Oct 31

UGO has an interview with Henry Selick who is directing the upcoming Coraline movie. Here’s an excerpt:

DE: Are you still doing Neil Gaiman’s Coraline?

HS: Yes. I just finished a polish on the third draft, which was accepted. The producer really likes the screenplay, and I hope to go into pre-production in January.

DE: Is it going to be a mixture of animation and live action, like Monkeybone?

HS: It is going to be live action with some CG effects but, unlike Monkeybone, I will write the screenplay. I want to take charge of the story. It is stylized. I can’t really compare it to anything else. It’s not like any other story.

DE: Well, it’s a Neil Gaiman story.

HS: It’s Neil Gaiman, and that world. So I want to be faithful to that world and story.

Thanks to Russell Frushtick for the heads-up.

Oct 31

Happy Halloween!

Yvonne Zipp’s review of Coraline appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor.

“…Unlike many of the other adult writers trying their hand at a children’s tale, Gaiman actually seems to understand the way children think. And his writing has the pared-down elegance of the best fairy tales…”

While that should surprise no one in particular, I thought it was fine to see someone note it in print.

Oct 24
icon1 lucy_anne | icon2 Lore | icon4 6:32 pm| icon3No Comments »

Yes, it’s trivial, but fun. From the
Globe and Mail:
…When I was talking to the popular British author Neil Gaiman (his latest novel is Coraline), I whipped out my Mont Blanc to have him inscribe a copy of his book for me.

“Ahhh, a pen man, I see,” Gaiman said. “Check this out, brother.” With that, he pulled out a big Waterman fountain pen and handed it to me. I weighed it in my hand, raising my eyebrows at the heaviness.

“May I?” I asked.

“By all means.”

I took out my notebook and wrote a few words. We then returned our beloved writing instruments and proceeded to talk about pens for the next 20 minutes…

Full cite: Christopher Heard; “Watches and pens: It’s a guy thing”: Globe and Mail; October 19, 2002; p.L6.

Oct 18
Cinnamon
icon1 lucy_anne | icon2 Stories | icon4 11:58 pm| icon3No Comments »

Niniave Lake noted on AFNG today:
…Neil wrote a
story that is up at the Dream Haven neil gaiman site…

  • Cinnamon

    • Oct 18

    From PW Daily for Booksellers (October 17, 2002):

    As a writer, transplanted Brit Neil Gaiman has always had the proverbial irons in lots of different fires, winning accolades for his comics (Sandman), novels (American Gods), children’s books (Coraline, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish) and a BBC television series (Neverwhere), among other things. In fact, he takes great enjoyment in seeing his work adapted for various media. One type of adaptation he is particularly fond of is the audiobook.

    “I love audiobooks,” Gaiman told PW Daily in a recent interview. “[When they're done right], they can be one of the coolest things about having books out there.”

    Demonstrating his support of the audio genre, Gaiman agreed to narrate his children’s novel Coraline (July 2002) for HarperAudio. He even suggested that Harper release the audiobook several months ahead of the print version. “I thought it might reach some people who wouldn’t think of picking up an audiobook otherwise,” he explained.

    HarperAudio loved the idea, but due to a pushed up pub date for the print book, the Coraline audio ended up hitting shelves the past June, only a few weeks early. Regardless of timing, both versions have performed very well thus far.

    Dipping further into the audiobook well, this month Gaiman celebrates the release of Two Plays for Voices (HarperAudio), an audio adaptation
    originally produced for the Sci Fi Channel of two short stories from Gaiman’s collection Smoke & Mirrors. Brian Dennehy and a full cast perform “Murder Mysteries” and Bebe Neuwirth and a full cast perform “Snow Glass Apples.”

    This audio only production is available on two cassettes, lasting two hours, $18.95; two CDs, $22.95. It’s a must have for any Gaiman fanatic.–Shannon Maughan

    Only thing to add is it’s also a must have for people who are simply interested in what you can do with audio as a dramatic medium; if you find you like it, you might want to try the programs produced by ZBS and the BBC as well.

    Oct 17
    Dear Hollywood,
    icon1 Puck | icon2 News | icon4 1:41 pm| icon3No Comments »

    What’re you, on crack? Keanu is a good physical actor, but when the boy has to say *words*…

    “Whoah.”

    Thanks to Arvin Clay for warning us about that one.

    Oct 08

    Federal Jury Sides With Author Neil Gaiman Against Todd McFarlane and the McFarlane Companies

    MADISON, Wis., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Neil Gaiman, author of the New York Times best-selling novel American Gods and creator of the immensely successful Sandman comic book series, has won his federal court suit against Todd McFarlane and his companies. McFarlane, best known for his three million-dollar investment in Mark McGuire’s 70th homerun baseball, created the SPAWN comic book franchise.

    The case centered on Gaiman’s creation of three characters that became central to the franchise and McFarlane’s alleged failures to pay Mr. Gaiman for use of the characters, his reprintings of Gaiman’s material without attribution, and McFarlane’s falsely claiming copyright of materials written solely by Mr. Gaiman.

    The District Court’s final judgment awarded Mr. Gaiman a joint copyright interest in the three comic book characters he created: Medieval Spawn, Cogliostro, and Angela, and in the SPAWN and ANGELA comic book issues he wrote.

