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Neil Gaiman, the legendary author and creator of popular graphic novels such as Sandman, American Gods, Good Omens, and Coraline, will be selling a number of items from his personal collection through a sale at Heritage Auctions for the first time. The auction is currently open for bidding and will culminate in a live event on March 14th, with Gaiman in attendance.
“I love the idea of sharing things I’ve cherished for a long time with the world,” Gaiman expressed about the upcoming Heritage Auctions sale, which features a total of 126 lots from his collection.
A portion of the proceeds from this auction will benefit the Hero Initiative, providing medical and financial assistance to veteran comics creators, writers, and artists in need. Additionally, some of the funds will be directed to the Authors League Fund, supporting authors, journalists, critics, poets, and dramatists. Gaiman has also committed to sharing a portion of the proceeds with the artists behind each sold item, who helped to bring his creations to life.
Few modern fantasy authors have achieved as much success as Neil Gaiman. Born in Portchester, England, in 1960, he began his writing career in the 1980s as a comic book writer, primarily for DC Comics, where he created his best-known series, “The Sandman.” After relocating to the USA in the early 90s, he published his first novel, “Good Omens,” co-authored with Terry Pratchett. Following this debut, Gaiman went on to produce a number of novels, comics, radio plays, and screenplays, including works in the realm of children’s literature such as “Coraline.” Gaiman has been the recipient of multiple Eisner Awards, and in 2002, his novel “American Gods” received the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards, three of the most prestigious honours in fantasy literature in the USA.
One of Gaiman’s best-known creations is the Sandman series. Sandman (1989–96) tells the story of Dream, an ageless character also known as Morpheus, whose sister Death was introduced in the eighth issue and soon became as popular as her brother. Sandman became one of DC Comics’ bestselling titles.
One of the highlights of the upcoming sale is a 1994 painting of the character Death of the Endless by the French artist Jean Giraud, also known as Moebius. Giraud’s painting of Death is the one that Gaiman bought for himself. “Since 1996, it has been hanging on my wall, and I walk past it, and it makes me smile every time I see it,” he said. “I love it so much. But there are so many Moebius fans out there—and so many people who love Death—and I think it would bring incredible joy to the world.”
The sale also includes 56 pieces that chronicle the evolution of Dream, the character at the centre of the ‘Sandman’ comics. Numerous artists have illustrated Gaiman’s Sandman stories or depicted Dream and his siblings. Many of their pieces can be found in this event, including works by Michael Zulli, Jill Thompson, Yoshitaka Amano, Gaiman’s Stardust collaborator Charles Vess, and Mike Dringenberg.
Most of the items in the sale were gifts to Gaiman, including original artworks that demonstrate Gaiman’s love for the medium, such as pages from early Swamp Thing issues, as well as a 17-panel page from Watchmen, gifted to Gaiman by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the creators behind the seminal graphic novel. Puppets, signed comic books, and awards the author has received over the years, including Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, Eisner Awards, Locus Awards, Harvey Awards, and more, are also available for sale.
Now open for bidding, the sale will culminate in a live auction on March 14 where Gaiman will be present. In the meantime, highlights will be on display at Heritage’s Chicago offices from March 4–6, and there will be a livestreaming salon hosted by Jill Thompson on March 6. The collection will be available for viewing by appointment at Heritage’s Dallas HQ from March 11–13.
