Thursday, May 31, 2018

Flicker Person # 2 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

After the car accident, Brant Tucker carries Charlene through a snow storm to a quaint inn, where they are helped with their injuries. Brant is given something to drink and passes out.

When he wakes up he finds Charlene in the inn, at a table, listening to stories.

Mister Gaheris tells the story of a man named Robert who, loves his city and, while wandering through his city on his lunch break, find a silver road. He walks upon the road and finds only an alley.

That evening he missed his regular train and so he takes takes a later train home. He finds himself alone on the train with a tall, thin, pale man with wild hair dressed all in black. His eyes are like pools of night.

Robert realizes that the train is not stopping at any of the regular stations and so once the train finally stops he quickly exits and he finds himself on an unfamiliar street, in a city he doesn’t recognize.

He wanders throughout this new city hoping to find a shimmering archway, door or street that will return him to the city he knows and loves.

Occassionally he will see other people in the city. They are visible briefly, they shimmer and vanish before Robert can speak to them.

After a few days of wandering through the city he meets an old man on the bridge. The old man explains that all cities have personalities and that perhaps they are living things and if they are living things, perhaps the city is dreaming. When Robert asks about the Flicker People the old man says “Who knows? Perhaps they are waking people, flickering through our world. For one fractional moment they enter the city’s dreams, and see the city the way we see it. Or perhaps they are people the city is dreaming of”

This is one of the Flicker People.

He appears in Sandman # 51, on page 15, in panel 6.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Bird # 14 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

When Nada fails to discover the identity of the mysterious stranger who was standing below her window, she enlists in the help of The King Of Birds to discover who this man is.

This is one of the birds searching for the stranger.

This bird appears in Sandman # 9 on page 8 in panel 4.

I am not familiar with bird species, particularly African birds and so I am unsure what type of bird appears in the published comic.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Boat Pilot (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

Rachel is invited to join an exciting archeological dig where a 2019 penny was discovered in a mound on San Raphael. Stanley, Rachel and a group of archeologists are hoping to discover what the future holds from excavating this site.

Rachel meets a man, who we know as Destruction, and together they work on excavating the mound, which contains the mysteries of the future. They find several strange objects including a small blue glowing capsule, which Destruction grabs from Rachel and throws it into the ocean moments before it explodes.

A few days later some government officials came to San Raphael. They took control of the island and although forbidden to leave, Rachel got on a boat to the mainland.

This is the boat pilot who took Rachel to the mainland and to the café where she saw Destruction and Delirium one last time.

This boat pilot appears in the Destruction story from Endless Nights on page 15, in panels 3 and 4.

Dinosaur Thing # 3 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

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.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Emissary # 12 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

In Season Of Mists, Lucifer leaves his dominion in Hell and gives the key to Dream as he locks he doors behind him.

Once word gets out that Dream has the key to Hell, emissaries from various groups come to ask for the right to rule Hell.

This character is one of the emissaries that’s waiting for Dream to allow these guests to enter his palace.

This emissary appears in Sandman # 24, on page 23, in panel 4.

Japanese Man # 24 (illustrated by Ron Chan)

After the Fox took her revenge for the death of her lover, the Monk, The Onmyoji wandered the streets, homeless and crazy.

This man is one of the many people who passed the Onmyoji by as he wanders the streets in rags.

He appears in the P. Craig Russell adaptation of The Dream Hunters in issue # 4, on page 27 in panel 2.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Freki - Odin’s Wolf # 2 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

Freki is one of Odin’s Wolves.

Freki is translated as “ravenous” or “greedy one.” Odin’s wolves appear in several Poetic Edda, including Grímnismál and Gylfaginning.

In Sandman, Freki appears in Sandman # 24, on page 1 in panel 1 and 2. He sits at Odin’s feet, as the god sits upon his throne drinking mead.

Patrol Woman (illustrated by Lars Brown)

In the 14th Portrait Of Despair, from Endless Nights, a woman committed suicide because she felt that the pain and heart-hurt was unbearable.

