Hob Gadling

Hob Gadling
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The Sandman vol. 2, The Doll's House, issue #13, "Men of Good Fortune"
Created by	Neil Gaiman
In-story information
Full name	Robert Gadling
Supporting character of	Dream
Abilities	Immortality

Hob Gadling, also known as Robert, Robbie, or Bobby, is a fictional character from the Sandman comic book series by Neil Gaiman. Gadling first appears in in issue #13, "Men of Good Fortune". A soldier recently fighting in Hundred Years' War, Gadling argues with friends about the nature of death in an inn located in what will become modern-day London. He develops significance both as a recurrent character in the series and friend to Dream, appearing in a total of seven issues spanning six hundred years.

Appearances

Gadling first appears in vol. 2, The Doll's House issue # 13, “Men of Good Fortune” in 1389, sitting in a smoky tavern in what will eventually become London's East End. Gadling is arguing that if he refuses to die, he will have eternal life. Dying, he argues, is merely a habit, something that people do simply because everybody does. It is, as Gadling puts it, "a mug's game." This catches the attention of Death, who encourages Dream to listen. Death agrees, at the request of her brother, who says that "it might be amusing" to grant Gadling eternal life. Dream strikes a conversation with Gadling who agrees to meet him again in the same inn once every hundred years.

They do so, and Gadling recounts each century of his life. In the century following his initial appearance and meeting with Dream, Gadling becomes rich, marries and is knighted (1389-1589 AD). Over the course of the next three hundred years, he falls into disgrace following the premature death of his wife and child (1589-1689 AD), enters the slave trade to again become wealthy (1689-1789 AD), and exits it after Dream comments on its immorality (1789-1889 AD). His 1789 their meeting is interrupted by the arrival of magician Johanna Constantine, ancestress of John Constantine, who says she heard it rumoured that once every hundred years The Devil and The Wandering Jew meet in a tavern. He also mentions a more polite man named Jack Constantine, who was killed by Night Walkers.In the penultimate meeting in 1889, Gadling suggests to Dream that the true purpose for meeting was friendship. Dream rejects the suggestion angrily and walks out. In 1989 Dream’s return confirms their friendship.

The first and last meetings each have a scene where snippets of conversation around the inn can be seen; though the scenes are in 1389 and 1989 respectively, the conversations are very similar. For example, "No, of course the plague isn't God's punishment" matches "Don't be a pillock, Darren, of course AIDS isn't a punishment from God", as well as criticisms of two unpopular and resistance-inducing poll taxes, one instituted in the 1380s under King Richard II, the other instituted in the 1980s under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This statement of 'the more things change, the more they stay the same' is echoed in the penultimate issue in Daniel's Latin phrase: "Omnia mutantur, nihil interit" (figuratively translated as "everything changes, yet nothing is truly lost"). There are also overheard fragments of those who believe that those in poverty live better than the rich.

In issue #22, collected in Season of Mists, Dream visits Hob in his dreams while preparing for a visit to hell sometime in 1990. He gives Hob a bottle of rare Chateau Lafitte 1828 which remains in the waking world.

He next appears in issue #53, “Hob’s Leviathan” which recounts a portion of Hob’s biography independent of the Dream King’; the story, which takes place on a ship called the Sea Witch in the first half of the 20th century, forms a section of the frame narrative which comprises Worlds' End

The narrative later reunites Hob and Dream in issue #59 of The Kindly Ones. Having lost his most recent significant other in a car accident, Hob is devastated and asks Dream to resurrect her, remarking that "it never gets easier, people you love not being there any more." . Dream states that such an act is impossible, but offers Hob the comfort of making her killer aware, while dreaming, of that which he has destroyed. As they leave Hob warns Dream that he has the stench of death upon him, which Dream responds with an ambiguous smile and thanks.

Hob’s final three appearances occur in issues #70 ("Chapter One, Which Occurs in the Wake of What Has Gone Before"), #72 ("Chapter Three, In Which We Wake"), and #73 (An Epilogue, Sunday Mourning) of The Wake. In “Sunday Morning”, Hob attends a Renaissance festival with his girlfriend Guenevere. Disgruntled by the inaccuracy of the event, he spends most of the afternoon drunk in a disused and derelict tavern, somewhat similar to the one in which he first met Dream and Death. While there, he is visited by the latter who, reflecting that Hob may have reconsidered his pact for eternal life since Dream’s death, offers him an end. He refuses the offer, saying "I'm not ready to die. Not today. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Anyway, Gwen'd kill me." The issue concludes with Hob dreaming of walking on a beach with Dream and Destruction (whom he does not recognize completely).

Characterization

Gadling, like Element Girl, is one of several humans in The Sandman series who do not age.

By 1989 Gadling will come to regret his involvement in the Atlantic slave trade, an occupation Morpheus advised him to forgo centuries before; having apologized repeatedly to his 20th century girlfriend in "Sunday Morning", he is told by Gwen to drop the subject. When he responds "You can't just forget about it", she answers "Sure you can, Robbie. You know how? You just forget about it", echoing the structure of Gadling's own earlier thoughts on death in "Men of Good Fortune": "The only reason people die, is because everyone does it. You all just go along with it. It's rubbish, death. It's stupid. I don't want anything to do with it."

Creation and concept

Gaiman has said that he based Gadling's speech pattern on that of British actor Bob Hoskins, particularly in the film The Long Good Friday. He has been regularly portrayed as a man of middle height with slightly receding reddish-brown hair, but only in 'Sunday Mourning' did artist Michael Zulli base his appearance on a specific person: Ian Anderson, lead singer of rock band Jethro Tull. Over the course of the series, Hob has been penciled by Kelley Jones, Michael Zulli, Bryan Talbot, and Marc Hempel; inked by Malcolm Jones III, David Giordano, Mark Buckingham, and D’Israeli; and colored by Steve Oliff and Daniel Vozzo.