History of Neil Gaiman in Timeline
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 Sandman comic series and has authored acclaimed novels like Good Omens, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, Anansi Boys, The Graveyard Book, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Gaiman has also been involved in television adaptations of his works, including co-creating the TV series Good Omens and The Sandman.
1914: Family Emigration
Before 1914, Neil Gaiman's great-grandfather emigrated to England from Antwerp.
1956: Carnegie Medal
In 1956, the concluding volume of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia won the Carnegie Medal, introducing Neil Gaiman to literary awards.
November 1960: Neil Gaiman's Birth
Neil Richard Gaiman was born on 10 November 1960, in Portchester, Hampshire.
1965: Move to East Grinstead
In 1965, Neil Gaiman moved to East Grinstead with his family.
1970: Attendance at Ardingly College
In 1970, Neil Gaiman attended Ardingly College in East Grinstead.
1974: Attendance at Whitgift School
In 1974, Neil Gaiman began attending Whitgift School in Croydon.
1977: End of attendance at Whitgift School
In 1977, Neil Gaiman completed his studies at Whitgift School.
1980: Departure from East Grinstead
In 1980, Neil Gaiman left East Grinstead.
May 1984: First Short Story Publication
In May 1984, Neil Gaiman's first professional short story, "Featherquest", was published in Imagine magazine.
1984: Return to East Grinstead
In 1984, Neil Gaiman returned to East Grinstead.
1984: 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.
1984: Discovery of Swamp Thing
In 1984, while waiting for a train at London's Victoria Station, Neil Gaiman read a copy of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, which heavily influenced his approach to comics.
1985: Marriage to Mary McGrath
In 1985, Neil Gaiman married Mary McGrath after having their first child.
1986: Published Comic Strips
In 1986, Neil Gaiman's first published comic strips were four short Future Shocks for 2000 AD.
1986: Hobsbawm's accusation of "aggressive, unwanted pass"
In 1986, writer Julia Hobsbawm accused Neil Gaiman of "an aggressive, unwanted pass", recounting how Gaiman pushed her onto a sofa and French kissed her.
February 1987: Hired by DC Comics
In February 1987, DC Comics hired Neil Gaiman after being impressed with his work.
1987: Departure from East Grinstead
In 1987, Neil Gaiman left East Grinstead for the final time.
1987: End of Journalism Career
Neil Gaiman ended his journalism career in 1987 because British newspapers regularly publish untruths as fact.
January 1989: The Sandman Series Began
In January 1989, The Sandman series began, telling the tale of Dream, known as Morpheus. The series became one of DC's top-selling titles.
1989: Stories for DC's Secret Origins
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
In 1989, Neil Gaiman started writing the comic series The Sandman.
1990: Good Omens Publication
In 1990, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett published the novel Good Omens.
1990: The Books of Magic Mini-Series
In 1990, Neil Gaiman wrote The Books of Magic, a four-part mini-series set in the DC Universe.
1990: Publication of Good Omens
In 1990, Neil Gaiman's first novel, Good Omens, in collaboration with Terry Pratchett, was published.
1993: Contracted to write a Spawn issue
In 1993, Neil Gaiman was contracted by Todd McFarlane to write a single issue of "Spawn" for Image Comics.
1993: Death: The High Cost of Living Launch
In 1993, the limited series Death: The High Cost of Living launched DC's Vertigo line.
March 1996: Conclusion of The Sandman Series
In March 1996, The Sandman series concluded after 75 issues, which have been collected into 12 volumes.
1996: The Sandman: Book of Dreams
In 1996, Neil Gaiman and Ed Kramer co-edited The Sandman: Book of Dreams, an anthology featuring stories and contributions by various authors.
1996: The Sandman Comic Series Conclusion
In 1996, Neil Gaiman concluded the comic series The Sandman.
1996: Writing of Neverwhere
In 1996, Neil Gaiman wrote the BBC dark fantasy television series "Neverwhere". He also co-wrote the screenplay for the movie "MirrorMask" and the localised English language script for the anime movie "Princess Mononoke".
1996: Neverwhere Novelisation
In 1996, Neil Gaiman's novelisation of his teleplay for the BBC mini-series Neverwhere was published as his first solo novel.
1999: Stardust Publication
In 1999, Neil Gaiman published the novel Stardust.
1999: Publication of Stardust
In 1999, Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel Stardust was first printed and released.
2000: Publication of Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame
In 2000, Gaiman's story for Action Comics Weekly, originally written in 1989, was published as Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame.
2000: Publication of Future Shocks
In 2000, Neil Gaiman's Future Shocks were published, which he had been working on since 1986.
February 2001: Creation of American Gods promotional weblog
In February 2001, after completing American Gods, Neil Gaiman's publishers created a promotional website with a weblog where Gaiman described the novel's revision, publishing, and promotion. The site later evolved into the Official Neil Gaiman Website.