When her body was found, a police patrol woman commented that “Someone like that. You’d think she’d have everything to live for” possibly referring to the woman having a seemingly loving husband and children.

The Patrol Woman appears in Endless Nights on the 17th page of the Despair story.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Soap Opera Actor # 1 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In the 6th chapter of Preludes And Nocturnes, John Dee, who recently escaped from Arkham Asylum, spends his day in a 24 hour diner.

He asks Betsy, the waitress, if he can watch tv. He watches a soap opera called Secret Hearts. In this episode we learn that a soap opera actress married her dentist and that one of the main characters is a Siamese Twin who is HIV positive.

This soap opera actor appears in Sandman # 6, on page 7, in panel 5.

Monk # 5 (illustrated by Xaveria)

In Endless Nights, Alain’s and his court live a life beyond death because they locked their gates, preventing Death from visiting his island.

As time passes, Alain entertains his court with a variety of activities such as masquerades and letting his court watch him get squashed by a large bull elephant. Of course, on some days Alain announces that it’s a day of penitence and mortification.

On those days, a group of monks come to the palace and hear the confessions of the citizens of Alain’s court and after the confessions the penitents kneel and are flogged until their blood ran across the mosaic floor.

This man is one of the Monks of Alain’s island. He appears in Endless Nights, in the Death story on page 7 in panel 2.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Little Girl With Wings # 1 (illustrated by Cat Farris)

In The Kindly Ones, Rose travels to England in hopes of discovering the answer to the cryptic message given to her from Zelda, from Rose’s Grandmother, Unity Kincaid, who is dead.

Rose arrives in England and goes to Fawney Rig, where Unity spend a majority of her life asleep. Fawney Rig was originally the home of Roderick Burgess and later became a nursing home run by Paul MaGuire, the lover of Alex Burgess, who has been asleep since Dream’s escape in 1988.

While wandering around the house Rose encounters three women who are residents of Fawney Rig. One of the women, Magda Treadgold, tells Rose a story of a Man “Who Loved The Ladies.” This man would try to romance any woman with a pretty face and once they outlived his desire he would move on to another town and another woman.

One day he saw a beautiful woman bathing in a river and he promised her that if she was his “lady-love” he would give back the clothes he had hidden. She agreed but only under the condition that she would be his wife and would be married at the next church they passed. He agreed and promised saying things like “If I don’t marry you, may that the worms shall eat me” and “if I don’t marry you, I wish that our children might grow wings and fly away.”

She became his “lady-love” which is really just a polite way of saying that they had sex.

On their travels they passed a church, but the man made an excuse as to why they could not be married in there. Eventually she became pregnant and needs a house to live in.

The Man finds a cottage inhabited by an Old Woman. The man went into the house and found the Old Woman was asleep in the bed. She was old and weak and the man smothered her and buried her in the midden heap, which is a dump for domestic waste. According to Magda, it is unclear if the woman was a witch or simply an old woman. That aspect changes depending on who is telling the story. The man told the woman that his old aunt had died and she left him this cottage.

For the next several years, the woman had three children, all beautiful girls and the man would visit a few days at a time and then leave to go seduce other women. Sometimes he would bring back a hen or a pig for the mother and his children to eat.

One day when he returned home his children were not at the cottage.

When he asked the woman where his girls were she replied “gathering berries” or “off fishing”. Eventually he becomes persistant and asks where they are and she tells him that “they’ve flown away.” The man does not believe the woman and when she will not tell him where his daughters are he goes outside and gets an axe and kills the woman.

He then hears a noise outside and goes to see what it is.

His three daughters, who now have wings, fly down from the sky to their father. When they ask where their mother is he replies that she is “gathering berries” and when they ask about the blood on his hands and on the floor he tells them he was “killing a pig.”

The youngest of the three girls looks under the bed and finds the body of their mother.

