10 New Bonus Prints Are Available To Add To Your CAN4 Portfolio Reward
Pledge Now & Help Fund The Cerebus Restoration Project
Pledge Now & Help Fund The Cerebus Restoration Project
Bonus Print #41: Diamondback with Marshall Rogers
Bonus Print #40: Cerebus #5 Cover Art (1978)
Bonus Print #35: On The Stairs
Bonus Print #34: Selling Insurance
Bonus Print #33: Swords Of Cerebus #4
Bonus Print #32: Alan "Jacob" Moore
BONUS PRINTS #1-31
FROM PREVIOUS 'CEREBUS ARCHIVE' CAMPAIGNS
17 comments:
Steve Peters (yesterday) - Steve, thanks for your suggestions.
As with everything having to do with the Internet, one of the problems is that I don't do anything myself online. It's a major stretch for me to post daily here at AMOC. "Maybe this will help." If I switch next time to Facebook and Twitter then everyone is just going to say, "Oh, but you need to post to AMOC AND the Kickstarter site itself, also."
Theoretically, I'm the creator of THE STRANGE DEATH OF ALEX RAYMOND and I'm supposed to be putting my time in there. AND getting The CEREBUS Foundation in order -- which ONLY I can do, unfortunately. 2015 has been a Perfect Storm of Weirdness and just executing the basics in and around the Weirdness has been a real challenge.
Hopefully Sandeep can make use of your suggestions, but I suspect even there it's a matter of him putting in HIS time where he thinks it will do the most good and accepting that, online in 2015, that's a mere fraction of what it's possible to do.
I do have one final "Hail Mary pass" (more like "Hail and Farewell, Mary pass") in mind for self-publishing (which, Weirdly enough, includes the Steve Peters Solution to lack of self-publishing productivity -- yes, YOU'RE the one who figured it out!)
There is a major confluence in the Perfect Storm of Weirdness taking shape. Me hitting the "Jeff Smith strips" in volume two of RIP KIRBY (in the midst of my -- Sandeep tells me, so far -- 350 pages of RIP KIRBY commentaries) seems...preordained...as I've now prepped my BONE Commentaries and figured I would do a short preamble documenting my history with BONE starting with Jeff -- at Larry Marder's urging -- giving me the first four issues at the Capital City Trade Show in 1992.
I had completely forgotten just how intricate and elaborate the whole situation became in short order. So that's what's occupying my time right now.
I had just gotten to that point in RIP KIRBY when the CEREBUS COVERS book proofs came in, which happened the same day we were going down to Leamington to pack up the warehouse, the day I got back from the MRI trip to Chicago so it took two weeks of 12-hour days to get the COVERS book in shape and make arrangements with COMIC WAREHOUSE here in town to take the entire inventory...
comicbookwarehouse@gmail.com if you want to be "in the loop" for FREE CEREBUS COMICS.
...and now I'm reliving 1992-1994 and documenting it to the best of my ability because I can't get PAST the "Jeff Smith strips" until I unravel that whole Gordian Knot (And I understand Jeff has been having similar problems with HIS drawing hand which seems both Weird and...preordained...)
Which I will be doing -- AM doing, by relay with Eddie K -- on Patreon for those interested. I think you can sign up for $1 a month or something.
And we'll be posting a free excerpt here -- when I finally stop "finessing" the earlier instalments.
It is One. Hell. Of. A. Gordian. Knot.
See you all tomorrow, God willing. And thanks, Steve, for your unflagging support!
Just wanted to say - reading AMOC and about Dave's life has some interesting benefits.
My son is taking part in a study of people with hiss genetic condition. As part of that study, they want to do an MRI of his brain structure and activity. However, they use a 3T MRI, not the normal 1.5T used in diagnostics.
(Turns out the T stands for Teslas, which is the measure of the strength of the magnet used in the machine.)
They were quite surprised that I'd heard of such a thing.
