First off: AUCTIONS!Nick Calm Agent of C.O.D.P.I.E.C.E. #1 sold for $152.50 ($120.33 American) so, "Y." "A." "Y."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Cerbi #1 sold for $177.50 Canadian ($140.05 American) so, "Yay."
The Undateable Cerebus #1 sold for $107.50 Canadian ($84.82 American) also, "Yay."
The Un-Bedable Vark #1 also sold for $107.50 Canadian ($84.82 American) again with the "Yay.".
New is:
The Undateable Cerebus #1 sold for $107.50 Canadian ($84.82 American) also, "Yay."
The Un-Bedable Vark #1 also sold for $107.50 Canadian ($84.82 American) again with the "Yay.".
New is:
And these are still going strong:
CEREBUS" trade paperback test STUDIOCOMIX EDITION #1/1 signed by Dave Sim
CEREBUS" trade paperback test STUDIOCOMIX EDITION #1/1 signed by Dave Sim
The Life and Legend of Wallace Wood
Kevin Kimmes:
- Meirgen: The son of the jeweler who was previously in possession of the Lotus. Believes he will be receiving "special favors" from Red Sophia
- Throgo: A traitorous Tcapmin and the apple of Red Sophia's eye. Currently owed 1/2 of the eventual sale price of the Lotus.
Lone Wolf, Hold the CubAs mentioned previously, Cerebus operates best as a lone operative. This story again proves that. In the end Cerebus is the sole possessor of The Black Blossom Lotus, sicking the Tcapmin mercenaries on his cohorts and walking away from the caper with the prize all to himself.
(And if he posts something after I post this, look for bonecrusher86 on the eBays.)
So open your checkbooks and bid, Bid, BID!!! (Or not, I don't care what you do. I would think you guys would know this by now...)
Anyway:
"Say kids, what time is it?"
"It's 'READING CEREBUS' time! "
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| It's "READING CEREBUS" time.
It's "READING CEREBUS" time.
Kevin reads Cerebus for you,
It’s such a nifty thing to do.
Let’s give a rousing cheer,
Cause "Reading Cerebus" is here,
Nobody liked last week's bit,
So you can all go eat |
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| No Swearing! |
Welcome back to “Reading Cerebus”, a new (some-what) weekly column here at A Moment of Cerebus. The goal of this column is to bring a fresh perspective to the 300-issue saga of Cerebus as I read through the series for the first time and give my insights into the longest running independent comic book series of all time. Think of this as part book club, part lit-crit, and part pop culture musing. Oh, and they told me Dave Sim himself may be reading this, so I hope I don’t screw this up. Let’s continue.
Issue 10 - Merchant of Unshib
Issue 10 - Merchant of Unshib
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| Issue #10 Merchant of Unshib
Broke, delirious, and wandering through the frozen wilds, Cerebus is reunited with Red Sophia and finds himself embroiled in a plot to steal and sell "The Black Blossom Lotus".
Ever Fallen In Love With Someone, Ever Fallen in Love Everyone has that ex. The one that you count your lucky stars to have out of your life. The one that you want nothing to do with ever again. 
In this story, Red Sophia is that ex.
See, the thing is that sometimes desperate circumstances can make for strange bed-fellows (in this case literally), and when you are cold, wet, starving, and hopeless, even the least attractive option is still an option. Unfortunately for Cerebus, this option is not nearly as clear cut as it initially seems. |
What begins as a simple heist scheme quickly becomes much more complex as the other members of the team are introduced:
- Meirgen: The son of the jeweler who was previously in possession of the Lotus. Believes he will be receiving "special favors" from Red Sophia
- Throgo: A traitorous Tcapmin and the apple of Red Sophia's eye. Currently owed 1/2 of the eventual sale price of the Lotus.
We're Tiny, We're Toony, We're All A Little Loony
Seriously, the plot to this issue is very much influenced by the tropes established in old Bugs Bunny cartoons. We have a "Rabbit Season/Duck Season" moment that leads to Cerebus' inclusion in the caper. We have repetitive beating of Meirgen ("And right now what I have to do is..."). We even are treated to Cerebus' use of Throgo's fur to convince his compatriots that Throgo has been transformed by Khaiven sorcerers.
