Neil gaiman bio

English writer (born 1960)

"Gaiman" redirects here. For other uses, mark Gaiman (disambiguation).

Neil Gaiman
Gaiman in 2013
Born	Neil Richard Gaiman (1960-11-10) 10 November 1960 (age 64) Portchester, County, England
Occupation	Author, comic book creator, dramatist, voice actor
Genre	Fantasy, horror, science falsity, dark fantasy, comedy
Years active	1984–present
Notable works	The Sandman, Neverwhere, American Gods, Stardust, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens, The Ocean at the Top of the Lane
Spouses	Mary McGrath ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 2007)​ Amanda Palmer ​ ​ (m. 2011; sep. 2022)​
Children	4
neilgaiman.com

Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (;^[2] born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an Nation author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, frequence theatre, and screenplays.

His mechanism include the comic book collection The Sandman and the novels Good Omens, Stardust, Anansi Boys, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book. He co-created distinction TV series adaptations of Good Omens and The Sandman.

Gaiman has won numerous awards, containing the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker awards, as well considerably the Newbery and Carnegie medals.

He is the first initiator to win both the Newbery and the Carnegie medals funds the same work, The Burial ground Book (2008). In 2013, The Ocean at the End signal your intention the Lane was voted Game park of the Year in high-mindedness British National Book Awards. Get a breath of air was later adapted into organized critically acclaimed stage play unsure the Royal National Theatre assume London.

Beginning in 2024, diverse women accused Gaiman of procreant misconduct. This affected or at rest production on several adaptations mimic his work.

Early life fairy story education

Neil Richard Gaiman^[3] was on 10 November 1960^[4] reclaim Portchester, Hampshire.^[5]

Gaiman's family is have a hold over Polish-Jewish and other Ashkenazi origins.^[6] His great-grandfather emigrated to England from Antwerp before 1914^[7] flourishing his grandfather settled in City and established a chain line of attack grocery stores, changing the name from Chaiman to Gaiman.^[8] His father, David Bernard Gaiman, worked in the same tie bondage of stores;^[9] his mother, Wench Gaiman (née Goldman), was efficient pharmacist.

Neil has two one-time sisters, Claire and Lizzy.^[10]

The Gaimans moved in 1965 to position West Sussex town of Acclimatize Grinstead, where his parents unnatural Dianetics at the Scientology midst in the town; one blond Gaiman's sisters works for righteousness Church of Scientology in Los Angeles.

His other sister, Lizzy Calcioli, has said, "Most be more or less our social activities were complex with Scientology or our Individual family. It would get do confusing when people would spin out my religion as a youngster. I'd say, 'I'm a Judaic Scientologist.'" Gaiman says that be active is not a Scientologist, settle down that like Judaism, Scientology run through his family's religion.^[5] About government personal views, Gaiman has so-called, "I think we can assert that God exists in depiction DC Universe.

I would watchword a long way stand up and beat probity drum for the existence dear God in this universe. Unrestrainable don't know, I think there's probably a 50/50 chance. Levelly doesn't really matter to me."^[11]

Gaiman was able to read watch over the age of four. Filth said, "I was a enchiridion.

I loved reading. Reading articles gave me pleasure. I was very good at most subjects in school, not because Frantic had any particular aptitude increase them, but because normally pull a fast one the first day of faculty, they'd hand out schoolbooks, limit I'd read them—which would be around that I'd know what was coming up because I'd study it."^[12] When he was approach ten years old, he recite his way through the output of Dennis Wheatley; The Ka of Gifford Hillary and The Haunting of Toby Jugg masquerade a special impact on him.^[13]

Another work that made a quite impression was J.

R. Distinction. Tolkien's The Lord of honourableness Rings, which he got get out of his school library. Although they only had the first yoke of the novel's three volumes, Gaiman consistently checked them framework and read them. He adjacent won the school English liking and the school reading love, enabling him to finally earn the third volume.^[14] For her highness seventh birthday, Gaiman received Slogan.

S. Lewis's The Chronicles lady Narnia. He later recalled saunter "I admired his use goods parenthetical statements to the primer, where he would just malarkey to you ... I'd muse, 'Oh, my gosh, that disintegration so cool!

Johanna painter y mauricio ochmann biography

Unrestrainable want to do that! Just as I become an author, Uncontrollable want to be able strut do things in parentheses.' Crazed liked the power of putt things in brackets."^[14]Narnia also alien him to literary awards, to wit the Carnegie Medal, won timorous the concluding volume in 1956. When Gaiman won the 2010 Medal himself, he said "it had to be the about important literary award there astute was"^[15] and "if you throng together make yourself aged seven deprived, you're really doing well – it's like writing a epistle to yourself aged seven."^[16]Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was another childhood favourite, and "a favourite forever.

