Friday, December 15, 2017

Citizen Of Baghdad # 82 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Haroun al Raschid threatens to shatter the Globe Of Sulaiman Ben Daoud, which contains nine thousand and nine Ifrits, Dijinn and Demons unless the King Of Dreams comes to him.

He throws the globe, but Morpheus arrives just as the globe is about to hit the ground.

Haroun al Raschid attempts to make a bargain with Morpheus, but he reminds al Raschid that bargains are best done In the soukh, the marketplace.

The marketplace is crowded and full of people, including this man.

Morpheus and Haroun al Raschid go to the marketplace and it is there that the bargain is explained. Haroun al Raschid wants Baghdad to be remembered as a city of splendor and wonders.

This citizen of Baghdad appears in Sandman # 50, on page 25, in panel 3.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Astrologer # 1 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In Baghdad, in the time of Haroun al Raschid, there were many wonders and splendors. There were enchanters and scholars and musicians. There were mechanical wonders that imitated life and there were men with the heads of animals and animals that could speak like men.

There were astrologers within his palace.

These men could interpret the will of Allah from the by the movement and placement of the stars.

This astrologer can be seen in Sandman # 50, on page 4, in panel 1.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Old Woman # 4 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

When Ellie Marsten wakes in 1988, seventy two years after she fell asleep, she is in a charity home for those suffering from the sleeping sickness. There are many other people in the same ward as she is.

This woman is one of the people in the hospital.

She appears in Sandman # 1, on page 33, panel 2.

This old woman was illustrated by Kai. He took a straight forward approach with this character, but made her appear a bit more realistic than in the published comic. She seems very concerned, perhaps because she didn’t realize she had grown so old while she slept her life away.

Monday, December 11, 2017

Mummy # 4 (illustrated by John Rapone)

In the penultimate chapter of Worlds’ End, Petrefax retells a story of his experience at an air burial.

At an air burial, each member of the funeral party tell a tale.

Master Hermas tells a true story from his youth when he and Klaproth were apprentices under Mistress Veltis.

When Veltis was an apprentice she accidentally broke a flask of preserving fluid. She was ashamed and ran and hid from her master. She chose the catacombs beneath the city as her hiding place. In the catacombs she travelled a path she had never taken before, passing a wall of mummies, and eventually finding herself in a huge room with six cerements hanging in that room.

This mummy is one of the mummies that she passed on her decent into the catacombs.

This mummy appears in Sandman # 55, on page 20, in panel 3.

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Emperor Caligula (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Caligula was the Roman Emperor from AD 37-41. He is sometimes described as an insane tyrant.\

Historical information about Caligula can be found here.

Within the Sandman Universe Caligula is not a typical character, but a memory of Lycius, the dwarf who wrote his memoirs about his time with Julius Caesar.

In his book he described the emperors who followed Julius Caesar as “evil, mad, foolish.”

Emperor Caligula appears in Sandman # 30, on page 24, in panel 4.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Boy # 8 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

Dream and Delirium decide to seek advice from their older brother, Destiny, in their search for Destruction.

Instead of calling upon Destiny in either of their respective galleries, they decide to visit Destiny’s garden.

They go to an amusement park and go through the Crazy Maze, which is a labyrinth and all labyrinths lead to Destiny’s garden.

This boy is one of the children at the amusement park. He, along with his mother and sister, are going into the Crazy Maze.

The boy appears in Sandman # 47, on page 6, in panel 1.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Dignitary # 28 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

Dream and his lover, Killalla Of The Glow, travel to a palace to attend the parliament concerning zones of responsibility and the merits of obligation for creation.

Dignitaries from various planets, realms and realities gather to be a part of this important meeting.

This Dignitary is one of many who gathered at the palace. She is in the background talking to another dignitary as Kilalla and Desire pass by talking about Dream.

She appears in the background in Endless Nights, in the story, The Heart Of The Star, on page 6 in panel 3.

Monday, December 4, 2017

Dead Man # 71 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Orpheus went into the depths of the Underworld to rescue Eurydice from death. As he approached the throme room of Hades and Persephone he encounters a large gathering of the dead.

To implore the rulers of the Underworld to release his deceased wife, Orpheus sang a song about love and loss. This song caused the dead to weep.

This Dead Man is one of the many weeping dead men in the Underworld.

He appears in The Song Of Orpheus, on page 33, in panel 2.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Bar Patron # 20 (illustrated by Te’Shawn Dwyer)

Dream and Death visit a pub in England sometime between 1362-1370.