So - thanx Dave, you've helped in ways you'd never have thought of.
Iestyn
Thought it was time I jumped in and added my own comments in support of Dave and all he does.
As someone who has had limited (that's putting it mildly!)success in the comic book field, it's Dave's work that continues to inspire me to carry on creating comics. For the record, I have signed the petition, I contribute to Patreon and will continue to order Cerebus Archive portfolios for as long as they are made available. In a recent (and very rare) interview for a music blog (I'm currently drawing the comic book biography of David Gedge, singer/songwriter for the semi-legendary band 'The Wedding Present', I'll link the page in AMOC comments once it's published)I had this to say:
10. I see you have a fan in fellow self-publisher, Dave Sim. I guess you are a fan of Cerebus? Any other names you can drop? :)
The other ‘David’ in my life for whom I have the utmost respect for. ‘Cerebus’ is the best comic book of all time as far as I’m concerned. I’m amongst the few hundred who kept buying and excitedly reading it up until the 300th issue.
He set a goal for himself of writing and drawing (with the help of the unbelievably talented background artist Gerhard) a creator owned, self-published MONTHLY comic book that made sense as a complete story for 26 years. He never ‘sold out’, always promoted fellow self-publishers and unknown cartoonists in the back of his comic and replied personally to all of his fan mail, but because he ‘got religion’ and spoke out against the negative effects of feminism on society in a hard to refute (in my opinion), emotion-free diatribe was the subject of a media backlash that still causes him to refer to himself as ‘the evil misogynist’.
He’s currently trying to raise funds to digitally restore all 16 volumes of the ‘Cerebus’ story via a Kickstarter campaign.
I think it’s awful that Dave Sim has been ostracised by the majority of the independent/self publishing (and mainstream!) comic book community which he almost single-handedly helped to establish.
(They don't show up here, but I've included links to Kickstarter, the petition and Gerhard's site.)
It is factually false to say that Dave Sim has been ostracized by the comic-book community. Dave wasn't run out of town; he left.
-- Damian
I made a very simple animated gif to post on social media about the kickstarter. If other folks here find it useful, please feel free to share it.
http://hereville.visionmule.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2015/11/cerebus-kickstarter.gif
I also made a non-animated version, in case you want to use it in a forum that won't allow gif animations.
http://hereville.visionmule.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2015/11/cerebus-kickstarter-static.gif
Damian - I think the omission of any of the Cerebus books from 'The Comics Journal's top 100 of the 20th Century' contributed to that. If that's not ostracism I don't know what is! It was a big blow to me and I'm just a fan!
In their defence, according to Gary Groth, "The reason Cerebus didn’t make the Journal’s Top 100 list is because none of the critics who participated could agree on what story line qualified, splitting the vote." Still no excuse really...
It shows that their voting system was flawed, but it's not surprising that they didn't know that ahead of time (none of them are polisci nerds). But it doesn't seem to have been a deliberate omission.
I think the two worst exclusions from that list were Cerebus and Alison Bechdel.
Dave Sim- I certainly was not suggesting you get on Facebook. I was saying that the diehards could (and should) post links to the Kickstarter every day on their own Facebook pages (a.k.a. Timelines), in order to have a wider reach.
I would be happy to be your Facebook volunteer poster for the next Kickstarter. I would come up with a unique post about the Kickstarter for each day it runs. Anyone else willing to post to their pages (say, the names I mentioned---Margaret, Oliver, Sandeep, whoever) could give me their email address, and I would daily send them the text of the post and an image file to accompany it. Of course, they could just hit "share" on my original post, but there's little Facebook quirks the volunteers would need to know about.
Anyway, just putting it out there. No Dave Sim Facebook involvement needed. Again, sorry it's too late to be of much use on the current Kickstarter.
I like the Cerebus: The Zelig Pages idea very much and will be submitting when I can find some time...right now is NOT a good time for me!
