The Nearly Compleat List of Sandman Frequently Asked Questions 1.5
(Now in four action packed, pot scrubbing parts! New and Improved!)
Compiled and pushed around by Lance Smith (lsm...@cs.umn.edu)
with a lot of help from the kind folx in rec.art.comics.misc
[Originally posted to rec.arts.comics.misc on April 13, 1993.
Last revised January 10, 1994. Feel free to make copies and distribute this,
but try to leave it intact, OK? Please contact me if you plan to use any
or all of this information in a printed work.]
Disclaimer: The Sandman and its characters are owned by DC Comics. We are not
about to do anything to upset them. (They'd squash us like a peanut!)
Send questions, comments and condolences to: lsm...@mail.cs.umn.edu
Special hello to all the people who are reading this in Gopher holes and with
the help of Fido, the wonder net.
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[2.1] Question: What issues are included in the collections?
_Preludes and Nocturnes_ includes issues 1-8
_The Doll's House_ includes issues 8-16
_Dream Country_ includes issues 17-20
_Season of Mists_ includes issues 21-28
_A Game of You_ includes issues 32-37
_Fables and Reflections_ includes 29-31, 38-40, 50, Sandman Special,
and a new "Fear of Falling," expanded from the Vertigo Preview
_Brief Lives_ will include issues 41-49
_Death: The High Cost of Living_ includes the Death mini-series and
"Death Talks About Life"
Notes
1. "The Sound of Her Wings" (Sandman #8) appears in both _Preludes and
Nocturnes_ and _The Doll's House_
2. _Preludes and Nocturnes_ was published with two different covers. The
more common edition was the DC TPB, but it was also released as a Warner
book. The contents inside are the same, only the covers (and the price)
are different.
3. _Dream Country_ also contains the script for Sandman #17
4. _Brief Lives_ is projected for release in the second quarter of 1994
5. A second edition of _The Doll's House_ is planned with the errors of
the original collection corrected.
6. DC has considered releasing the first three collections in hardcover,
but has yet to commit to doing it.
7. A British collection of Sandman #8-16 was published by Titan in 1990 under
the title of _The Sandman_.
[2.2] Question: Are any changes made when the single issues are put in the
collections?
In the collections, a few changes have been made from the original single
issues. Many of the changes have to do with cleaning up the coloring or
touching up the artwork/lettering. A side effect of the collections is
that some two-page spreads are lost due to the changes in the number of
pages. (The removal of the ad pages may change whether art is on an odd or
even page.)
A partial list of changes would include:
- adding the word balloon for the conversation between John Constantine and
London in Sandman #3. They were lost in the original printing
- New art for pages 9-10 of Sandman #4, due to the change in page
layout from two-page spread to back-to-back pages.
- Removing a green tint from page 11 of Sandman #14
- Moving the word boxes on page 27 of Sandman #14 so the flow of the
speech is more obvious.
- Removing a red tint from page 27 of Sandman #14
- Adjusting the panels of pages 9-10 from Sandman #15. Again because of
a change from a two-page spread. One panel is lost in the change
- Correcting the lettering in Delirium's word balloon on page 16 of
Sandman #21. (Initially, they were in Dream's lettering style.)
- Making the wounds on Lucifer's back more prominent at the end of
Sandman #28.
- The "1" on page 4 of Sandman #32 is now colored red instead of instead of
its original gray.
- The word "Bizarro" that had accidentally appeared in Sandman #32,
has been changed back to "Weirdzo". (DC had nixed the use of the word
"Bizarro" and "Weirdzo" was used instead. When #32 was printed, one of
the "Weirdzo"s had fallen off revealing the "Bizarro" underneath.)
- For some reason, changing "Sindie" to "Sindy". (Sandman #32, page 17.)
- Including additional dialogue between Sexton and the the cab driver in
the last panel of page 7, Death #2.
(There are more corrections. A fuller list should be in the next edition
of the FAQ.)
[2.3] Question: What was the coloring problem with the _Brief Lives_ issues?
There were several errors with the coloring in various issues of the
_Brief Lives_ story. The most significant were with the coloring of Delirium's
eyes. Often her eyes were colored the same color when they were supposed to
be different and in once instance they were different colors when they
were supposed to be the same color.
Delirium's left eye should be blue and her right eye should be green (Using
her left and her right.) They should remain this way except for Sandman #47
pages 11-12 and Sandman #48 page 5. When her eyes are the same color, they
should both be green as they are in Sandman #48 page 5. All other instances
where her eyes appear to be the same color are incorrectly colored, a mistake
made in the color separation process. (Dan Vozzo wasn't at fault.)