During this excursion into the waking world Death offers Hob the opportunity to never die and never grow old. He accepts and Dream agrees to meet him once a century to discuss his life, immortality and friendship.

This man is one of the bar patrons in the pub during Dream and Hob’s second meeting sometime around 1470.

This Bar Patron appears in Sandman # 13, on page 8, in panel 4. He is sitting at the table reading a book.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Bacchante # 20 (illustrated by Carl Schiacchitano)

In Greek mythology, The Bacchante are crazy, wild women living in the forests. They are capable of tearing animals (and sometimes people) into pieces with their bare hands. They are sometimes called Maenads, but regardless of their name they are ferocious and insatiable in their desires and violence. In Roman mythology, The Bacchante are the female followers of Bacchus, the god of wine and intoxication.

In The Sandman Special # 1, Orpheus encounters The Bacchante.

Orpheus is sitting on a hilltop, still mourning the death of his wife when the Bacchante come upon him. He is torn apart by a group of women and his head is thrown into the ocean.

She can be seen in The Sandman Special # 1 (The Song Of Orpheus), page 44 in panel 4.

Friday, December 1, 2017

Demon # 70 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

Dream journeys to Hell to recover his helm, which was stolen from him during his captivity.

Lucifer claims to know nothing about his helmet or who would have taken it.

Using the sand from his pouch, Dream is able to search the crowd to locate the demon that has his helmet.

This demon is in the crowd of demons.

He appears in Sandman # 4, on page 14 in panel 4.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Man # 220 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In Dream Of A Thousand Cats, the Golden Haired Man told his fellow humans that if enough of them dreamed that men were superior to cats then it would become reality because “Dreams Shape The World.”

This man is one people who listen to the Golden Haired Man and his ideas of dreaming a world where men were dominate over the cats.

This Man appears in Sandman # 18, on page 17 in panel 3.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Secret Service Agent # 13 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In Worlds’ End, Brant Tucker wanders the hall of the inn and encounters a man known only as The Seeker. He is searching for a reality where Prez Rickard becomes president.

The Seeker tells Brant about Prez and his legacy.

Like all presidents, Prez had an entourage of Secret Service Agents who surround him at all times…even while he is jogging.

This woman is one of the Secret Service Agents who jogs with Prez Rickard, the President Of The United States.

She can be seen in Sandman # 54, on page 11, in panel 1.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Waiter # 4 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

Sometime between 1362-1370, Dream and Death visited a pub in England. Death felt it was important for Dream to visit the mortal realm and experience the humanity that he influences and to help him understand them a bit better.

During their visit, Dream and Death encounter Hob Gadling. He told a group of people the best way to live forever is to not die.

Dreath and Dream were amused by Hob and they gave him the gift of immortality and Dream agreed to meet him him in the same pub every one hundred years.

This waiter is serving food and wine to the patrons of the pub on the day when Dream met Hob.

He appears in Sandman # 13 page 1 in panel 1.

Monday, November 27, 2017

Thug # 3 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

One evening Rose went to see Hal’s drag show and was walking home when she was assaulted by three thugs.

Their intentions for Rose were not pure or honorable and so thankfully Gilbert was not far behind her and was able to help keep her virtue intact.

Gilbert used his cane to beat these three thugs into submission and they ran down the street and away from Rose and Gilbert.

This Thug appears in Sandman # 11, on pages 11, 12 and 13.

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Queen Elizabeth (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In Season Of Mists, Dream visits Hob Gadling 99 years early because he is about to journey into Hell and is unsure when, or if, he will return.

When Dream arrives, Hob is dreaming about fixing Queen Elizabeth’s computer. The hard drive on the computer has crashed, but according to Hob it’s still better than “Roger Bacon’s Mechanical Head.”

This is in reference to a story about Roger Bacon, who was a friar in the 13th century. Sometime between 1214 and 1294 (and likely somewhere in the middle, since he was born in 1214 and died in 1294) Bacon built a mechanical head. This head supposedly was built with gears, similar to a watch.

One night Bacon decided to go sleep and told his apprentice to immediately wake him if the head did anything. Deep into the night, the head spoke, and said, "Time is." The apprentice was too scared to wake Bacon and so he did nothing. About 30 minutes later the head spoke again, saying, "Time was." Again, the apprentice did not wake Bacon. The head then spoke a third time, saying, "Time past." The head then fell onto the floor and broke. Bacon could not repair the head, and it never worked in any capacity again.

In Hob’s dream, Queen Elizabeth “Time Is, Time Was, Time’s Past, Sir Robert” which reflects what the mechanical head said.