It doesn't look like you said WHAT the "Hail Mary pass" is, but since you say it includes one of my ideas I'm pretty sure I know what it is. But I can't fathom how that would work with your drawing hand out of commission.
Cerebus fans reaching out through their social networks to help juice the Kickstarter campaign is not going to work. Cerebus Archives are hopeless as gateways for newbies. They preach to the converted. I'm going to keep buying them (even though I think they are somewhat conceptually flawed) but who, outside of Cerebus fandom, would be interested in plunking down $60-$100 for such a thing?
There is nothing about marketing Cerebus to a broader readership, that makes it somehow privileged and exempt to what every other marketer needs to do today. To wit: engage with your customers, through social media, in shops and in person. But we all know that isn't going to happen.
Also - totally agree that Dave exiled himself, he was not expelled from the comics community via global conspiracy. The omission from the TCJ List is a black mark TCJ needs to bear, not Dave - and if that's among the reasons why he's chosen to carry on as he does, it's...a shame.
Part 1
Hello,
I supported Cerebus through the single issues from Minds to the Last Day through my comic shop. It’s an incredible and unique achievement on many levels.
Aspiring creators have an amazing example in Cerebus of what happens when someone remains disciplined and pushes themselves creatively. One can see not just an incredible artistic progression on both Dave and Ger’s parts, but also a writing one as Dave moved from barbarian parody to politics, religion, relationships, feminism, and the positive and negatives of guys in an all male environment.
It’s a challenging work. The Torah commentaries in Latter Days didn’t interest me, and I don’t pretend to understand a lot of the science in the Last Day, but that doesn’t mean others won’t find merit in this work, nor that I won’t go back and give it another go in the future.
As single issues, I didn’t care for Fall and the River (how long are they going to be on this stupid boat!) and much of Guys I kept waiting for SOMETHING to (fall) happen, but found a new appreciation for both books once they were published. And have gone back and reread and enjoyed them many times.
That’s not even getting to the history of the comic, the topics of self-publishing, creators’ rights, his partnership with Gerhard, adapting to a changing economy, the end of Priney, his steps into digital comics, history with some of the big names in comics and on and on. (Now Bone commentaries? Sounds good to me.) I could be wrong but I think a young would-be entrepreneur could gain valuable insights from Dave’s experiences or at least see another example to be inspired by. Certainly any comic book creator would!
Gerhard alone is fascinating, from his technique, to the inventiveness in creating the backgrounds, being handed drawings of characters and basically designing “sets” that are a joy to look at.
I figure if I showed a random page to someone who’d never read Cerebus, they’d have no idea that Dave penciled and inked the characters and left the backgrounds to another artist. The work is seamless.
Even if Cerebus were mediocre (it’s not!) the fact that it exists, a 6,000 page comic book Novel that came out monthly (pretty much) for over two decades, is an amazing achievement and worthy of discussion.
Worthy of being preserved? Check out that drawing of the Sanctuary. Or Cerebus traveling through space in Minds or the cover to High Society!
Sure, there are weak points for me, a lot of which are in the first volume and my original dislike of the woody allen portion has only grown when the accusations of sexual abuse emerged.
But the majority of the work is incredible.
I think it’ll be read for generations to come. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s thought provoking and gets visually more impressive as it continues.
I actually think some of Dave and Ger’s best work is in the post 200 issues. Not only is Guys funny, but Dave completely nailed the randomness and conflicting nature of how a person can think when in solitude for a long period of time. The lettering and thought balloon work alone should be taught at the Kubert school, while the timing, panel layouts and dramatic techniques show a Master of the form.
Part 2
I’ve heard people criticize Dave’s science in the beginning of the Last Day but I’ve never read a detailed discussion from a scientist critiquing what Dave did. I’m not saying I’d understand it…just that I’ve yet to see it.
All I have read are people saying it’s terrible science, Dave’s not a scientist, etc. I don’t think I ever thought Dave was a scientist nor did he claim to be one, so that’s a worthless critique.
