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 significant recognition for his comic series *The Sandman* (1989-1996) and has penned several critically acclaimed novels including *Good Omens* (1990, co-authored), *Stardust* (1999), *American Gods* (2001), *Coraline* (2002), *Anansi Boys* (2005), *The Graveyard Book* (2008) and *The Ocean at the End of the Lane* (2013). Gaiman is also involved in television, notably co-creating the TV adaptations of *Good Omens* and *The Sandman*, further solidifying his impact on popular culture.
1914: Emigration to England
Before 1914, Neil Gaiman's great-grandfather emigrated from Antwerp to England.
1956: Carnegie Medal Awarded to The Chronicles of Narnia
In 1956, C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia won the Carnegie Medal, introducing Neil Gaiman to literary awards.
November 1960: Neil Gaiman's Birth
In November 1960, Neil Richard Gaiman was born. He is an English author known for short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays.
1965: Moved to East Grinstead
In 1965, Neil Gaiman moved to East Grinstead and lived there until 1980.
1970: Attended Ardingly College
In 1970, Neil Gaiman attended Ardingly College in East Grinstead.
1974: Attended Whitgift School
In 1974, Neil Gaiman began attending Whitgift School in Croydon after attending Ardingly College from 1970-1974.
1977: Finished at Whitgift School
In 1977, Neil Gaiman finished his education at Whitgift School in Croydon.
1980: Left East Grinstead
In 1980, Neil Gaiman left East Grinstead, where he had lived since 1965.
May 1984: Publication of "Featherquest"
In May 1984, Neil Gaiman's first professional short story, "Featherquest", a fantasy story, was published in Imagine magazine.
1984: Returned to East Grinstead
In 1984, Neil Gaiman returned to East Grinstead.
1984: First book and co-edited book
In 1984, Neil Gaiman wrote his first book, a biography of the band Duran Duran, and co-edited Ghastly Beyond Belief, a book of quotations, with Kim Newman.
1984: Discovery of Swamp Thing
In 1984, while at London's Victoria Station, Neil Gaiman read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, which deeply influenced his approach to comics.
1985: Marriage to Mary McGrath
In 1985, Neil Gaiman married Mary McGrath, whom he had met while she was studying Scientology in East Grinstead.
1986: Julia Hobsbawm's accusations
In 1986, the writer Julia Hobsbawm accused Neil Gaiman of "an aggressive, unwanted pass" and described how Gaiman pushed her onto a sofa and French kissed her.
1986: Published Future Shocks
Neil Gaiman's first published comic strips were four short Future Shocks for 2000 AD in 1986–87.
February 1987: Hired by DC Comics
Impressed with his previous work, DC Comics hired Neil Gaiman in February 1987, where he wrote the limited series Black Orchid.
1987: End of journalism career
In 1987, Neil Gaiman ended his journalism career due to the publication of untruths as facts in British newspapers.
1987: Left East Grinstead again
In 1987, Neil Gaiman left East Grinstead again.
January 1989: The Sandman series begins
In January 1989, The Sandman series began, telling the tale of Dream, the ageless anthropomorphic personification, known by many names including Morpheus.
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: Publication of The Sandman
In 1989, Neil Gaiman's comic series, The Sandman, began publication.
1990: The Books of Magic Mini-Series
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: Publication of Good Omens
In 1990, Neil Gaiman's first novel, Good Omens, co-written with Terry Pratchett, was published.
1992: Gaiman moves to Wisconsin
In 1992, Neil Gaiman moved near Menomonie, Wisconsin, to be closer to the family of his then-wife, Mary McGrath.
1993: Contracted to write 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 launched
In 1993, the limited series Death: The High Cost of Living, was launched, starting DC's Vertigo line.
March 1996: The Sandman series concluded
In March 1996, The Sandman series concluded.
1996: Co-edited The Sandman: Book of Dreams
In 1996, Neil Gaiman and Ed Kramer co-edited The Sandman: Book of Dreams.
