The Monkey (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In Dream Hunters, while the Fox lies ill in the temple, The Monk tells the fox a story from his youth. As a young boy, The Monk found a baby monkey in a broken cage at the marketplace and he took it home as a pet. The monkey grew and lived longer than anyone in the Monk’s family expected.

One day, a local Lord (who turns out to have been the Onmyoji) came to visit the Monk’s father.

The Monkey did not like this Lord and would not let the man approach the Monk’s father.

The Lord ordered one of his servants to kill the monkey, which he did, with an arrow through the chest. The Monk held the monkey and the monkey looked into his eyes as it died.

Later, the Monk’s father was disgraced (for reasons not explained in the story) by this same Lord. The Monk theorized that perhaps the monkey was the spirit of Amida Buddha who would have protected them if only they had listened to the protests of the monkey.

This monkey appears in Dream Hunters (the Amano version) on page 60-63. He also appears in the P. Craig Russell version of Dream Hunters.

Max did a great job with this portrait. He also drew a little sketch on the back and I'm including it here because it's so cute!!!

Poor little monkey….

Marco Polo’s Mother (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

While Marco Polo was wandering lost in the desert he recalls a story his mother told him.

“There’s a magic man as comes to you when it’s time for you to sleep. He’s tall and pales, and his clothes are every color of the rainbow. He carries a bag of magic sand at his side. He throws the magic sand in your eyes. And that’s what sends you off to dreamland.”

Marco wipes the desert sand from his eyes and continues walking through the sand hoping to find his father’s caravan.

Marco Polo’s Mother appears in Sandman # 39, on page 4 in panel 5.

Anna did a great job with this portrait. I like the precision of the lines that Anna used. They all seemed perfectly placed. I like that this she has a kindly expression on her face. Here’s Marco Polo’s Mother….

The Watter Women (illustrated by Max Rugers)

When Cluracan is sent to Aurelia, he travels through Faerie before leaving the realm.

The Watter Women live in the Fens that border Faerie toward Dusk.

As Cluracan passed, the Watter Women screamed and their hands rose from the ooze waving and grasping at the Faery.

The Watter Women appear in Sandman # 52, on page 6, in panel 2.

I love this portrait from Max. He definitely made these characters creepy. Like with many of Max’s portraits, this one is built from torn scraps of paper and tape giving it a depth and texture. In some instances the texture is raised significantly from the original paper. It’s really a cool effect.

The Skipper (illustrated by Lars Brown)

In The Doll’s House, When Rose, as the Dream Vortex, begins to become unstable, everyone in the house where Rose is sleeping begins having unusual and vivid dreams.

Chantal dream an uncomfortable dream where she is stuck in a looping sequence with The Skipper speaking to his a crew member (who is not pictured in the series). “Mate, tell me a story,” he repeats over and over as the Mate begins his tale “It was a dark and stormy night.” The dream loops and begins again…

The Skipper can be found in Sandman # 15, on page 13 in panel 1.

I like this portrait from Lars. His interpretation of The Skipper certainly has a bizarre dream feel about him, which I really appreciate.

Here’s The Skipper….

Little Pegasus (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In The Parliament Of Rooks, Cain, Abel and Eve tell stories to entertain each other and a young dreamer, named Daniel who wandered into The Dreaming.

Eve tells a tale about Adam and his three wives. Cain tells the mystery of The Parliament Of Rooks. Abel tells the story of two children, two brothers named Cain and Abel and they fought. Once they were done fighting (Abel edited out the fact that Cain had killed him for the sake of the young listeners), Little Dream offered him a house and a job in his garden.

Little Abel visted the Castle of Little Dream and at the gate was a Little Pegasus and a Little Wyvern. This is the Little Pegasus who guarded the doorway to Little Dream’s castle.

Little Pegasus appears in Sandman # 40, on page 20, in panel 2.

I love this portrait from Anna. It reminds me a lot of My Little Pony, which I think is appropriate because Abel’s story was supposed to be simplified and kid friendly. I really like the colors used. Once again the colors are incredibly vibrant and work well with this portrait.

Bird # 13 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

When Nada has exhausted her hope of finding the mysterious stranger who she saw beneath her window one evening, she enlists in the help from The King Of Birds, who sends out all of the birds within this rule to find this man.

This bird is one of the birds who went out looking for the stranger, who turned out to be Morpheus.

