#preludes and nocturnes

[mayhaps-a-blog]

So I feel like the fandom is getting a little confused on Dream’s different forms.

Because he doesn’t really change shape so much as is perceived as looking different.

Dream is Dream is Dream.

A cat will see a cat Dream walking along the road. A human will see a “human” Dream wandering the town. A flower will see a flower Dream floating with the wind.

It’s all the same figure, in the same place, at the same time. Dream hasn’t changed; only who’s looking at him.

There’s a good page from the books I think gets this idea across well: as part of the DC cameos, he meets J'onn J'onzz while in the company of a human; J’onn sees him as a Martian deity, a flaming skull, while the human sees him as Dream as we know him. Dream is both, equally, at once.

He is capable of appearing as a specific being to others, especially in dreams - he appears to Alex as a cat, for instance - but unless he’s making an effort, it’s generally a matter of perception.

So, go forth and write all the shapeshifting Dream fanfic! And maybe toss in some fun twists in perception too :)

[scrumptiouswordsthings]

Rosemary in The Sandman

We meet Rosemary in Ep. 4 of The Sandman, A Hope in Hell, and she is one of the characters who had some big changes from the comics (WARNING: spoilers for comics and Ep. 4 ahead).

For anyone unfamiliar or in need of a refresher, in the comics, she appears in Passengers (Preludes and Nocturnes #5), and she is a nurse driving past Arkham Asylum when John Dee (naked) accosts her and demands she drive him to Mayhew. During the drive, and while being held and gunpoint, she attempts to offer him some kindness - she offers him a sandwich, her husband's coat, and listens to him expound on his life story. She mentions her two daughters, and when she drops Dee off at Mayhew they seem to have a decent rapport. Dee thanks her for the ride before promptly shooting her.

Now to The Sandman show, which dramatically changes Rosemary's story. She does still pick up Dee in her car to take him to Mayhew, albeit with much less threatening as she offers it out of kindness and with no threats on Dee's part. Their conversation on the drive reveals that Dee is not of sound mind and has been kept away from regular society for awhile although they do discuss her children and philosophize a bit together. She does the sensible thing and attempts to have a gas station clerk call 911 when they stop. Dee, however, has a magical protection amulet that puts a quick stop to that. Rosemary continues to drive him to Mayhew although she is terrified of him now. When she drops Dee off in Mayhew she simply asks that he does not hurt her dog, Susie, who is in the car with her. She also, while admitting that she will regret this *out loud*, offers to drive him elsewhere even after she is sure that he plans to kill her. Dee, in a reversal from the comics, takes off his protection amulet and gives it to Rosemary before sending her on her way home physically unharmed.

So, we have our two Rosemary's. I, personally, adored the changes made for the most part in the show and this change was one of my favorites. She still relies on empathy, but in the show it feels less of a manipulation and just is an element of her core personality. Part of my interest in specifically the change to her character's fate in the show is because Dee's actions directly following Rosemary driving Dee to Mayhew send the world into chaos due to his misuse of Dream's ruby. There are fires, rioting, and the kind of events that can be summed up as the world gone mad.

Comics Rosemary is deceased, and hence does not care, but TV Rosemary not only is experiencing this chaos but is also in possession of a potent protection amulet that likely ensures she is near untouchable by violence of any sort. There is no sudden and violent ending of her story in the TV show which leaves so much open potential for the character's experiences. What will the rest of this character's life look like after this brush with the supernatural and likely death? How much of what happens immediately after she drops Dee off impact her and her place in the Sandman universe? Or does it have any impact outside of what Dee's presence in her life already caused? There is so much potential in this open end!

[comparativetarot]

Four of Wands. Art by Shannon Hochman, from the Sandman Tarot Deck.

[heatherbelart]

Endless…

"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭."

When I was 18 years old, one of the first gifts my boyfriend gave me was The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes, and dear reader, I married him.