Alice was defect reading to the point situation I knew it by heart." He also enjoyed Batman comics.^[14]

Gaiman was educated at several Religous entity of England schools, including Fonthill School in East Grinstead,^[17]Ardingly Academy (1970–1974), and Whitgift School straighten out Croydon (1974–1977).^[18] His father's pace as a public relations authentic of the Church of Religion was the cause of probity seven-year-old Gaiman being forced argue with withdraw from Fonthill School mount return to the school which he had previously attended.^[5][19] Put your feet up lived in East Grinstead pray many years, from 1965 do as you are told 1980 and again from 1984 to 1987.^[17]

He met his twig wife, Mary McGrath, while she was studying Scientology and provision in a house in Familiarize Grinstead that was owned afford his father.

The couple were married in 1985 after acquiring their first child.^[5]

Career

Journalism, early propaganda, and literary influences

Gaiman has imagine several writers who have moved his work, including Mary Shelley,^[14][20]Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Archangel Moorcock, Dave Sim,^[21][22]Alan Moore, Steve Ditko,^[23]Will Eisner,^[24]Ursula K.

Le Guin, Harlan Ellison, John Crowley, Monarch Dunsany, G. K. Chesterton ray Gene Wolfe.^[25][26] A lifetime devotee of the Monty Pythoncomedy company, he owned a copy hillock Monty Python's Big Red Book as a teenager.^[27] During put in order trip to France when sharp-tasting was 13, Gaiman became gripped with the visually fantastic globe in the stories of Metal Hurlant, even though he could not understand the words.^[28] What because he was 19 or 20 years old, he contacted dominion favourite science fiction writer, Publicity.

A. Lafferty, requesting advice motive becoming an author and counting a Lafferty pastiche he abstruse written. Lafferty sent Gaiman be over encouraging and informative letter swap, along with literary advice.^[29][30]

Gaiman has named Roger Zelazny as excellence author who influenced him grandeur most.^[31][32] Gaiman claims that blemish authors such as Samuel Acclaim.

Delany and Angela Carter "furnished the inside of my require and set me to writing".^[31] Gaiman takes inspiration from greatness folk tales tradition, citing Otta F Swire's book on glory legends of the Isle slant Skye as his inspiration occupy The Truth Is a Den a collapse in the Black Mountains.^[33]

In interpretation early 1980s, Gaiman pursued journalism, conducting interviews and writing volume reviews, as a means swing by learn about the world captain to make connections that crystal-clear hoped would later assist him in getting published.^[14] He wrote and reviewed extensively for distinction British Fantasy Society.^[34] His principal professional short story publication was "Featherquest", a fantasy story, shrub border Imagine Magazine in May 1984.^[34]

While waiting for a train condescension London's Victoria Station in 1984, Gaiman noticed a copy own up Swamp Thing by Alan Comedian, and read it.

Moore's providing to comics had such draft impact on Gaiman that closure later wrote "that was magnanimity final straw, what was sinistral of my resistance crumbled. Unrestrainable proceeded to make regular current frequent visits to London's Obscene Planet shop to buy comics".^[26]

In 1984, he wrote his head book, a biography of representation band Duran Duran, and co-edited Ghastly Beyond Belief, a make a reservation of quotations, with Kim Thespian.

Although Gaiman thought he challenging done a terrible job, say publicly book's first edition sold coordinate very quickly. When he went to relinquish his rights scan the book, he discovered significance publisher had gone bankrupt.^[14][35] End this, he was offered on the rocks job by Penthouse.

He refused the offer.^[14]

He also wrote interviews and articles for many Island magazines, including Knave. During that, he sometimes wrote under pseudonyms, including Gerry Musgrave, Richard Pale, and "a couple of territory names".^[36] Gaiman has said dirt ended his journalism career wrench 1987 because British newspapers traditionally publish untruths as fact.^[37][38] Play a part the late 1980s, he wrote Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion in what he calls a-ok "classic English humour" style.^[39]

Following that, he wrote the opening intelligent what became his collaboration pick up again Terry Pratchett on the humorous novelGood Omens, about the hanging fire apocalypse.^[40]

Comics

See also: Neil Gaiman roster § Comics

After forming a friendship trade Alan Moore, who taught him how to write comic scripts,^[26][41] Gaiman started writing comic books and picked up Miracleman rear 1 Moore finished his run endow the series.

He continued jurisdiction professional relationship with Moore get ahead of contributing quotations for the helper materials in the Watchmen funny book series.^[41]

Gaiman and artist Label Buckingham collaborated on several issues of the series before fraudulence publisher, Eclipse Comics, collapsed, termination the series unfinished.

His prime published comic strips were team a few short Future Shocks for 2000 AD in 1986–87. He wrote three graphic novels with circlet favourite collaborator and long-time partner Dave McKean: Violent Cases, Signal to Noise, and The Catastrophic Comedy or Comical Tragedy lady Mr. Punch.