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

I love this portrait from Lars. This bird has a very distinctively African feel to it, which is appropriate since it is assumed that Nada was the ruler of a kingdom in what would eventually be known as Africa. This is just such a great portrait.

Here is Bird # 13…

Man # 114 (illustrated by Emonic)

This is another incredibly obscure character. He appears in Brief Lives in a single panel, in the background.

This man is in the airport as Dream and Delirium meet Ruby DeLonge, who works for Farrell Travel.

He appears in Sandman # 43, page 23, panel 7.

Emonic did an awesome job with this character. He looks like anyone you might glimpse wandering around at an airport…someone that you might not even notice in passing. To be perfectly honest, he reminds me of someone…but I can’t quite put my finger on who.

Blue Beetle (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Blue Beetle is one of the super heroes who appears in the early issues of Preludes And Nocturnes that links the Sandman universe to the DC universe.

Three people have taken the name Blue Beetle. This particular incarnation is Ted Kord, who was a student of the previous Blue Beetle. He has been a member of various super hero teams including Justice League International and Super Buddies.

Ted Kord was shot and killed by Maxwell Lord.

I am not an expert on Blue Beetle and I am sure he has many other memorable exploits that are worth mentioning, but I am just unfamiliar with them.

Blue Beetle does not make a proper appearance in Sandman, but he does appear as a vision within Dream’s cloak as he prepares to begin his quest of locating his stolen tools. Dream’s ruby is believed to be in the possession of The Justice League.

Max did a great job with this portrait. He used torn up paper for the background, which is pretty neat. It works well for this portrait.

Huge Faceless Woman With A Wolf Astride Her # 4 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

This is the final Huge Faceless Woman With A Wolf Astride her.

These characters appear in “The Castle,” on page 1, in panel 1.

They are definitely one of the most horrifying characters in the Sandman Universe and are particularly nightmarish to one particular dreamer who is haunted by the blank stare of these creatures.

Anna did an amazing job with this portrait. I like the side perspective that she decided on. It definitely provides a focus on the wolf on her back.

Huge Faceless Woman With A Wolf Astride Her # 3 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

Here is another Huge Faceless Woman With A Wolf Astride her.

This time, she is illustrated by Lars Brown.

She appears in “The Castle,” on page 1, in panel 1. She is on the right, partially obscured by the upper caption.

Lars did a great job with this character. She looks a bit happier and maybe a bit less menacing as some of the other Huge Faceless Women, but she still looks pretty creepy. I really like Lars’ approach to the character and the contrast between the character and the green background really makes things seem other-worldly to me.

Huge Faceless Woman With A Wolf Astride Her # 2 (illustrated by Emonic)

Here is another of the Huge Faceless Women with Wolves Astride Them.

As with the previous one, she appeared in “The Castle,” (originally published in Vertigo Jam # 1) on page 1, in panel 1. This particular character is in the middle.

Emonic did a fabulous job with this character. She is definitely a very disturbing character and Emonic really captured the nightmarish quality to her.

Huge Faceless Woman With A Wolf Astride Her # 1 (illustrated by Ron Chan)

I've been waiting to post this character for a very long time and this morning I decided today is the day.

Today, and for the next three days I am going to be posting some of the most creepiest characters in the Sandman Universe....the Huge Faceless Women with Wolves Astride them.

There are some unsettling characters in the Sandman Universe. I will admit that I didn’t really think much of this character…until I saw Ron’s portrait.

In “The Castle,” which was originally published in Vertigo Jam # 1, the Dreamer recounts a dream he has where he is being eaten by four Huge Faceless Women with Wolves Astride Them. Okay….so maybe they are creepy. This is one of the Huge Faceless Women. She is the lower front left corner.

This is probably my favorite portrait Ron has done so far. He did an absolutely fantastic job with this character. She’s creepy and disturbing and really what more can you ask for with a character like this.

Movie Premiere Guest # 27 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Foxglove attends the A Day In The Park movie premier. She has a song on the soundtrack and is a guest at the premiere.

This man is one of the guests at the movie premiere. He is sitting behind Foxglove and to the left. He is looking down…or perhaps he is asleep since the movie, according to Foxglove, is horrible.

When I was looking at characters for this project I thought this man looked a little like Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, played by James Marsters. I didn’t mention that when I gave the reference for the character to Max, but apparently he thought the same thing. I really like Max’s portrait for this character.

Tortured Man # 10 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

In Season Of Mists, once Remiel and Duma became the caretakers of Hell, the dead and demons returned to their regular routines and torture.

