Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Neil Gaiman
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Neil Gaiman made an impact.
Neil Gaiman is a prolific English author known for his diverse body of work spanning short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. He gained prominence with the comic series *The Sandman* and authored acclaimed novels such as *Good Omens* (co-written), *Stardust*, *American Gods*, *Coraline*, *Anansi Boys*, *The Graveyard Book*, and *The Ocean at the End of the Lane*. Gaiman has also been involved in the television adaptations of *Good Omens* and *The Sandman*, further solidifying his impact on popular culture.
May 1984: First short story publication
In May 1984, Neil Gaiman's first professional short story, "Featherquest", was published in Imagine magazine.
1984: Gaiman wrote his first book, a biography of Duran Duran
In 1984, Neil Gaiman wrote his first book, a biography of the band Duran Duran, and co-edited Ghastly Beyond Belief with Kim Newman.
1986: First published comic strips for 2000 AD
In 1986-87 Neil Gaiman created some of his first published comic strips called Future Shocks, for 2000 AD.
February 1987: DC Comics hired Gaiman
In February 1987, DC Comics hired Neil Gaiman after being impressed with his work, and he wrote the limited series Black Orchid.
1987: Gaiman ended his journalism career
In 1987, Neil Gaiman ended his journalism career because British newspapers regularly publish untruths as fact.
January 1989: The Sandman series began
In January 1989, The Sandman series began. It tells the tale of Dream, also known as Morpheus.
1989: Stories for DC's Secret Origins series produced
In 1989, Neil Gaiman produced two stories for DC's Secret Origins series: a Poison Ivy tale and a Riddler story.
1989: The Sandman comic series begins
In 1989, Neil Gaiman's comic series, The Sandman, began its run. The series tells the tale of Dream, an anthropomorphic personification.
1990: Good Omens Published
In 1990, Good Omens, Neil Gaiman's first novel in collaboration with Terry Pratchett, was published. It marked Gaiman's entry into novel writing.
1990: The Books of Magic written
In 1990, Neil Gaiman wrote The Books of Magic, a four-part mini-series providing a tour of the mythological and magical parts of the DC Universe.
1990: Good Omens published with Terry Pratchett
In 1990, Neil Gaiman's first novel, Good Omens, was published in collaboration with Terry Pratchett.
1993: Contract to write Spawn issue
In 1993, Neil Gaiman was contracted by Todd McFarlane to write a single issue of *Spawn* for Image Comics, marking his involvement in the new title.
1993: Death: The High Cost of Living launched
In 1993, the limited series Death: The High Cost of Living launched DC's Vertigo line. Death, the older sister of Dream, was introduced in The Sandman and became a popular character.
March 1996: The Sandman series concluded
In March 1996, The Sandman series concluded after 75 issues. The series became one of DC's top selling titles.
1996: The Sandman: Book of Dreams co-edited
In 1996, Neil Gaiman and Ed Kramer co-edited The Sandman: Book of Dreams, a fiction anthology featuring stories and contributions by several authors and artists.
1996: Gaiman wrote Neverwhere
In 1996, Neil Gaiman wrote the BBC dark fantasy television series *Neverwhere*, showcasing his talent in television writing.
1996: Neverwhere novelisation published
In 1996, Neil Gaiman's novelisation of his teleplay for the BBC mini-series Neverwhere was published as his first solo novel.
1996: The Sandman comic series concludes
In March 1996, Neil Gaiman's comic series, The Sandman, concluded its run. The series, which began in 1989, became one of DC's top-selling titles.
1998: Publication of Smoke and Mirrors
In 1998, Seeing Ear Theatre performed two of Gaiman's audio theatre plays which were published in the collection *Smoke and Mirrors*. The plays were "Snow, Glass, Apples", Gaiman's retelling of Snow White, and "Murder Mysteries", a story of heaven before the Fall.
1999: Stardust released
In 1999, Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel Stardust was first printed. The novel was influenced by Victorian fairytales and culture.
2000: First published comic strips for 2000 AD
In 1986-87 Neil Gaiman created some of his first published comic strips called Future Shocks, and in 2000 these strips were published for 2000 AD.
