Bus Driver (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 the bus driver for the Kensington Ch\Aldwych line.

The bus driver appears in Sandman # 1, on page 14, in panel 1.

In the published comic, we barely get a glimpse of the bus driver. He can be seen wearing a gray pinstriped suit, driving the bus. He is one of the many background characters that create a living world within the Sandman universe. Anna did a wonderful job with this portrait. This bus driver seems tired and worn out, similar to how bus drivers appear these days…at least here….maybe they are friendlier in other cities. I love the contrast between the bus driver’s gray suit and the red seat. Little things like that really accent the character and brings him to center stage in the portrait.