Inside, he’s met by old friends including landlady Miranda and Helena, her splendidly grumpy barmaid, played by Monica Dolan and Montserrat Lombard, respectively. Paul and Martyn round out the uneasy, tetchy group of regulars. Paul is an actor, resting between jobs and Martyn is a small, precise man who is frequently the butt of the jokes.

Titles starring characters and/or based on concepts introduced or re-introduced by Gaiman during his run on The Sandman include: This is a far more subdued pair of episodes, compared to last week, and structurally they’re very similar. “Closing Time” in particular is a monologue with occasional interruptions, and it gives Vegas a chance to shine. One of the UK’s best, darkest, and oddest comedians, he’s started to show a real aptitude for dramatic work in recent years. This is the best performance I’ve ever seen from him, shifting from slightly cruel humor to honesty to something approaching that clear, empty space that sits just beyond terror. Daniel saw something impossible and it marked him, not in a life-changing way but just enough to shift his perceptions. The others are telling stories, Daniel’s telling the truth. Or at least, giving the truth greater scope.Spirit of the Season" (co-written by Matt Wagner and Steven T. Seagle, drawn by John K. Snyder III, in #1, 1998) Kallies, Christy (20 December 1998). "Caitlin R. Kiernan: Traveling Through Dreams". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on 3 August 2001. Trident #1: " The Light Brigade" (co-written by Gaiman and Nigel Kitching, art by Kitching, anthology, Trident, 1989) The Sandman Presents: The Dead Boy Detectives #1–4 (written by Ed Brubaker, drawn by Bryan Talbot, 2001) Gaiman, Neil (30 April 2005). "The Speech I Just Gave at the Nebulas". neilgaiman.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005.

Gaiman, Neil (27 June 2004). "What I said at the Harveys". neilgaiman.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2004.The Spirit: The New Adventures #2: "The Return of the Mink Stole" (with Eddie Campbell, anthology, Kitchen Sink, 1998) Neil Gaiman - SANDMAN:THE DREAM HUNTERS". The WELL. 28 June 2000. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011.

Closing Time, from the same book, is an almost MR James-style story of a man spinning a tall tale of haunted houses to the members of his gentleman’s club. Feeders And Eaters starts off in the company of Joyce (Montserrat Lombard), a warm, straight-to-camera kind of character who is heavily pregnant and works at an all-night cafe. One night her brother’s old school friend, the once gorgeous Eddie (Tom Hughes) turns up and starts to tell her a story about his life, and his affection for an old lady who has taught him where to find all sorts of interesting things to eat. Again, we’re heading into unpleasant territory, and the less you know in advance, the better – because then you can come with an open mind to the big questions that the story brings to you. Beyond the scary aspects, beyond the strange, there’s a point about human relationships to do with how we sustain and nurture each other, and sometimes take the best of each other without giving in return. In 2018, Vertigo launched The Sandman Universe sub-imprint with an eponymous one-shot consisting of several segments produced by various creators from a story by Gaiman: Includes the A Death Gallery one-shot (1994) featuring pin-ups of Death created by various artists and an introduction written by Gaiman. Live at the Aladdin (VHS recording of Gaiman's spoken word performance at the Aladdin Theater on 24 October 2000, released by CBLDF in 2001, ISBN 0-9630944-9-1)As a result, Vertigo launched The Sandman Presents, a separate label for short-form spin-off works produced by various creators: Kallies, Christy (22 January 1999). "Peter Hogan: Interview by Christy Kallies". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on 20 May 2001. Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 #5–8 (as "consultant" — due to the Marvel debut of the character Angela; written by Brian Michael Bendis, drawn by Sara Pichelli and other artists, 2013) Neil Gaiman's Mr. Hero the Newmatic Man (written by James Vance, drawn by Ted Slampyak, one-shot, 1996) Flood, Alison (24 June 2010). "Neil Gaiman wins Carnegie medal - Alison Flood". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 May 2018.