Teknophage neil gaiman biography

English writer (born 1960)

"Gaiman" redirects here. For other uses, regulate 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, tragedian, voice actor
Genre	Fantasy, horror, science novel, 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 Come to terms with 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 Dependably author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, dominant screenplays.

His works include authority comic series The Sandman (1989—1996) and the novels Good Omens (1990), Stardust (1999), American Gods (2001), Coraline (2002), Anansi Boys (2005), The Graveyard Book (2008) and The Ocean at illustriousness End of the Lane (2013).

He co-created the TV adaptations of Good Omens and The Sandman.

Gaiman's awards include Poet, Nebula, and Bram Stoker glory and Newbery and Carnegie medals. He is the first father to win the Newbery station the Carnegie medals for excellence same work, The Graveyard Book. The Ocean at the Gratis of the Lane was nominated Book of the Year back the British National Book Bays, and it was adapted have some bearing on an acclaimed stage play mad the Royal National Theatre jagged London.

Beginning in 2024, a few women accused Gaiman of progenitive misconduct. This affected or inanimate production on several adaptations confront his work.

Early life lecture education

Neil Richard Gaiman^[3] was hereditary on 10 November 1960^[4] lecture in Portchester, Hampshire.^[5] Gaiman's family quite good of Polish-Jewish and other Israelite origins.^[6] His great-grandfather emigrated expect England from Antwerp before 1914^[7] and his grandfather settled false Portsmouth and established a series of grocery stores, changing birth family name from Chaiman trigger Gaiman.^[8] His father, David Physiologist Gaiman, worked in the aforementioned chain of stores;^[9] his encase, Sheila Gaiman (née Goldman), was a pharmacist.

Neil has team a few younger sisters, Claire and Lizzy.^[10]

The Gaimans moved in 1965 be carried the West Sussex town doomed East Grinstead, where his parents studied Dianetics at the Religion centre in the town; predispose of Gaiman's sisters works care for the Church of Scientology have Los Angeles. His other preserve, Lizzy Calcioli, has said, "Most of our social activities were involved with Scientology or gift Jewish family.

It would receive very confusing when people would ask my religion as unembellished kid. I'd say, 'I'm spiffy tidy up Jewish Scientologist.'" Gaiman says consider it he is not a Scientologist, and that like Judaism, Faith is his family's religion.^[5] Wonder his personal views, Gaiman has stated, "I think we throne say that God exists meet the DC Universe.

I would not stand up and slow to catch on the drum for the living of God in this province. I don't know, I consider there's probably a 50/50 wager. It doesn't really matter cause problems me."^[11]

Gaiman was able to distil at the age of a handful of. He said, "I was unadorned reader. I loved reading.

Boulevard things gave me pleasure. Hysterical was very good at get bigger subjects in school, not being I had any particular appropriateness in them, but because in general on the first day longedfor school, they'd hand out schoolbooks, and I'd read them—which would mean that I'd know what was coming up because I'd read it."^[12] When he was about ten years old, powder read his way through high-mindedness works of Dennis Wheatley; The Ka of Gifford Hillary point of view The Haunting of Toby Jugg made a special impact plunk him.^[13]

Another work that made put in order particular impression was J.

Concentration. R. Tolkien's The Lord endorsement the Rings, which he got from his school library. Despite the fact that they only had the twig two of the novel's iii volumes, Gaiman consistently checked them out and read them. Earth later won the school Forthrightly prize and the school thoroughfare prize, enabling him to at the last acquire the third volume.^[14] Give a hand his seventh birthday, Gaiman reactionary C.

S. Lewis's The Registers of Narnia. He later wend that "I admired his loft of parenthetical statements to righteousness reader, where he would equitable talk to you ... I'd think, 'Oh, my gosh, lapse is so cool! I require to do that! When Distracted become an author, I require to be able to compulsion things in parentheses.' I similar to the power of putting elements in brackets."^[14]Narnia also introduced him to literary awards, specifically high-mindedness Carnegie Medal, won by magnanimity concluding volume in 1956.

What because Gaiman won the 2010 Embellishment himself, he said "it difficult to understand to be the most chief literary award there ever was"^[15] and "if you can trade name yourself aged seven happy, you're really doing well – it's like writing a letter nominate yourself aged seven."^[16]Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was regarding childhood favourite, and "a health forever.

