Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Breaking NEWS!

Hi Everybody!
With 24 hours to go, Friend to the Blog, Steve Peters has ADDED stretch goals to his Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent Kickstarter. Tell the nice people Steve:
First of all, thanks everyone for getting the project to, and past the goal! The first attempt came to just over $1500, so I figured if I made the goal $1000, Sparky would have a pretty good chance this time. Congratulations to Philip Frey -- on Please Hold with Dave Sim, Dave announced that the person who got the project over the finish line would get the original art for a new Jack Kirby-style Silver Surfer Sparky inked by Dave (inspired by Matt Dow's inking of Sparky over Jack's Silver Surfer pencils -- congrats to Philip on claiming the original for that as well, as an add-on reward).
Dave, it's "Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent" So his hat HAS to mean Make the Cosmos Great Again...

It might be too late, but what the heck, I'm going to add a couple of stretch goals. Last year, Sparky's first Kickstarter made over $2000, and had 13 more backers than the current one, so the little guy could very well make it.

STRETCH GOAL #1: If we can get to $2000, I will run Dave Sim's Jack Kirby-style Silver Surfer Sparky in the Signed Variant version. Note that it will NOT appear in the unsigned version, as I've already had those printed up! The regular version, the unsigned Dave Sim variant, and the signed Sim variant will all have differences. The main difference for the unsigned Sim variant is that Dave's and my 8-page collaboration appears first, starting right on the inside cover. On the others, the main Sparky story comes first. I will also throw my hat into the ring and do my OWN Jack Kirby-penciled Silver Surfer-as-Sparky (maybe I'll find a different image to try?) for the signed variant. Currently, there are 10 signed variants up for grabs; if they all sold, this could get us VERY close to the stretch goal. I will also include a small piece of art for anyone who adds a bonus donation or picks up an add-on (and if there's any add-on I can offer that will entice, please let me know!). Finally, the LARGEST pledge made between now and the end will get a Comicverse sketch cover custom drawn for you!

STRETCH GOAL #2: If we can make it to $2,311 (which is what the first Sparky Kickstarter got to last year), we'll give a little something extra to all backers. That should be enough to pay a few more artists to do some more sketches (or perhaps some of the same ones to do some more drawings) for the signed Sim variant. But if you're not one of the signed variant backers, you won't miss out! I'll make a very limited-edition mini comic that will have the new art that you're missing. And just to spread the love around, any digital backers will get a few bonus digital rewards from the list.
Geez, not so close to the mic Steve...

Anyway, ya can't say nobody told ya...

Meanwhile back to Hobbs: 

Will the real Benjamin Hobbs PLEASE stand up

Benjamin Hobbs:

I received a new message on the Akimbo/CAN 10 Kickstarter today.  The person wanted to know if I had been hitting them up on Twitter (or X, if you're staying current) for money in exchange for crowdfunding advising.  I haven't been on Twitter since it WAS Twitter.

The fake profile is @HobbsBenja72296

It utilizes my profile information from Kickstarter, and it looks like this:

 

I'm in the process of reporting this profile to Twitter, but in the meantime, if they message you looking for money, please report them as a scam. 

My actual Twitter is @TheREALBenjami5

Although I'm very rarely on there.  

Next Week: Who has time to write a column? Now that I'm logged back into Twitter, I'll be scrolling endlessly.

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

SDoAR 2.46: Another Page Unlocked! Giant-Size Ashcan #4 Unlocked!

Holy cow. 

Not only did we just unlock another page, but we unlocked another Giant-Size Ashcan!

In other words, $16,000 raised in 22+ months from 270 donations, resulting in 84 new unlocked pages atop the 21 mockups we launched with, and four Giant-Size Ashcans that Philip, Dave and I now need to finish.

Way to go, everyone!

Next stop, $20,000!

Just the GoFundMe Facts, Ma'am

  • $16,000.00 raised to date from 270 donations
  • 84 new pages released as mocked up by Dave Sim from 11 June to 29 December 2021
  • 105 total pages available on Dropbox, including Dave's 2019 mocked-up pages
  • $200.00 away from unlocking page 106
  • If you have not donated > $5+ donation grants access to all 105 pages and all pages moving forward
  • If you have donated, thank you, but if you want to donate monthly, GoFundMe does not offer that option, so please do so as we are just past the middle of month #11 of Year 2.