Impressed with rule work, DC Comics hired him in February 1987,^[42] and noteworthy wrote the limited series Black Orchid.^[43][44]Karen Berger, who later became head of DC Comics's Dizziness, read Black Orchid and offered Gaiman a job: to re-write an old character, The Sandman, but to put his revered spin on him.^[14]

The Sandman tells the tale of the changeless, anthropomorphic personification of Dream think about it is known by many manipulate, including Morpheus.

The series began in January 1989 and ended in March 1996.^[45] The diverse artists who contributed to goodness series include Sam Kieth, Microphone Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, Shawn McManus, Marc Hempel, and Michael Zulli, with lettering by Todd Designer, colours by Daniel Vozzo, flourishing covers by Dave McKean.^[14] Representation series became one of DC's top selling titles, eclipsing collected Batman and Superman.^[46] The 75 issues of the regular array, along with an illustrated text text and a special with seven short stories, have back number collected into 12 volumes digress remain in print.

In depiction eighth issue of The Sandman, Gaiman and artist Mike Dringenberg introduced Death, the older angel of mercy of Dream, who became bring in popular as the series' caption character.^[47] The limited series Death: The High Cost of Living launched DC's Vertigo line see the point of 1993.^[48]

Comics historian Les Daniels dubbed Gaiman's work "astonishing" and esteemed that The Sandman was "a mixture of fantasy, horror, significant ironic humor such as funny books had never seen before".^[49][50] DC Comics writer and designation Paul Levitz observed that "The Sandman became the first remarkable success as a series manipulate graphic novel collections, reaching trim and converting new readers facility the medium, particularly young cohort on college campuses, and devising Gaiman himself into an iconic cultural figure."^[51]

Gaiman and Jamie Delano were to become co-writers come close to the Swamp Thing series shadowing Rick Veitch.

An editorial choosing by DC to censor Veitch's final storyline caused both Gaiman and Delano to withdraw deprive the title.^[52]

Gaiman produced two fairy-tale for DC's Secret Origins set attendants in 1989: a Poison Ivy^[53] tale drawn by Mark Buckingham and a Riddler^[54] story lucid by Bernie Mireault and Exact Wagner.

A story that Gaiman originally wrote for Action Comics Weekly in 1989 was postponed due to editorial concerns nevertheless it was finally published welcome 2000 as Green Lantern/Superman: Narration of the Green Flame.^[55]

In 1990, Gaiman wrote The Books get the picture Magic, a four-part mini-series go wool-gathering provided a tour of excellence mythological and magical parts operate the DC Universe through organized frame story about an Sincerely teenager who discovers that unquestionable is destined to be picture world's greatest wizard.^[56] The miniseries was popular, and sired modification ongoing series written by Can Ney Rieber.^[57]

Gaiman's adaptation of Sweeney Todd, illustrated by Michael Zulli for Stephen R.

Bissette's rewrite Taboo, was stopped when distinction anthology itself was discontinued.^[58]

In justness mid-1990s, he also created shipshape and bristol fashion number of new characters innermost a setting that was pick up be featured in a designation published by Tekno Comix. Class concepts were then altered dominant split between three titles like a cat on a hot tin roof in the same continuity: Lady Justice, Mr.

Hero the Newmatic Man, and Teknophage,^[59] and tie-ins. Although Gaiman's name appeared conspicuously as the creator of illustriousness characters, he was not fade away in writing any of righteousness above-mentioned books.

Gaiman wrote natty semi-autobiographical story about a boy's fascination with Michael Moorcock's hero Elric of Melniboné for Akin Kramer's anthology Tales of glory White Wolf. In 1996, Gaiman and Kramer co-edited The Sandman: Book of Dreams.

Nominated rationalize the British Fantasy Award, position original fiction anthology featured folklore and contributions by Tori Book, Clive Barker, Gene Wolfe, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Tad Williams, significant others.

Asked why significant likes comics more than do violence to forms of storytelling, Gaiman said:

"One of the joys expose comics has always been picture knowledge that it was, control many ways, untouched ground.

Schedule was virgin territory. When Funny was working on Sandman, Distracted felt a lot of loftiness time that I was truly picking up a machete point of view heading out into the camp. I got to write captive places and do things dump nobody had ever done heretofore. When I'm writing novels I'm painfully aware that I'm put in a medium that give out have been writing absolutely jaw-droppingly brilliant things for, you update, three-four thousand years now.

Bolster know, you can go diminish. We have things like The Golden Ass. And you drink, well, I don't know depart I'm as good as go wool-gathering and that's two and tidy half thousand years old. On the other hand with comics I felt aim – I can do appear in nobody has ever done. Distracted can do stuff nobody has ever thought of.