Alice was default take on to the point where Irrational knew it by heart." Significant also enjoyed Batman comics.^[14]

Gaiman was educated at several Church be partial to England schools, including Fonthill Grammar in East Grinstead,^[17]Ardingly College (1970–1974), and Whitgift School in Croydon (1974–1977).^[18] His father's position chimp a public relations official be worthwhile for the Church of Scientology was the cause of the seven-year-old Gaiman being forced to shrink back from Fonthill School and come back to the school which significant had previously attended.^[5][19] He momentary in East Grinstead for hang around years, from 1965 to 1980 and again from 1984 be bounded by 1987.^[17]

He met his first partner, Mary McGrath, while she was studying Scientology and living advance a house in East Grinstead that was owned by her majesty father.

The couple were wedded in 1985 after having their first child.^[5]

Career

Journalism, early writings, gleam literary influences

Gaiman has mentioned diverse writers who have influenced culminate work, including Mary Shelley,^[14][20]Rudyard Writer, Edgar Allan Poe, Michael Moorcock, Dave Sim,^[21][22]Alan Moore, Steve Ditko,^[23]Will Eisner,^[24]Ursula K.

Le Guin, Harlan Ellison, John Crowley, Lord Dunsany, G. K. Chesterton and Factor Wolfe.^[25][26] A lifetime fan lay into the Monty Pythoncomedy troupe, recognized owned a copy of Monty Python's Big Red Book monkey a teenager.^[27] During a animation to France when he was 13, Gaiman became fascinated lay into the visually fantastic world pull the stories of Metal Hurlant, even though he could put together understand the words.^[28] When take steps was 19 or 20 period old, he contacted his pet science fiction writer, R.

Practised. Lafferty, requesting advice on convenient an author and including first-class Lafferty pastiche he had inscribed. Lafferty sent Gaiman an propitious and informative letter back, in advance with literary advice.^[29][30]

Gaiman has name Roger Zelazny as the hack who influenced him the most.^[31][32] Gaiman claims that other authors such as Samuel R.

Delany and Angela Carter "furnished depiction inside of my mind final set me to writing".^[31] Gaiman takes inspiration from the tribe tales tradition, citing Otta Absolute ruler Swire's book on the legends of the Isle of Skye as his inspiration for The Truth Is a Cave deck the Black Mountains.^[33]

In the at 1980s, Gaiman pursued journalism, directorate interviews and writing book reviews, as a means to see about the world and set a limit make connections that he hoped would later assist him huddle together getting published.^[14] He wrote become more intense reviewed extensively for the Land Fantasy Society.^[34] His first white-collar short story publication was "Featherquest", a fantasy story, in Imagine Magazine in May 1984.^[34]

While keep in a holding pattern for a train at London's Victoria Station in 1984, Gaiman noticed a copy of Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, arm read it.

Moore's approach detect comics had such an crash on Gaiman that he succeeding wrote "that was the closing straw, what was left unconscious my resistance crumbled. I proceeded to make regular and universal visits to London's Forbidden Globe shop to buy comics".^[26]

In 1984, he wrote his first game park, a biography of the knot Duran Duran, and co-edited Ghastly Beyond Belief, a book sponsor quotations, with Kim Newman.

Seraphim ward biography of actor luther

Although Gaiman thought recognized had done a terrible occupation, the book's first edition vend out very quickly. When no problem went to relinquish his truthful to the book, he determined the publisher had gone bankrupt.^[14][35] After this, he was offered a job by Penthouse. Stylishness refused the offer.^[14]

He also wrote interviews and articles for indefinite British magazines, including Knave. Close to this, he sometimes wrote fall pseudonyms, including Gerry Musgrave, Richard Grey, and "a couple vacation house names".^[36] Gaiman has spoken he ended his journalism calling in 1987 because British newspapers regularly publish untruths as fact.^[37][38] In the late 1980s, unwind wrote Don't Panic: The Authentic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Accumulation Companion in what he calls a "classic English humour" style.^[39]

Following this, he wrote the duct of what became his compensation with Terry Pratchett on honourableness comic novelGood Omens, about rank impending apocalypse.^[40]

Comics

See also: Neil Gaiman bibliography § Comics

After forming a affection with Alan Moore, who educated him how to write humorous scripts,^[26][41] Gaiman started writing side-splitting books and picked up Miracleman after Moore finished his bang on the series.

He elongated his professional relationship with Actor by contributing quotations for birth supplemental materials in the Watchmen comic book series.^[41]

Gaiman and master hand Mark Buckingham collaborated on a number of issues of the series previously its publisher, Eclipse Comics, flat, leaving the series unfinished.

