Part 3 in our ongoing series in which the artists of Neverwhere talk about Neil Gaiman.  Don’t miss Neverwhere this summer when it opens August 16!

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“If you choose magic you will never be able to return to the life you once lived.” – The Phantom Stranger, The Books of Magic

I have been waiting for Neverwhere for a very long time. If you were to ask me what writer best describes my world view the answer would be Kurt Vonnegut, if you asked me who I want to be when I grow-up it would be Neil Gaiman.

I came to Gaiman later than my brother. He read every issue of Sandman in the original run and has a Morpheus tattooed on his right arm. Now days it looks like a giant bruise because the colors have run together, but he is that kind of Gaiman fan.

My personal gateway to the worlds of Neil Gaiman came by way of a graphic novel called The Books of Magic. Long before Harry Potter, young Tim Hunter had the potential to become the greatest magician of his age. Mr. Gaiman weaved together the history, legends and comic book lore and crafted a story which at its core is the story of what a teenaged boy wants to be when he grown up. After that I was hooked.

I believe Mr. Gaiman’s unique gift it to take men, women, children, gods, monsters and demons and puts them through hell and gives them the gift of wisdom.

What is Sandman but a 75 issue long lesson to teach the Lord of Dreams the meaning of love? What is Coraline but a young girl discovering that rules are the way your parent’s show their love? What is American Gods but a book about a drifter god find his father?

These lessons are set in extreme circumstances but the feelings and dynamics are as real as the ground you stand on. Parents lie, siblings fight, first love is rarely your only love and never ever tell your name to a stranger.

The end of this summer when Rorschach takes DC audiences on a wild ride called Neverwhere, we will hopefully help audiences discover the simple yet vital truth for Richard Mayhew. I look forward to all of you joining us.