The obvious eye coloring errors are Sandman #41 (page 7, panel 3), Sandman
#45 (page 4 panel 1), Sandman #46 (pages 23 and 24 throughout), Sandman #47
(pages 11 and 12 troughout), and Sandman #49 (page 8, panel 1).
An additional color mistake has Dream's clasp colored red instead of silver
in Sandman #47 on pages 15-18.
In a few issues, most notably in Sandman #44, Delirium's word balloons lose
their regular multi-hued coloring.
In some interviews, Gaiman has indicated that there has been discussion of
recoloring the entire run for the "Brief Lives" collections.
[2.4] Question: Are there "alternative" issues of Sandman?
Seven issues have different printings. Five alternatives were originally
caused by printing errors.
Sandman #8 was supposed to be a promotional issue to attract attention
to the book. The issue included a description of what had happened in
the first seven issues and favorable comments from noteworthy people.
It was also supposed to have a note from editor Karen Berger on the inside
of the front cover and a Mike Dringenberg portrait of Dream and Death on
the inside of the back cover. A printing error caused the normal DC promos
to appear on the inside covers.
A limited number (> 1000) of The Sandman #8 were printed with the special
material instead of the DC promotional stuff. (The more common version
has no copyright indicia and the printers had to print the planned version
with the indicia so the copyright copies could be filed.) These versions
are uncommon and acknowledged as "alternative" issues by the major price
guides.
(The Dringenberg illustration was eventually published in Sandman #11 and
used as the design for the second Sandman T-shirt and the Death watch. The
letter from Karen Berger wasn't reprinted.)
Certain copies of Sandman #18 have a printing error. These copies can be
identified by checking the first three panels of page 1. In the variant
these panels will appear predominantly blue. In the regular edition the
main color of these panels is yellow. The yellow and blue coloring is
reversed throughout the issue. This is not acknowledged as an "alternative"
issue by all price guides, but the variant issues do exist.
In Sandman #19, pages 18 and 19 are printed out of order in some books.
This is an acknowledged variant, but the guide prices do vary significantly.
A special Platinum edition of Death: The High Cost of Living #1 was released
as a retailer incentive. Copies were allocated based on orders of Vertigo
titles for the first month of the imprint. The cover and inside cover art
are different than art of the original printing of Death #1.
Due to a printing error for Death: The High Cost of Living #3, a second
printing that corrects an error (page 19-20 should be a two-page spread
instead of printed back-to-back) has been released. This second edition
can be recognized by the lack of a price on the cover. The second printing
also includes the indicia (page 1) that was missing on the original printing.
A special edition of Sandman #50 was produced by DC. A platinum edition
with an alternative cover (black with stars and a varnished 50) was sent
to retailers by DC and was previously available to those who attended a
Diamond sales meeting and the Chicago comic convention.
A few misprinted copies of _Fables and Reflections_ have managed to
escape pulping. The easiest way to identify these variant editions is
to check the third line of page 1. If the last word is "am", instead of
"an", it is one of the variants.
[2.5] Question: Does the The Sandman series end? What is left?
The Sandman has always been a limited story with a definite end. At one point
the end of the series was set at issue #40. At the moment the series isn't
expected to go past #70.
_The Kindly Ones_ a long story arc, planned for six or more issues. (#57-62?)
Marc Hempel is scheduled to be the artist for this series.
_The Wake_, a novella or shorter story arc. Unknown length (#63-66?)
A few more short stories, possibly including "The Tempest" as the finial.
Charles Vess will be returning to Sandman to illustrate the second
Shakespearean story.
[2.6] Question: What happens with the characters after the series is over?
Endless miniseries! Or at least several of them. The two that have been
specifically mentioned as possible are a Delirium series (with Jill Thompson
returning to do the art) and the story of what Dream was up to just before
Sandman #1. According to Gaiman, there are several stories that can be
best done outside of the framework of the present monthly series. The
recent Death miniseries is an example of the type of limited series
and one shots that are possible. Chris Bachalo has expressed a desire to
do a second Death miniseries and such a project is possible for 1994.
Despite some rumors, no monthly Gaiman-written Sandman series is likely
after the current series ends. DC has agreed not to continue the series
with a different writer. In other words, there are no plans for Sandman
Volume 2.
Dave McKean has a long standing desire to do a series of stories on myths
and legends, with Dream serving as the focus. (It should be noted that
McKean is quite busy. This one is unlikely to happen any time soon.)