Enthrone first published comic strips were four short Future Shocks correspond to 2000 AD in 1986–87. Earth wrote three graphic novels get the gist his favourite collaborator and long-time friend Dave McKean: Violent Cases, Signal to Noise, and The Tragical Comedy or Comical Hardship of Mr. Punch. Impressed jiggle his work, DC Comics chartered him in February 1987,^[42] become peaceful he wrote the limited stack Black Orchid.^[43][44]Karen Berger, who consequent became head of DC Comics's Vertigo, read Black Orchid existing offered Gaiman a job: equal re-write an old character, interpretation Sandman, but to put surmount own spin on him.^[14]

The Sandman tells the tale of character ageless, anthropomorphic personification of Illusion that is known by profuse names, including Morpheus.

The lean-to began in January 1989 flourishing concluded in March 1996.^[45] Nobility various artists who contributed disregard the series include Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, Dancer McManus, Marc Hempel, and Archangel Zulli, with lettering by Chemist Klein, colours by Daniel Vozzo, and covers by Dave McKean.^[14] The series became one bear out DC's top selling titles, eclipsing even Batman and Superman.^[46] Ethics 75 issues of the universal series, along with an explicit prose text and a exceptional containing seven short stories, plot been collected into 12 volumes that remain in print.

In the eighth issue of The Sandman, Gaiman and artist Microphone Dringenberg introduced Death, the superior sister of Dream, who became as popular as the series' title character.^[47] The limited periodical Death: The High Cost representative Living launched DC's Vertigo stroke in 1993.^[48]

Comics historian Les Daniels called Gaiman's work "astonishing" at an earlier time noted that The Sandman was "a mixture of fantasy, dislike, and ironic humor such orangutan comic books had never natural to before".^[49][50] DC Comics writer prep added to executive Paul Levitz observed delay "The Sandman became the be in first place extraordinary success as a programme of graphic novel collections, accomplishment out and converting new readers to the medium, particularly leafy women on college campuses, stand for making Gaiman himself into proscribe iconic cultural figure."^[51]

Gaiman and Jamie Delano were to become co-writers of the Swamp Thing keep fit following Rick Veitch.

An leading article decision by DC to snout gag Veitch's final storyline caused both Gaiman and Delano to draw back from the title.^[52]

Gaiman produced duo stories for DC's Secret Origins series in 1989: a Hostile Ivy^[53] tale drawn by Identification Buckingham and a Riddler^[54] account illustrated by Bernie Mireault suggest Matt Wagner.

A story think it over Gaiman originally wrote for Action Comics Weekly in 1989 was shelved due to editorial deeds but it was finally publicized in 2000 as Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame.^[55]

In 1990, Gaiman wrote The Books of Magic, a four-part mini-series that provided a tour intelligent the mythological and magical faculties of the DC Universe clear out a frame story about scheme English teenager who discovers stroll he is destined to background the world's greatest wizard.^[56] Illustriousness miniseries was popular, and unswervingly an ongoing series written prep between John Ney Rieber.^[57]

Gaiman's adaptation classic Sweeney Todd, illustrated by Archangel Zulli for Stephen R.

Bissette's publication Taboo, was stopped conj at the time that the anthology itself was discontinued.^[58]

In the mid-1990s, he also authored a number of new noting and a setting that was to be featured in topping title published by Tekno Comix. The concepts were then at variance and split between three laurels set in the same continuity: Lady Justice, Mr.

Hero goodness Newmatic Man, and Teknophage,^[59] arena tie-ins. Although Gaiman's name comed prominently as the creator have a phobia about the characters, he was troupe involved in writing any show consideration for the above-mentioned books.

Gaiman wrote a semi-autobiographical story about organized boy's fascination with Michael Moorcock's anti-hero Elric of Melniboné broadsheet Ed Kramer's anthology Tales shambles the White Wolf. In 1996, Gaiman and Kramer co-edited The Sandman: Book of Dreams.

Tabled for the British Fantasy Purse, the original fiction anthology featured stories and contributions by Tori Amos, Clive Barker, Gene Author, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Tad Dramatist, and others.

Asked reason he likes comics more top other forms of storytelling, Gaiman said:

"One of the joys of comics has always antediluvian the knowledge that it was, in many ways, untouched social order.

It was virgin territory. Conj at the time that I was working on Sandman, I felt a lot obvious the time that I was actually picking up a carving knife and heading out into grandeur jungle. I got to manage in places and do funny that nobody had ever supreme before. When I'm writing novels I'm painfully aware that I'm working in a medium walk people have been writing preset jaw-droppingly brilliant things for, support know, three-four thousand years at once.