Queen Elizabeth appears in Hob’s dream in Sandman # 22 on page 16, in panel 2-3.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Jamaican Man # 5 (illustrated by John Rapone)

In Preludes And Nocturnes Daniel Bustamonte falls victim to the sleeping sickness that happens as a result of Roderick Burgess imprisoning of the King of Dreams.

Daniel spends a lot of his time on the streets, barely awake.

This Jamaican Man is one of the many people who pass by Daniel, in 1968, while he sleepwalks through his world.

He appears in Sandman # 1, on page 23, in panel 4.

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Dinosaur Thing # 2 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

While trying to avoid The Black Guard and the Cuckoo’s minions, Barbie and her friends discover the body of Tantoblin. Barbie recalls when she first met the Tantoblin.

She and Martin Tenbones were on their way to the Arch Of The Porpentine when they were attacked by these White Grub Things. Barbie described them as Fat Children.

These Dinosaur Things were carrying around a room with them. When Barbie and Martin Tenbones went into the room they were able to come out “somwhrere else.”

This is one of the Dinosaur things. He appear in Sandman # 35, on page 5, in panel 1.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Baseball Player (illustrated by Max Rugers)

After the death of Kathy, Prez Rickard spent more time in the white house and was seen less by the American people. He became despondent and did not have the same zest for his job as he once did.

After retiring for the night Prez turned on the television and was watching baseball. Boss Smiley appeared in his television, once again offering Prez anything he wanted, even his deceased wife, if he would only serve him.

This Baseball Player was on the television prior to Boss Smiley hijacking the program.

He appears in Sandman # 54, on page 14 in panel 7.

This is a great portrait from Max. I really like that this portrait is basically in black and white. The stark contrast has a really cool visual effect that makes my eyes very happy. I hope you like it as well.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Raven # 10 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

As the Kindly Ones begin destroying the residents of The Dreaming the Ravens move in to eat the dead.

This Raven has chosen the body of Ruthven to eat.

He appears in Sandman # 66 on page 14, in panel 2.

This is a fantastic portrait from Lars. I really like the expression on this Raven’s face. It’s almost as if he was caught at an inopportune moment. The eyes are perfect. I also like that he has one of Ruthven’s eyes in his mouth. Some might shy away from the gruesomeness of a raven eating a corpse, but Lars jumped right in and the result is this awesome portrait.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Punished Man # 1 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

Haroun al Raschid was troubled in his soul. He saw the many splendors of Baghdad and wanted them to last forever.

One night he decided it was time to preserve his kingdom and make a bargain with the King Of Dreams.

He used the golden key he wore around his neck and went into the depths of his palace. He passed through his harem and through his prisons.

There were three men in his prison and this is one of the punished men. Judging by his long beard and emancipated body I am guessing he’s been in a long time.

He appears in Sandman # 50, on page 11, in panel 5.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Strip Club Patron # 8 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In Brief Lives, Dream and Delirium travel the waking world in hopes of finding their missing brother, Destruction. Their travels lead them to a strip club called Suffragette City, where the Goddess Ishtar dances.

This man is one of the people who is at Suffragette City watching Ishtar, Tiffany and the other dancers perform. He is near the front of the stage as Ishtar quickly leaves the stage when Dream, Delirium and Matthew enter the club.

He appears in Sandman # 45 page 17 in panel 1. He is trying to hand Ishtar some money as she runs backstage.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Robert’s Workmate # 5 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

While Brant and Charlene are trapped in Worlds’ End, they hear stories told throughout the night as they wait for the storm to pass.

Mr. Gaheris tells a story about a man named Robert who lived in a large city that he loved very much. He worked in the city center, at a desk in a room filled with dozens of men and women who also sat at their desks doing a job similar to his.

This man is one of Robert’s workmates.

He appears in Sandman # 51 on page 11, in panel 2.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Man # 135 (illustrated by Nicole Ingram)

When Roderick Burgess died, his son, Alex, took over the Burgess empire.

In 1968, people would come to his home seeking enlightenment. He would teach them about Kundalini, yoga, tantric sex, astral travel, and other things that were, honestly, insignificant.

While at his home, he forbids the use of psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs, fearing that they may somehow empower the imprisoned Dream King.

This man is one of the people who visited the Burgess house hoping to find illumination.

He appears in Sandman # 1, on page 23, in panel 2.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Hospital Employee # 1 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

After finding Jed, Gilbert goes to the Brevard County Hospital to sit next to the boy’s bed while Rose went to her house to get some sleep.

As he enters the hospital he passes a deskwith some hospital employees.

This is one of the hospital employees.

He appears in Sandman # 15 on page 10, in panel 5.