Vertigo is also thinking of doing The Dreaming, a series that would use
characters who first appeared in other books before getting their current
jobs in The Sandman. Cain, Abel, Lucien, Matthew, Eve, the Three Witches
and others would serve as a basis for an anthology series with a rotating
creative staff. There has been no recent news on this title and it may be
a dead project.
Rowland and Paine, the two dead boys from Sandman #25, are at the center
of a series of Vertigo cross-overs now being released. (Yes, they still
are dead.) The title is The Children's Crusade and the first of a
pair of bookend annuals by Gaiman came out the last week of October.
The second bookend will be co-written with Alisa Kwitney and is due out
later in January.
In a related note, a Tim Hunter continuing series, Books of Magic, is now
scheduled to begin in March. Given Hunter's visit to the Dreaming and
his encounter with Death, such a series may include some appearances by
Sandman characters.
[2.7] Question: Who has worked on The Sandman and what have they done?
List of Contributors
Arthur Adams Portrait: Death Gallery
Michael Allred Illustrator: 54
Portrait: Death Gallery
Gary Amaro Penciller: 56
Tori Amos Introduction: _Death: The High Cost of Living_
Sergio Aragones Portrait: Special (Cain and Abel)
Lisa Aufenanger Assistant Editor: 41-46, Death 1
Lettercol: 42-45
Chris Bachalo Penciller: 12, Death 1-3
Portrait: Death Gallery
Clive Barker Introduction _The Doll's House_
Portrait: Death Gallery
Karen Berger Editor: 1-57, Special, Vertigo Preview, Death 1-3,
Vertigo Jam
Lettercol: 47, [Special]
Simon Bisley Portrait: Special (Delirium)
Brian Bolland Portrait: Death Gallery
Mark Buckingham Inker: 51-56, Special, Death 1-3
Portrait: Death Gallery
Robbie Busch Colourist: 1-18
Tom Canty Portrait: Special (Destiny)
KC Carlson Editor, Collected Editions (Doll's House)
Paul Chadwick Portrait: Death Gallery
John Constanza Letterer: 11-12
Geof Darrow Portrait: Death Gallery
Samuel R. Delany Introduction _A Game of You_
Colleen Doran Penciller: 20, 34
Portrait: Death Gallery
Mike Dringenberg Inker: 1-4
Penciller: 6-11,14-16, 21, 28
Portrait: 11 (Dream and Death)
Duncan Eagleson Penciller: 38
Harlan Ellison Introduction _Season of Mists_
Steve Erickson Introduction _Dream Country_
Glenn Fabry Cover: Vertigo Jam
Duncan Fegredo Portrait: Special (Despair)
Neil Gaiman Writer: 1-57, Special, Vertigo Preview, Death 1-3,
Vertigo Jam, Death Gallery
Lettercol: 5, [10], 18, 28, [31], 41, 48
Unscripted Walk-On: Death 3
Portrait: Death Gallery
Dave Gibbons Portrait: Death Gallery
Dick Giordano Inker: 27, 29, 34, 47, 53, 56
Craig Hamilton Portrait: 50 (Dream and Bast)
Tony Harris Portrait: 50 (Dream and Bast)
Inker: 56
Marc Hempel Illustrator: 57
Portrait: Death Gallery
Michael Charles Hill Editor, Collected Editions (Preludes, Dream Country)
Adam Hughes Portrait: Death Gallery
Kelley Jones Penciller: 17-18, 22-24, 26-27
Malcom Jones III Inker: 5-12, 14-18, 20-23, 25
Bob Kahan Editor, Collected Editions (Season, Game, Fables,
and Death)
Michael Kaluta Portrait: 50 (Dream)
Portrait: Death Gallery
Sam Kieth Penciller: 1-5
Lovern Kindzierski Colorist: 50 (Digital Chameleon), Death Gallery
Todd Klein Letterer: 1-10, 13-57, Special, Vertigo Preview
Death 1-3
Alisa Kwitney Assistant Editor: 26-40, Special Death 2
Lettercol: 29-40, 51-56, Special
Steve Leialoha Inker: 56
Vince Locke Inker: 38, 40-49, 55
Portrait: Death Gallery
Scott McCloud Portrait: 50 (Dream and Death)
Todd McFarlane Portrait: 50 (Dream)
Dave McKean Cover Artist: 1-57, Special, Death 1-3,
Death Gallery
Lettercol: [21]
Portrait: Special (Death)
Portrait: 50 (Dream)
Portrait: Death Gallery
Shawn McManus Illustrator: 31-33, 35-37
Jon J. Muth Portrait: Death Gallery
Kevin Nowlan Illustrator: Vertigo Jam
Letterer: Vertigo Jam
Portrait: Death Gallery
Steve Oliff Colourist: 19-22, Death 1-3
Steve Parkhouse Inker: 13
Shea Anton Pensa Penciller: 55
Brandon Peterson Portrait: Death Gallery
Tom Peyer Assistant Editor: 18-25
Lettercol: 19-24, 26
Historian: _Death: The High Cost of Living_
Joe Phillips Portrait: Death Gallery