The Strange Death of Alex Raymond Preview, Part 45

The following are links to previous updates that featured pages from The Strange Death of Alex Raymond hardcover. If you click on the links in order, you can begin to devour the magnum opus that is the Strange Death of Alex Raymond...

This
Thisthis
Thisthisthis
Thisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthis
This, then...
Ciao!

Jen x
SDOAR GoFundMe -->> https://www.gofundme.com/f/sdoar-2023 <<-- SDOAR GoFundMe

Monday, 18 November 2024

"YOU can carry the supplies!"

Hi, Everybody!

___________________
Since this is Year Seven of my Reign of Terror, I've made the Executive Decision that from now on the Re-Read posts will have SEVEN pages of Cerebus instead of the usual six.

You're welcome.

Anyway, This.

Then:






Rigamarole:
Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent, 71 hours to get on the bandwagon and get a NEW 8 page story by Dave and Steve Peters...
______________

35% off November 18-24, and 40% off November 25-30.*
*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.
______________
In other news, since Twitter is a dumpster-fire and most people are skipping out of there, AMOC has joined BlueSky. Follow along. Or don't.
______________
Got a message from my friends at the Waverly Press. They're doing Holiday Bundles for 2024. There are limited to 50 bundles. Available until December 31 or they sell out. Whichever comes first. Get 'em while they're hot. https://waverlycomics.com
_______________
The Cerebus Humble Bundle is over, you can STILL get all 16 volumes for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)
_______________
Heritage has slabbed copy of  #1.
_______________
The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. 
_______________
The Last Day Without nothing.
   "      "     "        "  Dave's signature.
   "      "     "        "  an Old Cerebus Remarque
   "      "     "     Auction catalog for the Panoramic Remarques
_______________
Oliver' Simonsen's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark it's currently available on "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi". If you're in Brazil..."Mometu", "Nuclear Home Video".
_______________
Next Time: Jen tells you what SHE pledged to do to any Man that defeats her in battle. (Hint, it involves a broken beer bottle and his jugular...)

Sunday, 17 November 2024

Happy Birthday A Moment of Cerebus! (NEW Matt Art(?)!)

Hi, Everybody!

It's the thirteenth anniversary of when Tim posted the cover to Cerebus #1
in a post titled "What is Cerebus the Aardvark?" and got this whole ball rolling.

So, let us look back on all the ways this Momentous (heh) occasion has been honored and celebrated here on A Moment of Cerebus:
2012: Tim posted Douglas Wolk's review of Cerebus from the Believer. (The next day's post is Dave's response.)
2014: Tim posted How's Your Beaver #1
2015: Tim didn't post anything. Might have been a "skip day", might have been one of Sean's Paper-to-Pixels-to-Paper posts. (He was doing something with all thse posts, and reverted them to "draft" status, and I haven't felt the need to fix that...yet.) Anyway, the day before was Steve H. talking about Dave being in Chicago, and the next was Sean's Essay from the back of Church & State I
2016: Tim posted Cerebus in Hell? Week 21 (remember when there was an online strip?)
2017: I posted my first Weekly Update. (Or Tim posted one of his LAST Weekly Updates...)
2019: I posted Oliver's second Cerebus Around the World and Web column.
2020: I posted the next installment of Adam Beechen's Aardvark Comment correspondence with Dave.
2021: I posted the fourth "Aw Geez" anniversary post.
2022: Margaret posted something NOT from Dave's First Notebook.
2023: I celebrated AMOC Day with a Weekly Update...and shenanigans!
2024: That's this post...

Anyway, since I'm now on Year: Seven, I decided to update the AMOC Logo (that Birdsong or Hobbs first made for me back when I was young...)

Anyway, How am I celebrating AMOC Day?

New Art:

I had this idea back in January, and have been dancing around working on it all year. The original (uncorrected. With bluelines under the inking, and two question marks (because I forgot it and put it to far away at first.)) is going to Philip Fry along with my Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent piece I "did" with Jack Kirby as his reward for backing Steve Peter's Kickstarter.

Okay, Happy AMOC Day Everybody!