1996: Neverwhere TV series
In 1996, Neil Gaiman wrote the BBC dark fantasy television series "Neverwhere".
1996: Publication of Neverwhere Novelisation
In 1996, Neil Gaiman's novelisation of his teleplay for the BBC mini-series Neverwhere was published as his first solo novel.
1996: Conclusion of The Sandman
In 1996, The Sandman comic series by Neil Gaiman concluded its run.
1998: Publication of Smoke and Mirrors
In 1998, both audio plays "Snow, Glass, Apples" and "Murder Mysteries" by Neil Gaiman, which were performed by Seeing Ear Theatre, were published in the collection "Smoke and Mirrors".
1999: Publication of Stardust
In 1999, Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel Stardust was first released.
2000: Publication of Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame
In 2000, a story that Gaiman originally wrote for Action Comics Weekly in 1989 but was shelved due to editorial concerns was finally published as Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame.
2000: Published Future Shocks
Neil Gaiman's first published comic strips were four short Future Shocks for 2000 AD in 1986–87.
February 2001: Creation of promotional website and weblog for American Gods
In February 2001, after completing American Gods, Neil Gaiman's publishers created a promotional website featuring a weblog where Gaiman discussed the process of revising, publishing, and promoting the novel. This website evolved into the Official Neil Gaiman Website, featuring Gaiman's posts about his projects and interactions with fans. The original American Gods blog was later published in Adventures in the Dream Trade. To celebrate the blog's seventh anniversary, American Gods was provided free online for a month.
2001: Publication of American Gods
In 2001, Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods was published.
2002: Coraline released
In 2002, Neil Gaiman entered the world of children's books with the release of his dark fairy tale, "Coraline".
2002: Publication of Coraline
In 2002, Neil Gaiman's novel Coraline was published.
2002: Gaiman claims joint ownership of Spawn characters
In early 2002, Neil Gaiman filed papers claiming joint ownership of characters he created for Todd McFarlane's Spawn comic, arguing that the characters were jointly owned by their scripter (himself) and artist (McFarlane), not merely by McFarlane.
November 2003: Marvel 1602 Publication
From November 2003 to June 2004, Neil Gaiman's eight-issue limited series Marvel 1602 was published.
2003: Gaiman writes Marvel 1602 to fund legal rights project
In 2003, Neil Gaiman wrote Marvel 1602 to help fund the project relating to the legal rights surrounding Marvelman, and all of Gaiman's profits for the original issues of the series were donated to Marvels and Miracles.
![MARVEL 1602 [NEW PRINTING]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MkSczwnKL._SL500_.jpg "MARVEL 1602 [NEW PRINTING]")
February 2004: Court rules in favor of Gaiman in Spawn ownership dispute
In February 2004, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court ruling granting joint ownership of the Spawn characters Angela, Medieval Spawn, and Cogliostro to Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane.
June 2004: Marvel 1602 Publication
From November 2003 to June 2004, Neil Gaiman's eight-issue limited series Marvel 1602 was published.
2005: Publication of Anansi Boys
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 Limited Series
From August 2006 to March 2007, Neil Gaiman's seven-issue limited series The Eternals, drawn by John Romita Jr., was published.
March 2007: The Eternals Limited Series
From August 2006 to March 2007, Neil Gaiman's seven-issue limited series The Eternals, drawn by John Romita Jr., was published.
August 2007: Stardust Film Premiere
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, directed by Matthew Vaughn.
2007: Death: The High Cost of Living film announced
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 a screenplay by Gaiman that he would direct for Warner Independent. Guillermo del Toro was named as the film's executive producer.
October 2008: Gaiman reads Blueberry Girl poem
On 5 October 2008, Neil Gaiman, who is godfather to Tori Amos's daughter Tash, read his poem "Blueberry Girl" aloud at the Sundance Kabuki Theater in San Francisco during his book reading tour for The Graveyard Book.