George Pratt Inker: 26, 28, 34
Portrait: Death Gallery
Joe Quesada Portrait: Death Gallery
Shelly Roeberg Assistant Editor: 48-57, Death 3, Vertigo Jam
Lettercol: 49
P. Craig Russell Illustrator: 50
Inker: 24
Portrait: Special (Desire)
Portrait: Death Gallery
Jill Karla Schwarz Portrait: 50 (Dream)
Portrait: Death Gallery
Alison Seiffer Portrait: Death Gallery
William Shakespeare Additional Material: 19
Jeff Smith Portrait: Death Gallery
Alec Stevens Illustrator: 51
Bryan Talbot Penciller: 30, 36, 51-56, Special
Inker: 56
Portrait: Death Gallery
John Totleben Portrait: Death 3 (Death)
Portrait: 50 (Dream)
Jill Thompson Penciller: 40-49
Portrait: Death Gallery
Sherilyn van Valkenburgh Colourist: Vertigo Preview
Charles Vess Illustrator: 19
Portrait: Death Gallery
Daniel Vozzo Colourist: 23-49, 51-57, Special, Vertigo Jam
Death Gallery
Matt Wagner Penciller: 25
Reed Waller Portrait: Death Gallery
John Watkiss Illustrator: 39, 52
Kent Williams Portrait: Special (Matthew and Eve)
Illustrator: Vertigo Preview
Portrait: Death Gallery
F. Paul Wilson Introduction _Preludes and Nocturnes_
Gahan Wilson Portrait: Death Gallery
Barry Windsor-Smith Portrait: Special (Dream)
Stan Woch Penciller: 29
Inker: 30,36
Gene Wolfe Introduction _Fables and Reflections_
Art Young Associate Editor: 1-17
Lettercol: 6-7, 9-17
Michael Zulli Penciller: 13, 53
Portrait: 50 (Dream, Death and Hob Gadling)
Portrait: Death Gallery
Note: Brackets around a Lettercol entry mean the person given credit has
written a note in the letter column, but didn't answer letters from readers.
Also, Dave McKean is responsible for the covers and book designs of the
collections, with the exception of _The Doll's House_ TPB where Veronica
Carlin receives credit for publication design.
[2.8] Question: What are the Annotated Sandman and where can I get them?
Elmo responds:
"The Annotated Sandman is an attempt to, basically, annotate Sandman.
That's probably not very enlightening. What we're trying to do is
explicate all the references and allusions in Sandman, and it's something
of a daunting task since Neil Gaiman has a voracious appetite for the most
absurdly esoteric reading material. It's not at all unusual for Gaiman to
counterpoint James Branch Cabell with Jewish folklore while an Iggy Pop song
plays in the background. The Annotated Sandman exists because, hey, it's
just nice to know what the hell the comic book is talking about.
"Greg Morrow (mor...@physics.rice.edu), aka "Elmo", is the chief
writer, editor, ringmaster, and head bottle imp of the AS. Generally
speaking, he writes a first draft of an annotation, presents it to the
net, and lets responses flood in. He cleverly edits all the responses
into his text and rereleases the Annotation, as well as storing it in the
archive (generously provided by David Wald). At this time, Annotations
for Sandman #1-49, Special and the Vertigo Preview are in the archive, while
Annotations 50 has been through the initial release but have not seen a
revised edition.
"Comments and additions to the AS are welcome, and can be sent to
Greg at the address above. (It's *very* helpful if you clearly note
the number of the issue you are talking about.)
"It's worth noting that the AS has evolved in the 15 months it has
existed; recent annotations delve more deeply into thematic analysis and
other literary concerns, while the earliest annotations are almost comically
concerned solely with noting where characters first appeared. The
annotations have grown in sophistication, and a major upgrade of the AS from
the earliest issues on has been promised, but has yet to be delivered.
"The AS currently exists only in electronic form; Greg intends to
try to arrange for professional publication this year."
The Annotated Sandman is available via anonymous ftp at
theory.lcs.mit.edu in the directly pub/wald/sandman. The naming convention is
sandman.##, where ## is the issue number in two digit format (01, 02,
...22, ....) Currently, annotations covering issues 1-40 and the Special are
stored in the archive. The Special has the name sandman-special.01.
