Customer At Lux # 6 (illustrated by Ron Chan)

In The Kindly Ones, Lyta Hall goes out to dinner with Eric Needham at an upscale restaurant called Lux the night Daniel disappears.

This man is one of the customers of Lux.

He appears in Sandman # 57, on page 17, in panel 3.

This character is one of the many characters that has not been fleshed out in the original published comic. He appears as a silhouette in the background. Ron took this silhouette and given this character personality and a life outside of a shadow. In the published comic we do not get a back story for this character, but I would love to know Ron’s ideas behind his design for this character. What sort of history does this character have and why is he at the club? My personal impression is that he’s there to do some shady business, but I am basing this completely on the expression on his face. This is another fantastic portrait from Ron…

Military Patient # 1 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In Preludes and Nocturnes, Stefan Wasserman is one of the people suffering the effects of Morpheus being captured and imprisoned.

Stefan joined the military and due to a lack of sleep he begins to go crazy as the nightmares infect his life.

Stefan spends time with the military doctors.

This man is one of the people being treated by the military doctors. He is in Sandman # 1, page 14, panel 1. He is on he far left.

Max did a great job with this character, who is barely visible in the published comic. I really liked the colors used in this portrait and the expression on the character’s face. This is really a top notch portrait!!!

Demon # 224 (illustrated Max Rugers)

In Preludes and Nocturnes, Morpheus travels to Hell to recover his stolen helmet.

The horde of demons have gathered before Lucifer and the King Of Dreams and this demon is one of the many demons within the crowd.

This demon appears in Sandman # 4, on page 14 in panel 4.

When trying to identify all of the demons, this demon sort of looked like a penis-head demon (which is surprisingly common in this issue). Max took a different approach and it is WAY cooler than my interpretation of the character. This demon looks a little aquatic and I love the spine notches that Max added. This is a fantastic portrait and easily one of my favorites from Max.

Max also did a little drawing on the back, an early concept, I suppose. I thought it was worth including here because it shows an interesting approach to the initial design of the character.

Here is Demon # 224...

Babylonian Woman # 1 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In Brief Lives, while discussing prostitution and the sex industry, Nancy tells Ishtar and Tiffany about the Babylonian women she learned about in a class.

Every Babylonian woman went into the Temple Of Ishtar and waited for a man to come to them. They would give them a coin and the women would go into one of the temple rooms and make love to them. Once they had made love, they were free to leave the temple and begin their lives.

Ishtar commented that that after awhile this ritual began to decay and fall to the wayside. She considered this ritual to be one of the most important and terrifying rituals of the civilization for both men and women because they were to give themselves up to lust and previously unknown pleasures. This woman is one of the Babylonian women waiting in the temple courtyard.

This Babylonian Woman appears in Sandman # 44, page 12, panel 6.

This is a lovely portrait from Max. I like that he did not make this character overly sexy and actually gave her the expression of insecurity, which goes along with Ishtar’s explanation of the ritual.

Dead Woman # 4 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

As Orpheus enters Hades to recover his wife from an early death, he finds himself surrounded by the dead.

This woman is one of the dead people that he encounters.

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

Max did a great job with this portrait. I love the colors he used and the paleness of her skin, which contrasts with the backgrounds. I also like the blank dead stare she has on her face.

Here is Dead Woman # 4…

Worlds’ End Patron # 66 (illustrated by Ron Chan)

As the storm rages outside, the people inside Worlds’ End tell stories to pass the time.

Brant Tucker listens to some of these stories, but also wanders around the inn and sees a wide range of people and creatures who are trapped by the storm.

This patron of Worlds’ End is one of three bizarre looking people who have a confrontation with another of the patrons from the inn. It’s not revealed what caused this confrontation, but clearly these lobster looking people are not getting the upper hand of this conversation.

Ron did a fantastic job with this portrait. I love this bizarre character and Ron really captured the weirdness. The coloring and line work are awesome. I really enjoy this portrait. This character definitely does not look happy at the moment!!!

Citizen Of Barbie’s World # 42 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

After Barbie smashes the Porpentine against the Heirogram on the Isle Of Thorns, Dream is summoned to uncreate her world and welcome the citizens of Barbie’s world back into the dark folds of his cloak.

This character is one of the many citizens of Barbie’s world.

He appears in Sandman # 36, page 34, panel 2.

There are so many characters that are small and not highly detailed within this panel, but they are still legitimate characters within the Sandman universe. Max tackled one of these characters and did a fantastic job with the portrait. He took a character that was a vague shape and created a character that could fit within Barbie’s world. This character is bizarre and fantastic!!!

Woman # 56 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Many people gather to listen to Alexander Burgess, who takes over the Order of Ancient Mysteries when his father dies.

In 1968 they come seeking enlightenment and he told them about Kundali Yoga and about tantric sex and astral travel. He doesn’t tell them anything important.

This woman is one of the women who tried to find knowledge in the teachings of Alexander Burgess.

She appears in Sandman # 1 page 23, panel 1.

