User:TheJoebro64/drafts/dreaming

Dream is a character created by Neil Gaiman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Dream is the main character of the The Sandman (1989—1996), and first appeared in the series' debut issue in January 1989.

The fourth DC character to assume the Sandman persona, Dream is both lord and personification of all dreams and stories, all that is not in reality (which, in turn, Dream may define by his existence).

Conception
Dream was created by Neil Gaiman for his revival of the 1974 DC Comics series The Sandman. Gaiman wanted to use characters from the series in his 1988 miniseries Black Orchid. The characters did not make it into later drafts because Roy Thomas was using the characters in Infinity, Inc., so Gaiman began constructing a treatment for a new series. He mentioned it in passing to DC editor Karen Berger, who told him months later he could pursue the series under one condition: he would have to create a new Sandman. Gaiman crafted Dream from an image of a pale man imprisoned. He patterned his attire after a Japanese kimono as well as his own wardrobe. Dream's face and physique is based on the amalgamation of Gaiman in his twenties, The Cure's frontman Robert Smith and ballet dancer Farukh Ruzimatov. Dream's face and appearance is also based on Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy. Murphy was the original model for Dream; Gaiman stated that the cover artist, Dave McKean, based Dream's face in the cover of The Sandman #1 on Murphy.

The Sandman
Dream first appeared in The Sandman #1 on November 29, 1988. In the issue, Dream is captured during an occult ritual and held prisoner for 70 years, escaping in the present day.