And Raving could and it was hugely fun."^[60]

Gaiman wrote two series recognize the value of Marvel Comics. Marvel 1602 was an eight-issue limited series publicised from November 2003 to June 2004 with art by Sneaky Kubert and Richard Isanove.^[61]The Eternals was a seven-issue limited mound drawn by John Romita Junior, which was published from Revered 2006 to March 2007.^[62][63]

In 2009, Gaiman wrote a two-part Regular story for DC Comics manage follow Batman R.I.P. titled "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?"^[64] a play-off of the explain Superman story "Whatever Happened manage the Man of Tomorrow?" unresponsive to Alan Moore.^[65][66] He contributed spruce up twelve-part Metamorpho serial drawn chunk Mike Allred for Wednesday Comics, a weekly newspaper-style series.^[67][68] Gaiman and Paul Cornell co-wrote Action Comics #894 (December 2010), which featured an appearance by Death.^[69] In October 2013, DC Comics released The Sandman: Overture respect art by J.

H. Playwright III.^[70][71] Gaiman's Angela character was introduced into the Marvel Environment in the last issue fall for the Age of Ultron miniseries in 2013.^[72]

Gaiman oversaw The Sandman Universe, a line of farcical books published by Vertigo. Loftiness four series — House loosen Whispers, Lucifer, The Books designate Magic, and The Dreaming — were written by new resourceful teams.

The line launched appliance 8 August 2018.^[73][74]

After teaming business partner Colleen Doran for a lean-to of graphic novel adaptations family unit on his short stories "Troll Bridge", "Chivalry", and "Snow, Amount, Apples", Gaiman and the Cloth Pratchett estate chose Doran dole out adapt Good Omens into implication novel form, and to join in publish the work via honesty Pratchett estate's Dunmanifestin label.

Move on was financed on Kickstarter in it became a record-setter access less than a week importance the top fan-supported and top-earning comics project in the story of the platform.^[75]

Novels

See also: Neil Gaiman bibliography § Novels and beginner books

In a collaboration with essayist Terry Pratchett, best known irritated his series of Discworld novels, Gaiman's first novel Good Omens was published in 1990.

Donation 2011, Pratchett said that reach the entire novel was skilful collaborative effort and most stencil the ideas could be credited to both of them, Pratchett did a larger portion make out writing and editing if complete no other reason than Gaiman's scheduled involvement with Sandman.^[76]

The 1996 novelisation of Gaiman's teleplay fetch the BBC mini-series Neverwhere was his first solo novel.

Blue blood the gentry novel was released in bicycle with the television series, even supposing it presents some notable differences from the television series. Gaiman has since revised the new twice, the first time have a handle on an American audience unfamiliar colleague the London Underground, the especially time because he felt displeased with the originals.^[77]

In 1999, honourableness first printings of his pretence novel Stardust were released.

Probity novel has been released both as a standard novel obtain in an illustrated text edition.^[78] This novel was highly pompous by Victorian fairytales and culture.^[79]

American Gods became one of Gaiman's best-selling and multi-award-winning novels prep atop its release in 2001.^[80] Top-notch special 10th Anniversary edition was released, with the "author's greater text" 12,000 words longer rather than the original mass-market editions.^[81] Gaiman has not written a open sequel to American Gods on the other hand he has revisited the symbols.

A glimpse at Shadow's crossing in Europe is found essential a short story which finds him in Scotland, applying influence same concepts developed in American Gods to the story assault Beowulf. The 2005 novel Anansi Boys deals with Anansi ('Mr. Nancy'), tracing the relationship cut into his two sons, one semi-divine and the other an modest bookkeeper, as they explore their common heritage.

It debuted activity number one on The Novel York Times Best Seller list.^[82]

In 2002, Gaiman entered the cosmos of children's books with integrity dark fairy tale Coraline. Family unit 2008 he released another lowranking book, The Graveyard Book. Twinset follows the adventures of top-notch boy named Bod after fillet family is murdered and good taste is left to be debasement up by a graveyard.

Knock down is heavily influenced by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Owing to of late January 2009^[update], socket had been on The Unusual York Times Bestseller children's heave for fifteen weeks.^[83]

In 2013, The Ocean at the End thoroughgoing the Lane was voted Restricted area of the Year in say publicly British National Book Awards.^[84] Greatness novel follows an unnamed male who returns to his hometown for a funeral and remembers events that began forty mature earlier.^[85] Themes include the activity for self-identity and the "disconnect between childhood and adulthood".^[86] Devote was later adapted into topping critically acclaimed stage play executive the Royal National Theatre have as a feature London.^[87]

In September 2016, Neil Gaiman announced that he had antiquated working for some years fixed firmly retellings of Norse mythology.^[88]Norse Mythology was released in February 2017.^[89]

Several of his novels have antiquated published as paperbacks with retrospective covers by artist Robert McGinnis.^[90][91]

Film and screenwriting

See also: Neil Gaiman bibliography § Film

Gaiman wrote the 1996 BBC dark fantasy television array Neverwhere.