I’m not claiming the two things are related, but they aren’t entirely unrelated either.

So thrilled to see it brought to life on our screens, and done with such care.

Painted on Procreate in oil paints and charcoal on a waxed canvas. Prints available in my Etsy store.

[aetheltrythh]

A nod to V for Vendetta in The Sandman?

I've read Alan Moore's V for Vendetta recently, and I can't help it, but this panel:

is reminiscent of this panel in The Sandman:

So I wonder if it was Neil's nod to Alan :-)

[derangedrhythms]

Have you ever had one of those days when something just seems to be trying to tell you somebody?

Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, from 'Preludes and Nocturnes'

[seaofwakinglife]

"You say I have no power? Perhaps you speak truly... But--you say DREAMS have no power here? Tell me, Lucifer Morningstar... Ask yourselves, all of you... What power would HELL have if those here imprisoned were NOT able to DREAM of HEAVEN?"

– The Sandman #4: A Hope in Hell in The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes, by Neil Gaiman

[tamilhobbit]

Day 13 - Nocturne

In art, a nocturne is a night scene, so I considered doing a nature scene of trees by a lake at night or something.

But then I remembered that the first Sandman volume is titled Preludes and Nocturnes, and then I had to draw Morpheus. Trying to draw sand blowing was tricky.

So. Much. Black. Ink. One of my markers ran dry doing the background. (Admittedly I've been using that marker since I started doing Inktober some years ago. 😜)

[thelastofthebookworms]

I couldn't include Endless Nights or Overture. Don't throw rocks at me.

And please reblog so we have some voters.

[celestialmega]

[peacefulomens]

I’m only four episodes into The Sandman and I am in love. The way that they use different camera lenses and angles to give a feeling of the immateriality of the Dreaming and how Dream moves through the world is spectacular. And the colors!! Oh my god the color schemes. They’re pulled pretty much directly from the books and even though I haven’t read them in years the exact images immediately pop into my head. The style of the effects is giving me MirrorMask vibes and I am here for it. Fantastic. I love the indie-artsy style. It’s so *chef’s kiss*.

I also adore the casting choices. Tom Sturridge is absolutely wonderful. Whoever did his hair deserves an award cause it’s just perfect. As close to the drawings as it can be. I love it. Jenna Colman as Johanna Constantine instead of John makes me wonder if there will be a flashback with John as her ancestor instead, but even if there isn’t it’s fantastic. And Cain! Abel! They look like the characters come to life! (Abel more so than Cain, given that Cain’s a different ethnicity, but it’s so good!!) As does the Corinthian! Lucienne is also brilliant and I love her outfit. Oh yeah. PATTON OSWALT IS THE PERFECT PERSON FOR MATTHEW. I didn’t know that’s what I needed until it happened and I’m so happy. David Thewlis is brilliant as usual, and once again, whoever did the hair got. it. right. (Idk why, but hair is apparently important to how I see these characters).

It seems like this season is just focusing on Preludes & Nocturnes and if that means we get a season for each novel I will be over the moon!!

Ok, I’m done gushing for now. There’ll probably be more as I keep watching the show. Especially since they’re going to Hell in the next one. I am so ready for Gwendoline Christie’s Lucifer.

[patricialupien]

Matthew the Raven gives his boss some advice. (Matthew needs a lot more fan art and Matthew belongs to @neil-gaiman)

(via Matthew the Raven Photographic Print by Patricia Lupien)

[shinelikethunder]

[comparativetarot]

The Devil. Art by Shannon Hochman, from the Sandman Tarot Deck.

[dirtytomatoedwrites]

Reader's cousin "Rafe will never be seen in public with a Pogue"

*Rafe kissing reader in the Rain IN PUBLIC* 👁️👄👁️

The heart wants what the heart wants.

[mayhaps-a-blog]

Yeah he’s a 10 but his father kept a man locked up in the basement and he swears the guy will kill him if he escapes.