This man assumed this role as a tortured resident of Hell…waiting to be consumed for all eternity by this monstrous demon’s insatiable appetite.

This tortured man appears in Sandman # 28, on page 21 in panel 2.

This is a fantastic portrait from Lars. I like the contrast between the paleness of the character and the red in the backgrounds. I also like that he’s looking up…basically silently waiting to be devoured. Here is the tortured man….

Citizen of Baghdad # 28 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

During the time of Haroun al Raschid, Baghdad was a city of splendor. From time to time al Raschid and his trusted advisor Jafar and his executioner Masrur would walk through the marketplace sampling the foods and taking in the sights.

This woman was one of the people in the marketplace.

She appears in Sandman # 50, on page 7, in panel 1.

I really like this portrait from Max. It’s really subtle and beautiful and I like the silhouettes of the city in the background.

Faery # 77 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

On June 23rd, 1593, William Shakespeare and his theatrical company The Lord Strange’s Men performed A Midsummer Nights Dream for the first time to a very unique audience.

This Faery is one of the faeries that attended the premier performance.

This Faery appears in Sandman # 19, on page 8, panel 3.

I really like Anna’s portrait for this Faery. The character certainly seems to have a mischievous disposition based on his expression. It’s subtle, but I can almost see him thinking up new ways to cause trouble with the humans he encounters on this magical evening.

Demon # 437 (illustrated by Lukas Ketner)

When I asked Lukas to draw some characters for this Sandman Portraits project there were a few characters that instantly came to mind. This was one of those characters.

This demon appears in the final issue of Season Of Mists and is hidden within a crowd of demons marching back into Hell. He’s easy to overlook if you aren’t trying to spot him.

He appears in Sandman # 28, on page 1, in panel 4.

Lukas did an excellent job with this demon. I love the ferociousness of the character. He made this demon truly one to be feared!!!

Resident Of The Dreaming # 1 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

In The Dolls House, when Lucien is walking through The Dreaming conducting a census of all of the residents of the dreaming this knight is one of the residents we see.

He appears in Sandman # 10, on page 10 in between panel 1 and 2.

This is a particularly exciting character and I would love to know more about him. What is his role and position in The Dreaming? Who is he and what’s his backstory?

This is a wonderful portrait from Lars. I love the level of details put into this armor and the background. This is just a pretty awesome portrait!!!

Man From The Tribe # 3 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In Sandman # 9, “Tales In The Sand,” we learn the story of Nada and her brief and tragic relationship with Kai’ckul, the King Of Dreams.

Nada ruled her kingdom wisely and was well loved by her people.

This man is one of the men from her tribe.

He can be seen in Sandman # 9, page 6, panel 3. He is on the far left, facing Nada’s throne.

This is a character that I was really excited to see. In the published comic you cannot see his face or any of his features aside from his back and butt. Max did an awesome job giving this character a personality that was not in the published comic. I really like this one!!!

Something Huge And Strange (illustrated by Emonic)

When Brant and Charlene are driving back to Chicago they encounter a sudden snow storm and before he could react Something Huge And Strange walked in front of the car, crossing the snowy road.

Brant crashed the car into a tree and eventually wandered through the snow until he found a safehaven…Worlds’ End.

Where did this creature come from and why did it cross the road? What sort of creature was this? These are some of the questions that we never discover and being a fan of cryptozoology, I really want to know more.

This creature appears in the first chapter of Worlds’ End storyline in Sandman # 51 on page 2, in panel 2.

I love Emonic’s portrait for this character. He doesn’t really look strange to me, but I suppose if I saw him while driving down the road I would think that he looked Huge and Strange. This is such a fantastic portrait!!!

Jamaican Man # 3 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

And today is day two in our double character day....

First up is one of the Jamaican Men who appeared in Preluded And Nocturnes.

Daniel Bustamonte is one of the many victims of the sleeping sickness that swept the globe during Dream’s imprisonment. He spends a lot of his time on the streets, barely awake.

This Jamaican Man is one of the many men that passed by Daniel while he slept on the side of the street. He was in Jamaica in 1955.

He appears in Sandman # 1, page 20, panel 3.

Lars did a great job with this portrait. I like that he was able to create an interesting interpretation of this minor character in the series.

Dead Man # 4 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

And here's the second character for today!!!

Orpheus descends into The Underworld in hopes of rescuing Eurydice.