But I’ve yet to find one person go through it and point out where Dave’s understanding of science is faulty. I’m at the point where I feel like taking the issue to a local university and finding a professor qualified to read it and see what he says.
As I mentioned earlier, I’m not even sure I understand it but his discussion of God’s creation using biology and physics is fascinating.
I hope that Dave’s hand issues can be resolved sooner rather than later so he regains 100% use, however he's going about this. Certainly, if he thinks the approach documented on here is the best given his situation, that’s fine with me. What I want, as I’m sure all of you do, is for this incredibly talented creator to complete The Strange Death…
I’ll go a step further. I’m being greedy here but I’d like to see Dave do even more comics after Strange Death.
Which brings me to my last point and a question for Dave if he reads this: Any thoughts on writing a prose novel at some point? I figure your time is completely taken with the Cerebus restoration and estate planing, and Strange Death so no, but…it won’t hurt to ask.
I guess that’s it. Thanks to whomever is in charge of this site and for those of you who post interesting and thoughtful discussions on here as well along with Sandeep, and Sean and Mara for their work. Certainly I’d enjoy reading more of Mara’s opinion on the books as she goes along.
Oh yes, one last point.
For the longest time I thought much of what Dave said in Reads, Tangent and so on was interesting but mistaken.
Did that effect my enjoyment of the book? Not really.
The interesting thing is how my views have changed, I’m not a feminist and I now think Dave was ahead of a lot of people.
Some of Reads is harsh, but I’ve learned more about women since first reading it. I think Dave was right about more than I thought a decade ago. I have read comments where people will refuse to even read Cerebus and insult him based on his reputation alone. Hopefully that will change in time.
Do I agree with everything Dave has written? No, but his viewpoint, I believe, deserves to be read.
This has gone on longer than I thought it would.
I hope Dave’s hand heals and he can fully get back to what he is so incredibly talented at, creating comics!
Thanks Dave and Gerhard for Cerebus, and for sharing your thoughts and beliefs, Dave.
I hope one day to hold a completed Strange Death in my hands, knowing that somewhere in Kitchener, Dave is hard at work on another comic, if that’s what he wants to be doing or feels compelled to do.
Cerebus is an incredible novel.
Thank you for reading.
A Fake Name.
A Fake Name - Well, thank you for your support. I mean, SERIOUSLY! Not a hint of "Crazy Dave Sim" anywhere in your message. No wonder you couldn't sign your real name! :)
I can't really afford to PLAN anything, creatively, at this point in the sense of "First I'm going to do this, second I'm going to do that..." Realistically, at age 60, all there's time for is getting everything ready for when I'm dead because there's a LOT that needs to be done -- the Restoration and Preservation of the 6,000-page graphic novel itself foremost -- and I have no idea how long I'm going to live.
Second and more importantly, I've pretty much lost all interest in "made-up stuff", which is what a novel is. The closest I come to it is: writing history that fits the known facts. Which is what I'm doing -- with Eddie's considerable help! -- on THE STRANGE DEATH OF ALEX RAYMOND. In the sight of God, I would guess, not much different. Inference not being implication, it's "made-up stuff". ALL historical writing, in the sight of God, I would guess, is "made-up stuff".
I do what has to be done to keep Aardvark-Vanaheim going and to set The CEREBUS Foundation in motion and put out "brush-fires" where needed. And then I go back to writing THE STRANGE DEATH OF ALEX RAYMOND. Which involves extended digressions at the research stage to make sure I'm not missing something. Right now, the "Jeff Smith strips" from Raymond's RIP KIRBY, May 1949. (RIP KIRBY Volume Two; "Pagan's Cheerful Summer")
Pertinent (to me) in a large Comic Art Metaphysics sense because I'm the one writing about Raymond's death and The BONE Saga has this strange glitchy presence in my life. From my -- vague -- understanding of Comic Art Metaphysics, then, that glitchy presence originated at least seven years before I was born. So it needs to be addressed. 22 pages and counting so far which will (God willing) appear on the Patreon site.
