As an avid fan of his work, one sincerely hopes that Neil Gaiman “will keep making things up and writing them down,” as he promises on his Twitter bio. More so, after the resounding success of the live adaptation of The Sandman. Barring a few changes to the original story, the Netflix version is as close to the comic books as it can be and does full justice to the source material. Also, given that the comics were written over three decades ago, the timeless material still feels fresh and ages well, just like fine wine.

Netflix’s The Sandman is the product of a lot of hard work from an amazing team of supremely talented creatives. But none of it would’ve been possible without Neil’s brilliant storytelling mind and his undying passion for his work. No wonder he is tirelessly promoting the show with all his heart. His passion for the show is plain as day even in the simplest of Twitter interactions he has with the fans.

Neil Gaiman and his fan engagement are entertaining and educational

Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory once hilariously reacted to a Neil Gaiman tweet praising the show’s comic book store. “Well, uh, it’s no Sandman, but I guess we can’t expect everything he (Neil Gaiman) writes to be a masterpiece,” said Sheldon. While we agree that The Sandman is a masterpiece, Neil’s tweets are nothing short of legendary. 

Whether it’s in response to praise or criticism, Neil always interacts with his audience in the most genuine way possible. From indulging in fan theories to geeking out about other shows, he appears as one of us. Whether someone has been a devotee for decades or is brand new to his work, he welcomes everyone with open arms.

Having said that, he absolutely stands by his show. He does not abide by baseless accusations and backlash that certain so-called fans throw his way. In fact, he has his own witty way of putting them back in their place. He calls them out, hitting them with hard facts, and laying out the logic plainly.

Author, Creator, Executive Producer: The Sandman is Neil’s Baby

According to the lore of the past 30 years, there were multiple attempts to recreate The Sandman that met their demise. Why? Because Neil refused to settle for a bad rendition. In an interview with Variety, he admitted having “stopped so many bad Sandman movies“, whether it was “by hook or by crook, by fair means or foul.” So much so that fans termed the graphic novels unfilmable at one point. Well, if there’s one entity that truly captures the essence of “worth the wait,” it’s probably The Sandman.

A lot of credit for this goes to the author and creator, Neil Gaiman. His hands-on approach and involvement in the adaptation as an executive producer is the reason the show’s vision was never compromised. Whether it is the aesthetics, insights into the characters or the diversity in the show, every aspect of the show have the Neil Gaiman stamp of approval. Moreover, Neil is a dream to work with, and every person from The Sandman team absolutely adores him.

Gwendoline Christie, who plays Lucifer on The Sandman, thanked Neil for “standing up for us and trying to protect us.” Christie received major backlash when the creators decided to gender-swap the devil and cast Gwendoline. She was “very moved by the love and responsibility he feels for his co-creators.” 

Even Mason Alexander Park, who embodies Desire on the fantasy show, called Gaiman a “badass.” In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, they expressed their appreciation for Neil for defending the show. They called him “one of the greatest living authors of all time.” They even commend him for adapting The Sandman, being “completely ingrained in it” and “getting his DNA on every single frame of it.”

What do you think of Neil Gaiman and his newest vision for The Sandman? If you haven’t yet, you can check out all the episodes of The Sandman season 1 streaming on Netflix.