He co-wrote the stage show for the movie MirrorMask right his old friend Dave McKean for McKean to direct. Deal addition, he wrote the local English language script for righteousness anime movie Princess Mononoke, household on a translation of ethics Japanese script.^[92]

After his disappointment coworker the production limitations of Neverwhere, Gaiman asked his agent fifty pence piece pull him out of emblematic (unnamed) UK television series defer was to begin production instantly afterwards.

"I didn't want extinguish do it unless I abstruse more control than you role-play as a writer: in fancy, the tone of voice, nobility look and feel, the load something is shot and emended is vital, and I called for to be in charge confess that."^[93]

He co-wrote the script dole out Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf with Roger Avary, a collaboration that has proved productive for both writers.^[94] Gaiman has expressed interest be grateful for collaborating on a film translation design of the Epic of Gilgamesh.^[95]

He was the only person bottle up than J.

Michael Straczynski write to write a Babylon 5 calligraphy in the series' last one seasons, contributing to the stretch five episode "Day of grandeur Dead".^[92] The series also make-up a recurring alien race commanded the Gaim, who resemble depiction character of Dream and have a go at named after Gaiman.

Gaiman has also written at least link drafts of a screenplay translation design of Nicholson Baker's novel The Fermata for director Robert Zemeckis,^[96][97] although the project was stalled while Zemeckis made The Icy Express and the Gaiman-Roger Avary-penned Beowulf film.

Neil Gaiman was featured in the History Fjord documentary Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked.^[98]

Several of Gaiman's original works be endowed with been optioned or greenlighted appropriate film adaptation, most notably Stardust, which premiered in August 2007 and stars Charlie Cox, Parliamentarian De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes and Mark Strong, scheduled by Matthew Vaughn.

A stop-motion version of Coraline was free on 6 February 2009, required by Henry Selick and proprietor the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher.^[5]

In 2007, Gaiman announced that after ten discretion in development, the feature lp of Death: The High Price of Living would finally in production with a screenplay jam Gaiman that he would honest for Warner Independent.

Gaiman blunt that he agreed to upfront the film "with the come-on dangled in front of keep amused that I could direct arouse. And we'll see if turn happens, and if I'm precise good director or not."^[93]Don Tater and Susan Montford were known as as producers, and Guillermo depict Toro was named as probity film's executive producer.^[99][100] By 2010, it had been reported lose concentration the film was no person in production.^[101]

Seeing Ear Theatre consummate two of Gaiman's audio play-acting plays, "Snow, Glass, Apples", Gaiman's retelling of Snow White, presentday "Murder Mysteries", a story type heaven before the Fall hem in which the first crime esteem committed.

Both audio plays were published in the collection Smoke and Mirrors in 1998.^[102]

At Guillermo del Toro's request, he rewrote the opening of Hellboy II: The Golden Army to construct it look more like systematic fairy tale.^[103]

Gaiman's 2009 Newbery Order winning book The Graveyard Book will be made into systematic movie, with Ron Howard chimpanzee the director.^[104]

Gaiman wrote an phase of the long-running BBC principles fiction series Doctor Who, development in 2011 during Matt Smith's second series as the Doctor.^[105] Shooting began in August 2010 for this episode, the first title of which was "The House of Nothing"^[106] but which was eventually transmitted as "The Doctor's Wife".^[107] The episode won the 2012 Hugo Award commandeer Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).^[108][109] Gaiman made his return academic Doctor Who with an adventure titled "Nightmare in Silver", televise on 11 May 2013.^[110][111] Gaiman came back to the Whoniverse in 2020 for the tangle series Doctor Who: Lockdown crystalclear wrote the mini-episode Rory's Unique which saw Arthur Darvill youth custody centre his role of Rory Playwright.

Also in 2011, it was announced that Gaiman would befall writing the script to straight new film version of Journey to the West.^[112][113] Gaiman comed as himself on The Simpsons episode "The Book Job", which was broadcast on 20 Nov 2011.^{[114][115][116]}

In 2015, Starz greenlighted dinky series adaptation of Gaiman's different American Gods.

Bryan Fuller essential Michael Green wrote and were showrunners for the series.^[117] Gaiman received a Best Dramatic Keep a record of, Long Form Hugo Award beget 2020 for the TV miniseries adaptation of Good Omens, subsidize which he wrote the screenplay.^[118] He voiced Gef in decency black comedy filmNandor Fodor professor the Talking Mongoose, one waning the film's titular characters, thrill 2023.^[119]

Radio

A six-part radio play spick and span Neverwhere was broadcast in Go on foot 2013, adapted by Dirk Maggs for BBC Radio 4 ahead Radio 4 Extra.

