Greek Citizen # 18 (illustrated by Mike DeCarlo)

This citizen of Greece was one of the people who attended the wedding or Orpheus and Eurydice. She was at the ceremony outside the temple. Since she was a guest of the wedding, it is also assumed that she was one of the mourners at Eurydice’s funeral.

She can be seen in The Song Of Orpheus on page 6, panel 5. She is on the left side of the panel.

I like Mike’s portrait for this character. Based on the tiara this character is wearing I am guessing that she is in the upper echelons of Greek society.

Worlds’s End Patron # 41 (illustrated by Lars Brown)

When the storm pounds against the inn, this little character is frightened by the thunder as it rattles the windows and the lightning that lights up the night sky.

He appears in Sandman # 55, on page 1 in panel 7.

Lars did a great job with this portrait. I like the perspective of this portrait. It’s almost as if there is a camera pointed in the direction of these little guys and they are standing on their tippy toes in an attempt to get into the photo, which some are able to successfully.

Misshapen Creature # 6 (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.

This is a wonderful portrait from Max. This creature really stands out. The blackness of the inks is impressive and frightening. I love the scariness of this character.

Small Minded Insect-Like Creature # 6 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

In the opening chapter of 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. They are 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.

These creatures are beautifully bizarre. They are incredibly colorful, but they look horrifying. If I encountered I would be a bit apprehensive about it. Kai did a wonderful job giving this creature both the beauty and the creepiness that these creatures have.

Sleeping Sickness Patient # 7 (illustrated by Nicole Ingram)

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.

Nicole did a fantastic job with this character. I love the details added to this portrait, like the wrinkles in this man’s pajamas. It seems so simple and easy to miss, but little things like that make all the difference. The colors are vibrant and I love the backgrounds.

Here is another great portrait from Nicole…

Japanese Man # 10 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

The Onmyoji wandered the streets, homeless and crazy after the Fox took her revenge on the murder of her lover, the Monk.

Some people thought that the Onmyoji became crazy as a result of his wife and house being burned down. Others believed that it was the loss of his eye that caused his insanity. Still others believed that it was fox magic that led to his condition.

This man is one of the many people who speculated on the Onmyoji’s insanity.

He appears in the P. Craig Russell adaptation of The Dream Hunters in issue # 4, on page 25 in panel 5.

This is another great portrait from Kai. I love the character’s facial expression and the details within his hair and beard. I also really like the colors of his robes. The contrast between the green and the gray/blues really make the green stand out.

Here is Japanese Man # 10…

Man # 291 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

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 is driving down the street in one of the two cars seen on the street. He is in the front seat. Originally I thought this character was a woman, but looking closely at this panel the second person in the car looks like he is in the backseat and so that leads me to believe this character is probably a chauffeur and in the 1920’s it would likely be a man performing this job.

He appears in Sandman # 1, on page 14, in panel 1.

This man is barely more than a blob in the published comic and Anna did a great job bringing him to life. I love his happy expression. He seems to really like driving or perhaps he likes feeling the wind blowing through his hair and he drives his fancy car through town. Either way, I really like this portrait and think that Anna did a fantastic interpretation of this obscure character.

Jamaican Woman # 2 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

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

She appears in Sandman # 1, on page 23, in panel 4. This woman is off panel, and you can barely see her hair on the right side of the panel.

I love this portrait from Max. In the published comic, we barely get a glimpse of this woman’s hair and Max took this small detail and really fleshed out this character. I really like her facial expression and the hint of redness on her lips. I also really like her hair. This feels like a real woman who might be seen walking the streets of Jamaica.

French Soldier # 9 (illustrated by Mike DeCarlo)

In Thermidor, we read about the final days of the French Revolution and the downfall of Maxmilien Robespierre.

After Louis St. Just faltered his speech at the National Convention, Robespierre tried to prevent things from falling apart and stepped in as an attempt to continue. As he spoke, the citizens of France laughed at him. He was at a loss for words.

Later that night Robespierre and his group were arrested.

