CEREBUS, VOLUME I, proofreading update: having received a tactful, kick-in-the-ass, phone call from Dave a couple of days ago regarding the protracted time it has taken for me to get the proofreading of Cerebus, Volume I, done, I have seriously stepped up my efforts.
(In my defense, over the past four weeks, since I got the call on September 29th, from Dave, telling me to go ahead, I have left at least two, maybe three voicemail messages for him asking him to let me know if there was a deadline. No response.)
Where I'm at: I am 100 pages away from being finished with highlighting all of the corrections on the pages of the book. I am doing this because the handwritten notes can be a bit confusing at times but, paired with the highlighting, they're not too hard to decipher. One hundred graphic novel pages should go fast--that's fourteen handwritten correction notes. I expect to overnight it all, by FedEx, to Sean on Monday.
Here's a little more process material for all of you proofreading junkies out there; both of you. Dave asked me, some time back, to explain how I decided on which spelling of a word (seeing as how most of us speak the King's English) was the best fit. Dave gives me plenty of rein for my decisions but, of course, corrects me when my corrections are incorrect. Or, when he just plain doesn't like them.
Dave has told me that his dictionary (and, apparently, language) of choice is the Oxford English Dictionary. I don't know whether he has all XXX volumes of it, or not, but I own a copy of the Oxford American English Dictionary. It is a behemoth, so I rarely employ it. I also have the Fourth Edition of the American Heritage College Dictionary, which is handy (in the true sense of the word--readily accessible and very good--accurate, by the way) and the Fifth Edition of the full American Heritage Dictionary, which is also a behemoth and, disappointingly, is nearly indistinguishable from the Fourth Edition American Heritage College Dictionary (the Fifth Edition is, mostly, a behemoth because it's printed with large type--you know, for us seniors...).
ANYWAY, (and thanks for hearing me out, both of you [Johnny McPhanbot and, presumably, Dave]), the little, eensy, weeny, tiny-whiny, point I wanted to make is this:
My Fourth Edition, American Heritage College Dictionary has an amazing "APP"! For words that have *English*, as opposed to American spellings, there is a second entry! Ergo, I can pick and choose, as I'm proofing, between what Dave (writing the Queen's lingua) intended and what Dave...er...messed up. When I see the second, British/Canadian, spelling, I go with that--no correction necessary. But, if there is no second entry, no British/Canadian "variation", I make the correction. Three hundred years of Empire doesn't automatically mean that you own the language, bitch.
(Um...Sir.)
Just one example of the American English/British English divide is "passers-by". In British English, it's "passers-by". In American English, it's "passersby".
However, there are, in the book, many outright misspellings, such as APPENTICES, instead of APPRENTICES.
Dave? Sorry if any of this offends you. You were young, brash, high and drunk, and, in love. We've all been there. That you accomplished what you did, given those parameters, remains remarkable.
I remain convinced that the lack of any available product information with Diamond codes for ordering makes it more difficult for potential interested parties to have their LCS buy.
If not on the AMOC site, maybe on the official Cerebus FaceBook page (I maintain -- better to be on both), having a list if items and codes would be a Good Thing.
By my count we have the Cerebus collections (existing + remastered, Cerebus in Hell?, the Diamond Archive editions. If I wanted to order the Diamond Archive editions...well, me and/or my LCS have efforts to be made. I think that effort should be minimized as much as possible...
My LCS owner in southern California says he is trying to special order Reads for me but that it keeps coming up as Out of Stock on the Diamond website when he looks it up. I'm patient, and with the surprise imminence of the Covers book as well as Cerebus in Hell? I've got enough coming soon to keep me happy, but it is frustrating that in this day-and-age, etc. etc.
Just curious. Did you just say the "Cerebus Archive Number One - Diamond Edition" is signed on the outside label? My copy is not signed. So any time you feel like popping over to England to sign it please let me know, or would that ruin my unique unsigned copy? Ha.
Looking forward to number five and all the other A-V goodness coming out soon.