Rigamarole:

35% off November 17-24, and 40% off November 25-30.*
*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.
______________

In other news, since Twitter is a dumpster-fire and most people are skipping out of there, AMOC has joined BlueSky. Follow along. Or don't.
______________
Got a message from my friends at the Waverly Press. They're doing Holiday Bundles for 2024. There are limited to 50 bundles. Available until December 31 or they sell out. Whichever comes first. Get 'em while they're hot. https://waverlycomics.com
_______________
The Cerebus Humble Bundle is over, you can STILL get all 16 volumes for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)
_______________
Heritage has slabbed copy of  #1.
_______________
The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. 
_______________
The Last Day Without nothing.
   "      "     "        "  Dave's signature.
   "      "     "        "  an Old Cerebus Remarque
   "      "     "     Auction catalog for the Panoramic Remarques
_______________
Oliver' Simonsen's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark it's currently available on "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi". If you're in Brazil..."Mometu", "Nuclear Home Video".
_______________
Next Time: The Monday Report and pages from early Cerebus. Most likely...

Saturday, 16 November 2024

Aw Geez 7: Diamonds are Forever (NEW Sim art)

Hi, Everybody!

Well, it was TECHNICALLY Thursday, but it's time once again for the Aw Geez. The anniversary of when I first started this gig.

For the Record:
So, "Yay me!"

And then, TOMORROW makes thirteen years since Tim founded the joint

So, "Yay Tim!"

The TRADITIONAL gift at seven years is copper or wool. (Thirteen years doesn't even make the list...) But, I'll take whatever you send me.

I got you nice people the thing Dave wants. The Off-White House logo on Merch. (I know, Dave wanted it small. For the people who wanna see what it looks like: Big. And if you wanna look more official.)

35% off November 15-24, and 40% off November 25-30.*
*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.
______________

In other news, since Twitter is a dumpster-fire and most people are skipping out of there, AMOC has joined BlueSky. Follow along. Or don't.
______________

Friend to the Blog, Steve Peters has NEW Dave Art for his Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent on the Kickstarter:
Click for Bigger

I was leaning more towards "Make Connie Lingus Great Again", but she's already pretty damn perfect:
You're already right-clicking to save. But left-clicking makes bigger.

Good news/Bad news: If you back and get the SIGNED variant, you'll get Dave/Jack's Sparky. If you only got the regular version or the UNsigned variant, you ain't getting it (Steve already had those printed before Dave's drawing came in.) Steve hasn't made up his mind on getting rid of the Original Art, but if I hear anything I'll tell you as soon as I want to...
_______________
Got a message from my friends at the Waverly Press. They're doing Holiday Bundles for 2024. There are limited to 50 bundles. Available until December 31 or they sell out. Whichever comes first. Get 'em while they're hot. https://waverlycomics.com
_______________

Okay, more of this guy
tomorrow...

Next Time: Cerebus! Momentarily! Like always!

Friday, 15 November 2024

Teenagers (Dave's weekly update #565)

Hi, Everybody!

Like it says on the Logo:
The little bit on the bottom there...

It's Friday, so that means:
Dave's Weekly Update:
 
_________________________
A Moment of Cerebus runs Saturday through Friday.

The Week in AMOC:
  • Saturday: The November 2024 Please Hold For Dave Sim.
  • Sunday: Dave takes us to school with New Dave Art, and Larry has Old Dave Art.
  • MondayThe Monday Report, and I answer a question about Cerebus #2.
  • Tuesday: Jen lets us know where we are with the Strange Death of Alex Raymond GoFundMe. TWO new pages unlocked! $175 until page 105 unlocks. John Meijer won the latest raffle. AND new Dave art!
  • Wednesday: Hobbs shares toned images from Narutobus.
  • Thursday: Margaret continues looking at pages from the first Notebook AKA Albatross 1, YOU can get your very own BETTER-THAN-MARGARET'S-POSTS-O.-M.-G.-YOU-GUYS-SERIOUSLY copy. See here. She's still looking through the pre-material for issue #27.
  • Friday: that's this post. You're reading the Friday post right now. This is STILL like that bit in Spaceballs. (Should I link to LAST WEEK'S Update in these things?)

Okay, so that was the past week in AMOC. You're welcome.

Rigamarole:

35% off November 15-24, and 40% off November 25-30.*
*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.
______________
Here's a thing:
The end is almost here! In just a few days, late pledges will end for the LEGENDS OF INDIE COMICS: WORDS ONLY campaign! At that point, we will focus on sending out the backer surveys and pouring even more of our hearts and souls into making the book a masterpiece for all of you.