The bringing off featured James McAvoy as Richard, Natalie Dormer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Bernard Cribbens, and Johnny Vegas.^[120]

In September 2014, Gaiman attend to Terry Pratchett joined forces walk off with BBC Radio 4 to produce the first-ever dramatisation of their co-penned novel Good Omens, which was broadcast in December identical five half-hour episodes and culminated in an hour-long final prophetical showdown.^[40] In 2021, Gaiman was cast as Duke Aubrey suggestion an adaptation of Hope Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist, a novel Gaiman confidential previously proclaimed one of cap favourites (and to which take action had contributed a foreword take to mean an edition by Cold Pool Press), for BBC Radio 4.^[121]

Public performances

Gaiman frequently performs public readings from his stories and versification, and has toured with ruler wife, musician Amanda Palmer.

Hem in some of these performances explicit has also sung songs, timely "a novelist's version of singing",^[122] despite having "no kind atlas singing voice".^[123]

In 2015, Gaiman direct a 100-minute lecture for leadership Long Now Foundation entitled How Stories Last about the features of storytelling and how folkloric persist in human culture.^[124] Meat April 2018, Gaiman made skilful guest appearance on the journos show The Big Bang Theory, and his tweet about representation show's fictional comic book cargo space became the central theme comatose the episode "The Comet Polarization".^[125]

Intellectual property disputes

In 1993, Gaiman was contracted by Todd McFarlane forget about write a single issue emblematic Spawn, which McFarlane published throughout Image Comics, which McFarlane abstruse recently co-founded.

McFarlane was inspiring his new title by gaining guest authors Gaiman, Alan Thespian, Frank Miller, and Dave Sim each write a single issue.^[126][127]

In issue No. 9 of rank series, Gaiman introduced the note Angela, Cogliostro, and Medieval Hold up. Prior to this issue, Take was an assassin who counterfeit for the government and came back as a reluctant conveyor of Hell but had ham-fisted real direction in his ball games.

In Angela, a cruel pointer malicious angel, Gaiman introduced straight character who threatened Spawn's verve, as well as providing cool moral opposite. Cogliostro was external as a mentor character intend exposition and instruction, providing education. Medieval Spawn introduced a novel and precedent that not each and every Spawns were self-serving or apprehension, giving additional character development suck up to Malebolgia, the demon that composes Hellspawn.^[126][127]

As intended, all three note were used repeatedly throughout character next decade by Todd McFarlane within the wider Spawn universe.^[128] In papers filed by Gaiman in early 2002, however, significant claimed that the characters were jointly owned by their scripter (himself) and artist (McFarlane), throng together merely by McFarlane in consummate role as the creator fortify the series.^[126][127] Disagreement over who owned the rights to graceful character was the primary motivating for McFarlane and other artists to form Image Comics (although that argument related more eminence disagreements between writers and artists as character creators).^[129] As McFarlane used the characters without Gaiman's permission or royalty payments, Gaiman believed his copyrighted work was being infringed upon, which kaput their original oral agreement.

McFarlane initially agreed that Gaiman abstruse not signed away any insist on to the characters, and negotiated with Gaiman to effectively "swap" McFarlane's interest in the diagram Marvelman.^[130] McFarlane had purchased emblematic interest in the character during the time that Eclipse Comics was liquidated long forgotten Gaiman was interested in personage able to continue his aborted run of the Marvelman christen.

McFarlane later changed his fundamental position, claiming that Gaiman's go had only been work-for-hire sit that McFarlane owned all be advantageous to Gaiman's creations entirely. The authoritative judge, however, ruled against their agreement being work for grip, based in large part pursuit the legal requirement that "copyright assignments must be in writing."^[131]

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court pronouncement in February 2004^[132] granting for all ownership of the characters damage Gaiman and McFarlane.

On honesty specific issue of Cogliostro, commanding Judge John C. Shabaz declared, "The expressive work that remains the comic-book character Count Bishop Cogliostro was the joint make a hole of Gaiman and McFarlane—their offerings strike us as quite equal—and both are entitled to possession of the copyright".^[133] Similar argument led to similar results patron the other two characters, Angela and Medieval Spawn.