2008: The Graveyard Book released
In 2008 Neil Gaiman released the young adult novel, The Graveyard Book, which follows the adventures of a boy named Bod after his family is murdered and he is left to be brought up by a graveyard. It is heavily influenced by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and H. P. Lovecraft’s The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.
2008: Gaiman Joins Twitter
In 2008, Neil Gaiman joined the social media platform Twitter, expanding his online presence and engagement with fans.
2008: Publication of The Graveyard Book
In 2008, Neil Gaiman's novel The Graveyard Book was published.
January 2009: The Graveyard Book on NY Times Bestseller List
As of late January 2009, Neil Gaiman's young adult novel, "The Graveyard Book," had been on The New York Times Bestseller children's list for fifteen weeks.
February 2009: Coraline Stop-Motion Film Release
On February 6, 2009, the stop-motion version of Neil Gaiman's "Coraline" was released, directed by Henry Selick and starring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher.
March 2009: Publication of Blueberry Girl
In March 2009, Neil Gaiman's poem "Blueberry Girl", originally written for Tori Amos's daughter Tash, was published as a book with illustrations by Charles Vess.
2009: Gaiman and Palmer enter relationship
In 2009, Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer entered a relationship.
2009: Batman Story for DC Comics
In 2009, Neil Gaiman wrote a two-part Batman story for DC Comics titled "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" He also contributed a twelve-part Metamorpho serial for Wednesday Comics.
2009: The Graveyard Book film adaptation announced
In 2009, it was announced that Neil Gaiman's Newbery Medal winning book, "The Graveyard Book", will be made into a movie, with Ron Howard as the director.
2009: Marvel Comics purchases rights to Marvelman
In 2009, the rights to Marvelman were purchased, from original creator Mick Anglo, by Marvel Comics.
August 2010: Doctor Who episode shooting begins
In August 2010, shooting began for an episode of Doctor Who written by Neil Gaiman, originally titled "The House of Nothing", which was later transmitted as "The Doctor's Wife".
September 2010: Settlement deadline in Spawn derivative character case
In September 2010, after Neil Gaiman claimed that the Spawn characters Dark Ages Spawn, Domina, and Tiffany were derivative of the three he co-created with McFarlane, the judge ruled in Gaiman's favor and gave McFarlane until the beginning of September 2010 to settle the matter.
December 2010: Action Comics #894
In December 2010, Neil Gaiman and Paul Cornell co-wrote Action Comics #894, featuring an appearance by Death.
2010: Death: The High Cost of Living film cancelled
By 2010, it had been reported that the film "Death: The High Cost of Living" was no longer in production.
2010: Gaiman wins Carnegie Medal
In 2010, Neil Gaiman won the Carnegie Medal himself, considering it the most important literary award and comparing it to making his seven-year-old self happy.
November 2011: Gaiman appears on The Simpsons
On 20 November 2011, Neil Gaiman appeared as himself on The Simpsons episode "The Book Job".
2011: Gaiman and Palmer get married
In 2011, Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer got married.
2011: Pratchett's statement on Good Omens
In 2011, Terry Pratchett mentioned that he did a larger portion of writing and editing for the book Good Omens, than Neil Gaiman because of his scheduled involvement with Sandman.
2012: "The Doctor's Wife" wins Hugo Award
In 2012, Neil Gaiman's Doctor Who episode, "The Doctor's Wife", won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).
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 second Doctor Who episode, titled "Nightmare in Silver", was broadcast.
October 2013: Release of The Sandman: Overture
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 voted Book of the Year
In 2013, "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman was voted Book of the Year in the British National Book Awards. The novel follows an unnamed man who returns to his hometown for a funeral and remembers events that began forty years earlier.
2013: Named one of "The Best Tweeters in Comics" by IGN
In 2013, Neil Gaiman was recognized by IGN as one of "The Best Tweeters in Comics", with his posts being described as "sublime".
2013: Publication of The Ocean at the End of the Lane
In 2013, Neil Gaiman's novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane was published.