The file Index in the same directory contains a list of all available files.
David Goldfarb's annotations for The Books of Magic are archived in the
directory pub/wald/books-of-magic, with an accompanying Index file.
For those not proficient with ftp, the files may be retrieved via
e-mail. Send the line:
send wald sandman/sandman.##
where ## is the same naming convention as above, to:
archive-ser...@theory.lcs.mit.edu
The file will be mailed to you in ASCII format.
[2.9] Question: Is there a Sandman/Neil Gaiman fan club?
While not quite a fan club, the Magian Line is being set up to keep track
of what's happening with Sandman and Neil Gaiman. It has the benefit of
having Neil's stamp of approval. Three issues have been published so far.
Each has contained an interview with Gaiman and original artwork by such
artists as Jill Thompson, Mike Dringenberg, Matt Wagner, Mark Buckingham,
Bryan Talbot and other noted Sandartists.
For info contact Sadie McFarlane at:
Magian Line
PO Box 170712
San Francisco, CA 94117.
[2.10] Question: Other than the comics and the collections, what Sandproducts
have been released so far? How can I get them?
T-Shirt* (Black with Kelley Jones portrait of Dream.)
T-Shirt (White with M. Dringenberg picture of Dream and Death from issue #11)
T-Shirt (Black with Chris Bachalo art of Death)
T-Shirt* (Black with Jill Thompson art of Dream, Death and Delirium)
T-Shirt (Black with new Chris Bachalo portrait of Death)
T-Shirt* (Blue with P. Craig Russell art of Dream.)
T-Shirt* (Black with Hempel art of Dream. January?)
Poster (Dream and Death by Kelley Jones/Steve Oliff)
Poster (Endless: Family Snap Shot or Still Life with Cats by Mike Dringenberg)
Poster (Death by Chris Bachalo)
Poster (Brief Lives poster by Jill Thompson and Vincent Locke)
Dream Statue (Cold-cast porcelain figure by Bowen Designs)
Death Statue (Cold-cast porcelain figure by Bowen Designs)
The Sandman Watch (Death from #11)
Death Watch II (Art from the second Bachalo T-shirt, limited to 5000)
The World of Sandman Slipcover (sold with the _Preludes and Noctures_ and
_Dream Country_ TPBs or separately.)
Sandman Postcard (Art by Russell, promotional with Advance Comics #60. Reverse
includes a partial list of Sandman collections.)
Sandman Trading Cards (90-card set, with 7 Endless chase cards, and one 3-D
hologram card. From Skybox. The cards are oversized,
2.5" X 4.5", with 50 cover art cards and 39 cards
featuring new artwork. One preview card was available
at San Diego and also was included with Advance Comics
#60. A set of 9 was included in packs of 3 with Cards
Illustrated #1. A checklist of cards was also included
in the issue. February 23rd.)
Sandman Trading Card Album (Sold separately from the trading cards, the
album will be a three ring binder with pages to hold
a complete trading card set. A surprise gift from
Vertigo/SkyBox is also promised. March.)
With the exception of the Dream shirts (*) and the Sandman cards (which haven't
been released yet), all of these items are no longer being produced. The
only way to get them is to find a shop that still has them in stock. In
most cases this will be all but impossible. Some items, such as the original
Dream statue, sell for much more than their original price. Recent releases,
such as the second Death watch and the second Death T-shirt by Bachalo may
still be available depending on the local demand for the product.
[2.11] Question: What about a Sandman movie?
A Sandman movie and its cast have often been popular topics for discussion.
At one point, some comic news sources included The Sandman as one of the
comic book properties whose movie rights had been sold. However, the deal
fell through and no word on such a project has surfaced recently.
Gaiman also claims he is unlikely to deal with Hollywood again unless he
goes mad. (This is the result of a rough experience with a _Good Omens_ film
project.) Any Sandman movie would be without his assistance.
You may, however, have seen the Endless on TV. The Endless Family poster
(aka Still Life with Cats) by Mike Dringenberg has shown up in the
background on the series "Roseanne." More recently, the Chris Bachalo
poster of Death also appeared on the series.
Who should ideally play the Endless? In an article in the New York Times,
Gaiman suggested the following:
Destiny Sean Connery
Death Winona Ryder, "in about 1986"
Dream A young American actor who "sounds more like John Hurt."
Destruction Brian Blessed, "10 years ago"
Desire Annie Lennox at the "Sweet Dreams" phase of the Eurythmics
Despair "Someone in an awful lot of plastic."
Delirium Tori Amos, if she could do "the nasty side of the character."
[End of Part 2]
