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	innocentsmith 2009-03-13 06:15 pm UTC (link)
	OH MY GOD. Can't brain. Crossover of fangirlish glee too awesome. flails (Reply to this)

	dejana 2009-03-13 06:29 pm UTC (link)
	I think I just exploded from the awesome (Reply to this)

	phosfate 2009-03-13 07:16 pm UTC (link)
	O_O AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! (Reply to this)

	sneer 2009-03-13 07:24 pm UTC (link)
	....!!!!!!!!!!!! FLAILFLAILFLAILFLAILFLAILFLAILFLAILSQUEEFLAILFLAILFLAILFLAIL. Flail. (Reply to this)

	somnambulicious 2009-03-13 07:30 pm UTC (link)
	This could very well end up being the most awesome thing in the history of the universe. (Reply to this)

	cjk 2009-03-13 07:57 pm UTC (link)
	Will he, though? I thought he was in GB for his father's funeral. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	researchgrrrl 2009-03-13 08:01 pm UTC (link)
	He's still scheduled, per Colbernation.com. If that's changed, they haven't passed along the info yet. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	finchbird 2009-03-13 08:34 pm UTC (link)
	I was all :D :D :D :D when I read this post and then you hit me with the hard reality of his father's passing. ;___; I'm not upset at you if you're wondering. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	d00mpixie 2009-03-13 10:42 pm UTC (link)
	Just confirmed by Neil via Twitter -- it's still on. ^_^ (Reply to this)(Parent)

	teapotgirl 2009-03-13 10:43 pm UTC (link)
	According to Neil's twitter, he's still planning to go. http://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/1324117567 (Reply to this)(Parent)

	sandglass 2009-03-13 09:12 pm UTC (link)
	EEEEEEE!! (Reply to this)

singe
2009-03-13 10:34 pm UTC (link)

Whoa, SoundOfWings doesn't like Gaiman and pops into Colbert's comment thread to tell us why...

02.06.09 at 03:38pm
Steven, keep Scientologists on the On Notice board. Yay! Thay are eeeeevil! Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) is a celebrity Scientology. Neil Gaiman was a class VIII auditor and Executive Director of the Birmingham Org. He was a Case Supervisor at the Guardian Office. He's listed as completing three Scientology courses in 1988 and his family members are heavy-weight Scientologists; father David Gaiman was head of the Guardian Office and is active in Russia, sister Claire Edwards is an executive in Scientology Missions International (recruiting end of Scieno), wife Mary Gaiman is listed as "clear" in 2002, Mother Sheila Gaiman is a big time Scientologist with her own site and is also active in Russia. Other sister Lizzie Calcione runs a Scientology practice in East Grinstead, that is a mixture of auditing and WISE delivery (a Sceino front group). The Gaiman Family are listed as founding US Patrons of Scientology for 2004 & 2006 so they donate large amounts of money to clear the planet.

Also? Gaiman killed his puppy.

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	researchgrrrl 2009-03-13 10:41 pm UTC (link)
	My first thought, upon reading your comment, was that I find Gaiman as a puppy-killer way more believable than Gamain as an active Scientologist. Even incredibly weak Google-fu suggests that, if anything, he just happened to be a kid whose dad was into it...and even then most sources for that little tidbit appear to be based in wikiality. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	singe 2009-03-13 11:48 pm UTC (link)
	Gaiman's more of a cat-guy anyway. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	fryingpanofdoom 2009-03-13 11:35 pm UTC (link)
	That guy posted the same spiel in the comments for Neil's Youtube Coraline promo about koumpounophobia as well. I can't stop giggling every time I see it. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

researchgrrrl
2009-03-13 11:45 pm UTC (link)

I have such a limited imagination. In my life, it never would have occurred to me that there could be someone running around out there, doomsaying about Neil Gaiman. I mean. Neil Gaiman, who is one of the most charming, professional, self-effacing, and polite-but-honest-with-his-opinions Big Name authors around. He's, like, anti-wank, here to calmly offset the existence of Big Name wankers such as Anne Rice. I never could have guessed he could be source of any sort of Chicken Littling. AWESOME.

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	It's a hot-button topic...ba dum CHING! singe 2009-03-13 11:46 pm UTC (link)
	Hey, I just learned something new! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	dejana 2009-03-14 12:23 am UTC (link)
	He... what? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	singe 2009-03-14 04:34 pm UTC (link)
	Something about being 'clear' and aliens and...I dunno. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	wait, wait, wait researchgrrrl 2009-03-14 12:31 am UTC (link)
	Shouldn't someone warn SoundofWings that Stephen has become Scientology's new Galactic Overlord and, as such, having Neil on is part of the conspiracy omg? D: (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: wait, wait, wait singe 2009-03-14 04:32 pm UTC (link)
	dies I...I have to go vote for Colbert. NOW! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	cjk 2009-03-14 01:53 am UTC (link)
	All nonsense aside: I know his parents were/are Scientologists, but did Neil ever speak about it in any interview? I'd love to know what he thinks about it nowadays. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	spawn_of_kong 2009-03-14 02:41 am UTC (link)
	Neil Gaiman's parents were Scientologists? Huh. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	researchgrrrl 2009-03-14 02:56 am UTC (link)
	My nonsense aside, I hope that this SoW nutbar doesn't incite anyone to pester Neil about the subject so soon after his father's death. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cjk 2009-03-14 12:08 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, that would be really below the belt. (Reply to this)(Parent)

keelieinblack
2009-03-14 04:02 am UTC (link)

He hasn't talked much about it. I believe a fan approached him IRL at one point and asked, and he said it was a private family matter and expressed a wish to not comment on the subject--possibly so as not to end up distancing himself from family members who are still involved?