They let out a long sad wail and jumped on him, scratching and tearing at his flesh, until he was dead.

They flew off into the sky and were never seen again.

The Little Girls with Wings appear in Sandman # 62 on pages 13-15.

Woman # 99 (illustrated by Hayden Sengua)

After escaping the Eremite’s trap and having bagels for breakfast, Didi and Sexton walk to Central Park.

This woman is walking behind Sexton.

She appears in Death: The High Cost Of Living # 3, on page 14, in panel 9.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Dignitary # 121 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

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

This Dignitary is one of many who gathered at the palace.

He appears in the background in Endless Nights, in the story, The Heart Of The Star, on page 7 in panel 1.

Man # 40 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

After Unity Kincaid’s parents died, she was sent to a nursing home. She still suffered from the sleeping sickness. The nurses would sometimes take her outside where she could sit in the sun with the other men and women.

This man is one of the old men who liked to sit outside playing checkers with friends.

He would often play with another man, who was previously added to the blog, Man # 41.

He appears in Sandman # 1, on page 21 in panel 6.

This is a great portrait from Lars. One of the things I really like about it is that, although he drew this character several months later than Man # 41, his opponent in checkers, this portrait is a great counter to the other character. I really like the colors that Lars used for this portrait. The greenish background is calming and works well to accent the man.

Here is Man # 40.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Aurelian Emissary # 2 (illustrated by Lukas Ketner)

When Cluracan was sent to Aurelia by Titania he was forced to sit though a council meeting, listening to the various Aurelian Emissaries discuss the alliance between the cities.

This Emissary is at the council meeting.

He was there to witness Cluracan’s predition that the dead would being to rise to collect the debts owed to them.

He appears in Sandman # 52, on page 12, in panel 4.

Misshapen Creature # 1 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

The Onmyoji was afraid and throughout his life gathered power in an attempt to push away the fear, but it seemed that with the power came more fear.

To gather more power he visited Misshapen Creatures at night and he danced their dances and ate their feasts in hopes of gathering their knowledge…the knowledge of the defilers of graves.

This creature is one of the Misshapen Creatures that the Onmyoji visits.

He appears in the P. Craig Russell version of Dream Hunters, in issue # 2, on page 7, in panel 1.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Small Mindless Insect-Like Creature # 5 (illustrated by Ron Chan)

In the first issue of Sandman Overture, we are introduced to three dominant life forms that inhabit a small planet within a star system of six other planets. There were a race of humanoid creatures with red fur, huge carnivorous plants with limited mobility and this creature.

These small mindless insect-like creatures are described as interested in only laying eggs and food. They swarm when the mood takes them and are able to take on “shapes capable of making art or exploring the solar system.”

This is one of those small minded insects.

It appears in Sandman Overture # 1, on page 1, in panel 3.

Woman # 82 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

Rose visits Zelda at her hospice. She brings her groceries and chocolate and flowers and sometimes sits at her bedside. During her last visit, Zelda fell asleep and when she awoke she told Rose that she had been asked to give her a message. The message was from Rose’s grandmother, Unity Kincaid (who died at the end of The Doll’s House), and she told Rose go back to where she lived and that she would get her heart back.

Within the next few days Rose was on a plane heading to England to the hospital where Unity had slept away her life.

When Rose landed, she was picked up by Jack Holdoway, who was the nephew of the Mr. Holdoway who picked up Rose and her mother four or five years previously, when they first met Unity (in the 2nd chapter of The Doll’s House).

As Rose and Jack go to their car, this woman is speaking to a man behind them, in the airport.

This woman appears in Sandman # 62, on page 2 in panel 3.

Monday, May 21, 2018

Slave # 7 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

While at his first Renaissance Faire, Hob Gadling and his girlfriend Guenevere talk about Hob’s “ancestors.” She mentioned to him that a man named Hinnegan uncovered that throughout history there were several Robert Gadling including a printer and publisher and one owned a fleet of ships.

