Neil Gaiman: ‘Brazil was the first country to discover Sandman’

In anticipation of the release of the Sandman series on Netflix on August 5, 2022, Neil Gaiman, author of the comics on which the streaming production is based, took the opportunity to bring an interesting curiosity in a post on Twitter: “Brazil was the first country to discover Sandman.”

In addition to this revelation, the writer took the opportunity to praise the location of the iconic work in Brazil: “The comics were published there with translations in (honesty forces me to admit) much better editions than the American comics.”

“Each issue had an enlarged cover detail on the back cover and illustrated essays explaining or expanding on things in the comics,” continued Gaiman in the publication. “Brazil was the first place an audience took the stage with me (ok, that event was a little scary).”

According to the author, Brazil was the first place he saw an adaptation of Sandman: Even on stage a little earlier, it was the Oldest Game part of A Hope in Hell. So, this is me giving a special hello to Brazil, and all Brazilian Sandman readers. Sweet dreams! See you on Netflix August 5th.”

Each issue had a detail of the front cover blown up on the back cover and illustrated essays inside explaining or expanding upon things in the comic. Brazil was the first place an audience ever hit the stage with me on it (okay, that one was a bit scary) 2/3

—Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) July 28, 2022

and the first place I ever saw an adaptation of Sandman (same stage a bit earlier, it was the Oldest Game part of A Hope in Hell). So this is giving me a special shout-out to Brazil, and all the Brazilian Sandman readers. Sweet dreams! See you on Netflix on August 5th. 3/3

—Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) July 28, 2022

Neil Gaiman defends the cast of sandman with black and non-binary actors

After Netflix announce the cast of sandmana series based on the comics by Neil Gaiman, there were some complaints about the casting of black and non-binary actors. However, the creator of the work defended the choice and criticized those who did not understand the original comics. The information is from EW.

On May 26, 2021, streaming confirmed Mason Alexander Park as Desirea non-binary character in the comics, and Kirby Howell-Baptisteblack actress cast as Deathvisually white in the source material.

The production and Neil Gaiman were attacked on the internet for confirming these artists in the series of sandman. The writer replied in twitter.

“I don’t give a shit about work,” he replied to someone who accused him of not protecting the comics. “I’ve spent 30 years successfully fighting bad movies from sandman. I don’t give a damn about those who don’t understand/have not read the comic and complain about Desire non-binary or about Death not be white enough. Watch the show, make up your own mind.”

I give all the fucks about the work. I spent 30 years successfully battling bad movies of Sandman.

I give zero fucks about people who don’t understand/ haven’t read Sandman whining about a non-binary Desire or that Death isn’t white enough. Watch the show, make up your minds. https://t.co/KcNzap8Kt4

—Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) May 29, 2021

Death and Desire are brothers of Dream (Tom Sturridge), protagonist of the series, and members of the immortal pantheon called The Endlessin which each embodies a central concept of the universe.

Although Death appear with white skin in sandmanshe is not “white” in the sense of being Caucasian, but a literal white, as if she were the color of a ghost.

EW also reported: it is important to note how the endless manifest themselves in many ways in the comics, because they represent timeless concepts. As one fan recalled in a post, shared by Neil Gaiman, Death manifests itself as a young Chinese girl in a story, while in one of the first editions of sandmanset in ancient Africa, Dream appears as a black man.

At the twitter, John Scalziscience fiction author, wrote as Desire “It was really the first time I encountered, in fiction, the idea of ​​a person not being binary. I can’t imagine reading Sandman and desiring the character like anything else.”

(note I’d known of androgynous people/presentation and of trans people before Sandman, but those are two different concepts with some possible but not required overlap.)

— John Scalzi (@scalzi) May 29, 2021