Monday 22 August 2016

Jaka's Story #11

Cerebus #124 (July 1989)
Art by Dave Sim & Gerhard

CEREBUS ARCHIVE NUMBER 5:
A portfolio of 10 Signed & Numbered Prints from "Jaka's Story"
Raising Funds For The Restoration & Preservation Of The World's Longest Graphic Novel

4 comments:

Jeff Seiler said...

Because I'm a dumbass (no pun intended) and because, up to that point, I had zero experience with G-string panties on [or off of] women), it actually took me a while to realize what was going on here. I have thought for some time that real-life experience in the reader, as he (or she) matures, only enhances rereadings of Cerebus.

Unknown said...

Which is not to -- in my case, at least -- in any way endorse G-strings, panties on or (particularly) off of women (outside of the context of marital fidelity). It's always a good idea to actually MATURE, I think, as opposed to just getting, you know, taller and older. Wish I had figured that out before I turned 40.

MEC said...

This is my favorite Cerebus cover of all time. I had never seen a cover with so much negative space before, so it really struck me at the time. I love how the white frames the thin strip of art. The figure of Jaka against the stone wall and window is just powerful, and, to me, the quintessential image of everything that was great about Dave and Gerhard's collaboration on the book.

Unknown said...

MEC - Many thanks for the kind words. It was a conscious choice coming up on the start of JAKA'S STORY to try to create a cover design that was grounded more in PAPERBACK cover design than COMIC BOOK cover design. I basically just went into a downtown bookstore and just slowly scanned their bestseller paperback rack and noted what designs jumped out at me. I found I usually stopped on negative space covers and covers that had the title in the upper left corner. Who knew?

I showed Gerhard some Frazetta watercolours for the shaded flesh tones and for me, that really makes the cover. He definitely nailed that blue/pink tone that Frazetta had a virtual patent on.