Gaiman to narrate The Sandman for Audible edition

Neil Gaiman has signed on as narrator, creative directot and executive director of Audible's exclusive adaptation of his bestselling comic series The Sandman. 

The Sandman, written by Gaiman and published by DC, will be produced in audio for the first time, adapted and directed by Gaiman's long-time collaborator Dirk Maggs. The first installment of The Sandman, a multi-part Audible Original audio drama series, is set for release on Audible this summer. It will subsequently be released in French, German, Italian, and Spanish editions. The project will also feature an original score by British Academy Award winning composer and musician James Hannigan.

Gaiman said: "Almost 30 years ago, Dirk Maggs approached DC about adapting The Sandman into audio form. It didn't happen (although it was how Dirk and I first crossed paths) and I'm glad it didn't happen, because we are in a Golden Age of audio drama right now, and Dirk and I are much better at what we are doing. This is a rich audio adaptation of The Sandman Graphic Novels, brilliantly crafted by Dirk Maggs, with an all-star cast. I've loved being there to talk casting, there to read the scripts and offer occasional advice, and there in the studios, watching magic get made and recording the narration. I can't wait until the world hears what we've done."
 
Maggs added: "This audio iteration of The Sandman is huge in scope and ambition and based exclusively on Neil's original notes and scripts for his iconic DC series. Our production dives deep into Neil's imagination, as if he is writing these tales beside us, lifting out details and story elements few have been privy to until now. Audio uniquely complements the comic book artists' visual imagination and Neil's creative brilliance, while our amazing cast and Jim Hannigan's music add new emotional punch. This project's three-decade incubation period has been worth every minute of the wait. It's the very essence of Neil Gaiman's Sandman."
 
Gaiman has sold 3.27 million books since 1998, for £27.2m, through TCM in the UK, with The Sandman’s 2010 edition selling 18,660 copies and an earlier 1991 edition selling 18,338.