Neil Gaiman and Harry Potter.

[Brannon]

Is it true that one of Neil Gaiman's characters was the "inspiration" for JK Rowling's now world famous wizard? I've heard various snippets over the years but wanted to ask about the specifics. Which came first? Gaiman's stories or Rowlings?

[Armless Penguin]

I assume you mean Tim Hunter, who came quite a bit earlier than Harry Potter.

But there's no evidence Potter was in anyway "inspired" by Hunter, just a remarkable similarity.

[Ryan Day]

Strictly speaking, Gaiman's Books of Magic, about a young boy training to be a great magician, came about ten years before Harry Potter. It wasn't the inspiration for Potter, though, since both draw on a number of elements common to both British literature and mythology: Young boy, probably an orphan, leaves home to learn about magic. Owls are involved. The only reason they were drawn together was because of a woman who was suing Rowling for plagiarism who also said that Gaiman had accused her of stealing, when he'd made no such claim.

Gaiman covers it pretty well in this interview, summarizing the whole thing quite nicely by saying "I thought we were both just stealing from T.H. White."

[the film freak]

Neil Gaiman invented little British kids with glasses. Little known fact.

[Simon Garth]

Strictly speaking, Gaiman's Books of Magic, about a young boy training to be a great magician, came about ten years before Harry Potter. It wasn't the inspiration for Potter, though, since both draw on a number of elements common to both British literature and mythology: Young boy, probably an orphan, leaves home to learn about magic. Owls are involved. The only reason they were drawn together was because of a woman who was suing Rowling for plagiarism who also said that Gaiman had accused her of stealing, when he'd made no such claim.

Gaiman covers it pretty well in this interview, summarizing the whole thing quite nicely by saying "I thought we were both just stealing from T.H. White."

Hmm. Personally, I'd say that Rowling has rather liberally "re-interpreted" from Antony Buckeridge, amongst others - not the magic stuff, but the boarding school stuff is "strongly reminiscent" of the Jennings books that I read as a kid, along with many others of that ilk, which Britain churned out by the hundred, in both books and comics

[jerrymcl89]

In broad strokes, Harry Potter does closely resemble Tim Hunter. But I think Rowling added enough trappings to the character to legitimately claim (whether she had read Books of Magic at all or not) that he's a seperate creation. Which seems to be Neil Gaiman's view, as well.

[noh-varr]

The last issue of Books of Magic ongoing series there's a line saying something along the lines of, if Neil gaiman had written this as a novel instead he'd have been very rich. I don't think she stole the idea at all, arent there many stories of young boys learning magic in Englad? And the image of the boy with thick glasses is in many stories there.

[redoogie]

Awfully similar but I really doubt it served as her inspiration.

[static]

anyone have an actual timeline ??? as i was reading Books of Magic years later in TPB i was astounded at how similar the stories were....has there been any legal agreement between the two ?? i would be very surprised if it never came up before legally....

[Screwtape]

Be surprised. It never came up.

Neil Gaiman steals so frequently (and well, IMHO) that he couldn't possibly justify calling another writer out for using one of his ideas, unless it was something totally egregious like directly quoting his work.

[DonC]

anyone have an actual timeline ??? as i was reading Books of Magic years later in TPB i was astounded at how similar the stories were....has there been any legal agreement between the two ?? i would be very surprised if it never came up before legally....

Books of Magic (the miniseries) came out in 1989. JK Rowling said she got the idea for Harry Potter in 1990. The first novel was published in 1997.

Neil Gaiman has never, to the best of my knowledge, claimed Harry Potter was ripped off of Tim Hunter.

[Hellpop]

No, Gaiman has addressed this in several interviews, and has always chuckled about the similarity. I think it might be different if he owned the rights to the character-- but he doesn't, DC does. And Harry Potter is published by Scolastic, an imprint of Warner, which also owns DC.... I've always wondered if maybe Neil wasn't given a little sum to not bring the matter up, but we'll never know. In any event, he's never shown any interest in writing a perceived wrong, as he's generally a nice guy. I think he would probably have a very good case, if he persued it; certainly, similar copyright decisions have found for the plaintiff with even more circumstancial coincidences involved.

[Ryan Day]

I think he would probably have a very good case, if he persued it; certainly, similar copyright decisions have found for the plaintiff with even more circumstancial coincidences involved.

I don't think he'd have much of a case, unless there was some specific evidence connecting Rowling to Books of Magic. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of thematic and plot elements that were being used many times before either one of them was born. T.H. White could probably sue both of them, if he were still alive.

[Agentum]

Be surprised. It never came up.

Neil Gaiman steals so frequently (and well, IMHO) that he couldn't possibly justify calling another writer out for using one of his ideas, unless it was something totally egregious like directly quoting his work.

And he doesn't, he have said that he don't think Potter is swiped from his comics.

And "steal" is a bit to much, all writers takes part from other storys and media now and then.
And why not?

[Hellpop]

I don't think he'd have much of a case, unless there was some specific evidence connecting Rowling to Books of Magic. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of thematic and plot elements that were being used many times before either one of them was born. T.H. White could probably sue both of them, if he were still alive.

Yes, but that's the same thing I would have said about Captian Marvel in relation to Superman....