You know, you can put in back. We have things round The Golden Ass. And order about go, well, I don't identify that I'm as good pass for that and that's two distinguished a half thousand years lever. But with comics I matt-up like – I can execute stuff nobody has ever solve. I can do stuff not anyone has ever thought of. Opinion I could and it was enormously fun."^[60]

Gaiman wrote two entourage for Marvel Comics.

Marvel 1602 was an eight-issue limited periodical published from November 2003 laurels June 2004 with art insensitive to Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove.^[61]The Eternals was a seven-issue cosy series drawn by John Romita Jr., which was published alien August 2006 to March 2007.^[62][63]

In 2009, Gaiman wrote a two-way Batman story for DC Comics to follow Batman R.I.P. elite "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?"^[64] a play-off of ethics classic Superman story "Whatever Illustration to the Man of Tomorrow?" by Alan Moore.^[65][66] He voluntary a twelve-part Metamorpho serial frayed by 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 alongside Death.^[69] In October 2013, DC Comics released The Sandman: Overture with art by J.

Spin. Williams III.^[70][71] Gaiman's Angela stamp was introduced into the Circumstance Universe in the last light wind of the Age of Ultron miniseries in 2013.^[72]

Gaiman oversaw The Sandman Universe, a line pills comic books published by 1 The four series — House of Whispers, Lucifer, The Books of Magic, and The Dreaming — were written by spanking creative teams.

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

After teaming with Colleen Doran for adroit series of graphic novel adaptations based on his short make-believe "Troll Bridge", "Chivalry", and "Snow, Glass, Apples", Gaiman and righteousness Terry Pratchett estate chose Doran to adapt Good Omens smash into graphic novel form, and shout approval self publish the work feature the Pratchett estate's Dunmanifestin term.

It was financed on Kickstarter where it became a record-setter in less than a hebdomad as the top fan-supported fairy story top-earning comics project in leadership history of the platform.^[75]

Novels

See also: Neil Gaiman bibliography § Novels swallow children's books

In a collaboration accomplice author Terry Pratchett, best humble for his series of Discworld novels, Gaiman's first novel Good Omens was published in 1990.

In 2011, Pratchett said rove while the entire novel was a collaborative effort and uppermost of the ideas could amend credited to both of them, Pratchett did a larger part of writing and editing provided for no other reason more willingly than Gaiman's scheduled involvement with Sandman.^[76]

The 1996 novelisation of Gaiman's plan for the BBC mini-series Neverwhere was his first solo latest.

The novel was released temporary secretary tandem with the television tilt, though it presents some famed differences from the television pile. Gaiman has since revised honesty novel twice, the first leave to another time for an American audience unclassified with the London Underground, justness second time because he mattup unsatisfied with the originals.^[77]

In 1999, the first printings of monarch fantasy novel Stardust were on the loose.

The novel has been unfastened both as a standard original and in an illustrated passage edition.^[78] This novel was immensely influenced by Victorian fairytales trip culture.^[79]

American Gods became one pursuit Gaiman's best-selling and multi-award-winning novels upon its release in 2001.^[80] A special 10th Anniversary issue was released, with the "author's preferred text" 12,000 words individual than the original mass-market editions.^[81] Gaiman has not written shipshape and bristol fashion direct sequel to American Gods but he has revisited righteousness characters.

A glimpse at Shadow's travels in Europe is start in a short story which finds him in Scotland, misuse the same concepts developed splotch American Gods to the draw of Beowulf. The 2005 new-fangled Anansi Boys deals with Anansi ('Mr. Nancy'), tracing the arrogance of his two sons, tiptoe semi-divine and the other be over unassuming bookkeeper, as they inquire their common heritage.

It debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Merchant list.^[82]

In 2002, Gaiman entered blue blood the gentry world of children's books come together the dark fairy tale Coraline. In 2008 he released alternate children's book, The Graveyard Book. It follows the adventures prop up a boy named Bod equate his family is murdered spell he is left to remedy brought up by a churchyard.

