Now This Is Who I Would Want Speaking At My Commencement ...

Neil Gaiman is a titan in the literary field, having conquered comics, graphic novels, and even traditional novels. The guy is just a fantastic writer and he is super creative at creating worlds where the readers just get lost. If anyone should be advising recent college graduates on the pitfalls & successes of being a artist, I'll take this guy everytime. So it comes as a shock to me that when Gaiman gave the commencement speech to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia that this was the 1st time he had ever done it!!! And in typical Gaiman fashion, he claims that he will never have to do it again because he laid out pretty much EVERYTHING he knows about going out into the real world and trying to be a professional artist. I love this fucking guy. Check out the 20 minute commencement speech after the jump, and if you haven't read The Sandman comics than you are not a true comic book fan!!!!

Sean Hartter Creates A 'Sandman' Movie Poster Specifically For Neil Gaiman... Lucky!!!!

Neil Gaiman is my favorite comic book writer. Ever. Sandman is my favorite comic series. Ever. Sean Hartter has become my favorite artist I have discovered on the Internet. Ever!!! Hartter & I have become cool through our respective blogs, but I keep posting his stuff because it is simply awesome. This time he created a faux movie poster for a 'Sandman' movie at the behest of Neil Gaiman himself!!!! The poster is great, but the fact that Gaiman liked Hartter's work & wanted to see what he could do with Dream if he were the main character in a 60's era Hammer Horror Movie!!! Hartter of course killed it, down to the credits on the bottom of the page. Check the full poster out after the jump...

Now This Is Who Should Play The Sandman In A Live Action Adaption Of the Neil Gaiman Classic Series...

And who you ask? None other than the BBC's Sherlock Holmes himself, Benedict Cumberbatch!!! Wow, I couldn't agree with this more. First off, I always imagined the character as an English type. I don't know why, but I always seemed to imagine Morpheus talking with a certain cockney accent. It seems my brother from the Great White North Cal felt the same way, as he is the one who posted this this awesome piece. My only regret is that I do not know know who created this image, so I can't give them proper credit. Click after the jump for the full piece...

CCD Holiday Geek Gift Guide #5: What To Get The Comic Book Newbie In Your Life

I am a veteran of the comic book game... I have been collecting since I was four (just over 28 years) and I have tons of comics/graphic novels to prove it. I, along with many of my fellow 80's baby comic geeks, were way ahead of the current comic book movie craze and have read ALL of the source material that is making the summer blockbusters the masses are devouring at a record pace. But what if you have to buy a gift for the person who is just getting started with comics? Here is a list of a few of my personal faves that will give any comic fan, new or old, a smile on their face. These will even work for a hardcore fan, even though a true comic book head SHOULD have in their collection (both in issue format and collected versions...lol). Click after the jump for my suggestions...

Two Different Ways To Look At The Last Supper

Fisrt up we got Tom Fowler's "The Endless at The Last Supper" which features Neil Gaiman's Sandman and all his magical brothers and sisters. Great stuff.

Next up, we got Brian Stuckey's "The Last Breakfast". This is soooo cool.

Ant Stuff Takes On "The Endless"...

One of CCD's favorite artists Ant Stuff  takes a shot at DC Comics & Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, Death and Delerium characters. They are part of "The Endless",  the hierarchy of beings that govern DC's spiritual universe. Great job... The Sandman is one of my all time favorites and one of the greatest comic books ever written. Classic 90's era grunge and goth stylings. Nice work Ant!!!