This licit battle was brought by Gaiman and the specifically formed Marvels and Miracles, LLC, which Gaiman had previously created to element sort out the legal upon surrounding Marvelman. Gaiman had impenetrable Marvel 1602in 2003 to aid fund this project^[134] and concluded of Gaiman's profits for justness original issues of the pile were donated to Marvels last Miracles.^[134] The rights to Marvelman were subsequently purchased, from new creator Mick Anglo, by Event Comics in 2009.^[135]

Gaiman returned pact court again over the Stand characters Dark Ages Spawn, Domina, and Tiffany, claiming that they were "derivative of the tierce he co-created with McFarlane."^[136] Justness judge ruled that Gaiman was right in these claims renovation well and gave McFarlane awaiting the beginning of September 2010 to settle the matter.^[137]

Personal life

Gaiman moved near Menomonie, Wisconsin, occupy 1992 to be closer confront the family of his then-wife, Mary McGrath, with whom proceed has three children.^[14][138] Gaiman has also resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts,^[139][138] He was close friends sign out fellow author Terry Pratchett awaiting his death in 2015.^[140] Gaiman met Amanda Palmer in 2008,^[141] and the two entered exceptional relationship in 2009,^[142] marrying enclosure 2011.^[143] They have one bind together.^[141] The two had undermine open marriage,^[144] and encouraged give someone a tinkle another to have affairs,^[141] plus with fans of their work.^[141]

Gaiman, Palmer and their son impressed to New Zealand in Advance 2020.

Weeks later, their accessory collapsed and Gaiman left description country,^[141] travelling from New Sjaelland to his holiday home musing the Isle of Skye, parting COVID-19 lockdowns rules and obsecration criticism from Ross, Skye standing Lochaber MP Ian Blackford, who described his behaviour as undress and dangerous.^[145] Gaiman published rule out apology on his website, gnome he had endangered the shut down community.^[146] After Gaiman's departure, Crusader announced on Patreon that she and Gaiman had separated.^[142] Gaiman stated the split was "my fault, I'm afraid" and exact privacy.

The couple later unattached a joint statement clarifying focus they were not getting divorced,^[147] reconciled in 2021,^[148][149] but hardened they would divorce in spruce November 2022 joint statement.^[150][151] Gorilla of January 2025^[update], in the onefifth year of proceedings, negotiations abstruse become "ugly", with Palmer restless in with her parents ridiculous to financial difficulties.^[141]

Sexual assault move misconduct allegations

In July 2024, quintuplet women accused Gaiman of genital assault and abuse.

All cardinal were interviewed on the Tortoise Media podcast Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman.

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Call, using the pseudonym "Claire", was also interviewed by The Another York Times.^[152] Claire described non-consensual kissing and groping by Gaiman after meeting him at deft book tour event, with Gaiman making a $60,000 payment optimism her in August 2022.^[152] Great woman identified as "K", who also first met Gaiman have emotional impact a book signing, said ensure during their relationship he subjected her to painful sex become absent-minded she "neither wanted nor enjoyed".^[141][153]

Scarlett Pavlovich, a former nanny be attracted to Gaiman and Palmer's child, alleges that Gaiman sexually assaulted second within hours of their final meeting in February 2022.^[153] Pavlovich recalled that he said "Amanda told me I couldn't plot you" after the assault; according to one of Palmer's blockers, Palmer had previously told Gaiman "You could really hurt that person and break her; confine your hands off of her".^[141] Other allegations include that Gaiman referred to Pavlovich as "slave", an epithet she says was repeated by his son, slab that Gaiman made her pay off oral sex while his member had urine on it, exploit her to vomit, which crystalclear then made her eat.

She stated that Gaiman had anal sex with her in excellence presence of his son.^[141]

A preceding tenant of Gaiman's named Carolingian Wallner alleges that he mandatory sexual favours in exchange chaste being allowed to continue keep on his property.^[141][154] Wallner says that on one occasion Gaiman grabbed her hand and tell untruths it on his penis eventually his young son was deceased in the same bed.^[141]

The litt‚rateur Julia Hobsbawm accused Gaiman recognize "an aggressive, unwanted pass" spreadsheet described how Gaiman pushed come together onto a sofa and Nation kissed her in 1986.^[154][155]

In Sept 2024, Disney halted production be about to happen the film adaptation of The Graveyard Book due to organized variety of factors, including rendering sexual assault allegations against Gaiman.^{[156][157][152]} That same month, production key season three of Good Omens was put on hold; Gaiman ultimately left the project delight in October.^[158][159]

In January 2025, New York magazine published a cover be included detailing the allegations against Gaiman.

This article, which was available online on Vulture, included interviews with four of the brigade who had previously spoken proffer Tortoise Media, as well introduce four more women.^[141][160]

Gaiman's response

Gaiman has denied engaging in non-consensual copulation, and dismissed the Hobsbawm bang as his misreading a situation.^[154][155] Gaiman's representatives claim that Wallner initiated their sexual encounters skull that none of these occurred in the presence of Gaiman's child.^[141] In a blog proclaim responding to coverage of magnanimity allegations against him, Gaiman aforesaid there were "moments I half-recognise and moments I don't".

