Neil Gaiman’s Sandman – For Zealots and the Curious

Including a 92St Y conversation on the Netflix production between author Neil Gaiman and MTV’s Josh Horowitz.

Neil Gaiman, introduced as “one of the greatest storytellers alive,” has written novels, short stories, audio plays, and comic books. The author’s boundless imagination meshes fantasy, myth, and legend with contemporary mores. His mop of untamed salt and pepper curls and quick, easy wit might have come from central casting. Horowitz is a super fan.

At 26, Gaiman was writing his first mainstream DC comic book, Black Orchid. The powers that be believed in the author’s talent, not so much that of the character. Gaiman was asked to come up with something of his own. Among a list of existing protagonists considered was Joe Simon/Jack Kirby’s “rather goofy Sandman.” The hero put aside his green suit, fedora and gas mask to become a costumed crime fighter with the help of his sidekick, Sandy the Golden Boy. Tales involved haunted dreams and villains claiming to be mythical.

Gaiman tells us he gets bored easily. In an effort to expand story possibilities he was inspired by Roger Zelazny. “He gave us human beings who took on the trappings, the mantles of gods. Roger said that Superman had become too powerful…I thought the problem is not power, but who you are, whether you’re broken.” The Sandman is “an incredibly powerful being who is screwed up in a lot of ways, can’t get out of his own way and is not entirely human.”

“I didn’t think there was a hope in hell we’d get beyond 12 issues so I planned eight for the story and four for short pieces to follow. Except that at issue eight, we were outselling anything comparable. Nice young men 16 to 23 got their girlfriends to read comics. The girlfriends would leave and transfer the comics to replacements. At conventions, big guys in stained t-shirts would take both my hands and thank me for bringing women into their stores. I thought, if you’d only sweep the floor – but said nothing.”

The original series ran for 75 issues from January 1989 to March 1996. “We were always in the top 100, but after #42 rose to the top 50 then ended up selling millions… sort of the plucky little thing that carries on in the background over decades.” A number of film adaptations had been suggested. In 1990 at Warner Brothers, Lisa Henson (Jim Henson’s daughter) was interested. Gaiman asked her please not to make the film. Surprised, she agreed. They’ve been friends ever since. “Michael Jackson wanted to play Morpheus (also called Dream) and I thought noooo.” There were, Gaiman says, some pretty good scripts, but…

The Sandman. (L to R) Bill Paterson as John Hathaway, Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess in episode 101 of The Sandman. Cr. Ed Miller/Netflix © 2022

Creative differences, casting and budgets repeatedly prevented going forward. In 2019, Netflix signed a deal with Warner Brothers. Art from the comics inspired props and sets. The series begins in 2021 rather than (as first written)1989 with Dream having been imprisoned by power mad cult leader Roderick Burgess (Charles Dance) for 105 years. His imprisonment (visually wonderful) causes a world epidemic of sleep sickness. Roderick’s fearful son Alex (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth then Benedick Blythe) keeps Dream locked up.

The Sandman. Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar in episode 104 of The Sandman. Cr. Laurence Cendrowicz/Netflix © 2022

Some characters were slightly updated under Gaiman’s watchful eyes and pen. Exorcist John Constantine is reimagined as Joanna (Jenna Coleman) and Lucifer Morningstar (Gwendoline Christie) as a woman. “I wanted someone who could play God’s most beautiful fallen angel.” Gaiman was accused by followers of acting “woke” for gender changes. Some criticized casting Howell Baptiste, an African American, as Death “She was the only one I believed” and non-binary Mason Alexander Park as Desire. The author insists these actors personify the roles. In the case of Desire, the comic book character is androgynous.

The Sandman. (L to R) Tom Sturridge as Dream, Patton Oswald as Matthew the Raven (voice) in episode 103 of The Sandman. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2022

The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), an often charming nightmare who escaped from the Dreaming to become a serial killer extracting the eyes of his victims, is now a consistent enemy. Matthew, someone to have Morpheus communicate his thoughts with – depicted as thought bubbles in the comics – became a raven (the voice of Patton Oswalt). The depiction is realistic, not Disney.