But you can still make the most of your support while making history! If you missed out on a certain reward during the campaign, there is still time for you to seize it! You can still order your digital, paperback, or hardcover edition of the book that brings together so many classic indie comics characters in prose fiction tales written by their original creators. Here's the link: http://kck.st/3Y11ZHu

Remember, thanks to the stretch goals, the book will include a brand-new DYNAMO JOE story, a SOUTHERN KNIGHTS tale, and black-and-white illustrations to accompany every story! And every backer will get a digital copy of the companion book, LEGENDS OF INDIE COMICS: HISTORY AND TRIVIA.

Don't hesitate to jump in and help us make this book the absolute best it can be...all while scooping up fabulous rewards and great karma! JOIN THE LEGENDS OF INDIE COMICS!
_______________
Friend to the Blog, Steve Peters is BACK with Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent on the Kickstarter, featuring Dave's Variant Sparkybus: The Final Confrontation cover and 8 page collaboration with Steve. 
Get your copies here.
_______________
The Cerebus Humble Bundle is over, you can STILL get all 16 volumes for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)
_______________
Heritage has slabbed copy of  #1.
_______________
The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. 
_______________
The Last Day Without nothing.
   "      "     "        "  Dave's signature.
   "      "     "        "  an Old Cerebus Remarque
   "      "     "     Auction catalog for the Panoramic Remarques
_______________
Oliver' Simonsen's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark it's currently available on "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi". If you're in Brazil..."Mometu", "Nuclear Home Video".
_______________
Next Time: Aw geez...

Thursday, 14 November 2024

Notebook One: Cerebus #27 Part Four

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.

Maybe instead of rewriting this opener every week, I’ll be a bit more efficient with my use of time and have this standard opening . . .though Boss Man saying I'm giving the notebook away for free, I see it as a way of advertising all the good stuff in the notebook, and wouldn't it be easier to have a hard copy to flip through and read at your own leisure? 

Have you got your copy of Albatross One? That is Dave Sim’s name for his first notebook used in the creation of Cerebus. If you want a copy of the notebook – and trust me, as someone who has held the actual Albatross One, it is a pretty close duplicate and looks great – you can check out this post right here. Well not this post. The one at this link. Go check it out, this post will still be here.

Please buy one so boss man stops yelling at me for "giving the store away for free". Perhaps if he sells one or two or all that he has left, he'll finally give me some PTO. Wait, why am I pushing this, boss man is on vacation. . .I should just take off. . .

And if you don’t want to buy one, you can wait as I release a couple of pages a week and check them out using the Notebook One tag. But trust me, the notebook is much much nicer then my silly little posts.

Okay, now that is done, on with this week’s Notebook One post.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Last week we saw pages 158 and 159 from Dave Sim’s first notebook used during the production of Cerebus. Those pages covered material from Cerebus #27. Page 158 was a list of plot points for Cerebus #27 and on page 160 we have a similar list, but it is more fleshed out. 

Notebook #1, page 160

There is another sketch of one of the kidnappers at the bottom left of the page. There is also more of a quick list down there as well of some familiar plot points: “2. Beats them up 3. Ransom note 4. Cerebus picks them up and dusts them off. 5. A really quick let’s get out of here from Cerebus. He's got the plan down pat by page four as well as the location – off over the rooves to demand – plays diamondback to win all of their squares and that’s when they doublecross him”.

After that and some more crossed out material, Dave starts writing down about how the squares work – Cerebus explaining it to his “kidnappers”. This continues on the next page when Dave switches back to the more fleshed out writing:

Notebook #1, page 161

Halfway down the page we get a description of the “kidnappers”: “both have hair trigger tempers. Reed haired Yosemite Sam type and black-haired Yosemite Sam type.”.  And again we see more sketches of the “kidnappers”. 

We get a tidbit of what is to come in Cerebus #28 down the bottom left of the page: “#28 Cerebus is going to have to hire a secretary to”. To? To do what? Will we find out on page 162? Will page 161 be the last page with Cerebus #27 material? Well, you don’t need to wait to find out, we already saw pages #162 and 163 in March of 2019 in Hold On There Y'Long-Eared Galoot. And as you can see, those two pages finalized the McGrew Brothers and still had material for Cerebus #27. We ain’t done yet folks.


Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Narutobus Tones!

Benjamin Hobbs:

The toning of Narutobus #1 is finished!

Here's a comparison of the first three Baby Throwing Panels from Church and State I to Narutobus #1:

Next week: More CIH? fun!

Tuesday, 12 November 2024

SDoAR 2.45: TWO New Pages Unlocked! $738 Raised in Raffle!

Let's see. Two more pages unlocked since last week and $738 raised in the Cerebus raffle! Not to shabby even if some commenters here like to scoff.

