May 2009 Spotlight

The first Spotlight author for Shojo U is Neil Gaiman! A group favorite, many of us have read at least one of his works. We've been showing his BBC aired six episode mini-series Neverwhere (which brought about his book of the same name) and we plan on showing the movie Stardust based on his stellar novel at our May 29th meeting.

Gaiman has been in the game for a couple of decades now. He started off as a music journalist, writing and networking to get himself a step up into the world he hoped to join. His first published short story was Featherquest in 1984, while surprisingly his first book was a biography for the band Duran Duran in that same year. Still inspired by music and musicians today, obviously his former bread and butter was also an early love.

His first foyer into the world of comics was picking up Miracleman after the famed Alan Moore was finished with the series. This led to many other projects with one of his main collaborators and illustrators, Dave McKean, including eventually their own spin on a DC heroine, Black Orchid with an origin swing that even touched on other plant oriented DC characters including Alan Moore's handling of Swamp Thing. However, Gaiman's greatest work in this field and some may say of all is The Sandman series which started in 1989, ran until 1996, and was published by DC until picked up by DC's more fantasy and horror oriented imprint, Vertigo. Sandman follows the Endless, beings who have lived longer than humans, gods, even time. The lead character is Dream, also called Morpheus, the Shaper, and countless of other names. He's a mournful man with black eyes who can be both kind and uncaring; kind when it comes to the poor souls that are abused within and without his realm and uncaring when it comes to those who hurt him, like a former lover of his that he condemned to Hell for forsaking him. Gaiman has also done work with the Spawn series which led to issues between himself and series creator Todd McFarlane over character copyright when McFarlane used characters that Gaiman created for the series without permission or paying royalties. This dispute was settled in a 2002 hearing where the McFarlane and Gaiman were granted joint custody of the characters. Other comic works of Gaiman have been various illustrated versions of short stories, a colonial take on the Marvel heroes in "Marvel 1602", and a two part Batman story titled "Whatever Happened to the Cape Crusader?" that followed "Batman R.I.P."

Stepping away from comics and into a more traditional medium, Gaiman's made large contributions to the literary world. His first real work in the serious world of fiction was a collaboration with Terry Prattchet of Disc World fame to create a humorous take on the end of the world called "Good Omens". The 1990 novel featured characters, demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale who find themselves dealing with the coming of the Anti-Christ that went just a bit awry. His second novel was based off of the mini series Neverwhere released on BBC in 1996. A normal man is thrown into the London Underground, a place full of dark beings and magic goings on that you and I don't even notice. It was actually released in tandem with the series, though having a number of differences. Following this was "Stardust", which was published in 1999 in novel form and was illustrated into a storybook style novel with the drawings of Charles Vess. Another man thrust into a strange world, but for love and adventure more than simple mistakes. The next novel is likely his best known in this format, the best-selling and multi-award winning "American Gods". The 2001 novel won the 2002 Hugo, Stoker, Locus, Nebula, and Geffen awards, not to mention being nominated for numerous others. An ex-con finds himself lost in the world of mythology that has taken hold with the immigrants fairy tails and stories along with the local lore of America. His next adult novel in 2005, "Anansi Boys" even takes a supporting character, Mr. Nancy (Anansi) and follows his sons, one who is for lack of better term normal and the other who is the exact opposite.

Gaiman has also published successful novels for youth, including "I Sold My Father For Two Goldfish", "Wolves in the Walls" which was adapted into a play format, and "Coraline". A novelette about a little girl with a big imagination and an "other mother", "other father", and other more interesting life on the other side of a little bricked up door. As with Gaiman's other works however, nothing can be as good as it seems in those creepy black button eyes. A story for his eldest daughter that was completed for his youngest, it was made into a stop motion movie in 2009. It was also turned in to a graphic novel, a musical, and a video game. A big feat for a bedtime story. His most recent writings for children were "Blueberry Girl," a poem put to pictures and words that was written for the daughter of singer Tori Amos and "The Graveyard Book," a take off of the classic "The Jungle Book" set in a graveyard. While yes, a children's book, but like Coraline is contains a bit of darkness. Don't be mistaken, these as other books aimed at kids are easily readable to adults as well.

Stepping into yet another area of entertainment, Gaiman has done a lot of work in films, including scripts and directing. His Neverwhere series started the trend and was followed up by writing the English language script for famed Hayao Miyazaki film, "Princess Mononoke" as well as co-writing the script for Beowulf and an episode of science fiction series, Babylon 5. His own work as previously mentioned has been made into film, such as "Stardust" and "Coraline". Along with these comes 2005 Mirrormask, a film about a girl who wants to run away from the circus and the lie she leads there with a Jim Henson feel like old cult classics such as "Labyrinth" and "The Dark Crystal", but absolutely standing apart from those films given Gaiman and Dave McKean's co-writing flair, the latter's directing, and not to mention the updates to technology since those older films. It's also notable that "Death: The High Cost of Living", a short spin-off of The Sandman graphic novels that follows Death instead of Dream, and the more recently published "The Graveyard Book" will both be hitting the big screen.

Though fans come and go, Neil Gaiman is a constant in some way, shape, or form. Once you've finished everything, there should be something new or maybe something old hiding out in the shelves or even the big screen. His heavy use of strong females is what's given him the position as this club's spotlight author. In "Neverwhere," Door surges through all the hardships and the frightening world beneath the streets even leading about some stranger along with her guard which includes the best guard in the London Underground who certainly fits into our strong females as well. With "Stardust," Yvaine is willful and speaks her mind, giving poor Tristam a run for his money. "Coraline" gives us a curious little Coraline who finds adventure in unlikely places and saves the day even though she's scared of what's happening. Even going back to his graphic novels, we see Death who is essentially the Grim Reaper by our definitions as a sympathetic soul who knows people fear and hate her, but she also knows and accepts that people just don't understand her and what she means. Black Orchid too, in the form of Black Orchid, Susan, even little Suzie are strong women who surely have their moments of doubt and naivety, but could they be honestly called weak? No. So here's to Neil! Keep them coming, we'll keep paying your bills or hopefully at least buying you a drink or two.