The Sandman. Tom Sturridge as Dream in episode 109 of The Sandman. Cr. Laurence Cendrowicz/Netflix © 2022

As to the casting of Dream, Gaiman initially thought all he needed was a solid British actor with great cheekbones and a cape. He watched a winnowed-down 1500 auditions. Tom Sturridge was the third. The author kept bringing him up, but try-outs continued. Finally, they settled on his choice. “I learned that the lines are really hard to say,” Gaiman abashedly comments. “It was the voice, I think.” Glen Weldon of NPR said Sturridge “…captures the competing aspects of Morpheus forever roiling under his impassive surface-his haughtiness, his wounded vulnerability; his stiffness, his longing for connection. Also, his brittle anger and ability to almost, not quite laugh at himself.” An apt description.

Executive producer David S. Goyer summarizes the series, “…a god who, over the course of the story, sheds his godhood…learns what it is to be mortal…a story about a really fucked-up, dysfunctional family…When ‘The Endless’ have fights, entire worlds and universes suffer…Morpheus cares about humanity in the abstract, but not in the specific.” (The Endless, each a ruler in its own realm, are: Desire, Despair, Destiny, Death, Dream, Delirium, and Destruction.)

Though both a literary and film fan of Gaiman (in terms of television, especially his Good Omens series), I was unfamiliar with The Sandman. Despite critics’ warnings, I had no trouble following the story and recommend it to anyone with a penchant for intelligent, not airy fairy fantasy. Focus remains the fantastical, fallible, dark, and macabre. Casting is marvelous, effects, though splendid, never overshadow the story. (The squeamish may occasionally turn away.)

The Sandman. (L to R) Joely Richardson as Ethel Cripps, David Thewlis as John Dee in episode 103 of The Sandman. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Morpheus escapes and returns to the Dreaming to discover his kingdom mostly abandoned and in ruins. His faithful librarian/servant Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong) fills him in. First priority is to regain his “helm”=helmet, now in the possession of a demon in hell, the pouch of special sand acquired by exorcist Constantine, and an amulet passed from Burgess’s so-far-immortal mistress Ethel Cripps (Joely Richardson) to her mad son, John Dee (David Thewliss). A visit to Cain and Abel (inspired), and summoning the Fates begin his quest.

Melding other worlds and creatures with contemporary life and relationships creates a tale where good and evil are not clearly defined, Morpheus and Lucifer have an extraordinarily credible relationship, dreams and reality live closely side by side, both gods and men need guidance. Existence is complicated and rife with danger.

Horowitz asks what Gaiman believes happens after death. “I subscribe to the Peter Pan theory, It will be an awfully big adventure.” And what he dreams. “Like most people, (?!)  I’m pursued through endless corridors of castles by creatures whose features are composed of spaghetti and wherever I hide the rats come…Dreams with houses that hide rooms inside rooms…”

Season two is in production.

92Y photos: Karl Ault Michael Priest Photography

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About Alix Cohen (1706 Articles)
Alix Cohen is the recipient of ten New York Press Club Awards for work published on this venue. Her writing history began with poetry, segued into lyrics and took a commercial detour while holding executive positions in product development, merchandising, and design. A cultural sponge, she now turns her diverse personal and professional background to authoring pieces about culture/the arts with particular interest in artists/performers and entrepreneurs. Theater, music, art/design are lifelong areas of study and passion. She is a voting member of Drama Desk and Drama League. Alix’s professional experience in women’s fashion fuels writing in that area. Besides Woman Around Town, the journalist writes for Cabaret Scenes, Broadway World, TheaterLife, and Theater Pizzazz. Additional pieces have been published by The New York Post, The National Observer’s Playground Magazine, Pasadena Magazine, Times Square Chronicles, and ifashionnetwork. She lives in Manhattan. Of course.