Deep and Meaningfuls

MARGARET LISS:

A few years ago I scanned all of Dave Sim's notebooks. He had filled 36 notebooks during the years he created the monthly Cerebus series, covering issues #20 to 300, plus the other side items -- like the Epic stories, posters and prints, convention speeches etc. A total of 3,281 notebook pages detailing his creative process. I never really got the time to study the notebooks when I had them. Just did a quick look, scanned them in and sent them back to Dave as soon as possible. So this regular column is a chance for me to look through those scans and highlight some of the more interesting pages.

We last looked at Dave Sim's twenty fourth notebook this past January in Remember . . .jobs? The notebook covers Cerebus #192 through #211 with 138 pages scanned in.

On page 111 there is a ballpoint pen sketch of Bear thinking "I'm really not much wa wun for th' "deep and meaningful's":

Notebook #24, page 111

On page 104 there is a sketch of a woman whom I'm thinking is Ziggy, Bear's girlfriend during Guys. She doesn't appear on page 18 of issue #213, but she does appear on the cover of the issue. In the notebook sketch she appears to be pushing or holding something with her left hand, while on the cover she is standing just in the door.

Notebook #24, page 104

Cover to Cerebus #213