An Evening with Neil Gaiman

Sketch of Neil Gaiman and Adam SavageLast night, I had the extraordinary pleasure of attending “An Evening with Neil Gaiman,” in Berkeley, CA.

Not only was the audience graced with the company of the author himself, but the surprise addition of Mythbusters host Adam Savage as moderator made the night even more extraordinary.

Though the initial focus of the program was the 10th anniversary of American Gods, the conversation meandered through topics ranging from the pitfalls of publishing to Neil’s unabashed fanboy love for Dr. Who.

The night held a beautiful congruence of numerous energies, from the deliciously geeky to the downright mystical (hearing Neil read a passage from American Gods in a historic church made my scalp tingle).

If you ever have the chance to hear Mr. Gaiman speak, do yourself a favor and go. Between his dry sense of humor, his amazing storytelling abilities, and his easygoing manner, he’s remarkably fun to listen to.

Neil Gaiman quote letterpressIn honor this wonderful night, I found this simple, yet lovely letterpress print of a Neil Gaiman quote. It’s available from Fate Hope Destiny Luck Machine, an Etsy shop “operated by a circus artist and printmaker out of Portland, OR.” How friggin’ cool is that?

These may not be Neil’s exact words from last night, but the quote definitely captures the spirit.

[Sketch via Neil Gaiman’s WhoSay.]

 

MythBusters Embroideries

MythBusters embroidery“I reject your reality and substitute my own!”

I just spotted CraftyOctober’s amazing MythBusters embroideries on Craftster, which were made as part of an embroidery diptych swap.

It’s the details of these seemingly simple pieces that amaze me: the metallic thread on the glasses and the careful attention to the texture of the hair. Especially Jamie’s gloriously bushy beard, which was made using a technique called turkey work.