Monday, 10 August 2015

Cerebus Bi-Weekly Reprint

Cerebus Reprint (Unused artwork, 1988)
Art by Dave Sim & Gerhard
PANZER DUDE:
(from eBay, 2006)
In 1988, prior to the release of Cerebus Bi-Weekly #1, which was to reprint all the early issues, Dave and Gerhard worked on a new cover for this run of books. This is the cover that was intended for Cerebus Bi-Weekly #1. However, Dave later changed his mind and donated this unique piece to the Toronto Charity Con Auction instead. At auction, which I attended, I purchased this piece. Dave was amazed at the auction outcome for which the piece sold and I had a chance to speak with him after the auction. I was a teenager at the time (had to beg my parents to lend me the cash of course), but it was quite a thrill. Of course Dave indicated that he planned on using the cover for Bi-Weekly #1, but decided it to go with the cover it was originally printed with and to donate the cover to this auction instead. Included was the original artwork for the cover, a hand coloured layout copy of the same by Gerhard, and the overlay (looks similar to transfer paper or onion skin paper) with the Cerebus logo, issue, price etc. I won it all in the auction and it has been in my hands ever since.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, talk about a missed opportunity. This cover that 'would have...' is a treasure!
Those bi-weekly covers were horrible. new covers would have made a huge difference and Dave would have probably sold more copies and picked up more new readers.

iestyn said...

I like the bi-weekly covers personally

Steve Peters said...

I wonder why Dave hasn't considered another reprint run to keep Cerebus in the modern comic shop customers' consciousness? I guess it wouldn't be feasible in the current market?