The first comic book shop I found was in DC in 1994 and the Sandman was thing I picked up. On outside appearance, I was the last person you'd think would love graphic novels, since I was a former sorority president from the Midwest. But, I was captivated. And especially by Death. I was working my first job in health/public health issues, and by all accounts was on my way to being "a normal person." Many things influenced me on my path, but Neil Gaiman and the Sandman series was up there. I later became a home hospice social worker and now, a therapist who specializes in grief and loss. The Sandman was one of the sparks in my imagination that led me to a life I couldn't have foreseen when I was 22 years old. It's very fun to see the Sandman brought to life. Now, I'm waiting for the Graveyard Book!