Dream is a character created by Neil Gaiman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Dream is the main character of the The Sandman (1989—1996), and first appeared in the series' debut issue in January 1989.
The fourth DC character to assume the Sandman persona, Dream is both lord and personification of all dreams and stories, all that is not in reality (which, in turn, Dream may define by his existence).
Publication history
editConception
editDream was created by Neil Gaiman for his revival of the 1974 DC Comics series The Sandman. Gaiman wanted to use characters from the series in his 1988 miniseries Black Orchid. The characters did not make it into later drafts because Roy Thomas was using the characters in Infinity, Inc., so Gaiman began constructing a treatment for a new series. He mentioned it in passing to DC editor Karen Berger, who told him months later he could pursue the series under one condition: he would have to create a new Sandman.[1] Gaiman crafted Dream from an image of a pale man imprisoned. He patterned his attire after a Japanese kimono as well as his own wardrobe.[2] Dream's face and physique is based on the amalgamation of Gaiman in his twenties, The Cure's frontman Robert Smith and ballet dancer Farukh Ruzimatov.[3][4] Dream's face and appearance is also based on Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy.[5][6] Murphy was the original model for Dream;[7] Gaiman stated that the cover artist, Dave McKean, based Dream's face in the cover of The Sandman #1 on Murphy.[8][9]
The Sandman
editDream first appeared in The Sandman #1 on November 29, 1988. In the issue, Dream is captured during an occult ritual and held prisoner for 70 years, escaping in the present day.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ Gaiman, Neil (w). "The Origin of the Comic You Are Now Holding (What It Is and How It Came to Be" Sandman, no. 4 (April 1989).
- ^ Gaiman, Neil (1991). The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes. DC Comics. ISBN 1-56389-011-9.
- ^ Jonathan Curiel (April 18, 2014). ""The Sandman" Speaks: Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg on the Glories of Their Graphic Novel". SF Weekly. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
Mike Dringenberg: "The Sandman himself is even more of a composite. Certain well-known people influenced the design -- his mop of hair came from Robert Smith and ballet dancer Farukh Ruzimatov was always in my mind for his dramatic physique,..."
- ^ Peter Sanderson (February 11, 2005). "Comics in Context #72: F. O. G. - Neil Gaiman and Charles Addams". Retrieved 22 September 2012.
Artist Kelley Jones says, "I know Neil always said [the Sandman] was based on Robert Smith of the Cure,...
- ^ Dave McKean; Neil Gaiman (1997). The collected Sandman covers, 1989-1997. Watson-Guptill. p. 1. ISBN 9780823046324.
The Sandman image was inspired by Peter Murphy, the ex-Bauhaus singer and Maxell tape model, because when artist Mike Dringenberg saw the original sketches for the character he said "He looks like Peter Murphy from Bauhaus."
- ^ Joseph McCabe, ed. (2004). Hanging out with the dream king: conversations with Neil Gaiman and his collaborators. Sophia Quach (photographer). Fantagraphics. p. 92. ISBN 9781560976172.
['Sandman' artist Kelly Jones talks about the inspiration behind Dream's appearance] I know Neil always said [the Sandman] was based on Robert Smith of the Cure, but I just hated the Cure. I didn't want to hear that. I was really into Peter Murphy at that time, the guy from Bauhaus. I didn't like Bauhaus, but I liked him on his own, and he had a song called "Cut You Up" or something; it was on the radio at the time. I bought the CD, and I said, 'You know, with that big poufy hair, he looks like that guy.' At that time, Murphy was very gestural. I don't think the guy ever had a picture taken of him that wasn't angled and in deep lighting. So I took that, too. I said, 'Whenever I do him, I'm gonna do that kind of thing. And get into his face, don't just keep him in deep shadow all the time. He will be in deep shadow all the time, but I want to put across a guy who's clueless. Not stupid, but he's not understanding things.' Because he's an immortal guy who...
- ^ Neil Gaiman (February 16, 2013). "The official Neil Gaiman Tumblr". Tumblr. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
The original idea-model for Morpheus was Peter Murphy from Bauhaus.
- ^ Neil Gaiman. "Neil Gaiman - FAQ - Comics". Retrieved 22 September 2012.
If I remember correctly Dave based the face on the cover of Sandman #1 on an image of Peter Murphy.
- ^ Gavin Baddeley; Paul A. Woods (2006). Paul A. Woods (ed.). Goth chic: a connoisseur's guide to dark culture (2nd ed.). Plexus. p. 1941. ISBN 9780859653824.
Sandman inker Mike Dringenberg observed, '"Hey, [he] looks like Peter Murphy from Bauhaus'". Cover artist Dave McKean and Gaiman 'got some Bauhaus videos and immediately saw that Mike was right; and Dave ended up making the central image on the cover of Sandman [number one] a Peter Murphy-like face.
- ^ Sandman at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1980s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
In arguably one of the greatest achievements in serialized modern comic books, writer Neil Gaiman crafted the seventy-five-issue ongoing series The Sandman, introducing its readers to a complex world of horror and fantasy.
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