Not to mention new replacement art by Dave Sim for the Giant-Size Ashcan we are producing to continue the tale of The Strange Death of Alex Raymond!

The original mockup from 2021...

And the new art by Dave Sim in 2024...

I repeat, how cool is that?!?

Raffle News!

With 27 total entries, the winner of the Cerebus raffle for Cerebus #16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and Gold #0 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8, The T8 Ashcan Preview book with wraparound Green Foil cover (limited to 120 copies) and Cerebus/TMNT cards #87 and 88, Comics Journal no. 66 with Cerebus Six Deadly Sin ad within is... John Meijer a.k.a. Lord Julius!

Just the GoFundMe Facts, Ma'am

  • $15,825.00 raised to date from 267 donations
  • 83 new pages released as mocked up by Dave Sim from 11 June to 28 December 2021
  • 104 total pages available on Dropbox, including Dave's 2019 mocked-up pages
  • $175.00 away from unlocking page 105
  • If you have not donated > $5+ donation grants access to all 104 pages and all pages moving forward
  • If you have donated, thank you, but if you want to donate monthly, GoFundMe does not offer that option, so please do so as we are nearing the middle of month #11 of Year 2.

The Strange Death of Alex Raymond Preview, Part 44

The following are links to previous updates that featured pages from The Strange Death of Alex Raymond hardcover. If you click on the links in order, you can begin to devour the magnum opus that is the Strange Death of Alex Raymond...

This
Thisthis
Thisthisthis
Thisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthisthisthisthis
Thisthisthis, this
Then...
Ciao!

Jen xx
SDOAR GoFundMe -->> https://www.gofundme.com/f/sdoar-2023 <<-- SDOAR GoFundMe

Monday, 11 November 2024

A weird but "easy" question...

Hi, Everybody!

First, Mondays!
______________
So, I got a question at momentofcerebus@gmail.com, from...France:
Hello,

I'm French (English is not my mother tongue), and I've just recently started reading Cerebus for the first time, in the original version since there isn't really a French translation of the whole thing. In the second story, Cerebus says to his attacker: “COMNE YE TAMA STET FEGRIA!”. I couldn't work out what this meant, even using translators. Is it a pun?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Gio
He's referring to this page:

 Anyway, I replied:
Gio!

Hello. I believe there may be a French edition of the second volume: High Society.

As to your question, it's a made up language. Cerebus says it, and the caption says it's an insult (if I remember correctly).

I hope that helps.
Manly Matt Dow
He replied:
Thank you for your answer. I know about the French translation of the second volume (and the third).

It's a made up language, but does it have meaning? Will I understand the use of this made-up language later in the story?

Thank you,
Gio
And I said:
As far as I know, this is the only time the made up language is ever spoken.

In future installments, it's referred to but always in English.

So no worries.
Manly Matt Dow
Sometimes helping people is the best part of the job...
______________
Rigamarole:
Here's a thing:
IT'S NOT TOO LATE! Did you miss out on the LEGENDS OF INDIE COMICS: WORDS ONLY Kickstarter campaign featuring a new CEREBUS tale by Dave Sim? The one that's making history by bringing together some of the most legendary characters and creators of the indie comics era in a book of thrilling prose fiction adventures? Well, SMILE! The LEGENDS OF INDIE COMICS project is STILL accepting late pledges, so there's time for you to leap in, make a difference, and snag some spectacular rewards in the bargain! Here's the link: http://kck.st/3Y11ZHu
_______________
Friend to the Blog, Steve Peters is BACK with Sparky: Cosmic Delinquent on the Kickstarter, the Dave's Variant Sparkybus: The Final Confrontation cover is still in the mix: 
And Dave's 8 page collaboration with Steve will be in the book (even the regular cover version.)
_______________
The Cerebus Humble Bundle is over, you can STILL get all 16 volumes for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)
_______________
35% off November 10-24, and 40% off November 25-30.*
*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.
_______________
Heritage has slapped copies of #1 and #2.
_______________
The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. 
_______________
The Last Day Without nothing.
   "      "     "        "  Dave's signature.
   "      "     "        "  an Old Cerebus Remarque
   "      "     "     Auction catalog for the Panoramic Remarques
_______________
Oliver' Simonsen's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark it's currently available on "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi". If you're in Brazil..."Mometu", "Nuclear Home Video".
_______________
Next Time: Jen helps a guy translate SDOAR into Sanskrit...