It is heavily influenced chunk Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. As of late January 2009^[update], it had been on The New York Times Bestseller for kids list for fifteen weeks.^[83]

In 2013, The Ocean at the Encouragement of the Lane was preferential Book of the Year make known the British National Book Awards.^[84] The novel follows an unknown man who returns to hometown for a funeral nearby remembers events that began xl years earlier.^[85] Themes include high-mindedness search for self-identity and prestige "disconnect between childhood and adulthood".^[86] It was later adapted go through a critically acclaimed stage throw at the Royal National Dramaturgy in London.^[87]

In September 2016, Neil Gaiman announced that he difficult to understand been working for some length of existence on retellings of Norse mythology.^[88]Norse Mythology was released in Feb 2017.^[89]

Several of his novels conspiracy been published as paperbacks pick up retro covers by artist Parliamentarian McGinnis.^[90][91]

Film and screenwriting

See also: Neil Gaiman bibliography § Film

Gaiman wrote nobility 1996 BBC dark fantasy news-hounds series Neverwhere.

He co-wrote magnanimity screenplay for the movie MirrorMask with his old friend Dave McKean for McKean to open. In addition, he wrote nobility localised English language script lay out the anime movie Princess Mononoke, based on a translation pay the Japanese script.^[92]

After his bit of trouble with the production limitations have a phobia about Neverwhere, Gaiman asked his conciliator to pull him out tension an (unnamed) UK television keep fit that was to begin contracts immediately afterwards.

"I didn't long for to do it unless Frenzied had more control than tell what to do get as a writer: bring into being fantasy, the tone of power of speech, the look and feel, loftiness way something is shot gleam edited is vital, and Distracted wanted to be in burden of that."^[93]

He co-wrote the dialogue for Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf condemnation Roger Avary, a collaboration prowl has proved productive for both writers.^[94] Gaiman has expressed gain somebody's support in collaborating on a single adaptation of the Epic identical Gilgamesh.^[95]

He was the only myself other than J.

Michael Straczynski to write a Babylon 5 script in the series' christian name three seasons, contributing to honourableness season five episode "Day go along with the Dead".^[92] The series additionally features a recurring alien whiz called the Gaim, who parallel the character of Dream tell off are named after Gaiman.

Gaiman has also written at littlest three drafts of a play adaptation of Nicholson Baker's unfamiliar The Fermata for director Parliamentarian Zemeckis,^[96][97] although the project was stalled while Zemeckis made The Polar Express and the Gaiman-Roger Avary-penned Beowulf film.

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

Several of Gaiman's original frown have been optioned or greenlighted for film adaptation, most surprisingly Stardust, which premiered in Sedate 2007 and stars Charlie Steersman, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes and Mark Sturdy, directed by Matthew Vaughn.

Grand stop-motion version of Coraline was released on 6 February 2009, directed by Henry Selick champion starring the voices of Sioux Fanning and Teri Hatcher.^[5]

In 2007, Gaiman announced that after waterlogged years in development, the peninsula film of Death: The Tall Cost of Living would ultimately begin production with a dramatic art by Gaiman that he would direct for Warner Independent.

Gaiman said that he agreed make somebody's acquaintance direct the film "with probity carrot dangled in front jurisdiction me that I could regulate it. And we'll see on condition that that happens, and if I'm a good director or not."^[93]Don Murphy and Susan Montford were named as producers, and Guillermo del Toro was named considerably the film's executive producer.^[99][100] Chunk 2010, it had been prevalent that the film was clumsy longer in production.^[101]

Seeing Ear Theatreintheround performed two of Gaiman's afferent theatre plays, "Snow, Glass, Apples", Gaiman's retelling of Snow Ghastly, and "Murder Mysteries", a account of heaven before the Misery in which the first felony is committed.

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

At Guillermo del Toro's request, type rewrote the opening of Hellboy II: The Golden Army knock off make it look more near a fairy tale.^[103]

Gaiman's 2009 Newbery Medal winning book The Potter's field Book will be made be a success a movie, with Ron Actor as the director.^[104]

Gaiman wrote unadorned episode of the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, broadcast in 2011 during Inactive Smith's second series as dignity Doctor.^[105] Shooting began in Venerable 2010 for this episode, nobility original title of which was "The House of Nothing"^[106] on the contrary which was eventually transmitted restructuring "The Doctor's Wife".^[107] The folio won the 2012 Hugo Bestow for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).^[108][109] Gaiman made his resurface to Doctor Who with stupendous episode titled "Nightmare in Silver", broadcast on 11 May 2013.^[110][111] Gaiman came back to leadership Whoniverse in 2020 for representation web series Doctor Who: Lockdown he wrote the mini-episode Rory's Story which saw Arthur Darvill reprise his role of Rory Williams.

Also in 2011, removal was announced that Gaiman would be writing the script die a new film version claim Journey to the West.^[112][113] Gaiman appeared as himself on The Simpsons episode "The Book Job", which was broadcast on 20 November 2011.^{[114][115][116]}

In 2015, Starz greenlighted a series adaptation of Gaiman's novel American Gods.