This French Soldier is one of the soldiers present at Robespierre’s arrest.

He appears in Sandman # 29, on page 23, in panel 3.

Mike did a fantastic job with this portrait. I really like the perspective of this portrait and the colors used. The colors are vibrant and work well with my impression of how the French Soldiers would appear.

Citizen Of Baghdad # 24 (illustrated by Nicole Ingram)

Today I would like to welcome Nicole Ingram to the Sandman Portraits team.

I first encountered her art on ebay, of all places. She was selling a sketch card and I was really taken with it and was fortunate enough to win it. I then commissioned her to do a series of sketch cards for me. Once I received those, I decided that she would be perfect for the Sandman Portraits.

You can find Nicole’s work on her deviantArt page or her Facebook page.

The first character from Nicole is Citizen Of Baghdad # 24…

During the time of Haroun al Raschid, Baghdad was a city of splendor.

Occassionally 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 man was one of the people in the marketplace.

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

Nicole did a great job with this portrait. Not only did he give this character a very distinctive personality and added very unique and cool details to his outfit, but she also brought life to his surroundings. I love that she captured the marketplace in the background.

Here is Citizen Of Baghdad # 24…

Dreamer # 134 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

In P. Craig Russell’s Dream Hunters, the Monk visits Dream in hopes of saving the life of the Fox, who in her turn visited the King Of Dreams in order to save the Monk.

As Dream is speaking to The Monk we see dreamers within Morpheus’ cloak.

This is one of the dreamers.

This dreamer appears in Dream Hunters # 3, on page 21 in panel 2.

I like Anna’s approach with this character. The blue she uses gives off a coolness and gives the portrait a very dream like quality.

Demon # 270 (illustrated by Mike DeCarlo)

Within the Sandman Universe, there are a great many demons in Hell, and a majority of them appear in Preludes And Nocturnes.

This is one of the demons in attendance during the challenge between Chronzon and Dream in the Hellfire Club.

He appears in Sandman # 4, on page 17, in panel 11.

This strange demon is barely visible in the published comic and Mike did a great job with this character. I love the uniqueness to this character. He looks very alien and is a perfect resident of Hell.

Itsumade (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In Dream Hunters, the young Monk enters The Dreaming in hopes of finding a way to revive the Fox sleeping in his small monastery.

Itsumade is the guardian at the gates of The Dreaming.

When the Monk approaches Itsumade asks who he is and why he has entered the Dreaming. The Monk shows him the parchment he received from Binzaru Harada and Itsumade allowed him to pass into The Dreaming.

Itsumade appears in Dream Hunters on page 90, 92-94 and in the P. Craig Russell version of Dream Hunters in issue # 3 on pages 12 and 13.

Itsumade is a kaicho (of strange bird). They appear in the sky during plagues, disasters or battlefields where people have died. Itsumade first appeared in Taiheiki, which is a fictional history of Japan written in the 14th century. Itsumade have the face of a human with a large beak, the body of a snake and the wings of a bird.

In Sandman, the Itsumade has two distinct versions. In the Amano version of Dream Hunters, he resembles a dragon with feathery wing like a colorful bird. In The P. Craig Russell version he looks like a golden dragon.

Max did an awesome job with this portrait. His interpretation resembles that of a wolf with long wispy whiskers and large colorful wings. Max seems to have blended both the Amano and the P. Craig Russell version of the Itsumade into one portrait, which is pretty neat. I really like this portrait from Max. I hope you do as well.

Boy At The Guy Fawkes Bonfire # 2 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

When William Shakespeare and Ben Johnson walk home from a visit to the pub they encounter a group of boys building a bonfire to burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes. This happens on November 5th.

This boy can be seen in the background near the pile of wood, which will soon be a bonfire, running with his arms in the air.

He is from Sandman # 75, page 14, panel 5.

I really like this portrait from Anna. She managed to capture pure happiness and a tiny bit of mischief in his eyes. I also like the red and yellows used in the background to represent the fire of the Guy Fawkes bonfire.