As he approached the thrones of Lord Hades and Queen Persephone he found himself amongst the dead. This man is one of the many dead men in the Underworld.

He appears in The Sandman Special # 1, on page 31, panel 3.

Anna did a great job with this portrait. I like her use of colors, first with the blues used to give the character a lifeless feel and the yellows for the background. The contrast between the character and background gives the portrait a neat feel.

Demon # 225 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Sorry for not posting in two days. I was ill and slept most of those two days and so the portraits blog suffered. Sorry.

In my attempt to apologize, I'll be posting two characters both today and tomorrow....one in the morning and one in the evening.

First up is an interesting Demon and interesting portrait from Max.

This Demon appears in Preludes and Nocturnes and is one of the demons gathered as Morpheus searches for his stolen helmet.

He can be seen near a group of other demons. In my description of him I called him a “demon with a squiggly face.”

He appears in Sandman # 4, on page 13, panel 4. He’s right in the middle…

I like this portrait because it’s completely different than any of the other portraits Max has done and it’s a unique interpretation.

Waiter # 7 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

Throughout the centuries Dream and Hob meet in a pub to talk about the events of Hob’s life that have lead him to that particular moment, both his successes and his failures as well as the loss of loved ones and how he is coping with his long life.

In the 1800’s prior to their gathering Johanna Constantine bribed the waiter at a pub to let her know when Dream and Hob meet at the pub.

On the day of their arrival this waiter stands outside the pub and shakes a white cloth to signal that Johanna and her associates can come in and speak with Dream and Hob.

He is paid handsomely.

This waiter appears in Sandman # 13, on page 17.

Lars did a great job with this portrait. I like that he captured the period of time this character was alive in his hairstyle and clothing. The clothing in particular is a subtle reminder that this character is from the 1800’s. I really like this portrait of a pretty minor character.

Bar Patron # 7 (illustrated by Jeremy Haun)

When Hob Gadling first met Dream he was in a crowded pub. This man was one of the men in that pub. He was sitting at a table with another patron.

He appears in Sandman # 13 on page 4 in panel 2.

This portrait was drawn by Jeremy Haun, who did an excellent job with this character. I really like how he looks a bit rough and not necessarily clean. During this time period people were not able to bathe regularly and this man has that appearance without looking dirty. I also really like the line work for his beard. Here is the Bar Patron…

Dreamer At The Wake # 20 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

At The Wake for Morpheus, everyone is present to say their goodbyes and to celebrate his life.

In turn each of the Endless, with the exception of Destruction, speak about their brother and afterwards others who were touched by the King Of Dreams tell of their memories.

While Destiny is speaking, many people sit and listen to his words. Hob Gadling is sitting near Mad Hettie and this character is sitting between them.

What is this creature? How was he touched by Dream? At this point we don’t know.

The only thing we do know is that perhaps he shouldn’t be sitting between two people who have lived for a very long time and have met, at least briefly, in passing.

This character appears in Sandman # 73, on page 5, in panels 5 and 6.

I really like this portrait. Anna did a great job with this character. He definitely has a touch of sadness about him. Perhaps it is because he is attending the Wake of Morpheus or perhaps it is because he is being squished by Hob and Mad Hettie.

Security Guard # 5 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Throughout the Sandman Saga several security guards appear, most notably in Preludes and Nocturnes and predominately in Arkham Asylum. This guard is one of those guards.

He is stationed in the monitoring room along with another guard. They spend their evenings watching television and was on duty the night that John Dee escaped.

This guard appears in Sandman # 5, on page one in panel 4.

Max did a great job with this portrait. The background is covered with tape and then painted, adding a unique texture to the portrait. It really helps accent the character.

Alsonso (illustrated by Lars Brown)

Alonso is a fictional character from The Tempest, a play written by William Shakespeare.

Alonso is the king of Naples, who mistakenly believes his son Ferdinand has died. He also feels a sense of responsibility for Prospero’s banishment, due to Antonio deposing his brother, Prospero and exiling him to a virtually uninhabited island.

After being stranded on the island, as a result of a storm created by Prospero, Antonio and Sebastien plot to kill Alonso, but this plan is thwarted by Ariel. <>P> Alonso appears in Sandman # 75 on page 28.

This is a very lovely portrait from Lars. I like that he depicted him as a gentle king, and not necessarily as complacent as we are lead to believe from the perspective of Prospero in The Tempest.

Here is Alonso…