CEREBUS IN HELL? #2: Dave Sim Annotations

Cerebus In Hell? #2 (February 2017)

by Dave Sim & Sandeep Atwal 
In stores right now!

DAVE SIM:
page 1 - Was King Minos an historical figure or a Greek myth?  It's really the weirdest thing about Dante's Inferno that they treat Christianity and Greek Mythology both as "something that happened to Rome".  Which, from their perspective, it was.

page 2 - Credit where it is due.  I really think the whole thing started with Jules Feiffer.  SOUTH PARK is in the same tradition, I think.

page 3 - This was Sandeep's first one.  Great start!

page 4 - The earlier part of the speech by Jacob Marley, which I would rate at or near to the top of the best-expressed moral teachings in the English language (and which tends, no surprise, to get cut out of performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL) is: "Oh! captive, bound, and double-ironed, not to know, that ages of incessant labour by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass into eternity before the good of which is is susceptible is all developed. Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness.  Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused.  Yet such was I! Oh! Such was I!"  Then Scrooge says, "But you were always a good man of business, Jacob," Which, of course, really sets him off with "Business! Mankind was my business, etc. etc."

page 5 - A favourite of mine. "DUH! Because "My Inferno" won't work on him!"

page 6 -  It's always very weird when I check something on Wikipedia like "Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion" and find out, yup, you didn't dream that fifty years ago.  It did come as a surprise how short the "If I Only Had The Nerve" number is in THE WIZARD OF OZ.   "Better steer clear of the 'homophobic' (or, as most people would see it HOMOPHOBIC!!!) 'I'm just a Dandy Lion.' Not a lot of lyrics to pick from if you leave that one out."

page 7 - I haven't got a TV, but, that's the concept behind Netflix Historical dramas, right?  Lots of blood and T&A?  I figure PRINCESS DI: QUEEN OF HEAVEN is going to have to wait until they're ready to do a 100% accurate car crash in slow motion.  Oooooooh!  COOL!

page 8 -  A lot of modified Koran and 1611 King James phraseology coupled with the unbelievable amount of DC comics lore from the 1960s still rattling around in my brain.  Like when Sandeep mocked up a CEREBUS IN HELL? cover from WORLD'S FINEST No.7.  "Hmm. First appearance of Batman's all-white snow costume."  Look it up?  Why would I do that?

page 16 - This one started with the idea of cutting off one of Batvark's legs.  I particularly like the "Crybaby Closeted Creationist Slackerpants."  Whoa!  Hey!  Them's fighting words!

page 17 - I figure if Freddie Mercury is "down there", he's probably still got the ability to get the whole stadium rocking.

page 18 - Sheer wordplay:  take an accredited translation of Canto 32, lines 127 to 129, rewrite the lines phonetically and plausibly and then build the gag from there.  Guaranteed to be the least-favourite CIH? strip EVER!  Looking on the bright side a) it's only four panels and b) having gotten it out of my system, I never have to visit the subject again.

page 20-21 -  I'm not sure people who believe in evolution (or, rather, Evolution) are going to see the humour in this:  a Gila Monster as the ultimate top rung on the evolutionary ladder, apart from becoming Darwin himself.  Again a) it's only eight panels and b) having gotten it out of my system, I never have to visit the subject again.