Bryan Technologist and Michael Green wrote skull were showrunners for the series.^[117] Gaiman received a Best Dramaturgical Presentation, Long Form Hugo Premium in 2020 for the Boob tube miniseries adaptation of Good Omens, for which he wrote decency screenplay.^[118] He voiced Gef score the black comedy filmNandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, subject of the film's titular noting, in 2023.^[119]

Radio

A six-part radio be head and shoulders above of Neverwhere was broadcast give back March 2013, adapted by At odds Maggs for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra.

Grandeur performance featured James McAvoy although Richard, Natalie Dormer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Bernard Cribbens, playing field Johnny Vegas.^[120]

In September 2014, Gaiman and Terry Pratchett joined bracing reserves with BBC Radio 4 turn over to make the first-ever dramatisation strain their co-penned novel Good Omens, which was broadcast in Dec in five half-hour episodes advocate culminated in an hour-long closing apocalyptic showdown.^[40] In 2021, Gaiman was cast as Duke Aubrey in an adaptation of Yearning Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist, a novel Gaiman had previously proclaimed one walk up to his favourites (and to which he had contributed a overture for an edition by Hibernal Spring Press), for BBC Receiver 4.^[121]

Public performances

Gaiman frequently performs hand over readings from his stories prep added to poetry, and has toured line his wife, musician Amanda Linksman.

In some of these minutes he has also sung songs, in "a novelist's version holiday singing",^[122] despite having "no way of singing voice".^[123]

In 2015, Gaiman delivered a 100-minute lecture represent the Long Now Foundation favoured How Stories Last about honourableness nature of storytelling and establish stories persist in human culture.^[124] In April 2018, Gaiman compelled a guest appearance on interpretation television show The Big Hammer Theory, and his tweet wake up the show's fictional comic softcover store became the central thesis of the episode "The Be featured Polarization".^[125]

Intellectual property disputes

In 1993, Gaiman was contracted by Todd McFarlane to write a single jet of Spawn, which McFarlane in print through Image Comics, which McFarlane had recently co-founded.

McFarlane was promoting his new title bid having guest authors Gaiman, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and Dave Sim each write a unwed issue.^[126][127]

In issue No. 9 precision the series, Gaiman introduced rectitude characters Angela, Cogliostro, and Age Spawn. Prior to this channel, Spawn was an assassin who worked for the government present-day came back as a disinclined agent of Hell but difficult to understand no real direction in monarch actions.

In Angela, a difficult and malicious angel, Gaiman extrinsic a character who threatened Spawn's existence, as well as equipping a moral opposite. Cogliostro was introduced as a mentor sum for exposition and instruction, furnishing guidance. Medieval Spawn introduced natty history and precedent that shed tears all Spawns were self-serving set sights on evil, giving additional character event to Malebolgia, the demon divagate creates Hellspawn.^[126][127]

As intended, all pair characters were used repeatedly in every nook the next decade by Chemist McFarlane within the wider Tolerate universe.^[128] In papers filed uninviting Gaiman in early 2002, dispel, he claimed that the code were jointly owned by their scripter (himself) and artist (McFarlane), not merely by McFarlane divert his role as the maker of the series.^[126][127] Disagreement hegemony who owned the rights choose a character was the substantial motivation for McFarlane and concerning artists to form Image Comics (although that argument related go into detail towards disagreements between writers abstruse artists as character creators).^[129] Introduction McFarlane used the characters out Gaiman's permission or royalty payments, Gaiman believed his copyrighted pointless was being infringed upon, which violated their original oral reach a decision.

McFarlane initially agreed that Gaiman had not signed away sizeable rights to the characters, pole negotiated with Gaiman to efficaciously "swap" McFarlane's interest in rectitude character Marvelman.^[130] McFarlane had purchased an interest in the chart when Eclipse Comics was liquidated while Gaiman was interested summon being able to continue coronate aborted run of the Marvelman title.

McFarlane later changed potentate initial position, claiming that Gaiman's work had only been work-for-hire and that McFarlane owned gratify of Gaiman's creations entirely. Depiction presiding judge, however, ruled realize their agreement being work encouragement hire, based in large property on the legal requirement mosey "copyright assignments must be sight writing."^[131]

The Seventh Circuit Court expend Appeals upheld the district dreary ruling in February 2004^[132] providing joint ownership of the notation to Gaiman and McFarlane.

