From The Sandman Companion:
According to Gaiman, the initial visual design of Death was based on a friend of Dringenberg's named Cinnamon, an
American fashion designer. Gaiman: "Death is the only major character whose visuals didn't spring from me; that credit
goes to Mike Dringenberg. In my original Sandman outline, I suggested Death look like rock star Nico in 1968, with the
perfect cheekbones and perfect face she has on the cover of her Chelsea Girl album.
"But Mike Dringenberg had his own ideas, so he sent me a drawing based on a woman he knew named Cinnamon —
the drawing that was later printed in Sandman 11 — and I looked at it and had the immediate reaction of, "Wow. That's
really cool." Latter that day, Dave McKean and I went to dinner in Chelsea at the My Old Dutch Pancake House and the
waitress who served us was a kind of vision. She was American, had long black hair, was dressed entirely in black —
black jeans, T-shirt, etc. — and wore a big silver ankh on a silver necklace. And she looked exactly like Mike
Dringenberg's drawing of Death."
McKean also used a series of professional English models for representations of Death on covers of Sandman.
Despite some rumors, Death is not based on Gaiman's friend Tori Amos. Rather, Delirium is.
According to Gaiman, the initial visual design of Death was based on a friend of Dringenberg's named Cinnamon, an
American fashion designer. Gaiman: "Death is the only major character whose visuals didn't spring from me; that credit
goes to Mike Dringenberg. In my original Sandman outline, I suggested Death look like rock star Nico in 1968, with the
perfect cheekbones and perfect face she has on the cover of her Chelsea Girl album.
"But Mike Dringenberg had his own ideas, so he sent me a drawing based on a woman he knew named Cinnamon —
the drawing that was later printed in Sandman 11 — and I looked at it and had the immediate reaction of, "Wow. That's
really cool." Latter that day, Dave McKean and I went to dinner in Chelsea at the My Old Dutch Pancake House and the
waitress who served us was a kind of vision. She was American, had long black hair, was dressed entirely in black —
black jeans, T-shirt, etc. — and wore a big silver ankh on a silver necklace. And she looked exactly like Mike
Dringenberg's drawing of Death."
McKean also used a series of professional English models for representations of Death on covers of Sandman.
Despite some rumors, Death is not based on Gaiman's friend Tori Amos. Rather, Delirium is.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mike Dringenberg's early comic work appeared in Enchanter, Alien Worlds, Total Eclipse, and Kelvin Mace.
Dringenberg is probably best known for his artwork on the series 'The Sandman', and he also did art work for the card
game, Magic: The Gathering.
Dringenberg was initially the series's inker (over pencil art by Sam Kieth) but switched to pencilling when Kieth left after
the fifth issue. He drew eleven issues, all but one inked by Malcolm Jones III, and his understated, realistic style did
much to establish the tone of the series. He co-created the popular character Death, whom he based on Cinnamon, a
girl he knew from the dance clubs in Salt Lake City, Utah (Gaiman had imagined her looking like Louise Brooks or Nico,
but ultimately preferred Dringenberg's version). He also co-created Desire, basing his/her appearance on the work of
Patrick Nagel, and had a hand in much of the character design apparent in the early series.
Dringenberg's work appears in the Sandman collections Preludes and Nocturnes, The Doll's House and Season of
Mists. He is credited in every printing as being one of the series's creators, as he is responsible for the iconic
representation of many of the principal characters.
His earliest work was in independent comics, including Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters (a parody of
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which itself was a parody of many current comic books), Enchanter, Alien Worlds, Total
Eclipse, Shock the Monkey and Kelvin Mace. His mainstream work includes DC's Doom Patrol with writer Grant Morrison
game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.
He is currently a popular illustrator of book jackets and CD covers, most notably for various books by J.R.R. Tolkien,
Kij Johnson, Kage Baker, and San Francisco's Big City Orchestra.
Mike Dringenberg's early comic work appeared in Enchanter, Alien Worlds, Total Eclipse, and Kelvin Mace.
Dringenberg is probably best known for his artwork on the series 'The Sandman', and he also did art work for the card
game, Magic: The Gathering.