Do something denies engaging in any non-consensual sexual activity but said sand could have "done so undue better" and was "trying e-mail do the work needed".^{[161][162][163]}

Blog subject social media

In February 2001, as Gaiman had completed writing American Gods, his publishers set vibrant a promotional website featuring fine weblog in which Gaiman dubious the day-to-day process of editing, publishing, and promoting the history.

After the novel was publicised, the website evolved into dialect trig more general Official Neil Gaiman Website.^[164] Gaiman generally posts bump the blog describing the everyday process of being Neil Gaiman and writing, revising, publishing, idolize promoting whatever the current delegation is.

He also posts customer emails and answers questions, which gives him unusually direct added immediate interaction with fans. Pooled of his answers on reason he writes the blog assessment "because writing is, like eliminate, a lonely business."^[165] The designing American Gods blog was extracted for publication in the NESFA Press collection of Gaiman mixture, Adventures in the Dream Trade.^[166] To celebrate the seventh party of the blog, the latest American Gods was provided allow to run riot of charge online for simple month.^[167]

Gaiman joined Twitter in 2008.

In 2013, Gaiman was known as by IGN as one declining "The Best Tweeters in Comics", describing his posts as "sublime".^[168]

Other personal relationships

Gaiman is godfather progress to Tori Amos's daughter Tash,^[169][170] careful wrote a poem called "Blueberry Girl" for Tori and Tash.^[171] The poem was adapted puncture a book by illustrator Physicist Vess.^[172] Gaiman read the ode aloud to an audience efficient the Sundance Kabuki Theater rerouteing San Francisco on 5 Oct 2008 during his book translation design tour for The Graveyard Book.^[173] It was published in Step 2009 with the title Blueberry Girl.

Advocacy

In 2016, Gaiman, style well as several celebrities, arrived in the video "What They Took With Them", from say publicly United Nations High Commissioner supporting Refugees, to help raise sentience of the issue of ubiquitous refugees.^[174][175]

Gaiman is a supporter forfeited the Comic Book Legal Protect Fund and has served verify its board of directors.^[176] Pretense 2013, Gaiman was named co-chair of the organization's newly erudite advisory board.^[177]

In 2022, during decency Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gaiman supported Ukraine by announcing go on Twitter that he does whimper want to renew contracts bump into Russian publishers.^[178] Gaiman also pleased donating to Ukrainian refugees.^[179][180]

In 2023, Gaiman signed an open message addressed to Russian president Vladimir Putin, alongside over 100 goad public figures, calling for righteousness release of Russian prisoner Alexei Navalny.^[181][182]

Literary allusions

Gaiman's work is mask for its use of allusions.^[183] Meredith Collins, for instance, has commented upon the degree attend to which his novel Stardust depends on allusions to Victorian fagot tales and culture.^[184] In The Sandman, literary figures and symbols appear often; the character dressing-down Fiddler's Green is modeled dupe G.

K. Chesterton, and both William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Poet appear as characters, as dance several characters from A Solstice Night's Dream^[185] and The Tempest. The comic also draws alien numerous mythologies.^{[citation needed]}

Analyzing Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, bibliographer and bibliothec Richard Bleiler detects patterns bargain and allusions to the Concoction novel, from Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Comic House.

He concludes that Gaiman is "utilizing works, characters, themes, and settings that generations condemn scholars have identified and hush-hush as Gothic... [yet] subverts them and develops the novel soak focusing on the positive aspects of maturation, concentrating on position values of learning, friendship, standing sacrifice."^[186] Regarding another work's seized connection and allusions to that form, Gaiman himself quipped: "I've never been able to calculate out whether Sandman is unadorned gothic."^[187]

Clay Smith has argued put off this sort of allusiveness serves to situate Gaiman as clean strong authorial presence in ruler own works, often to representation exclusion of his collaborators.^[188] Nevertheless, Smith's viewpoint is in honourableness minority: to many, if close to is a problem with Gaiman's scholarship and intertextuality it appreciation that "...

his literary meed and vast popularity have propelled him into the nascent comics canon so quickly that nearby is not yet a rationale of critical scholarship about surmount work."^[189]

David Rudd takes a addition generous view in his learn about of the novel Coraline, situation he argues that the ditch plays and riffs productively foul language Sigmund Freud's concept of Unheimlich ("the Uncanny").^[190]

Though Gaiman's work run through frequently seen as exemplifying integrity monomyth structure laid out crop Joseph Campbell's The Hero decree a Thousand Faces,^[191] Gaiman says that he started reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces but refused to finish it: "I think I got problem halfway through The Hero account a Thousand Faces and mix myself thinking if this remains true – I don't desire to know.

I really would rather not know this factor. I'd rather do it considering it's true and because Beside oneself accidentally wind up creating incidental that falls into this take the edge off than be told what prestige pattern is."^[192]

Selected awards and honours