I may never draw again. (continued)
A Fake Name (continued) - Tim F, our Multiple $10K Benefactor (and MANY, MANY, MANY Thanks, Tim!) when I spoke with him on the phone asked me how I was holding up MENTALLY under everything that's going on.
Fine.
No, really. God's will be done. If I've got Parkinson's I've got Parkinson's. If I never draw again, I never draw again. There are 176 pages of THE STRANGE DEATH OF ALEX RAYMOND done. The last 8 pages or so are the best pages I've ever drawn. Nice to go out on a high note. God let me finish the English language's only 6,000 page graphic novel. I mean, let's not be GREEDY here. The rest of SDOAR might only be in script form. God's will be done. I might only get 50 more pages scripted and Eddie will just have to post the raw research online. God's will be done. Or my wrist might get better and I might be able to teach myself to draw again. God's will be done. I might only get 10 more pages finished because I'll be a virtual cripple and it will take me six months to do a page. God's will be done. Or I might finish SDOAR and die the day after I finish it. God's will be done. Or I might finish SDOAR and live another ten years. God's will be done.
One thing for sure: it's ALL I can foresee doing. I'm not a feminist and I live in a Feminist Theocracy where I've been labeled a misogynist. I disagree, but -- as a firm believer in democracy -- I recognize the Overwhelming Populism/Mob Rule behind it and, consequently, have put myself under house arrest. I don't think I'm a misogynist, but I agree that misogynists shouldn't go out in public. So, I don't go out in public except to buy food and take exercise.
These last few weeks have been a -- largely failed -- experiment in "going out in public". The Populism/Mob Rule hasn't shifted a micron from what I can see: the idea that the COMICS JOURNAL and its message boards were some benign/passive element in that I find risible.
Your posting is a bright spot. The fact that you can't sign your name without inviting Feminist Theocracy consequences is a not-so-bright spot. It's a "wash".
I'll be TRYING to post to Kickstarter tomorrow starting around noon GMT (7 am Eastern Time) and ending around 5 pm PST (8 pm Eastern Time). I tried today and after I posted my comments they disappeared and there was a blank screen that said "about:blank".
So, the "fallback position" will be to just continue posting like this here here.
Once again Dave's paranoid persecution complex comes to the fore. There are no disastrous consequences for signing one's name when expressing support for Dave Sim. That Dave continues to insist that people who support him will be destroyed just demonstrates how badly he's failed at his self-described mission to perceive reality as accurately as possible.
-- Damian
Happily just purchased Cerebus Archive #4 and as many Add Ons as allowed.
Dave - THANK YOU. Cerebus has been a big part of my life and have immensely enjoyed everything you've done. (tangentially - really really loved the old Epic Illustrated stuff...not so much for the colour - "gawk!" but just for the over all look/feel of those stories. Still troll around 2nd hand book stores in Toronto looking for old copies)
Signed the petition years ago.
My absolute best wishes and thanks to the entire "Cerebus team" (if we can call it that) for the restorations. I use just a simple and older (2010) iPod Touch as my phone and even on it, the digital versions of Cerebus and High Society look AMAZING.
My best friend's son (who is now 11...ooof the years go by quick) loves to read and his Dad, after so many times during our youth of me telling him about Cerebus, just bought him the first phone book. He loves it. The next time I'm down to visit them in London, I'm going to bring him a new copy of High Society. So...there are still a ton of new fans out there who I think will continue to enjoy and love Cerebus for many years to come.
As promised, here's the link to my blog interview. Hands up who's heard of The Wedding Present? :)
https://gedgesongs.wordpress.com/tales-from-the-wedding-present-the-comics/?preview=true&preview_id=165&preview_nonce=2398d371a5
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