At New York Comic Con 2021, director Kevin Smith explained that his 1994 film Clerks was heavily inspired by writer Neil Gaiman's acclaimed comic book series The Sandman.

"I think I always associate reading Sandman with a time in my life in my early to mid-twenties before I did anything, before like I made art myself," Smith said during a NYCC panel attended by CBR. "And you know, it's wonderful to consume, anybody can consume Sandman and find enriching subject matter, things that hit close to home and whatnot." The director added that, as a creative person, Gaiman's work serves as fuel for his career, noting, "Not only is it like fun to read and enjoyable, it also fuels your passions, your fire."

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"I remember I was reading Neil heavily right before I made Clerks and I've said this to him many times, before I started my creative journey, the last big meal that I gave before I set out was Sandman, was Good Omens, was a lot of Neil's work," Smith continued. "So you know, you don't look at my work and everyone's thinking about Neil Gaiman, but oddly enough, he sustained me for, honestly, the last 27, 28 years of my career, but as you watch someone's, as James [McAvoy] pointed out, his imagination, Neil's imagination, unfold, your imagination cannot help but unfold as well."

Smith further praised Gaiman for creating content that is so unique and creative, it inspires creativity in others. "So, not only do I just enjoy it as a well-told story, I enjoy it too as fuel for the fire," he concluded. "It makes me want to be a better artist if that makes sense."

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Created by Gaiman alongside artists Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg, The Sandman launched under DC's Vertigo Comics imprint in the late 1980s and ran for 75 issues. The audio adaptation of The Sandman is available on Audible now, and Netflix is currently working on a television adaptation starring Tom Sturridge as Dream, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire and Donna Preston as Despair, among many others. Netflix's The Sandman does not yet have a release date, though is expected to arrive in 2022.

Meanwhile, Smith is currently working on Clerks III, in which Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson will reprise their roles as Dante Hicks and Randal Graves, respectively. The film will also see the return of Rosario Dawson and Trevor Fehrman, who joined the franchise in 2006's Clerks II. Clerks III has yet to be given a release date.

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