Creator of The Sandman and one of comics' most accomplished writers, Neil Gaiman is also the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Anansi Boys , American Gods , Stardust , and C oraline, as well as the short story collections M Is for Magic and Smoke and Mirrors and the multimedia creation Neverwhere. He also co-wrote the Jim Henson Productions film MirrorMask with longtime collaborator Dave McKean, illustrator of the Gaiman-written graphic novels Mr. Punch , Violent Cases , and Black Orchid . Among his many awards are the Hugo, the Nebula, the Eisner, the Harvey, the Bram Stoker, and the World Fantasy Award. Originally from England, Gaiman now lives in the United States.