The Sandman: A Gallery Of Dreams
Art by Dave McKean,
Matt Wagner,
Barron Storey,
George Pratt,
Terry Moore,
Teri S. Wood,
Brian Bolland,
Shane Oakley,
Paul Lee,
Craig Hamilton,
Eddie Campbell,
Rick Berry,
Michael Zulli,
Geof Darrow,
Simon Bisley,
Jamie Hewlett,
Mark Chiarello,
Alex Ross,
Bill Koeb,
Mike Mignola,
Malcolm Jones III,
Kelley Jones,
Jon J Muth,
Jeff Smith,
Tony Harris,
Colleen Doran,
Gahan Wilson,
Alison Seiffer,
Tom Taggart,
Jill Karla Schwarz,
Greg Spalenka,
Moebius &
Charles Vess
Once upon a time, a title that expected to run to about 30 issues found
itself approaching 50. And it became clear that the current story would
end at 49, and so the writer said to himself "Neil (that was his name),
this would be a good time to publish that final Distant Mirrors story,
Ramadan. And this is traditionally a time of much generosity, whereby we
include extra material in the comic, and increase the price
appropriately. So what should I add, in case the public does not like
this tale I have fashioned, or the art provided for it by that gentleman
among gentlemen, P. Craig Russell?" As it came to pass, these doubts
were unfounded, but Neil Gaiman (for that was also his name) was a fair
and just writer, and wished the best for his readers. Thus he brought
forth a plan, and the plan was this: he would contact artists from
across the globe, artists whose work he had always admired, but whose
work had not yet graced the pages of "The Sandman" (that was the name of
the comic), and he would invite them : "Come! Set your hand to
portraying my creation, and submit to me your work, and it shall be in
the special issue, and absent from all of the collections and much
treasured". And so they did, and "Facets of Dream: an Artists Gallery "
was the result. And the readers looked, and saw that it was in parts
beautiful, and in parts mysterious, and in part Todd McFarlane. And they
were much pleased. And the People In Charge saw that the readers were
much pleased, and all was well. And it came to pass that the next
storyline was a collection of short stories, and those that watch said
to themselves "Mayhap Mr. Gaiman (for so he was also called, after the
fashion of the time) wishes to finally bring this series to an end, and
wishes to divest himself of these tales (and a strange and unruly bunch
they were) before the end approaches". And the People In Charge saw all
of this, and saw that the readers were still buying the comic, and were
much pleased, and all was well. And the time came for the last story of
substantial length, and the writer came to the People In Charge, and
said " Woe is me! The time has come for this great story to be told, and
it has not taken fixed form in my mind! What am I to do?" And the People
In Charge, who remembered the 50th issue warmly, and had been dwelling
much on it, unbeknownst to the writer, did say "Mayhap you should repeat
the gallery from issue 50, with more artists, and where there were once
paintings of Dream, let there now be paintings of Death, his sister, for
she is more pleasing to the eye, and has greater Merchandising Value".
"And", they added in the darkness of their souls, "We may add the value
of one unit of our currency to the cost of what proceeds, and thus our
coffers shall not be decreased. " And the writer saw that this was a
plan which would placate the ire of readers, and so it happened. And the
readers saw the Death Gallery, and again they saw that it was in parts
beautiful, in parts mysterious, and in parts Gahan Wilson. And the
people In Charge saw that the readers were much pleased, and they sat in
their Big Chairs, and thought to themselves, although what they thought,
they said to no-one. And it came to pass after many delays and fill-in
artists that need not be spoken of here, that the writer came unto the
People In Charge for a second time , and said to them "O woe is me! I
know now the ending of the tale, and I know how the journey to there
transpires for the greater part of all the characters, but I have not
enough of the details to write a plot for the next issue!" And the
People In Charge leaned forward in their seats, and asked of him"Hold!
You say that you have the shape of the story in your mind, and that it
is a fitting conclusion to the tale after all these months?" "Assuredly,
replied the writer "The answers to many questions, the end of most
stories, the conclusion of all karmas". "Then, by all the writers
guilds!" roared the People In Charge, "Take a month off! Finish weaving
the story, add as much snappy dialogue as you wish, and make a story
fitting for a writer of your status! In the meantime, be assured we
shall think of something. How would it be if we released another Artists
Gallery, with Dream as the central figure, as he was in the first?" And
the write saw that it was in his contract, and it was so. And so it has
come to pass that the Gallery of Dreams is released. And this reviewer
found that, like unto what went before it, it is a book of many
different qualities. There is much here that is beautiful, including the
work of Craig Hamilton, Michael Zulli, Alex Ross, Tony Harris, Tom
Taggart, Moebius, Geof Darrow, Charles Vess, and the capstone, an
incredible collection of images from the pen of Colleen Doran.
Similarly, there is much here that is mysterious, by artists including
Eddie Campbell, Geof Darrow, Jamie Hewlett, Bill Koeb, Gahan Wilson,
Alison Sheiffer and Jill Karla Schwarz, and much that is clearly
unsuited to the matter at hand, such as Simon Bisley, Jamie Hewlett, and
Mike Mignola. There are even two paintings which are manifestly
holdovers from the earlier Death Gallery, by Greg Salenka and Moebius.
Alas, there is very little of the insight found to generously sprinkled
in that previous collection, many of the artists being unable to resist
the opportunity to reproduce the "Dark Man Brooding" sketches that they
undoubtedly practised repeatedly during their teenage years. The
drawings by Doran and Vess are truly incredibly fine pieces, but I, for
myself, cannot recommend the whole item at the raised price
Andrew
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