Art by Dave Sim
The proposed Cerebus / X-Men cross-over of the 1980s unfortunately never got beyond the initial planning stages between Dave Sim and X-Men artist Paul Smith. The relevant pages from Dave Sim's production notebooks can be viewed here...
Updated 17 March 2012:
DAVE SIM:
(from the Bendis Board, 9 February 2008)
All that exists of the Cerebus/X-men crossover is notes in one of my notebooks at the time. Chris Claremont and I both got invited to a store signing in Prince George, British Columbia so we decided we would plot the whole book on the way out on the plane. This really involved me taking dictation from Chris to make sure all of his stuff was covered -- I could figure out where the Cerebus stuff would fit in on my own and bounce it off him later. It's really in such shorthand note from that it's virtually incoherent.
It became obvious talking to Jim Shooter that this was a project Marvel was doing to keep Chris happy. Whatever Chris wants Chris gets, but they -- as a corporation -- really didn't think the book would sell worth s--t. I could see their corporate point, but it certainly deflated any real interest I had in doing the book. It had "file in a drawer marked 'H-freeze over'" written all over it.
I suggested it to Chris at Maplecon in Ottawa in front of a bunch of people. As anyone in the business can tell you, there are a lot of projects that sound really good over a few drinks after the Saturday of a Con that are in the "WHAT was I THINKING?" category when you get home and remember how much of your own work you have to do.
Updated 17 March 2012:
DAVE SIM:
(from the Bendis Board, 9 February 2008)
All that exists of the Cerebus/X-men crossover is notes in one of my notebooks at the time. Chris Claremont and I both got invited to a store signing in Prince George, British Columbia so we decided we would plot the whole book on the way out on the plane. This really involved me taking dictation from Chris to make sure all of his stuff was covered -- I could figure out where the Cerebus stuff would fit in on my own and bounce it off him later. It's really in such shorthand note from that it's virtually incoherent.
It became obvious talking to Jim Shooter that this was a project Marvel was doing to keep Chris happy. Whatever Chris wants Chris gets, but they -- as a corporation -- really didn't think the book would sell worth s--t. I could see their corporate point, but it certainly deflated any real interest I had in doing the book. It had "file in a drawer marked 'H-freeze over'" written all over it.
I suggested it to Chris at Maplecon in Ottawa in front of a bunch of people. As anyone in the business can tell you, there are a lot of projects that sound really good over a few drinks after the Saturday of a Con that are in the "WHAT was I THINKING?" category when you get home and remember how much of your own work you have to do.
2 comments:
I received a message from Gerhard, some time two years ago (IIRC), that read, "And, to think, you were there from the start."
I answered (IIRC), "From the start of what? CEREBUS #65? Yeah, maybe."
And then Ger reminded me that I had been sitting alongside him and his WONDERFUL companion (Hi, Shel!) (at the, I think, WizardWorld comic-con in St. Louis, MO) when an emissary for Grant Morrisson approached Ger and asked whether Ger would be interested in collaborating on a project with Grant.
I was oblivious, at first, but then Ger told me about it.
"The Smile of the Absent Cat" is an ongoing project in EPIC magazine, featuring Morrison as the writer and Gerhard as the artist.
Eventually, I hope, it will be in a collected volume.
It is really good.
Jeff,
Heavy Metal, not Epic.
And as far as I know, there has only been one installment so far.
Matt
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