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At A Glance: 12 Fascinating Neil Gaiman Facts

Think you know everything about the rockstar writer?

At A Glance: 12 Fascinating Neil Gaiman Facts

December 08, 2021

The Sandman, American Gods, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens, Neverwhere, Stardust. Neil Gaiman is a writer of novels, comic books, screenplays, poetry, audio recordings, and children’s books. If you happened to not have knowingly consumed any of his work, you’ve probably watched some media he has contributed to. It’s hard to think of a creative project he hasn’t worked on or of a literary award he hasn’t won. (Okay, besides the Nobel in Literature, but let’s admit it’s not THAT hard to think of him winning it.) That's all to say, he's a well-respected, prolific writer who has been in the public eye for a while. Here are 12 fun facts about him…

12

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Ocean at The End of The Lane started as a short story for his wife Amanda Palmer Palmer was away on tour and Gaiman missed her so much he wanted to send her something personal. Instead of gifting flowers, he started a short story that he couldn't stop writing. CRACKED.COM

11

Gaiman Grew Up In Scientology

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Neil Gaiman's dad was Scientology's PR chief in the UK FOUNDING CHURCH OF CIENTOLOGY Neil Gaiman grew up in the Church of Scientology. Even though he has left the Church, it's certianly interesting that a church founded by a sci-fi writer helped to create one of the great writers of the genre. CRACKED.COM — Source: Village Voice

10

Neil Gaiman Was In A Punk Band

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Gaiman started a punk band while in school to WHIRLW Farz OUT 24°DE FAIT 300g PRESIDENCE Не was the lead singer of the Ex-Execs. It ended when someone threw a full can of beer at his face. CRACKED.COM — Source: Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously

9

He Wrote A Duran Duran Biography

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Gaiman started his writing career as a freelance journalist D N'T PANIC His first book was a biography about Duran Duran. His second was the Douglas Adams biography Don't Panic: The Official Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion. CRACKED.COM — Source: Neil Gaiman Official Site

8

He Turned Down Penthouse

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Не was offered a feature editor job at Penthouse ATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR Mbx RNATIONAL SPIRACY STELLO: OUNG DREAM Не was a freelance writer for the girly magazine, and even though he needed the steady income to support his family, he turned it down to pursue fiction. Не said, There's an alternative universe where I said yes, and I feel really sorry for him. CRACKED.COM — Source: Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously

7

Gaiman Met Pratchett When He Interviewed Him

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Gaiman was the first journalist to interview Terry Pratchett as an author. The Apocalypse has never been funnier. Clive Barker The two met in 1985 in a Chinese restauraunt. They quickly became friends, and when Pratchett offered to write something with Gaiman, he quickly agreed, adding that was the nearest I was ever going to get to Michaelangelo phoning to ask if I wanted to paint a ceiling with him. CRACKED.COM — Source: BBC

6

His Link To Harry Potter

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Gaiman wrote a series eeriely similar to Harry Potter...seven years before J.K. Rowling did. Neil Gaiman Gaiman's DC Comic miniseries he Books of Magic is about an English boy with glasses who finds out he's a wizard on his 12th birthday. CRACKED.COM — Source: The Atlantic

5

He Outsold Batman

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN The Sandman outsold Batman and Superman The first issue of the D.C. comic in 1988 sold well, but the second to fourth sold less well. It wasn't until the fifth issue it slowly started to gain more traction, outselling the classics by its final issues. CRACKED.COM — Source: The Guardian

4

Coraline

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Coraline almost wasn't published because it was too creepy for kids Gaiman's agent Merrilee Heifetz believed the book wasn't appropriate for kids but used her kids as a litmus test. Her kids said it wasn't too scary, but years later, they admitted it terrified them but lied because they wanted to know what happened next. CRACKED.COM — Source: EW

3

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Coraline was inspired by stories Gaiman's daughter Holly would tell She would tell stories about a girl named Holly who would come home to an evil witch pretending to be her mom and go on adventures with friendly ghosts to bring her real mom back. CRACKED.COM

2

Lucifer Was Inspired By David Bowie

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Neil Gaiman instructed the penciler to draw Lucifer in Sandman after a young David Bowie. Gaiman is a huge Bowie fan, saying Yes, the young, folk singer-period Bowie was the inspiration. I imagined Lucifer as a junkie angel, and young Bowie was the closest we got. CRACKED.COM — Source: The Chicago Tribune

1

AT A GLANCE NEIL GAIMAN Gaiman paid tribute to Terry Pratchett by leaving a seat for him at the Good Omens premiere Gaiman reserved a seat next to him, with Pratchett's hat and scarf since the late Pratchett had told him that he would only believe there would ever be a movie of their novel when I'm sitting next to you at the premiere with a big bag of popcorn - and I don't promise I'll believe it then. CRACKED.COM — Source: RadioTimes

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