2001: American Gods Publication
In 2001, Neil Gaiman published the novel American Gods.
2002: Coraline Publication
In 2002, Neil Gaiman published the novel Coraline.
2002: Gaiman claims joint ownership of Spawn characters
In early 2002, Neil Gaiman filed papers claiming joint ownership of characters he created for "Spawn" with Todd McFarlane, leading to a legal dispute over copyright infringement.
November 2003: Marvel 1602 Publication
In November 2003, Marvel 1602, an eight-issue limited series by Neil Gaiman, began publication.
2003: Gaiman writes Marvel 1602
In 2003, Neil Gaiman wrote "Marvel 1602" to help fund Marvels and Miracles, LLC, an organization created to sort out legal rights surrounding Marvelman.
February 2004: Court ruling on Spawn characters' ownership
In February 2004, The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court ruling, granting joint ownership of the "Spawn" characters Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn to Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane.
June 2004: Marvel 1602 Publication End
In June 2004, the eight-issue limited series Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman concluded.
2005: Anansi Boys Publication
In 2005, Neil Gaiman published the novel Anansi Boys.
August 2006: The Eternals Publication
In August 2006, Neil Gaiman's The Eternals, a seven-issue limited series, began publication.
March 2007: The Eternals Publication End
In March 2007, the seven-issue limited series The Eternals by Neil Gaiman concluded.
August 2007: Premiere of Stardust
In August 2007, the film adaptation of "Stardust" premiered. It stars Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, and Mark Strong, and was directed by Matthew Vaughn.
2007: Death: The High Cost of Living film announcement
In 2007, Neil Gaiman announced that after ten years in development, the feature film of "Death: The High Cost of Living" would finally begin production, with Gaiman directing a screenplay he wrote for Warner Independent.
October 2008: Reading of Blueberry Girl
On October 5, 2008, Neil Gaiman read his poem "Blueberry Girl" aloud at the Sundance Kabuki Theater during his book tour for The Graveyard Book.
2008: Joined Twitter
In 2008, Neil Gaiman joined Twitter, expanding his online presence.
2008: The Graveyard Book Publication
In 2008, Neil Gaiman published the novel The Graveyard Book.
January 2009: The Graveyard Book on The New York Times Bestseller list
In late January 2009, "The Graveyard Book" had been on The New York Times Bestseller children's list for fifteen weeks.
February 2009: Release of stop-motion Coraline
On February 6, 2009, the stop-motion version of "Coraline" was released. It was directed by Henry Selick and featured the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher.
March 2009: Publication of Blueberry Girl
In March 2009, Neil Gaiman's poem "Blueberry Girl", illustrated by Charles Vess, was published as a book.
2009: Marvel Comics purchases Marvelman rights
In 2009, Marvel Comics purchased the rights to Marvelman from original creator Mick Anglo.
2009: "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?"
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
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.
August 2010: Shooting of Doctor Who episode
Shooting began in August 2010 for Neil Gaiman's episode of Doctor Who, originally titled "The House of Nothing", which was eventually transmitted as "The Doctor's Wife".
September 2010: Deadline for settling Spawn derivative claim
In September 2010, a judge gave Todd McFarlane until the beginning of the month to settle the matter of Spawn characters Dark Ages Spawn, Domina, and Tiffany, which Neil Gaiman claimed were derivative of the characters they co-created.
December 2010: Action Comics #894
In December 2010, Neil Gaiman co-wrote Action Comics #894 with Paul Cornell, featuring an appearance by Death.
2010: Film of Death: The High Cost of Living no longer in production
By 2010, it was reported that the film adaptation of "Death: The High Cost of Living" was no longer in production.
2010: Carnegie Medal Win
In 2010, Neil Gaiman won the Carnegie Medal himself, considering it the most important literary award.
November 2011: Appearance on The Simpsons
On November 20, 2011, Neil Gaiman appeared as himself on "The Simpsons" episode "The Book Job".
2011: Pratchett's Comments on Good Omens Collaboration
In 2011, Terry Pratchett commented that while Good Omens was a collaborative effort, he did a larger portion of the writing and editing due to Neil Gaiman's involvement with Sandman.
2012: Hugo Award for Doctor Who episode
In 2012, Neil Gaiman's Doctor Who episode, "The Doctor's Wife", won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).
March 2013: Broadcast of Neverwhere radio play
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 May 11, 2013, Neil Gaiman's second Doctor Who episode, titled "Nightmare in Silver", was broadcast.
October 2013: The Sandman: Overture Release
In October 2013, DC Comics released The Sandman: Overture with art by J. H. Williams III.
2013: The Ocean at the End of the Lane Publication
In 2013, Neil Gaiman published the novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
2013: 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, where he was already a board member.