Seriously, the plot to this issue is very much influenced by the tropes established in old Bugs Bunny cartoons. We have a "Rabbit Season/Duck Season" moment that leads to Cerebus' inclusion in the caper. We have repetitive beating of Meirgen ("And right now what I have to do is..."). We even are treated to Cerebus' use of Throgo's fur to convince his compatriots that Throgo has been transformed by Khaiven sorcerers.
Lone Wolf, Hold the CubAs mentioned previously, Cerebus operates best as a lone operative. This story again proves that. In the end Cerebus is the sole possessor of The Black Blossom Lotus, sicking the Tcapmin mercenaries on his cohorts and walking away from the caper with the prize all to himself.
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| All comics pages courtesy of CerebusDownloads.com |
Final Thoughts
This is the first issue in my collection that is an original print, so it feels good to finally be seeing the stories as Dave originally intended. The story again felt like a one and done after several stories that chained together nicely into a bigger story. Maybe I'll be proven wrong next issue.
Join me back here next week as we look at Issue 11: The Merchant & The Cockroach
Currently Listening To: Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol 14 11/30/73 & 12/2/73 (Disc 3)
Kevin Kimmes is a lifelong comic book reader, sometime comic book artist, and recent Cerebus convert. He can be found slinging comics at the center of the Multiverse, aka House of Heroes in Oshkosh, WI.
This is the first issue in my collection that is an original print, so it feels good to finally be seeing the stories as Dave originally intended. The story again felt like a one and done after several stories that chained together nicely into a bigger story. Maybe I'll be proven wrong next issue.
Join me back here next week as we look at Issue 11: The Merchant & The Cockroach
Currently Listening To: Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol 14 11/30/73 & 12/2/73 (Disc 3)
Kevin Kimmes is a lifelong comic book reader, sometime comic book artist, and recent Cerebus convert. He can be found slinging comics at the center of the Multiverse, aka House of Heroes in Oshkosh, WI.
6 comments:
Dave was really keepin' it PG there, considering the book's later full noodle frontity.
-- Damian
I have to say I'm quite surprised at the bids piling on for the Wallace Wood book and TMCMan issue, simply because they're commonly available at a fraction of what these copies are going to sell for.
So, is it that the items are signed by Dave, that the sale helps Dave, A/V, and the employees, that they come from some part of the OWH cornucopia of Cerebus detritus, all of the above, none of the above -- inquiring minds are kinda curious.
For me, so far, the auctioned items have been interesting -- but not unique, not otherwise unavailable; distilled down, not (to me) collectable.
I have fairly limited discretionary income to put towards a thoroughly individual purchase like a Cerebus proof; gotta keep those blessed tax deduction kids of mine fed for a few years yet! So if I'm going to make a purchase, it's really got to set some hooks into my collector side.
But if nothing else the auctions are fun to watch; hopefully too many auctions of essentially similar items (like the CinH? paste-ups) won't dilute the market.
Steve
Steve, having won the CA7 auction for three daily strips with, um, ME featured in them (very humorously, no thanks to me), I can say that having the packages of final proofs, along with all of the pieces that went into making them, is pretty fucking cool. The art board strips I paid for are still pending because...um...it's complicated.
Of course, you have to decide what you think their intrinsic (or future) assigned value is, or may be. Caveat emptor.
BUT, as I said to Dave, it's kinda cool to have all of the pieces and get to play at making your own comic book.
Maybe, just maybe, my comment inspired these auctions. I dunno. I think I'm currently in the 30% column...
As to your questions, I think that the answer is D--all of the above. Dave values his employees (or, "employees"), so we should also value them. And, reward them. Pay them. Plus, we get more stuff to rathole away for our relatives to one day have to figure out.
Just sayin'.
As to the third(?) greatest sequence in all of CEREBUS, I can only say that that foreshadowed (probably not purposely, at the time), one of the best depictions (drawn out, over many months) of what marriage (forced or unforced) is like.
Subtly (or obviously), Dave depicted (many years after this image was published) what real-life marriage is like. Especially if a mother-in-law is involved.
I really hope that this image was foreshadowing of Cerebus' nearly complete disinterest in Sophia's "natural charms". It just makes the story so much more interesting.
IMHO.
@Damian
Full Noodle Frontity is my new band name.
Jeff S.: That you (and Dave) see no difference between forced and unforced marriage is very telling. She did as big a number on you as Deni did on Dave, huh?
-- Damian
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