posted by Neil
The Simpsons episode aired in the US. I watched it with my daughter Maddy, her friends, and some of my friends. We had doughnuts (all kinds, but mostly the kind with sprinkles on them) and snacks and made it a proper TV watching party (I've always wanted to have one of those, but somehow never had before). I hadn't told the girls anything about the episode so the final twists and turns of the plot (which I am not telling here, because many of you haven't seen it yet) took them by surprise.
When the episode was done, the girls went into the kitchen and giggled a lot, while Bill Stiteler and I watched the episode again, this time with the freeze frame on, to catch the many book title jokes hidden in the episode.
The reviews for it have been wonderful, which is a testament to Exec Producer Matt Selman, writer Dan Vebber, and the crew of staff writers. And in some alternate universe where all the pink people are yellow, I like to think there's a version of me still sipping his drink on the beach at Shelbyville.
...
Rachel Abrams at Harper Childrens emailed me last week to let me know the results of the All Hallow's Read poster competition. And I am a Very Bad Person and didn't blog it (because people were writing on Twitter to let us know that not all the posters were showing on Flickr, and I wanted to wait until they were all visible. And then I got caught up in Simpsons Madness, and didn't get to it. Apologies to all of you artists waiting on tenterhooks.)
The contest is to design posters promoting All Hallow's Read. The winning poster design will become a limited-edition poster to be printed and distributed to participating booksellers for All Hallow’s Read in 2012 (printing and distribution sponsored by HarperCollinsPublishers).
And Rachel says...
We’ve put the posters to a vote and the Grand Prize Winner is…
Sksletonkey for her bewitching depiction of All Hallows Read! http://www.flickr.com/photos/69222671@N02/6311248494/
Tied at First Place are sfdavered
and Sara Koncilja
In addition to her poster being printed and distributed to book stores in 2012, the Grand Prize Winner will receive a signed copy of the limited edition poster and a “Neil Gaiman Prize Pack.” The prize pack will include a signed first edition of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, a copy of CORALINE, and a copy of the CORALINE graphic novel.
First place winners will both receive the prize pack.
My congratulations to all the winners, and, more than that, my congratulations to everyone who took part. The posters submitted (you can see them up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/webgoblin/favorites/?view=lg -- go and look) are pretty much all wonderful. I was glad I wasn't judging the competition.
I hope that pe
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By: Neil Gaiman,
on 11/19/2011
Blog: Neil Gaiman (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: not being crushed by The Simpsons, Topiary, Jack Benny and his Show, Why is there no label about topiary already?, Les Daniels, Add a tag
posted by Neil
In January, I was here:
And I recorded my part here, with Producer Matt Selman directing me as hard as he could.
And now, eleven months later, here we come... walkin' down the street... we get the funniest looks from... No, that's something else. Anyway, I like this shot because I am wearing a suit and tie.
If you're in the US, then the episode of The Simpsons with me in it, "The Book Job", goes out tomorrow. 8 pm or 7 Central.
If you're not in the US, then you may have a while to wait until it's on.
No, I haven't seen it yet either. I am hoping to watch it tomorrow with a daughter, her friends, and probably doughnuts.
...
I learned from Mark Evanier's blog that Les Daniels had passed away. Here's the New York Times obituary. I had Les's book "COMIX. A HISTORY OF COMIC BOOKS IN AMERICA" as a boy, and loved it and learned from it. I didn't meet Les until I was a guest at NeCon, in Providence, Rhode Island.
I really liked him, I got to thank him for COMIX, and it's good to say thank you. My obsession with Jack Benny really started when Les and I were talking about radio, and I was saying that the best radio comedies were all British, pointing to Hancock's Half Hour and the Goons and Round the Horne and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Les agreed that they mostly were... but then there was the Jack Benny Show. And a few weeks later, he sent me some cassettes, so I could hear for myself. And I was both convinced and hooked. Thank you, Les.
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By: Neil Gaiman,
on 10/24/2011
Blog: Neil Gaiman (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: not being crushed by The Simpsons, NPR, The Graveyard Book, Book clubs, Egg Salad, Add a tag
posted by Neil
National Public Radio's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED has started a book club for the young:Pretty obviously, I'm thrilled that they've chosen The Graveyard Book as their first book. There's a link for young readers to ask their Graveyard Book questions, and I'll answer as many as I can on the air on All Things Considered this Friday.
(Also, I was delighted to see that The Graveyard Book has made it back onto the New York Times bestseller list.)
And there's now a very pretty Adult Edition of the book out:
Photo from Cat's excellent blog at http://kittysneverwear.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-skies.html.
(People who like prints, signed or otherwise, should check out the Prints page at Cat's Neverwear.net - the Molly Crabapple Desert Wind posters go up in price on November 1st).
...
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By: Neil Gaiman,
on 1/12/2011
Blog: Neil Gaiman (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Topiary, Why is there no label about topiary already?, not being crushed by The Simpsons, Add a tag
posted by Neil
I'm in a corner in Sydney Domestic Airport Terminal 2, trying to stay awake. I've already signed a copy of The Graveyard Book, for someone who'd figured out where I was from Twitter. My plane takes off for Tasmania in 2 hours. I just have to keep going until then.
I'll be appearing on Saturday Night at the Mona Foma festival in Hobart, accompanied by the amazing Four Play String Quartet, and MORE paintings by Eddie Campbell, reading The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains. And perhaps other things.
I meant to write a proper blog about the wedding, and I shall.
Until then, a quick recap. I went home. it was cold.
I went to San Diego and spoke to Nancy Pearl in front of an audience of librarians.
I went to LA, and recorded my part in an episode called "The Book Job". It was written by Dan Vebber (and the many Simpsons writers, some of whom I met, and one of whom stage-whispered "So that was Banksy!" as I left) and masterminded by Matt Selman, who is the most nervous person I know. Matt was my director, and was terrific and reassuring (Him: "Can you do an American accent that would sound to Americans like Dick Van Dyke's English accent sounded to you?" Me: "Er...")
Matt and I can be seen looking terrified in the studio at http://twitpic.com/3p6myi
Me and Topiary...
The view from the recording studio...
I play myself. I play a very different version of myself to the me I played in Arthur, though. For a start, I do not appear in anyone's falafel. Also, I expect I will be yellow.
Probably this is all I shall be remembered for.
It'll be out in about a year. I still hope to be a head in a jar on Futurama one day.
I did a charity photo project for photographer Allan Amato, that you will find out about one day, said hello to Amber Benson in a coffee place where I was meant to be meeting my agent (but didn't).
We met. We were extremely serious, and planned a prison break and world domination together. (See photo for proof.)
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By: Neil Gaiman,
on 2/3/2007
Blog: Neil Gaiman (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Stardust movies, Ben Barnes, posting real actual bits of news without going off on any kind of interesting tangents, not being crushed by The Simpsons, Add a tag
A couple of tiny bits of Stardust news.
I was thrilled to hear that Paramount moved the date of release to August 10 2007. Which means we're no longer up against the Simpsons Movie etc.
And Ben Barnes, who plays young Dunstan Thorne (and is thus, apart from Ian McKellen, the first speaking part in the film) was just cast as Prince Caspian. And may be sued by the National Theatre for jumping ship on The History Boys according to the Times.
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