Interview With The ShanMonster: MmMelpomene

August 10, 2000

Not too long ago, author Neil Gaiman put his leather bomber jacket up for auction on ebay in order to raise money for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Bidding started at one dollar, and ended up at $6,101 US. What kind of person spends that much money on a second-generation used jacket? Find out....

The ShanMonster: How long have you been a Neil Gaiman fan?

MmMelpomene: Longer than I knew...I've been exposed to his stuff since roughly 1993, when my friends were quoting Sandman left and right, dressing up as the Endless en masse for Halloween and wearing ankhs and little eye swirlies for the photos on their first licenses. I had no bloody idea who he was, but obviously he was a phenomenon. In 1996, a friend gave me a mix tape with 'Chivalry' and 'Being and Experiment' on one side. It was uncredited, so I still did not know who Neil Gaiman was, or that he was the same bloke who put Hot Topic into business with Sandman, but I knew I loved what I heard, and I wanted to hear more. After that, things just sort of fell into place. I picked up a copy of 'Snow Glass Apples' and someone finally pointed out that all these things I was reading were by the same fellow! I was overjoyed! So in two days, in the summer between my Junior and Senior year of high school, I sat down and read the entire length of Sandman (which was a few issues away from being finished at that point) and have since read everything of Mr. Gaiman's that I can get my hands on.

The ShanMonster: I notice you don't yet have any ebay feedback. Is this your first purchase? If so, was it this particular auction which drew you into the online auction fray?

MmMelpomene: I had an e-bay account a while ago. It was a long time ago, though, so I decided to make a new account. Spent an hour at the ebay booth in San Diego trying to come up with cool names. Finally settled on one when a big guy in an ebay shirt started giving me the evil eye.

The ShanMonster: $6,000 is a lot of money! Would you have bid much higher for the jacket?

MmMelpomene: I would have liked to, but the funny thing is no, I wouldn't have...That morning I woke up from a dream about Neil an hour before the auction ended. I had decided to pass on the jacket, but I called up a friend of mine to tell him about the dream, and he said I should go for it. I decided, firmly, that my top bid would be 6,101 dollars, and as I watched, I realized that there was a chance that I could win the jacket at that price. And so I put in my top bid with about a minute and a half to go, and I won. I did not think there was a chance in hell that I would win, but I am very pleased that I did. I will wear it with happiness and pride.

The ShanMonster: Are you familiar with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund? If so, was your bidding influenced by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's need for cash?

MmMelpomene: Absolutely on both cases. I am a big supporter of the CBLDF. If you're ever at a party and someone asks 'why do comics need a legal defense fund anyway', there's a good chance that the short girl with the oddly colored hair who is flailing her arms and delivering a passionate speech about Mike Diana (among other things) is me. I am amazed that more people do not know what the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is, let alone how many very important battles they are fighting. So if anyone who reads this does not know about the CBLDF go here now! Become a member! Get involved! Educate yourself and help defend free speech! Okay...the jacket's cool too though.