Neil Gaiman

[Anemic_Newt]

Its a long time since Neil Gaiman had anything printed in 2k. Does anybody know if it was published before or after the first Sandman stuff. Had he already become famous? or is it yet another example of 2k having launched a career?

[2000AD Online]

If I remember correctly, 'Black Orchid' was Neil's only major work published prior to his one and only 2000 AD story. A 'Future Shock', I believe, in which things only work 'cos we think they work. Or something.

[nathan]

Gaiman's book-writing debut was a fantastic book all about Duran Duran, although I think he had written stuff for Knave or some other soft jazzmag before then.

In comics, he had four Future Shocks published between September '86 and September '87. Black Orchid was his first major US work but that came afterwards (1988). His comic Violent Cases drawn by Dave McKean and published by Escape in October 1987 was what made his name in comics-land. It was this, not the 2K stuff, that got him noticed by DC.

Nathan

[Matt]

If you look hard enough you'll find a Neil Gaiman story in one of the old annuals & then reprinted with new visuals in one of the yearbooks (can't remember if it's in a 2K or Dredd book). It's about a batch of illegal sugar that is been sold in MC-1 but turns out to really be spiders eggs. Various sugar addicts burst as the eggs hatch. I think it's a Hershey story (or it could be Dekker). No doubt if I'm wrong someone will correct me...

MATT

[Mk13]

The main thing that got Gaiman into the big league was the Swamp Thing script he gave Karen Berger (long-term DC editor), which she liked enough to give him some work (funnily enough, the Swamp Thing story in question wasn't actually drawn until a couple of years back). It also helped that he was mates with Alan Moore, who gave him a ton of advice, and I'd imagine, put in a good word for him with DC.

ISTR he used to write dodgy short stories for Penthouse, something you'll find more genre writers than you think doing (Anne Rice, for a start), cos the pay's good, and the work incredibly easy.

[DavidXBrunt]

Yeah, it was a Hershey story he wrote for the Annual.

[2000AD Online]

I have a confession. I once owned the issue of 'Knave' in which Neil interviewed Alan Moore.

[2000AD Online]

Heh. I stand corrected.

[Matt]

Tell me you didn't buy it just for that...

[2000AD Online]

No, actually. It was for Neil's incredibly insightful film and video reviews.