These are, of course, Hob, having lived for several centuries and tried his hand at various occupations and trades.

Hob is distressed, remembering that while he owned the fleet of ships he was a slave trader and brought slaves to America. The English owned all the ships that brought the slaves to America. They would sell trade the slaves to the colonies for cotton and molasses, which they would bring to England. They would use the profits from the sales to purchase more slave.

When England made slave trading illegal and they were at risk of being boarded while in transit or if there was bad weather they would sometimes dump their cargo. The slaves were all chained together and so when one went overboard they would all quickly follow.

Hob is still haunted by nightmares of this.

Gwen doesn’t know that Hob is over 600 years old and was responsible for some of these actions. While she thinks that some things can just be forgotten, Hob is unable to do that.

This is one of the slaves from Hob’s memory.

He appears in Sandman # 73, on page 6, in panel 4.

Sleeping Sickness Patient # 6 (illustrated by John Rapone)

In 1916, after Dream is imprisoned, many people succumbed to the sleeping sickness.

Many were sent to Charity Wards to get care while they slept and sometimes they would be placed in large rooms filled with beds.

This man is one of the countless victims of the mysterious sickness.

He can be seen in Sandman # 1, page 14, panel 4.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Man # 193 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In the Delirium story from Endless Nights, a homeless man sees a bird fly into a window and die. He believes that the bird committed suicide and that the bird has a message for him, attached to his leg. He believes the bird killed itself to prevent the City Officials or the A.M.A. from finding out about the homeless man.

The homeless man finds the dead bird, but the bird is being eaten by a dog, which, according the homeless man, proves that the whole thing was planned.

The homeless man runs from the dog and flees into a group of people on the streets.

This man is one of the people in the crowd, where the homeless man stands, overwhelmed by madness.

He appears in “Going Inside,” the Delirium story from Endless Nights, on page 5, in panel 11.

Excavator Operator # 2 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

Rachel is invited to join an exciting archeological dig where a 2019 penny was discovered in a mound on San Raphael. This penny appears to be from the future. Stanley, Rachel and a group of archeologists are hoping to discover what the future holds from excavating this site.

After multiple discoveries, including the fossilized remains of a Time Magazine with the word WAR! on the cover and a few glowing “bullets” an unknown government agency interceded and took control of the hillside.

This excavator operator was on San Raphael when the government officials came and when the peninsula disappeared in a bright flash of light.

He appears in Sandman: Endless Nights, in the Destruction story called “On The Peninsula,” on page 14, in panel 5.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

White Grub Thing # 6 (illustrated by Xaveria)

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

She recalls when she first met the Tantoblin.

Barbie 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 White Grub Things appear in Sandman # 35, on page 5, in panel 1.

Worlds’ End Patron # 69 (illustrated by Nicole Ingram)

Brant Tucker is one of the many people stuck at The Worlds’ End free house as a storm rages outside. He, like the others, listen to some of the other patrons tell stories, but he also wanders around the inn and sees a wide range of people and creatures who are trapped by the storm.

After listening to many stories, Brant explains that everything he has experiences has been a dream. The Innkeeper, Rajoguna, explains that they are not part of dreams and are not part of any realm.

As she explains the nature of the Worlds’ End this bizarre patron of the inn is harassing a group of patrons dressed like lobsters.

He appears in Sandman # 56, on page 4, in panel 1.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Ghost Boy # 21 (illustrated by Hayden Sengua)

In Season Of Mists, Lucifer decides that he is no longer interested in being the ruler of Hell. He empties Hell of all the demons and tortured souls and locks the doors behind him as he leaves.

Some of the dead return to visit their living relatives. Others return to the place where they died.

This Ghost Boy returned to St. Hilarion’s School For Boys.

He is in the auditorium when the Headmaster is addressing the returning students.

The Ghost Boy appears in Sandman # 25, page 15, panel 1. He is sitting behind Charles Rowland.