CoS declared him a Supressive Person back in the 1980s, though, and if he's still a member he's doing a really good job of hiding it.

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	singe 2009-03-14 04:36 pm UTC (link)
	So would I. His bullshit-o-meter is finely tuned so he might have some very interesting things to say. (Reply to this)(Parent)

fryingpanofdoom
2009-03-14 09:33 pm UTC (link)

Here's what gets me: One of the most enduring and well-known aspects of Neil's personal life is the fact that he almost never talks about it. It's nearly impossible to prove or disprove any of the rumors that surround him because there's so little to go on. The most that he has ever revealed, as far as I can see, is the fact that he is tremendously proud of his three kids, that his wife's name is Mary, and that he was born Jewish but his family was not always the most observant. I absolutely agree with the two commenters below who think that it's not fair to vilify or judge any religion based on its high-profile extremists, but I'm still skeptical of Neil's alleged ties to Scientology. Where do they get their information from? And where do those people get their information from? If he does not write about it on his blog, or has never been physically recorded via Youtube discussing his parents work with Scientology, then I honestly can't believe any of it.

I think G.K. Chesterton once said something to the effect of, 'A good story tells us the truth about it's subject, and a bad story tells us the truth about the author.' I have a feeling that this is at least partly the reason Neil is so reticent about his life. He's more committed to creating art than biography, and it's this hugely self-effacing attitude that, I think, has inspired so many to mine his stories with almost Shakespearean fervor for the tiniest grains of truth about his life and personal beliefs.

Which is just a lengthy way of explaining why I laugh at things like this. What the hell does it matter if his parents really were/are scientologists? It's not going to stop me from admiring the hell out of his stories, and anyone with half a brain would say the same exact thing.

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	cjk 2009-03-14 09:46 pm UTC (link)
	Oh, my opinion of Neil's work wouldn't be influenced in any way by his or his family religious or other beliefs. I'd just be interested in his opinion on it, not as somebody related to somebody allegedly affiliated with the Church, and how silly does that sound? but on his own merits. He has interesting things to say about Stuff in general. (Reply to this)(Parent)

vzg
2009-03-14 04:17 am UTC (link)

And this is part of the reason people villifying Scientology so much bothers me. Well, this and some other things. To be honest I've not really researched Scientology myself, but I find it hard to believe that even if it is based on some not-so-good shit every member is actively participating in mass mindfucks and hoping to be abducted by aliens or whatever.

Also villifying any religion in general just bothers me, because if you replace "Scientology" with any other religion (or, say... Communism, or the like) people wouldn't take it so kindly.

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oops, meant to whisper

researchgrrrl
2009-03-14 04:39 am UTC (link)

I was kind of thinking the same thing. I suspect that Scientology, as is the case with many other religions, is more known for its fanatical/extremist/evangelical weirdos and beliefs than it is for any of its moderate members or practices. Yes, they do creep me out, but so do many other religious practices. In fact, other religions are frequently taken to just as extreme levels by their "true believers"; they just don't have Tom Cruise proselytizing for them.

*dabs up wee splooge of srs bns*

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	Re: oops, meant to whisper brennalarose 2009-03-14 06:01 am UTC (link)
	Psst! Amen to this! quietly waves flag of reason (Reply to this)(Parent)

adevyish
2009-03-14 07:29 am UTC (link)

There is a decent amount of evidence that the Church of Scientology does things that are either illegal (breaking into the IRS, and there have been child labour accusations from former high-placed members) or ought to be illegal (suicides that seem to be caused by Church "counselling", stalking critics of their Church). So it's like many other organized religions, really.

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	singe 2009-03-14 04:41 pm UTC (link)
	nods What Researchgrrrl said. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	seiberwing 2009-03-14 06:56 pm UTC (link)
	IIRC from the Chanology thing, there's actually a splinter group of Scientologists who hang on to the Scientology philosophy but are seperate from the corruption and horrors of the actual Church of Scientology. Like Protestants, but with Xenu. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	vzg 2009-03-14 04:18 am UTC (link)
	Watch me be psyched to watch it and then wind up missing it anyway. :[ Always happens when Stephen has an awesome guest. (Reply to this)

	erinny 2009-03-14 05:07 am UTC (link)
	I'm in NY... dare I take my chances with the standby line? I was kinda planning on doing that anyway on Tuesday. (Colbert's Irish, it'll still be St. Paddy's day themed!) We'll see? (Reply to this)

	brennalarose 2009-03-14 06:02 am UTC (link)
	iz ded of squee The perfect start to my night of "Let's get ready to STUMBLE!" (Reply to this)

	stella_polaris 2009-03-14 05:24 pm UTC (link)
	OH MY GOD. How did I not know this?! Did Neil mention this in the blog, because if he did, I missed it. I don't watch TCR (I'm a Jon girl through and through :>) but now I'm gonna have to make an exception. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	researchgrrrl 2009-03-14 05:52 pm UTC (link)
	I discovered it by way of TCR's main page yesterday. I suspect it's something Neil would have announced had family matters not otherwise required his attention. (Reply to this)(Parent)