5 comments:
CEREBUS, VOLUME I, proofreading update: having received a tactful, kick-in-the-ass, phone call from Dave a couple of days ago regarding the protracted time it has taken for me to get the proofreading of Cerebus, Volume I, done, I have seriously stepped up my efforts.
(In my defense, over the past four weeks, since I got the call on September 29th, from Dave, telling me to go ahead, I have left at least two, maybe three voicemail messages for him asking him to let me know if there was a deadline. No response.)
Where I'm at: I am 100 pages away from being finished with highlighting all of the corrections on the pages of the book. I am doing this because the handwritten notes can be a bit confusing at times but, paired with the highlighting, they're not too hard to decipher. One hundred graphic novel pages should go fast--that's fourteen handwritten correction notes. I expect to overnight it all, by FedEx, to Sean on Monday.
Here's a little more process material for all of you proofreading junkies out there; both of you. Dave asked me, some time back, to explain how I decided on which spelling of a word (seeing as how most of us speak the King's English) was the best fit. Dave gives me plenty of rein for my decisions but, of course, corrects me when my corrections are incorrect. Or, when he just plain doesn't like them.
Dave has told me that his dictionary (and, apparently, language) of choice is the Oxford English Dictionary. I don't know whether he has all XXX volumes of it, or not, but I own a copy of the Oxford American English Dictionary. It is a behemoth, so I rarely employ it. I also have the Fourth Edition of the American Heritage College Dictionary, which is handy (in the true sense of the word--readily accessible and very good--accurate, by the way) and the Fifth Edition of the full American Heritage Dictionary, which is also a behemoth and, disappointingly, is nearly indistinguishable from the Fourth Edition American Heritage College Dictionary (the Fifth Edition is, mostly, a behemoth because it's printed with large type--you know, for us seniors...).
ANYWAY, (and thanks for hearing me out, both of you [Johnny McPhanbot and, presumably, Dave]), the little, eensy, weeny, tiny-whiny, point I wanted to make is this:
My Fourth Edition, American Heritage College Dictionary has an amazing "APP"! For words that have *English*, as opposed to American spellings, there is a second entry! Ergo, I can pick and choose, as I'm proofing, between what Dave (writing the Queen's lingua) intended and what Dave...er...messed up. When I see the second, British/Canadian, spelling, I go with that--no correction necessary. But, if there is no second entry, no British/Canadian "variation", I make the correction. Three hundred years of Empire doesn't automatically mean that you own the language, bitch.
(Um...Sir.)
Just one example of the American English/British English divide is "passers-by". In British English, it's "passers-by". In American English, it's "passersby".
However, there are, in the book, many outright misspellings, such as APPENTICES, instead of APPRENTICES.
Dave? Sorry if any of this offends you. You were young, brash, high and drunk, and, in love. We've all been there. That you accomplished what you did, given those parameters, remains remarkable.
I remain convinced that the lack of any available product information with Diamond codes for ordering makes it more difficult for potential interested parties to have their LCS buy.
If not on the AMOC site, maybe on the official Cerebus FaceBook page (I maintain -- better to be on both), having a list if items and codes would be a Good Thing.
By my count we have the Cerebus collections (existing + remastered, Cerebus in Hell?, the Diamond Archive editions. If I wanted to order the Diamond Archive editions...well, me and/or my LCS have efforts to be made. I think that effort should be minimized as much as possible...
on a similar note my local comic shops have struggled to get the new Going Home
My LCS owner in southern California says he is trying to special order Reads for me but that it keeps coming up as Out of Stock on the Diamond website when he looks it up. I'm patient, and with the surprise imminence of the Covers book as well as Cerebus in Hell? I've got enough coming soon to keep me happy, but it is frustrating that in this day-and-age, etc. etc.
Dave,
Just curious. Did you just say the "Cerebus Archive Number One - Diamond Edition" is signed on the outside label? My copy is not signed. So any time you feel like popping over to England to sign it please let me know, or would that ruin my unique unsigned copy? Ha.
Looking forward to number five and all the other A-V goodness coming out soon.
cheers
Richard
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