Thursday, May 30, 2013

Bus Passenger # 1 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In London in June 1920, the news of John Hathaway’s suicide spreads through the city. Young boys are selling newspapers with headlines questioning his mental health and asking questions of the mysteries surrounding his death. The streets are bustling.

This man can be seen sitting on a bus, which is driving down these busy London streets.

This bus passenger appears in Sandman # 1, on page 14, in panel 1.

This is a great portrait. I am not sure if Max intended this, but when I look at this portrait I see either Alan Moore or Rob Zombie. Either way, I really like this portrait.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Knight of Clouds (illustrated by Emonic)

This is a very interesting character who appears in one panel in The Kindly Ones.

While reflecting on Dream’s week, prior to the Kindly Ones entering The Dreaming, we learn that on Moonday Dream “arbitrated in a dispute between the Knight Of Clouds and The Body Politic. He awarded the Magic Lantern Show to the Knight Of Clouds, although he permitted The Body Politic to retain custody of the Six Screaming Stones and The Snows Of Yesterday.”

There is a story there that I would love to read….even if it was only a short 8 page story appearing in one of the Vertigo anthology books that they used to do.

The Knight Of Clouds appears in Sandman # 64, page 2, panel 1.

Emonic did a wonderful job with this character. I definitely like the perspective of the portrait.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Interlude - Blood Kiss Kickstarter

I don't do this very often, but I wanted to mention a new Kickstarter campaign that I think everyone who reads this blog would be interested in supporting.

Michael Reaves (who co-wrote the Interworld novels with Neil Gaiman) has written a film and is trying to get it made. This movie is called Blood Kiss and it is a film noir Vampire story set in LA in the 1940's. The story is about a detective named Joe Belicek, who must solve a murder before a deranged killer murders strikes again. The victim....a vampire and the killer is hoping to use them to gain their power.

Sound interesting? Well, it gets better.

This film marks the acting debut of...wait for it...Neil Gaiman. Yep, that's right, Neil is going to be one of the actors in this film. At this point I am not sure who he will be or how large his role will be, but he is one of the announced actors. Two other actors have been announced. Amber Benson, best known for her role as Tara in Buffy The Vampire Slayer has been cast for this film. Also announced is Christina Moses, who some may know from Star Trek: New Voyages Phase II and Nikita. Tom Mandrake is doing artwork for the film (and I have to say the poster art is pretty amazing).

Here is a brief word from Neil regarding his role in Blood Kiss. I am personally excited to see this film and I hope that you are too.

If you are interested in contributing, please go to their Kickstarter page and pledge. Every little bit helps and they do have some awesome rewards. Heck, if you are so inclined you could even pledge your hard earned cash on the Belicek Level and be one of the actors in this film!!!

Okay, if you can, PLEASE support Blood Kiss and help make this movie a success!!!

Click here to view their Kickstarter page!!!

Tomorrow I will be back with our regularly scheduled Sandman portrait.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Corpse On The Death Barge # 1 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

When Scroyle’s father died, he escorted his body to the Necropolis Litharge. His father had promised Scroyle as an intern in the Necropolis as long as he could be buried within the city.

Scroyle came to the Necropolis on a Death Barge, carrying many corpses of the recently deceased. This corpse is one of those bodies.

You can see this corpse in Sandman # 55, on page 13, panel 1.

Max did a fantastic job with this character. There is a sensitivity with this corpse that I really like. It sort of reflects the respect given to the dead by the residents of the Necropolis.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Eurydice (illustrated by Joëlle Jones)

Eurydice is a character that Gaiman took from Greek mythology and placed her within the Sandman universe.

In Virgil’s Georgics, Eurydice was the wife of Orpheus. One day a Satyr saw her and chased her. She accidentally stepped on a viper and was killed by the venomous bite. Orpheus, who lost the love of his life, played his lyre and sand songs so sad that the gods told him to travel to the Underworld and ask Lord Hades to release her. After singing, Hades and Persephone agreed to let Eurydice return to the land of the living, but only if Orpheus walked in front of her and he did not look back to catch a glimpse of her until they reached the land of the living. Orpheus, of course, began to doubt that Hades would allow her to return to the land of the living and so he turned and looked at her and she vanished back into the Underworld.

Ovid retells the story, in Metamorphoses, in a similar fashion, but blames Eurydice’s death, not on being chased by a Satyr, but by dancing with Naiads on her wedding Day and it was at this time she was bitten by a serpent.

In “The Song Of Orpheus” (Sandman Special # 1), Gaiman sticks primarily to the Virgil version of the story, but incorporates the story of Orpheus into the Sandman mythology.

Orpheus is the son of Morpheus and Calliope and the Endless attend the wedding of Orpheus and Eurydice. On the night of their wedding, Orpheus’ friend Aristaeus, a satyr, becomes drunk and sexually aroused and wants to make love with Eurydice. She spurns his advances and when he starts to become forceful she runs in hopes of escaping him. While running she steps on a snake, which bites her and she dies.

Death, Orpheus’ aunt and a guest of the wedding, takes her.

Orpheus mourns for his wife. He seeks the help of his father and asks to help bring her back. Morpheus tells him that he cannot help. Orpheus then contemplates suicide in hopes of being reunited with his lost love, but his uncle Destruction stops him and tells him to visit Death. Death grants him the ability to not die in order to enter into the Underworld in hopes of retrieving Eurydice.

As in Greek mythology, Orpheus asks Hades and Persephone to release Eurydice. Orpheus sings and the dead, as well as the Furies, cry. Hades grants Orpheus his wish and allows Eurydice to return to the land of the living, but only if he walks in front of her and does not look back see if she is behind him. Once they cross the threshold into the land of the living, only then can Orpheus look upon his wife. Just as Orpheus approaches the gateway and sees daylight be begins to doubt Hades’ promise and thinks that Hades is playing a cruel joke on him. As he gets closer to the doorway he looks back and sees the apparition of Eurydice and she once again returns to the realm of the dead.

Eurydice and the story of Orpheus appear in The Sandman Special # 1.

I asked Joëlle to draw Eurydice because I was hoping that she would capture the absolute beauty of the character and I am very glad she did. Eurydice is gorgeous. Joëlle did an amazing job capturing the beauty of this character and really drawing a perfect representation of the character. It’s absolutely perfect!!!