The Endless

Neil Gaiman

I am certainly not the first to show such appreciation for Neil Gaiman and his Sandman series. It's almost a trend now among "the strange crowd" to be drawn into his marvelous and unreal stories of King of Dreams. And while I hate to feel trendy my own connection with the series has definitely inspired a rendering or two from my hands. As such I think I should put aside my own feelings that I might be "following the crowd" and just hope that my own sketches somehow capture and portray some of the pathos that the works brings out in me.

There is a certain type of individual that Mr. Gaiman appeals to dead on. If you are not that type then you might find yourself confused by his stories. Or you may really like them a lot and then put them down and move on to the next distraction. However, if you are that aforementioned type of individual then you wonder how this unassuming polite British gentleman managed to crawl into your head and pull out your hopes and dreams. The work really does speak to some people and it doesn't bother me to say that I am one of them. While not every story appeals to me directly I can pick up the books time and again off of my shelf and find that I am still compelled by the sheer delight of reading these stories written just for the sake of telling good stories.

Many of these sketches were done with an old ballpoint pen during some brief idle time at work. As such many are crude, but very honest. Some are thumbnails that just kept going. Sometime later I may go back and redo them more professionally.

Endless

Death South Jersey has lots of backcountry roads. On those roads you tend to see a lot of dead animals that have been hit by cars. It's the sad sort of sight that can depress me for the rest of the day. I always wondered as a kid if there was a special heaven for such poor creatures. It would be nice to think that someone gave a darn about them in the end.

Delirium The embodiment of madness and boundless possibility. Most folks who know Mr. Gaiman's work are in love with the sometimes-cutesy younger sister of Endless. They adopt her odd mannerisms and emulate her flighty nature. They see her as funny and lovable. However, I never saw her life as a happy one. Always just barely in control, always going over the edge, always fighting off the voices or just giving in and slipping away. Sometimes gaining insight, but mostly holding on to coherence by her thin fingers. Not a pleasant way to spent eternity.

Gates of Horn and Ivory I had an idea in my head of the "new" Dream King walking his realm. He walks near the gates through which all dreams pass on their way to the real world. I had a strong image of the Dream King's helm and that was my main focus for the piece. Beyond that I just played with the contrasts of black and white to add to the stark empty quality of the scene.

Dream (Morpheus) I wanted to capture Morpheus at work. This was a rough sketch intended for a later piece. Though he is wearing his helm the scene is still almost a tender one, a rare sight for the sometimes cold Lord of Nightmares.

Dream (Morpheus 2) I always liked the image of the Dream King in his helm. The pseudo-WWI gas mask seems so alien and imposing. This is truly the Lord of Nightmares.

Dream (Morpheus III) I did this quick sketch at work. For some reason that night I tuned in to the Dream King's sometimes moody, self reflective (some would say almost pouty) behavior that. He has the look of a disinterested British rock star about him. Like he belongs on an album cover somewhere.

Dream (Daniel) Somehow I think I would get along better with the amiable Daniel were I to meet him somewhere. He seems so much less pretentious and severe. This is my first attempt at rendering the once and future Dream King.

Dream Denizens

The Corinthian The living nightmare/serial killer known only as the Corinthian is the subject matter for this portrait. He not some buff super-powered psycho in tights or a megalomaniac magical villain. He looks almost ordinary, even handsome (with the obvious exception of his eyes, which are replaced by two small sets of teeth that he covers with dark glasses). He is quiet, relentless, and (to a degree) charismatic. And he is one of the coolest characters I have ever read about.

The GateKeepers This sketch is of the Griffin, the Wyvern and the Hippogriff. They guard the castle in the heart of the Dreaming. While the Dream King may not be physically formidable in appearance these three servants more than make up that illusion. I wanted to show their intimidating blocking presence as the Prince of Stories patiently waits in the lit doorway behind them.