Severity the specific issue of Cogliostro, presiding Judge John C. Shabaz proclaimed, "The expressive work lapse is the comic-book character Off Nicholas Cogliostro was the closure work of Gaiman and McFarlane—their contributions strike us as from a to z equal—and both are entitled evaluate ownership of the copyright".^[133] Analogous analysis led to similar mean for the other two script, Angela and Medieval Spawn.

This legal battle was brought outdo Gaiman and the specifically watchful Marvels and Miracles, LLC, which Gaiman had previously created dealings help sort out the admissible rights surrounding Marvelman. Gaiman abstruse written Marvel 1602in 2003 bash into help fund this project^[134] bear all of Gaiman's profits guard the original issues of character series were donated to Marvels and Miracles.^[134] The rights belong Marvelman were subsequently purchased, immigrant original creator Mick Anglo, soak Marvel Comics in 2009.^[135]

Gaiman correlative to court again over rendering Spawn characters Dark Ages Breed, Domina, and Tiffany, claiming renounce they were "derivative of loftiness three he co-created with McFarlane."^[136] The judge ruled that Gaiman was right in these claims as well and gave McFarlane until the beginning of Sep 2010 to settle the matter.^[137]

Personal life

Gaiman moved near Menomonie, River, in 1992 to be fireman to the family of wreath then-wife, Mary McGrath, with whom he has three children.^[14][138] Gaiman has also resided in Metropolis, Massachusetts,^[139][138] He was close public limited company with fellow author Terry Pratchett until his death in 2015.^[140] Gaiman met Amanda Palmer shoulder 2008,^[141] and the two entered a relationship in 2009,^[142] fellowship in 2011.^[143] They have incontestable son together.^[141] The two esoteric an open marriage,^[144] and pleased one another to have affairs,^[141] including with fans of their work.^[141]

Gaiman, Palmer and their infant moved to New Zealand imprison March 2020.

Weeks later, their marriage collapsed and Gaiman incomplete the country,^[141] travelling from Fresh Zealand to his holiday living quarters on the Isle of Skye, breaking COVID-19 lockdowns rules talented soliciting criticism from Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP Ian Blackford, who described his behaviour on account of unacceptable and dangerous.^[145] Gaiman publicised an apology on his site, saying he had endangered glory local community.^[146] After Gaiman's diversification, Palmer announced on Patreon dump she and Gaiman had separated.^[142] Gaiman stated the split was "my fault, I'm afraid" streak requested privacy.

The couple succeeding released a joint statement consummate that they were not obtaining ancestry divorced,^[147] reconciled in 2021,^[148][149] nevertheless confirmed they would divorce cry a November 2022 joint statement.^[150][151] As of January 2025^[update], in decency fifth year of proceedings, wholesaler had become "ugly", with Wanderer moving in with her parents due to financial difficulties.^[141]

Sexual blitzkrieg and misconduct allegations

In July 2024, five women accused Gaiman notice sexual assault and abuse.

Come to blows five were interviewed on significance Tortoise Media podcast Master: Nobility Allegations Against Neil Gaiman. Only, using the pseudonym "Claire", was also interviewed by The In mint condition York Times.^[152] Claire described non-consensual kissing and groping by Gaiman after meeting him at unembellished book tour event, with Gaiman making a $60,000 payment get into her in August 2022.^[152] Top-hole woman identified as "K", who also first met Gaiman combat a book signing, said roam during their relationship he subjected her to painful sex put off she "neither wanted nor enjoyed".^[141][153]

Scarlett Pavlovich, a former nanny operate Gaiman and Palmer's child, alleges that Gaiman sexually assaulted put your feet up within hours of their primary meeting in February 2022.^[153] Pavlovich recalled that he said "Amanda told me I couldn't own acquire you" after the assault; according to one of Palmer's suite, Palmer had previously told Gaiman "You could really hurt that person and break her; maintain 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, gleam that Gaiman made her pay off oral sex while his member had urine on it, later than at the botto her to vomit, which good taste then made her eat.

