The Annotated Sandman Edited and largely written by David Goldfarb Issue 67: "The Kindly Ones: 11" Neil Gaiman, Marc Hempel, Richard Case Disclaimer: Sandman and all related characters are copyrights and trademarks of DC Comics Inc. Sandman and this annotation are intended for mature audiences only. Notice: Commentaries and additional information should go to goldfarb@ocf.berkeley.edu (Internet) or goldfarb@UCBOCF.BITNET. This material is posted by the editor directly to rec.arts.comics, and is licensed to appear on Compu$erve and GEnie. It is also available via anonymous ftp from theory.lcs.mit.edu in pub/wald/sandman. Please contact the editor if you see this material on any other forum. Reproduction in any form without permission of the editor (as agent for the contributors) is forbidden. Cover: Most of the things on this cover seem to be symbols of Delirium: the music-stand, very angular and linear, dissolving and twisting; the crayoned rainbow -- Del is frequently very colorful, both in speech balloons and in hairstyle, while the crayons represent her childishness; the fish, which she was being when we first saw her this arc; a picture of women being moonstruck (a traditional symbol of insanity). The cord is not a symbol of Delirium directly, but there have been a number of hints that Delirium is important to Dream's fate, which would explain why the fish is tangled up in it. Page 1 panel 1: And for the first time we see an opening panel without a cord of some kind. Maybe it migrated to the cover out of pique at having been broken last issue. panel 6: In issue 40, "The Parliament of Rooks". Page 2 panel 3: This statement about time seems a bit odd: in 64:20:2 Dream says it has been five days, and defeating Loki took only a short time after that. On the other hand, quite a bit more time has passed in the waking world since then. We don't know how long it took the Corinthian and Daniel to come from Swartalfheim to the Dreaming. panel 5: In "The Parliament of Rooks" Matthew accused Cain of sounding like Vincent Price. (40:9:4) It's undeniable that this image of Cain is based on the way Vincent Price looks. panel 6: This story is based on a creation myth of the Chukchi people of Alaska. Originally, it concerned only Raven (a hero of their culture); Noah and the Ark were added on due to the influence of Christian missionaries. Page 3 panel 2: Along with some of his brother's stories, Cain seems to have acquired a slight stutter. Page 5 panel 1: Here again we see a dwelling-place (Titania's castle) in the panel with the credits -- if only in the background. Page 6 panel 7: Dream's statement here is rather curious; on the one occasion that he spoke with Ishtar (issue #45 -- "Brief Lives" part 5) the subject of change did not arise. He told Destruction that he had not changed, and a little bit later, Orpheus. Page 9 panel 1: The image on Rose's t-shirt is television comedian Phil Silvers in his best-known role of Sgt. Bilko. panel 2: Given the time difference, Zelda would have died right about when Rose was meeting with Desire. Page 10 panel 1: Rose, the receptionist from page 9, and Mrs. Burrows seem to be another maiden-mother-crone triad. Page 11 panel 2: Note the "Gregory the Movie" sign. And another multiple of three in the other sign. panel 5: "Hostess" does not make mints, as far as I know -- only pastries of one sort or another. The thin green package resembles that of Nabisco Thin Mints. panel 6: It's the return of Barnabas, last seen in issue #49. Note also the "57 Flavors" that Lyta, Carla, and Daniel went to at the start of the story. Page 13 panel 4: Most likely this is the orb that Dream used to communicate with Matthew and the Corinthian back in 64:20:1. Page 16 panel 2: This may well be the same train that took Robert from his city into his city's dream, in the story told in issue #51. If nothing else, it is certainly an echo thereof. Page 18 panel 6: Dream and Lucien turn and look directly at the reader, but are actually looking at a female observer; this would seem to be an echo of the end of Rose's dream in "The Doll's House" part 1 (10:14:6). Page 19 panel 4: Note that Dream is struck on the same cheek, in roughly the same place, where Nuala kissed him. panel 5: Several people commented that this bloodstain is shaped a little bit like a heart. Page 23: Panels 1-3 echo in layout, form, and action, page 23 of issue #11 (part 2 of "The Doll's House"). Page 24: This page similarly echoes 11:24. panel 2: As we know from the annotations to issue #17, "Eagle Stones" were found in eagle's nests and were required for the hatching of their eggs. The main character in that story, Ric Madoc, wrote a novel with that title. Release History: Version 1.0 released 28 May 95. Credits: Greg "elmo" Morrow (morrow@physics.rice.edu) created the Sandman Annotations. Katie Schwarz (katie@physics.berkeley.edu) referenced the creation myth; Matthew F. Johnson (ac867@Freenet.carleton.ca) added detail. "Raven" (pl11@cornell.edu) identified the crystal ball. Joe Brenner (doom@kzsu.Stanford.EDU) identified Phil Silvers. Dexter Peterson (petersod@river.it.gvsu.edu) noted the echo of Rose's dream.