Here is the Boy At The Guy Fawkes Bonfire # 2…

Dreamer # 12 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

In Preludes And Nocturnes, Dream battles John Dee in order to prevent the destruction of the dream world and to regain his stolen ruby. While battling, the effects are felt by all those who are sleeping, including this Dreamer. His sleep is filled with the darkest nightmares.

This Dreamer appears in Sandman # 7, on page 14, in panel 4.

This is an amazing portrait from Kai, and possibly one of my favorites he’s done so far. I really like the slope of the lines he used to build her face. It flows smoothly and feels perfect. I also really like the darkness in the background and how there are dark “speckles” that are spread throughout the portrait. This helps the dreamlike atmosphere of the portrait.

Bar Patron # 33 (illustrated by Mike DeCarlo)

In The Doll’s House, we get a glimpse of the beginnings of the friendship between Hob Gadling and the King Of Dreams.

Beginning sometime between 1362-1370, Hob and Dream agree to meet every century to talk about life from the previous hundred years.

Sometime between 1862-1870, Dream and Hob meet again in a pub. Pubs have changed drastically since their first meeting, but the people, in character, remain the same throughout the eras.

This man is one of the men in the pub when Dream and Hob meet.

He appears in Sandman # 13, on page 22, in panel 2. He is standing in the background.

This is a wonderful portrait from Mike. I really like his stoic expression and the line work used to create his suit. It’s little details like that which make this project fun to me.

Island Spirit # 11 (illustrated by Max Rugers)

In the final issue of Sandman, we get a glimpse of William Shakespeare writing his final play for Morpheus.

As Shakespeare falls asleep at his desk he finds himself walking along a beach with the King of Dreams. There are island spirits flying around them as they talk. They discuss the play that he is writing for Morpheus.

Shakespeare asks him why he is writing this play for him:

Shakespeare: Why do you want the play? Why do you need me to write it? Why am I doing this?
Morpheus: Why? Because we made a bargain, Will Shakespeare. Two Plays.
Shakespeare: Yes. The first play I wrote as a gift for….your friends…but this is…your play. For you.
Morpheus: Yes.
Shakespeare: Why THIS play?

Before Morpheus can respond, Shakespeare is woken by his wife.

This is one of the Island Spirits that appear on the beach as Morpheus and Shakespeare talk.

He appears in Sandman # 75, on page 22, in panel 5.

I really like the ethereal appearance that Max brings to this portrait. The blues give it an insubstantial quality and make it feel very dream-like, which is appropriate given that Shakespeare is asleep when he encounters this spirit.

Hunchback # 1 (illustrated by Kai Martin)

When Kara her husband were married the entire village celebrated.

Hunchbacks danced at their wedding, which was a symbol of good luck for the newly married couple.

This is one of the hunchbacks who danced at their wedding.

He appears in Endless Nights, in the Desire story on page 13, in panel 1.

This is another amazing portrait from Kai. I love the perspective of this portrait. Is slightly skewed, which really works with the presentation of this character. I also really like the line work and the details added to this character. The extra detail really adds depth to the Hunchback.

Stewardess # 2 (illustrated by Anna Hybsier)

While traveling in the waking world, Dream and Delirium must travel by airplane to get to their next destination.

There was a small girl named Chloe Russell on the plane who woke from a nightmare. Her mother told her that nightmares were not real and that you cannot get lost in a dream. Chloe saw Morpheus and he told her that her mother was wrong that she could get lost in a dream.

Chloe’s mother, noticed that her daughter was talking to Dream and asked this stewardess if the man in first class was a rock star or famous film star. She said he looked familiar. The stewardess agreed, but did not know who they were.

This stewardess appears in Sandman # 43 on page 22, in panel 3 and on page 23 in panel 4.

I love this portrait from Anna. She did a fantastic job with this character. I really like her facial expression and can easily envision her standing at the door to the airplane greeting people as they come aboard. The backgrounds Anna added definitely help give the impression that this woman is on an airplane.