2000: Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame published
In 2000, a story originally written by Neil Gaiman for Action Comics Weekly in 1989 was published as Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame.
February 2001: Gaiman's publishers set up a promotional website featuring a weblog
In February 2001, after Neil Gaiman finished writing American Gods, his publishers launched a promotional website featuring a weblog where he described the process of revising, publishing, and promoting the novel. This later evolved into the Official Neil Gaiman Website.
2001: American Gods released
In 2001, Neil Gaiman's American Gods was released and became a best-selling, award-winning novel.
2002: Coraline Published
In 2002, Neil Gaiman published "Coraline", adding another significant work to his bibliography.
2002: Publication of Coraline
In 2002, Neil Gaiman published *Coraline*, a dark fairy tale and his first venture into children's books. This marked a career milestone for Gaiman.
November 2003: Marvel 1602 published
From November 2003 to June 2004, Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602, an eight-issue limited series with art by Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove, was published.
![MARVEL 1602 [NEW PRINTING]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MkSczwnKL._SL500_.jpg "MARVEL 1602 [NEW PRINTING]")
2003: Gaiman wrote Marvel 1602
In 2003, Neil Gaiman wrote *Marvel 1602* to help fund Marvels and Miracles, LLC, which was created to sort out the legal rights surrounding Marvelman. All of Gaiman's profits for the original issues of the series were donated to Marvels and Miracles.
June 2004: Marvel 1602 series ended
From November 2003 to June 2004, Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602, an eight-issue limited series with art by Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove, was published, and the series ended in June 2004.
2005: Anansi Boys Published
In 2005, Neil Gaiman's novel Anansi Boys was published, debuting at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
August 2006: The Eternals published
From August 2006 to March 2007, Neil Gaiman's The Eternals, a seven-issue limited series drawn by John Romita Jr., was published.
March 2007: The Eternals series ended
From August 2006 to March 2007, Neil Gaiman's The Eternals, a seven-issue limited series drawn by John Romita Jr., was published, with the series ending in March 2007.
August 2007: Premiere of Stardust film adaptation
In August 2007, the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's *Stardust* premiered, starring Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes and Mark Strong, and directed by Matthew Vaughn.
2007: Announcement of Death: The High Cost of Living film adaptation
In 2007, Neil Gaiman announced that the feature film adaptation of *Death: The High Cost of Living* would finally begin production after ten years in development, with Gaiman writing and directing for Warner Independent.
October 2008: Gaiman read "Blueberry Girl" aloud at Sundance Kabuki Theater
On 5 October 2008, Neil Gaiman read his poem "Blueberry Girl", written for Tori Amos's daughter Tash, aloud to an audience at the Sundance Kabuki Theater in San Francisco during his book reading tour for The Graveyard Book.
2008: The Graveyard Book Published
In 2008, Neil Gaiman published The Graveyard Book, further solidifying his reputation as a prominent author.
2008: Release of The Graveyard Book
In 2008, Neil Gaiman released *The Graveyard Book*, a young adult novel influenced by Rudyard Kipling's *The Jungle Book* and H. P. Lovecraft’s *The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath*. The book follows the adventures of a boy named Bod raised in a graveyard after his family's murder.
February 2009: Release of Coraline stop-motion version
On 6 February 2009, the stop-motion version of Neil Gaiman's *Coraline* was released, directed by Henry Selick and featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher.
March 2009: "Blueberry Girl" published as a book
In March 2009, "Blueberry Girl", a poem by Neil Gaiman, was published as a book.
2009: Batman story written for DC Comics
In 2009, Neil Gaiman wrote a two-part Batman story for DC Comics titled "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?"
2009: The Graveyard Book movie adaptation announced
In 2009, it was announced that Neil Gaiman's Newbery Medal-winning book, *The Graveyard Book*, would be made into a movie, with Ron Howard as the director, marking a significant milestone for the book.
