Interview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The Sandman
In 1993, Dirk Maggs, then a producer at BBC Radio 4, discovered Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics and was captivated by their departure from the tropes of traditional superhero narratives popular at the time. Despite multiple rejections, Maggs persisted in pitching a Sandman radio drama, refining his cra...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Université Paris XIII
2024-11-01
|
| Series: | Comicalités |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/comicalites/9518 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841551512566759424 |
|---|---|
| author | Vikram Nijhawan |
| author_facet | Vikram Nijhawan |
| author_sort | Vikram Nijhawan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In 1993, Dirk Maggs, then a producer at BBC Radio 4, discovered Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics and was captivated by their departure from the tropes of traditional superhero narratives popular at the time. Despite multiple rejections, Maggs persisted in pitching a Sandman radio drama, refining his craft through adaptations of Douglas Adams’ works and Gaiman’s Neverwhere. Finally, in July 2020, his vision materialized with The Sandman audio-drama on Audible, becoming a global bestseller. Maggs, a trailblazer in audio comics since the late 1980s, coined the term “audio movie” to describe the immersive experience he crafted. This interview delves into Maggs’ journey, discussing the creative challenges of translating Sandman’s visual brilliance into compelling audio narratives. Examining the audio translations of key Sandman story arcs—including the standalone meta Shakespearean adaptation “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the musical score in the “Song of Orpheus,” and the Chaucerian storytelling structure of “World’s End”—Maggs shares insights into the innovative narrative medium he helped to pioneer. Three decades after his initial pitch, Maggs has emerged as a prolific audio storyteller and co-creator of the highly acclaimed Sandman audio comic, showcasing the transformative potential of sound in storytelling on a global scale. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d088772b9a141379c50585a171e1be1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2117-4911 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Université Paris XIII |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comicalités |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d088772b9a141379c50585a171e1be12025-01-09T16:07:20ZengUniversité Paris XIIIComicalités2117-49112024-11-0110.4000/12w6xInterview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The SandmanVikram NijhawanIn 1993, Dirk Maggs, then a producer at BBC Radio 4, discovered Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics and was captivated by their departure from the tropes of traditional superhero narratives popular at the time. Despite multiple rejections, Maggs persisted in pitching a Sandman radio drama, refining his craft through adaptations of Douglas Adams’ works and Gaiman’s Neverwhere. Finally, in July 2020, his vision materialized with The Sandman audio-drama on Audible, becoming a global bestseller. Maggs, a trailblazer in audio comics since the late 1980s, coined the term “audio movie” to describe the immersive experience he crafted. This interview delves into Maggs’ journey, discussing the creative challenges of translating Sandman’s visual brilliance into compelling audio narratives. Examining the audio translations of key Sandman story arcs—including the standalone meta Shakespearean adaptation “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the musical score in the “Song of Orpheus,” and the Chaucerian storytelling structure of “World’s End”—Maggs shares insights into the innovative narrative medium he helped to pioneer. Three decades after his initial pitch, Maggs has emerged as a prolific audio storyteller and co-creator of the highly acclaimed Sandman audio comic, showcasing the transformative potential of sound in storytelling on a global scale.https://journals.openedition.org/comicalites/9518adaptationtelevisionmetafictionnarrativeaudiobookradio |
| spellingShingle | Vikram Nijhawan Interview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The Sandman Comicalités adaptation television metafiction narrative audiobook radio |
| title | Interview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The Sandman |
| title_full | Interview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The Sandman |
| title_fullStr | Interview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The Sandman |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The Sandman |
| title_short | Interview with Dirk Maggs, audio dramatist and co-creator of Audible’s The Sandman |
| title_sort | interview with dirk maggs audio dramatist and co creator of audible s the sandman |
| topic | adaptation television metafiction narrative audiobook radio |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/comicalites/9518 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vikramnijhawan interviewwithdirkmaggsaudiodramatistandcocreatorofaudiblesthesandman |