    A forthcoming arbitration will award to Mr. Gaiman half the profits to date from each of those characters and publications since their inception. Gaiman was also awarded forty-five thousand dollars for the unauthorized use of his name and biography to market Image Comics’ 2001 trade paperback, Angela’s Hunt. Ken F. Levin, Mr. Gaiman’s counsel, noted that the future copyright damage award may be substantial, as the characters Mr. Gaiman conceived of appeared frequently as international toys and were featured in the “SPAWN” animated series broadcast for two seasons on HBO television, and in the theatrical feature film “SPAWN.” Gaiman has been on record since the beginning of the suit that any monies remaining from those he receives from the suit after his attorneys’ fees are paid, will be donated to comics-related charities, including the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (www.cbldf.com).

    After the verdict Mr. Gaiman stated, “I am hugely appreciative of the jury’s decision, and of the efforts of the entire legal team. But I regret that bringing the matter to Court was made necessary.” Meanwhile McFarlane was quoted as saying, “I can’t seem to get around that it is a very complicated case that jurors didn’t get the full grasp of. We’ll see what time tells.” Mr. McFarlane’s attorneys have promised an appeal.
    /CONTACT: Andy Heidel, +1-917-279-5412, andy.heidel@ verizon.net, for Neil Gaiman/
    09:19 EDT

    Oct 07
    Clippings
    icon1 lucy_anne | icon2 Lore | icon4 7:32 am| icon3No Comments »

    Odd piece on YA literature in the Christian Science Monitor

    ###

    Coming Soon is quoting that the new Entertainment Weekly has an interview with Roger Avary that speaks about the Beowulf script he and Neil worked on.

    ###

    A review of Coraline has been posted at Utah Daily Herald

    ###

    Tim O’Shea’s interview with Constantine Valhouli, director of the “Sex, Lies and Superheroes” documentary, is up at CBEM. From it:

    …some of the highlights
    from our interviews have been visiting Stan Lee in his offices in Los
    Angeles; interviewing Neil Gaiman amidst a group of adoring fans and
    Ford models in a gothic club, Downtime; drinking beers with Frank
    Miller at Siberia Bar, a wonderfully skanky bar in Hell’s Kitchen…

    Oct 06
    Teen Read Week
    icon1 lucy_anne | icon2 General | icon4 4:49 pm| icon3No Comments »

    There’s a short article in the Pocono Record, written by the librarians at Pocono Mt. Public Library, speaking about Teen Read Week (October 13 – 19, 2002); the theme this year is “Getting Graphic @ Your Library”, focusing on graphic novels.

    By the way, on the ALA site, in the article on collection development for libraries with graphic novel sections, Steve Raiteri gives his highest recommendation, in terms of mature reader titles, to the Sandman series. Brief Lives and other titles in the Sandman series are recommended in the reviews written by teens.

    ###

    On a somewhat related note, it looks like Coraline has been nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults for 2003 by the Young Adult Library Services Association; Death:The High Cost of Living was one of the winners for graphic novels in their Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2002, and Stardust won their Alex award in 2000.

    ###

    And speaking of young adult novels, as noted in the blog, Neil reviewed Summerland in today’s Washington Post. In reference to authors moving into the YA field, thought this was incredibly apt:
    I wonder, though, if there isn’t another phenomenon at work here. Fiction seems capable of existing in only one ghetto at a time, so if your book is in what used to be known, rudely, as the kiddylit ghetto, then it is children’s fiction, no matter what else it might be (fantasy, historical, horror, sf, humor, romance and so on). As a result of the enormous success of authors like J.K. Rowling and Pullman, adults in the millions have now read and enjoyed fantasy novels without ever having had to browse the fantasy shelves. For the most part, after all, the crossover books tell tales in which the joy of story is also the joy of the fantastic without apology, a freedom of children’s literature that can be lost at adulthood, where metaphor becomes literal and genre restrictions apply.

    But whatever the reason, the former kiddylit ghetto has become fashionable, the cool people are moving in, and property prices are starting to climb.

    The review is worth reading, as is Summerland itself, and if you have opportunity to hear Michael Chabon read, do so, even if you don’t have children to take in tow. He’s very good.

    Oct 05
    icon1 lucy_anne | icon2 News | icon4 11:49 pm| icon3No Comments »

    From the Associated Press:
    MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A federal jury has upheld writer Neil Gaiman’s claim that he co-authored two characters in the “Spawn” comic books.

    Following Thursday’s decision, arbitrators must decide how much money series creator Todd McFarlane owes Gaiman for co-creating the characters Medieval Spawn and Cogliostro in an early “Spawn” issue.

    They also will decide how much McFarlane must pay Gaiman for not crediting him with writing part of another “Spawn” issue.

    His lawsuit in U.S. District Court claimed McFarlane used Cogliostro, Medieval Spawn, and another character Gaiman created, Angela, without his authorization.

    Gaiman’s lawsuit also alleged McFarlane made a wrongful claim to Miracleman, a character in a comic book series Gaiman co-wrote with Alan Moore. The jury agreed.

    Afterward, McFarlane and Gaiman obliged a young fan by autographing a collaborative issue of “Spawn” that had landed them in court.

    ###

    There is also coverage in the Edmonton Journal

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