their Function

Death, Dream and Hob Gadling by Michael Zulli

Dream by Craig Hamilton: The Obelisk as a Symbol for Rebirth and Masculinity

A Sacred Garden: Death and Delight, by Michael Zulli

David Hitchcock’s Daniel: Orbs, Statues and Ivy on a Tree (Addendum to someone else’s post)

Michael Zulli’s Morpheus: Archetypal and Religious Connotations

Michael Zulli and the Blue Flowers Again…

Michael Zulli Uses Blue Roses as a Symbol for Death, Grief and Occasionally Good Fortune (Not “Unrequited Love”)

Michael Zulli: Destiny and Dream

Jill Thompson’s Concept Art for the Sandman Movie That Never Was (short brain dump)

#sandman march mania: A four week long event for comics art lovers set up like a bracket match with tons or artist info and art.

#sandman art analysis: Meta posts that specifically analyse the art of (usually official) Sandman artists.

Sandman Comics Reread & Netflix Sandman Rewatch: All my Sandman Book Club contributions, ordered by issue/episode (we are currently discussing on a weekly schedule, join us!)

#sandman meta: Even more metas of all kinds, like those of others I (sometimes quite extensively) participated in.

< Previous: Sandman Meta-Analysis Music

Link to full pinned post