Dringenberg was initially the series's inker (over pencil art by Sam Kieth) but switched to pencilling when Kieth left after
the fifth issue. He drew eleven issues, all but one inked by Malcolm Jones III, and his understated, realistic style did
much to establish the tone of the series. He co-created the popular character Death, whom he based on Cinnamon, a
girl he knew from the dance clubs in Salt Lake City, Utah (Gaiman had imagined her looking like Louise Brooks or Nico,
but ultimately preferred Dringenberg's version). He also co-created Desire, basing his/her appearance on the work of
Patrick Nagel, and had a hand in much of the character design apparent in the early series.
Dringenberg's work appears in the Sandman collections Preludes and Nocturnes, The Doll's House and Season of
Mists. He is credited in every printing as being one of the series's creators, as he is responsible for the iconic
representation of many of the principal characters.
His earliest work was in independent comics, including Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters (a parody of
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which itself was a parody of many current comic books), Enchanter, Alien Worlds, Total
Eclipse, Shock the Monkey and Kelvin Mace. His mainstream work includes DC's Doom Patrol with writer Grant Morrison
game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.
He is currently a popular illustrator of book jackets and CD covers, most notably for various books by J.R.R. Tolkien,
Kij Johnson, Kage Baker, and San Francisco's Big City Orchestra.
and Nocturnes, "The Sound of Her Wings," where she gave Dream direction
and a degree of understanding. Death instantly became very popular to readers
However, Gaiman attempted to entice and tease readers by rationing-out the
number of appearances from Dream’s family so Death did not appear as
frequently as one might expect for such a popular character. At the end of the
ninth Sandman story arc The Kindly Ones, there is a lengthy and noteworthy
appearance from Death, in which she finally brings her brother peace.
and a degree of understanding. Death instantly became very popular to readers
However, Gaiman attempted to entice and tease readers by rationing-out the
number of appearances from Dream’s family so Death did not appear as
frequently as one might expect for such a popular character. At the end of the
ninth Sandman story arc The Kindly Ones, there is a lengthy and noteworthy
appearance from Death, in which she finally brings her brother peace.
The interview with Neil Gaiman has information about model Donna Ricci who claimed in an interview in Bite Me!
magazine, issue #5 that she was the model for the character of Death in Neil Gaiman's comic series Sandman.
Neil says this: "I'm afraid you fell for that Donna Ricci person's fibs about being involved in Sandman. For the record, I've
never met her, nor have any of the artists, none of the Sandman covers she has up on her website are actually
photographs of her (they're mostly very expensive London fashion models that Dave McKean hired,
and obviously not her)."
magazine, issue #5 that she was the model for the character of Death in Neil Gaiman's comic series Sandman.
Neil says this: "I'm afraid you fell for that Donna Ricci person's fibs about being involved in Sandman. For the record, I've
never met her, nor have any of the artists, none of the Sandman covers she has up on her website are actually
photographs of her (they're mostly very expensive London fashion models that Dave McKean hired,
and obviously not her)."
| Cinnamon |
| Dringenberg's"DEATH" |
| Icon Handler Mike Dringenberg Materials: ceramic cup/saucer, toy gun, hand-pounded typewriter text, various collage, empty shells, etc. ubuibi.org on Display at: JAVARAMA 1333 Park Avenue Alameda California |
| The Sandman |
| SAYAT |
| "ENDLESS" Wall Scroll |
| The Sandman |
| Enchanter #2 |
| Enchanter #3 |
| Remove Soul on display at: The Beautiness of Dominaria www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Springs/8050/DarkrowRealm.htm |
| Sketch done for me at The Vortex Night Club Salt Lake City 1993 |
| Howling Fury from: |
| Enchanter #1 Cover Painting www.comicartfans.com/ClassifiedsByCat.asp?GCat=4981 |
| Doctor Strange Clea Clave Private Collection |
| 'SPHYNX' scarabdreamer.blogspot.com/ |
| The Sandman from: THE DOLL'S HOUSE |
| Damping Matrix from: Magick: The Gathering |
| DEATH from: THE DOLL'S HOUSE |
| The Sandman from: THE DOLL'S HOUSE |
| Picture on wall Signed by: Mike & Cinnamon at: Funny Papers at Dobie Center in Austin, Texas |
forbidding and joyless. She also appears in The Books of Magic (first volume, 1991, also written by Gaiman) at the very
end of time, where her function is to set things in order and close the universe up. John Ney Rieber included her in The
Books of Magic (vol. 2 #3-4), in which she lets Timothy Hunter hang out at her house and hold her teddy bear, filled with
ghosts.