2013: Named Co-Chair of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
In 2013, Neil Gaiman, a long-time supporter and board member, was named co-chair of the newly formed advisory board for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
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, which 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: Death of Terry Pratchett
In 2015, Neil Gaiman's close friend and fellow author Terry Pratchett passed away.
2015: American Gods series greenlit
In 2015, Starz greenlighted a series adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel, "American Gods".
September 2016: Announcement of Norse Mythology retellings
In September 2016, Neil Gaiman announced that he had been working for some years on retellings of Norse mythology.
2016: Appearance in UNHCR video "What They Took With Them"
In 2016, Neil Gaiman appeared in the video "What They Took With Them", produced by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 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.
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", and his tweet about the show's fictional comic book store became the central theme of the episode "The Comet Polarization".
August 2018: Launch of The Sandman Universe
On 8 August 2018, The Sandman Universe, a line of comic books published by Vertigo, was launched with Neil Gaiman overseeing it.
March 2020: Gaiman, Palmer, and son move to New Zealand
In March 2020, Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer, and their son moved to New Zealand. Weeks later their marriage collapsed.
2020: Good Omens miniseries wins Hugo Award
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: Gaiman returns to Doctor Who with "Rory's Story"
In 2020, Neil Gaiman returned to the Whoniverse for the web series Doctor Who: Lockdown; he wrote the mini-episode "Rory's Story" which saw Arthur Darvill reprise his role of Rory Williams.
2021: Gaiman and Palmer reconcile
In 2021, Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer reconciled after previously separating in 2020.
February 2022: Sexual assault allegation by former nanny
In February 2022, Scarlett Pavlovich, a former nanny for Gaiman and Palmer's child, alleges that Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her within hours of their first meeting.
August 2022: Payment to "Claire"
In August 2022, Neil Gaiman made a $60,000 payment to "Claire", one of the women accusing him of sexual assault, after she described non-consensual kissing and groping.
November 2022: Gaiman and Palmer confirm divorce
In November 2022, Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer released a joint statement confirming that they would divorce.
2022: Support for Ukraine during Russian invasion
In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Neil Gaiman showed his support for Ukraine by announcing on Twitter that he would not renew contracts with Russian publishers. Gaiman also encouraged donations to Ukrainian refugees.
2023: Gaiman voices Gef in film
In 2023, Neil Gaiman voiced Gef in the black comedy film Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, one of the film's titular characters.
2023: 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.
July 2024: Sexual assault and abuse allegations
In July 2024, five women accused Neil Gaiman of sexual assault and abuse, with interviews featured on the Tortoise Media podcast "Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman."
September 2024: Disney halts production on The Graveyard Book
In September 2024, Disney halted production on the film adaptation of "The Graveyard Book" due to various factors, including the sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman.
2024: Sexual assault accusations
Beginning in 2024, Neil Gaiman faced numerous sexual assault accusations from various women, which affected and halted production on adaptations of his work. One accuser even sued Gaiman and his estranged wife Amanda Palmer for rape and human trafficking.
January 2025: Allegations against Gaiman and business fallout
In January 2025, New York magazine published a cover story detailing the allegations against Neil Gaiman. Dark Horse Comics cut ties with Gaiman, canceling his comic adaptation of Anansi Boys. Netflix also canceled The Sandman, set to conclude with its second season. Furthermore, Gaiman was dropped as a client by his agent Casarotto Ramsay.
January 2025: Divorce negotiations become "ugly"
As of January 2025, in the fifth year of proceedings, divorce negotiations between Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer had become "ugly", with Palmer moving in with her parents due to financial difficulties.
February 2025: Scarlett Pavlovich files lawsuits against Gaiman
In February 2025, Scarlett Pavlovich filed three federal lawsuits in the USA alleging human trafficking and sexual assault. One lawsuit named Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer as co-defendants, seeking at least US$7 million in damages. Gaiman responded by claiming the American court lacked jurisdiction, accused Pavlovich of lying, and stated that New Zealand police had investigated and found her claims to be false.
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