I find this portrait fascinating. Max’s portrayal of this character doesn’t really resemble the character in the published comic much (or at least the hair isn’t the same), but feels more accurate when it comes to the type of person who would have gathered around Burgess and The Order Of Ancient Mysteries. I am curious about the expression on her face. This is definitely a very intriguing and excellent portrait.

Small Mindless Insect-Like Creature # 2 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In Sandman Overture, we discover that there is a distant planet where one of the dominant life forms is a small mindless insect-like creature.

These creatures are not intelligent and they are primarily interested only in laying eggs and food, but they do have a tendency to swarm and when they swarm they are capable of making art or “exploring the solar system.”

This is one of those small minded insect-like creatures.

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

This is a great portrait from Max. This creature looks vicious and hungry and more than a little frightening. This portrait is really impressive in person. The line work on the body is exceptional and subtle. I also really like the colors that he used. It feels very organic.

Worlds’ End Patron # 45 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

This woman is one of the many people trapped in Worlds’ End while the reality storm thunders outside. She is definitely one of the more unique and recognizable characters in Worlds’ End.

She can be seen in Sandman # 55, on page 2, in panel 5. She is sitting near Petrefax and listens to his story.

Absolutely nothing is known about this character.

Max did a great job with this portrait. I like his use of color for this character and the line work for her face. It’s an outstanding portrait.

Ticket Seller # 1 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In November 1930, Ruthven Sykes, the second in command of the Order Of Ancient Mysteries and Ethel Cripps, the mistress of Roderick Burgess, run away together. They take a ship to America to start a life together outside of the watchful eye of the Magus.

This man is one of the two ticket sellers behind the counter in the boat station.

He appears in Sandman # 1 on page 16 in panel 2.

This is a great portrait from Max. I like how this character feels very much like a man from the 1930’s.

Serial Killer # 31 (illustrated by John Carmine)

In The Doll’s House, Rose and Gilbert, while searching for Rose’s brother Jed, stumble into a convention of serial killers.

This man is one of the serial killers who was attending the Cereal Convention.

He appears in Sandman # 14, page 2, panel 3.

This is another great portrait from John. In the published comic, this is one of the serial killers that looks scary, and John did an awesome job amplifying the scariness. I really like the slightly downturned position of his face and the dark shadows around his eyes. This is a great portrait for a very minor character..

Elderly Tortoise (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In the eighth chapter of The Kindly Ones, Dream spends his days dealing with his day to day duties.

On Moonday, he helped settle an argument between the Knight Of Clouds and the Body Politic, spent time with a small boy from Hong King, ate dinner in the dream of the head chef at a hotel in Sri Lanka, guided the dreams of a young girl in South Africa, helped resolve an issue between the various tribal gods and gave a dream to an elderly tortoise.

He gave the tortoise, who lived alone on her island for more than two centuries, a dream of her love, who was killed by some sailors.

The Elderly Tortoise appears in Sandman # 64, page 2, panel 6.

Max did a fantastic job with this portrait. I really like the realistic details he put into this portrait. This is a truly wonderful portrait!!!

Resident Of The Dreaming # 4 (illustrated by Jöelle Jones)

In Season Of Mists, Dream decides that perhaps he was a bit rash in condemning Nada to Hell for all eternity. He decides that he should journey to Hell and rescue her from captivity.

Before leaving, Dream addresses his loyal subjects, telling them that there is a risk in his undertaking, but that he feels it’s only right to argue for her release.

This creature is one of the residents of The Dreaming who was present when Dream spoke to his people before leaving for Lucifer’s realm.

This character appears in Sandman # 22, on page 7, in panel 4.

Jöelle, once again, did a wonderful job with this character. She approached this character pretty straight forward, but the details on this character are exceptional. Jöelle managed to create a sense of the scaly nature of this character’s skin, which is pretty awesome.

Faery # 7 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

This Faery is one of the faeries who attended the first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on June 23rd 1593 in Wilmington, England near The Long Man of Wilmington (also called Wendel’s Mound by Morpheus).

This Faery appears in Sandman # 19, on page 7, panel 6 (or panel 4, depending on how you want to look at it).

I really like Max’s portrait for this Faery. The vibrant colors of the background really highlight the Faery and I like that!!!

Faery Reveler # 2 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In The Kindly Ones, Nuala leaves the employee of Morpheus and returns to Faery. She feels disillusioned with the glamour put on by the other Faeries.

One evening while a group of Faeries are having a celebration Nuala enters the celebration without her glamour and claims that she feels more comfortable without the pretense.

This Faery is at the festivities and is dancing with a naked Faery.

He appears in Sandman # 66, on page 9, on panel 1.

I like this portrait from Anna. She used perfect lines to create this portrait and the colors she used just adds to the coolness.

Bacchante # 9 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

Here is another dreadful Bacchante. She is one of the many women who tore Orpheus apart and threw his head into the river (or possibly the sea).

This particular Bacchante is part of the group that first encounters Orpheus and can be seen in The Sandman Special # 1 (The Song Of Orpheus), page 43. She is in Panel 6 and is in the middle of the group of women, slightly to the right, holding a walking stick.