Keith Giffen used the character in several mainline DC stories, including Ambush Bug Nothing Special #1, a brief cameo
in Lobo's Back #3, in which she slaps Lobo for getting fresh with her, and she comes to take Superboy in the
retconned-out Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4, #38.
Other personifications of Death have appeared in the DC Universe. In Captain Atom #42 (also by Giffen) Death appears
alongside Black Racer of the New Gods and Nekron (a "god of death" from Green Lantern). The story stated that all
three were equal, representing different aspects of death. Gaiman has refuted this, however, and his stories make it
clear that Death of the Endless is the ultimate personification of Death. It might be assumed, however, Nekron, the
Racer, and the Black Flash are connected to her in some way. A more traditional version of Death appeared as host in
such DC titles such as Weird Mystery Tales, House of Secrets, Ghosts, Weird War Tales (including being in the story in
issue #94) etc. How this pre-Crisis Death relates to Gaiman's Death, if at all, is unclear, although her older brother
Destiny appeared with the character.
Death made an appearance in the Marvel Universe, at the wedding of Rick Jones and Marlo Chandler in an issue of The
Incredible Hulk (handing Rick a hair brush, the joke being Rick's constant 'brushes with death'). However, this was
probably only the Death of the Marvel Universe assuming a form more appropriate for the occasion, rather than an
actual appearance by the DC version.
end of time, where her function is to set things in order and close the universe up. John Ney Rieber included her in The
Books of Magic (vol. 2 #3-4), in which she lets Timothy Hunter hang out at her house and hold her teddy bear, filled with
ghosts.
Keith Giffen used the character in several mainline DC stories, including Ambush Bug Nothing Special #1, a brief cameo
in Lobo's Back #3, in which she slaps Lobo for getting fresh with her, and she comes to take Superboy in the
retconned-out Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4, #38.
Other personifications of Death have appeared in the DC Universe. In Captain Atom #42 (also by Giffen) Death appears
alongside Black Racer of the New Gods and Nekron (a "god of death" from Green Lantern). The story stated that all
three were equal, representing different aspects of death. Gaiman has refuted this, however, and his stories make it
clear that Death of the Endless is the ultimate personification of Death. It might be assumed, however, Nekron, the
Racer, and the Black Flash are connected to her in some way. A more traditional version of Death appeared as host in
such DC titles such as Weird Mystery Tales, House of Secrets, Ghosts, Weird War Tales (including being in the story in
issue #94) etc. How this pre-Crisis Death relates to Gaiman's Death, if at all, is unclear, although her older brother
Destiny appeared with the character.
Death made an appearance in the Marvel Universe, at the wedding of Rick Jones and Marlo Chandler in an issue of The
Incredible Hulk (handing Rick a hair brush, the joke being Rick's constant 'brushes with death'). However, this was
probably only the Death of the Marvel Universe assuming a form more appropriate for the occasion, rather than an
actual appearance by the DC version.
| Book Covers AMAZON.COM |
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| Mike Dringenberg |
Death has also been featured in two limited series, Death: The High Cost of Living (1993), and Death: The Time of Your
various mortals. The 2003 manga-style graphic novel Death At Death's Door portrayed Death’s activities during the
fourth Sandman story arc Season of Mists. It was written and illustrated by Jill Thompson and may be part of a series.
Death has also made occasional appearances in other DC comic books.
various mortals. The 2003 manga-style graphic novel Death At Death's Door portrayed Death’s activities during the
fourth Sandman story arc Season of Mists. It was written and illustrated by Jill Thompson and may be part of a series.
Death has also made occasional appearances in other DC comic books.
| -The Hollywood Apartments- -AKA- "The Kill Pigs Apts." It was here in Cinnamon's basement apartment that Mike did the first preliminary sketches of DEATH. |
| This is a bad copy of a copy of a sketch Mike did for me in 1988. It was for a tattoo I was going to get on my right arm. Unfortunately the original was stolen before I could have the work done. |
| "You get what everyone gets, a lifetime." -Neil Gaiman Farewell Cinamon Hadley R.I.P. 11-06-1969 - 01-08-2018 |
Rest in Peace, or head off to your next adventure, Cinamon Hadley. You gave Death of the Endless her face and her smile. https://t.co/lsikh0BHCW
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 6, 2018