2013: Best Tweeters in Comics
In 2013, Neil Gaiman was recognized by IGN as one of "The Best Tweeters in Comics" for his engaging posts.
September 2014: Dramatisation of Good Omens 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".
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.
2015: Greenlighting of American Gods series
In 2015, Starz greenlighted a series adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel "American Gods", with Bryan Fuller and Michael Green as writers and showrunners.
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, which would become "Norse Mythology".
2016: Refugee Awareness Video
In 2016, Neil Gaiman participated in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' video, "What They Took With Them", to raise awareness about the global refugee crisis.
February 2017: Release of Norse Mythology
In February 2017, Neil Gaiman's "Norse Mythology" was released.
April 2018: Guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory
In April 2018, Neil Gaiman made a guest appearance on the television show "The Big Bang Theory".
August 2018: Launch of The Sandman Universe
On 8 August 2018, The Sandman Universe, a line of comic books published by Vertigo and overseen by Neil Gaiman, was launched.
March 2020: Move to New Zealand and Marriage Collapse
In March 2020, Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer, and their son moved to New Zealand. Shortly after, their marriage collapsed, and Gaiman traveled to the Isle of Skye, violating COVID-19 lockdown rules. Gaiman later apologized for his behavior. Palmer announced their separation on Patreon.
2020: Hugo Award for Good Omens miniseries
In 2020, Neil Gaiman received a Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form Hugo Award for the TV miniseries adaptation of "Good Omens", for which he wrote the screenplay.
2020: Return to Doctor Who universe
In 2020, Neil Gaiman returned to the Whoniverse for the web series "Doctor Who: Lockdown", writing the mini-episode "Rory's Story" with Arthur Darvill reprising his role.
2021: Wallner alleges sexual harassment; signs NDA
In 2021, Caroline Wallner, a former tenant of Neil Gaiman, alleges he demanded sexual favors in exchange for housing; Gaiman grabs her hand and placed it on his penis while his young son was asleep in the same bed. Wallner, her ex-husband, and Gaiman signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), and Gaiman paid Wallner $275,000.
2021: Reconciliation
In 2021, Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer reconciled after their initial separation.
February 2022: Pavlovich's allegation of sexual assault
In February 2022, Scarlett Pavlovich, a former nanny for Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer's child, alleges that Gaiman sexually assaulted her within hours of their first meeting.
August 2022: Gaiman's Payment to "Claire"
In August 2022, Neil Gaiman made a $60,000 payment to "Claire" after she described non-consensual kissing and groping by Gaiman after meeting him at a book tour event, as alleged in 2024.
November 2022: Divorce Confirmation
In November 2022, Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer released a joint statement confirming they would be getting divorced.
2022: Support for Ukraine
In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Neil Gaiman showed his support by announcing on Twitter that he would not renew contracts with Russian publishers and encouraged donations to Ukrainian refugees.
2023: Call for Alexei Navalny's Release
In 2023, Neil Gaiman joined over 100 other public figures in signing an open letter addressed to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, demanding the release of Russian prisoner Alexei Navalny.
2023: Voicing 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".
July 2024: Sexual assault and abuse accusations
In July 2024, five women accused Neil Gaiman of sexual assault and abuse, interviewed on the Tortoise Media podcast "Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman".
September 2024: Production halted on The Graveyard Book film and Good Omens season three
In September 2024, Disney halted production on the film adaptation of "The Graveyard Book" due to various factors, including sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman. That same month, production on season three of "Good Omens" was put on hold.
2024: Sexual Assault Accusations
Beginning in 2024, news outlets published sexual assault accusations against Gaiman by numerous women, affecting adaptations of his work, and one accuser sued Gaiman and his estranged wife Amanda Palmer for rape and human trafficking. Gaiman denied these allegations.
January 2025: Allegations against Gaiman published
In January 2025, a New York magazine cover story detailed the allegations against Neil Gaiman. Later that month, Dark Horse Comics cut ties with Gaiman, cancelling his comic adaptation of Anansi Boys. Netflix canceled "The Sandman", and Gaiman was dropped by his agent Casarotto Ramsay.
January 2025: Divorce Negotiations
As of January 2025, the divorce negotiations between Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer had become difficult, with Palmer facing financial struggles.
February 2025: Human Trafficking Lawsuit
In February 2025, Scarlett Pavlovich filed federal lawsuits alleging human trafficking and sexual assault, naming Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer as co-defendants. Gaiman denied the allegations, questioned the court's jurisdiction, and presented evidence suggesting the claims were false.
2025: Arbitration requests related to NDA
In early 2025, Neil Gaiman and Caroline Wallner both requested arbitration, the dispute resolution method mandated by the NDA, each accusing the other of violating the agreement.
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