This portrait was painted by Max and it’s horrifyingly scary. I love how he really made her frightening and definitely not someone you’d want to meet…ever!!!

Bacchante # 7 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

After Orpheus returns from the Underworld he encounters the Bacchante.

His mother Calliope warns him that they are coming and that he should flee, but he ignores her advice and unfortunately is torn apart by the Sisters Of The Frenzy.

This Bacchante is seen in the Sandman Special # 1, on page 43 in panel 6. She is to the left, drinking wine.

Lars did a great job with this character. He took a more humorous approach to his horrific character, but it seems appropriate, even with her appearance in the published comic.

Here is Bacchante # 7…

Bacchante # 6 (illustrated by John Carmine)

This is another one of the Bacchante from The Song Of Orpheus.

Orpheus encounters the Bacchante after returning from Hades without Eurydice. He is in mourning and does not flee from the Bacchante, even though he was warned of their arrival by his mother, Calliope. The Bacchante arrive, wild and drunk and they eventually killed Orpheus, ate his body and threw his head into the river.

This woman of the Bacchante appears in The Sandman Special # 1, on page 43 in panel 6.

John did an absolutely amazing job with this portrait. In the published comic, this particular Bacchante seems surprised or drugged, I’m not sure which. In either case, she doesn’t appear to be particularly horrifying. John’s portrait, however, changes that. This woman is scary. She looks fierce and demented and wild. If I encountered this woman I would he horrified. John did a great job capturing the chaotic and unpredictable nature of these women!!!

Bacchante # 2 (illustrated by Jöelle Jones)

Here is another member of the Bacchante that Orpheus encounters while mourning the loss of his wife.

Orpheus is warned of the imminent arrival of these wild women, but Orpheus does not listen to his mother’s advice to flee the area. Instead he finds himself attacked by these women and eventually torn about and killed…or at least torn from his body.

This woman appears in The Sandman Special, on page 43 in panel 6.

Jöelle did a great job with this portrait. She managed to capture the fierce “wild woman” aspect of this character. She definitely does not look like someone you would want to mess with and it’s easy to understand why these women were feared.

Bacchante # 1 (illustrated by Ron Chan)

The Bacchante are fascinating and frightening characters in the Sandman universe. I've been saving these characters for awhile, hoping to post them once I had one portrait of these vicious women from each artist working on this project, but I am impatient and I love these portraits so decided to post them now. For the next five days, we will be focusing on the Bacchante.

The Bacchante are some of the most horrifying characters in the entire Sandman series and Ron has really captured the character perfectly.

In Roman mythology, The Bacchante are the female followers of Bacchus, the god of wine and intoxication. In Greek mythology they are often seen as crazy or wild and living in the forests. They are capable of tearing animals and sometimes people into pieces with their bare hands.

In Greek mythology they are called Maenads and worship Dionysus.

In The Sandman universe Orpheus is torn apart by a group of Bacchante after returning from Hades after failing to rescuing his wife from the land of the dead.

This particular Bacchante seems to be the leader of this group. She is wild and destructive. She can be seen in The Sandman Special # 1 (The Song Of Orpheus), page 43. She is sitting in a tree when she first encounters Orpheus.

Ron did a fantastic job with this portrait. He was able to capture the frenzied attitude of the character. I really like her eyes. They are incredibly expressive.

Black and White Cats Playing Cards (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In The Kindly Ones, as The Kindly Ones walk the halls of Morpheus’ castle searching for the throne room they pass many of the realms residents. All stop what they are doing to watch their passage, carefully avoiding a confrontation, considering that only moments before they killed the Gryphon.

These two cats were sitting in the hallway playing cards while the Kindly Ones walked the halls.

They can be seen in Sandman # 64, on page 17, panel 1.

These two portraits by Anna are awesome. I love how she approached the cats and when she drew them designed the portraits in such a way that they could be facing each other.

Here are the Black and White Cats playing cards…

Roman Citizen # 144 (illustrated by John Carmine)

In Fables And Reflections, we have the story of Augustus Caesar and Lycius who spend the day on the steps of a temple near the market place as prompted by a dream that Caesar had, in which he was told to spend the day as a man, not as an emperor.

This Roman Citizen appears in Sandman # 30, page 14, panel 4.

John did a fantastic job with this portrait. One thing that I really appreciate is that John is the first artist to make one of these Roman citizens a woman. I really like the details of this portrait. I like the simple things like the flowers in her hair and the fact that this portrait really seems to glow.

Here is Roman Citizen # 144…

Citizen Of Baghdad # 17 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

This is one of the many citizens of Baghdad who lived in the majestic city during the reign of Haroun al Raschid.

He appears in Sandman # 50, on page 5, in pane 1. He is in a group of citizens standing before the throne of al Raschid.

This is one of my favorite portraits from Max. I love everything about it!!! I love the details of this character’s face. I love his clothing and the pattern on his clothes. I love the colors Max used to give this portrait a warmth that is appropriate for a citizen of Baghdad. This is an all around great portrait!!!