August 2010: Shooting begins for Doctor Who episode
In August 2010, shooting began for the *Doctor Who* episode written by Neil Gaiman, during Matt Smith's second series as the Doctor. The original title was "The House of Nothing."
December 2010: Action Comics #894 released
In December 2010, Neil Gaiman and Paul Cornell co-wrote Action Comics #894, which featured an appearance by Death.
2010: Gaiman wins Carnegie Medal
In 2010, Neil Gaiman won the Carnegie Medal. He remarked that "it had to be the most important literary award there ever was."
2011: Pratchett comments on Good Omens
In 2011, Terry Pratchett commented that while Good Omens was a collaborative effort, he did a larger portion of the writing and editing.
March 2013: Neverwhere radio play broadcast
In March 2013, a six-part radio play of Neil Gaiman's *Neverwhere* was broadcast, adapted by Dirk Maggs for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, featuring James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Bernard Cribbens, and Johnny Vegas.
May 2013: Broadcast of Nightmare in Silver
On 11 May 2013, Neil Gaiman's *Doctor Who* episode titled "Nightmare in Silver" was broadcast, marking his return to the Whoniverse.
October 2013: The Sandman: Overture released
In October 2013, DC Comics released The Sandman: Overture with art by J. H. Williams III.
2013: Gaiman named one of "The Best Tweeters in Comics" by IGN
In 2013, IGN named Neil Gaiman as one of "The Best Tweeters in Comics", praising his posts as "sublime".
2013: The Ocean at the End of the Lane Published
In 2013, Neil Gaiman released The Ocean at the End of the Lane, adding to his collection of novels.
2013: Gaiman named co-chair of Comic Book Legal Defense Fund advisory board
In 2013, Neil Gaiman was named co-chair of the newly formed advisory board for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, an organization he supports and has served on the board of directors for.
September 2014: Good Omens dramatization on BBC Radio 4
In September 2014, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett joined forces with BBC Radio 4 to make the first-ever dramatisation of their co-penned novel *Good Omens*. The dramatization was broadcast in December in five half-hour episodes and culminated in an hour-long final apocalyptic showdown.
2015: Lecture for the Long Now Foundation
In 2015, Neil Gaiman delivered a 100-minute lecture for the Long Now Foundation entitled *How Stories Last* about the nature of storytelling and how stories persist in human culture.
2015: Starz greenlights American Gods series adaptation
In 2015, Starz greenlit a series adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel *American Gods*. Bryan Fuller and Michael Green were the writers and showrunners for the series.
September 2016: Announcement of Norse Mythology
In September 2016, Neil Gaiman announced that he had been working for some years on retellings of Norse mythology, signaling a new project in his career.
2016: Gaiman appeared in UNHCR video "What They Took With Them"
In 2016, Neil Gaiman appeared in the video "What They Took With Them" from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, helping to raise awareness about the issue of global refugees.
February 2017: Release of Norse Mythology
In February 2017, Neil Gaiman's *Norse Mythology* was released, marking the culmination of his work on retellings of Norse myths.
August 2018: The Sandman Universe launched
On 8 August 2018, The Sandman Universe, a line of comic books published by Vertigo, was launched under Neil Gaiman's oversight.
2020: Gaiman returns to the Whoniverse with Rory's Story
In 2020, Neil Gaiman returned to the Whoniverse for the web series *Doctor Who: Lockdown*, writing the mini-episode "Rory's Story" which featured Arthur Darvill reprising his role of Rory Williams.
2022: Gaiman supported Ukraine during Russian invasion
In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Neil Gaiman expressed his support for Ukraine by announcing on Twitter that he would not renew contracts with Russian publishers and encouraged donations to Ukrainian refugees.
2023: Gaiman voices Gef in Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose
In 2023, Neil Gaiman voiced Gef in the black comedy film *Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose*, one of the film's titular characters. This marked his voice acting role in the film.
2023: Gaiman signed open letter calling for Alexei Navalny's release
In 2023, Neil Gaiman, along with over 100 other public figures, signed an open letter addressed to Russian president Vladimir Putin, calling for the release of Russian prisoner Alexei Navalny.
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