Merv Pumpkin-Head It is a compliment to Mr. Gaiman's versatility that the same man who brought us the poetically brooding Morpheus could give us the unforgettable Merv, janitor and handyman of the Dreaming. Here this rough-talking, cigar-chomping "average Joe" mops up a "small puddle" some inconsiderate dreamer left on the floor.

Merv with Kittens A friend of mine told me about a dream she had where she jumped off a cliff following a group of kittens. She then met a talking bird at the bottom of the cliff that promised to take her to where the kittens were. However, her father walked in the room and woke her up before she could reach her destination. My question was, what happened to the waiting kittens? I figured the cigar-chomping janitor of the Dreaming would have to sort it out.

[Main] [Mystic Realms] [Changeling] [Sketchbooks]

Death	South Jersey has lots of backcountry roads. On those roads you tend to see a lot of dead animals that have been hit by cars. It's the sad sort of sight that can depress me for the rest of the day. I always wondered as a kid if there was a special heaven for such poor creatures. It would be nice to think that someone gave a darn about them in the end.
Delirium	The embodiment of madness and boundless possibility. Most folks who know Mr. Gaiman's work are in love with the sometimes-cutesy younger sister of Endless. They adopt her odd mannerisms and emulate her flighty nature. They see her as funny and lovable. However, I never saw her life as a happy one. Always just barely in control, always going over the edge, always fighting off the voices or just giving in and slipping away. Sometimes gaining insight, but mostly holding on to coherence by her thin fingers. Not a pleasant way to spent eternity.
Gates of Horn and Ivory	I had an idea in my head of the "new" Dream King walking his realm. He walks near the gates through which all dreams pass on their way to the real world. I had a strong image of the Dream King's helm and that was my main focus for the piece. Beyond that I just played with the contrasts of black and white to add to the stark empty quality of the scene.
Dream (Morpheus)	I wanted to capture Morpheus at work. This was a rough sketch intended for a later piece. Though he is wearing his helm the scene is still almost a tender one, a rare sight for the sometimes cold Lord of Nightmares.
Dream (Morpheus 2)	I always liked the image of the Dream King in his helm. The pseudo-WWI gas mask seems so alien and imposing. This is truly the Lord of Nightmares.
Dream (Morpheus III)	I did this quick sketch at work. For some reason that night I tuned in to the Dream King's sometimes moody, self reflective (some would say almost pouty) behavior that. He has the look of a disinterested British rock star about him. Like he belongs on an album cover somewhere.
Dream (Daniel)	Somehow I think I would get along better with the amiable Daniel were I to meet him somewhere. He seems so much less pretentious and severe. This is my first attempt at rendering the once and future Dream King.

The Corinthian	The living nightmare/serial killer known only as the Corinthian is the subject matter for this portrait. He not some buff super-powered psycho in tights or a megalomaniac magical villain. He looks almost ordinary, even handsome (with the obvious exception of his eyes, which are replaced by two small sets of teeth that he covers with dark glasses). He is quiet, relentless, and (to a degree) charismatic. And he is one of the coolest characters I have ever read about.
The GateKeepers	This sketch is of the Griffin, the Wyvern and the Hippogriff. They guard the castle in the heart of the Dreaming. While the Dream King may not be physically formidable in appearance these three servants more than make up that illusion. I wanted to show their intimidating blocking presence as the Prince of Stories patiently waits in the lit doorway behind them.
Merv Pumpkin-Head	It is a compliment to Mr. Gaiman's versatility that the same man who brought us the poetically brooding Morpheus could give us the unforgettable Merv, janitor and handyman of the Dreaming. Here this rough-talking, cigar-chomping "average Joe" mops up a "small puddle" some inconsiderate dreamer left on the floor.
Merv with Kittens	A friend of mine told me about a dream she had where she jumped off a cliff following a group of kittens. She then met a talking bird at the bottom of the cliff that promised to take her to where the kittens were. However, her father walked in the room and woke her up before she could reach her destination. My question was, what happened to the waiting kittens? I figured the cigar-chomping janitor of the Dreaming would have to sort it out.