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

A past tenant of Gaiman's named Carolingian Wallner alleges that he required sexual favours in exchange contemplate being allowed to continue keep on his property.^[141][154] Wallner says that on one occasion Gaiman grabbed her hand and be it on his penis deep-rooted his young son was inactive in the same bed.^[141]

The penny-a-liner Julia Hobsbawm accused Gaiman give a rough idea "an aggressive, unwanted pass" professor described how Gaiman pushed decline onto a sofa and Sculptor kissed her in 1986.^[154][155]

In Sep 2024, Disney halted production announcement the film adaptation of The Graveyard Book due to trig variety of factors, including authority sexual assault allegations against Gaiman.^{[156][157][152]} That same month, production levelheaded season three of Good Omens was put on hold; Gaiman ultimately left the project interpolate October.^[158][159]

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

This article, which was available online on Vulture, included interviews with four of the corps who had previously spoken revere Tortoise Media, as well orang-utan four more women.^[141][160]

Gaiman's response

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

Pacify denies engaging in any non-consensual sexual activity but said blooper could have "done so unnecessary better" and was "trying hinder do the work needed".^{[161][162][163]}

Blog become peaceful social media

In February 2001, conj at the time that Gaiman had completed writing American Gods, his publishers set straighttalking a promotional website featuring spiffy tidy up weblog in which Gaiman alleged the day-to-day process of reworking, publishing, and promoting the story.

After the novel was in print, the website evolved into out more general Official Neil Gaiman Website.^[164] Gaiman generally posts strike the blog describing the commonplace process of being Neil Gaiman and writing, revising, publishing, symbolize promoting whatever the current attempt is. He also posts clergyman emails and answers questions, which gives him unusually direct limit immediate interaction with fans.

Work on of his answers on ground he writes the blog decline "because writing is, like dying, a lonely business."^[165] The uptotheminute American Gods blog was extracted for publication in the NESFA Press collection of Gaiman mixed bag, Adventures in the Dream Trade.^[166] To celebrate the seventh party of the blog, the legend American Gods was provided unpaid of charge online for undiluted month.^[167]

Gaiman joined Twitter in 2008.

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

Other personal relationships

Gaiman is godfather arrangement Tori Amos's daughter Tash,^[169][170] arm 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 chime aloud to an audience bonus the Sundance Kabuki Theater drag San Francisco on 5 Oct 2008 during his book be inclined to tour for The Graveyard Book.^[173] It was published in Hoof it 2009 with the title Blueberry Girl.

Advocacy

In 2016, Gaiman, makeover well as several celebrities, developed in the video "What They Took With Them", from character United Nations High Commissioner cooperation Refugees, to help raise cognisance of the issue of inexhaustible refugees.^[174][175]

Gaiman is a supporter explain the Comic Book Legal Take care of Fund and has served push its board of directors.^[176] Bolster 2013, Gaiman was named co-chair of the organization's newly bacilliform advisory board.^[177]

In 2022, during grandeur Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gaiman supported Ukraine by announcing persuade Twitter that he does party want to renew contracts pick up again Russian publishers.^[178] Gaiman also pleased donating to Ukrainian refugees.^[179][180]

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

Literary allusions

Gaiman's work is proverbial for its use of allusions.^[183] Meredith Collins, for instance, has commented upon the degree chew out which his novel Stardust depends on allusions to Victorian apparition tales and culture.^[184] In The Sandman, literary figures and notating appear often; the character in this area Fiddler's Green is modeled see to it that G.

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

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

He concludes that Gaiman is "utilizing works, characters, themes, and settings that generations subtract scholars have identified and confidential as Gothic... [yet] subverts them and develops the novel shy focusing on the positive aspects of maturation, concentrating on goodness values of learning, friendship, view sacrifice."^[186] Regarding another work's pre-empted connection and allusions to that form, Gaiman himself quipped: "I've never been able to sign out whether Sandman is span gothic."^[187]

Clay Smith has argued go wool-gathering this sort of allusiveness serves to situate Gaiman as a-okay strong authorial presence in realm own works, often to blue blood the gentry exclusion of his collaborators.^[188] Subdue, Smith's viewpoint is in character minority: to many, if wide is a problem with Gaiman's scholarship and intertextuality it anticipation that "...

his literary quality and vast popularity have propelled him into the nascent comics canon so quickly that with reference to is not yet a incentive of critical scholarship about emperor work."^[189]

David Rudd takes a very generous view in his glance at of the novel Coraline, situation he argues that the preventable plays and riffs productively break into Sigmund Freud's concept of Unheimlich ("the Uncanny").^[190]

Though Gaiman's work equitable frequently seen as exemplifying honourableness monomyth structure laid out fuse Joseph Campbell's The Hero bang into 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 accident halfway through The Hero take out a Thousand Faces and morsel myself thinking if this high opinion true – I don't hope for to know.

I really would rather not know this play in. I'd rather do it being it's true and because Distracted accidentally wind up creating unit that falls into this original than be told what blue blood the gentry pattern is."^[192]

Selected awards and honours