Steve Peters Week II: More Guinness Goodness

Hi, Everybody!

Steve Peters Week II continues:

Friend to the Blog: Steve Peters is running a new KickStarter to fund his latest project: Parallel Comicverses #1, which has a new story in it, WRITTEN BY DAVE SIM! And to celebrate, I'm doing STEVE PETERS WEEK II!

Steve Peters:

Dear Dave:

On one of Matt Dow's recent "Please Hold For Dave Sim" installments, you said that the Kitchen brothers were the first to show you your record in the 2018 Guinness Book of World Records. Just for the record, I'd like it known that I was the first to call you to congratulate you on your record...and you didn't believe me! I probably should've told you in the phone call what I'm about to tell you now, maybe you would've believed me then...though I did at least read to you the entry from the Guinness book.

Problems viewing this video? Watch directly on YouTube...

So, my 50th birthday was in 2017. As you may recall, I share a birthday with Deni (and I've always wondered what significance you find in that fact, since you always find significance in any set of dates). I wanted to do something special that would allow me to always remember what I was doing on my 50th, so I set up a signing with my local comic book shop, Brave New Worlds. They have always carried my comics and the layout of the comic shop in The Comicverse is actually based on their store.

It was a signing for the release of Comicverse: Subspace Chatter #1, which included our Cerebus In Hell? parody (which asks if CIH? is canon, and you later said that our own story is canon as well---you could've knocked me over with a feather when I heard that!). Bianca and I set up at the store, and it ended up being one of THOSE signings---much like the one you described in the story you wrote for the upcoming Parallel Comicverses #1---with me and Bianca sitting there and the comic shop staff standing around, looking at each other. Well, at least I would remember it.

After the signing was over, Bianca and I decided to go to a nearby Barnes And Noble. I picked up a copy of the 2018 Guinness Book of World records, and there it was: a picture of the giant stone Thrunk, and your world record. I took a photo of the entry.

I hadn't heard a thing about it on the internet, and when I got home to check, there was no mention on AMOC or on the official Facebook page. So I thought I'd be the first to congratulate you. I called and read you the Guinness entry off the photo I took. I failed to tell you the details I mentioned above of how I found out about it.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and in one of your weekly updates you played my phone message. You acted either disbelieving or chiding, saying basically "Hey, don't believe everything you read on the Internet". I started wondering if the record was considered a big joke and no one took it seriously and I had missed the discussion about it (it WAS a good 13 years after Cerebus ended, as you pointed out in the update video).

Fast forward to 2018 and I saw that you had created a badge/seal/thingie saying you were a 2018 record holder. I guess you believe it now! I just wanted to go on record saying that I saw it and told you about it first. Incidentally, I posted about it on the Facebook page and didn't get much reaction there, either, even though I included the photo that I shot straight from the book!

Yours,
Steve Peters

Yeah Steve, this one.

_________________________________

So, Happy Birthday Steve!

And Happy Birthday Deni!

And:

Rob Walton is doing a Ragmop Kickstarter too.
Vark Wars T-Shirt. Vark Wars T-shirt. Vark Wars T-shirt.
Vark Thing. 

Next Time: STOP! Sparky Time!

Steve Peters Week II: Spirituality Vs. God

Hi, Everybody!

Friend to the Blog: Steve Peters is running a new KickStarter to fund his latest project: Parallel Comicverses #1, which has a new story in it, WRITTEN BY DAVE SIM! And to celebrate, I'm doing STEVE PETERS WEEK II!

I told Steve this, and he came up with a schedule, and is pretty much doing my job for me (and THAT is how you get "Friend of the Blog" status kids...)

Take it away Steve...

Steve Peters:

Sunday the 29th- Spirituality Vs. God

Here's the link---this should link to my playlist of all 4 videos so you won't have to post each one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9ucUl-KHjA&list=PL322F9B96A2039A10

[Or, here's Steve Peters Week I's version of Spirituality Vs. God. The videos are embedded there too. Plus, the transcripts.-Manly]

Here's the text:

O.K., so we already did my "Spirituality Vs. God" panel with Dave Sim for last year's Shark---er, Steve Peters week. But since we're starting off on a Sunday, it seemed appropriate once more, so I'll add some thoughts that didn't get mentioned last time.

I have somehow forgotten whose idea it was to do the panel. I'm pretty sure it was me, since I had a lot of questions about Rick's Story and Dave's interesting ideas on scripture, which were still being revealed at the time. I sent Dave a letter asking if he'd like to do it, and he said sure. I think he expected me to take an adversarial stance, as his reply was along the lines of "How about we call it Spirituality Vs. God, and I'll take God's side?". Uhh, can't we BOTH be on God's side, Dave?

Now, Dave's challenge to Jeff Smith to a boxing match at SPACE was still a recent memory. So when I told SPACE organizer Bob Corby about the panel and the name Dave came up with, he replied "Should I bring the boxing gloves?". Nyuck nyuck nyuck.

Fortunately the panel went really well. My friend and sometime comics collaborator Eric Wilmoth was kind enough to videotape it for me, so we have it preserved for all posterity. Dave answered all my questions at great length, so much so that the panel, which was supposed to take up the last hour of the show on Sunday, ended up going an hour longer.

I only wish I'd given some thought to my closing remarks, which were kind of weak. I said, "Believe in something", and I might as well have said "Believe in anything". Dave had accused me around that time, and I suppose it was true---I was taking a bit from Buddhism, from Native American beliefs, from this and that. Dave's own closing remarks were quite eloquent and quoted scripture, making my own seem that much more feeble.

So we finished up an hour after the show had ended, and came out into the hall to discover that all the other exhibitors had already broken down everything and the tables were gone. My table was the only thing there! Bob was kind enough to open a gate allowing me to drive my car right in and break down my stuff straight into the trunk.

Fifteen years later, Bob invited me to interview Gerhard at another panel. Gerhard's answers to my questions were very interesting and enlightening, and I thought it made a nice bookend to my SPACE/Cerebus experience. I believe Jeff Seiler recorded it, so I hope he'll someday get around to posting it somewhere.

[Where's the @#$%ING Video Jeff!-Manly]

________________________________

Thanks Steve!

Rob Walton is doing a Ragmop Kickstarter too.

Vark Wars T-Shirt. Vark Wars T-shirt. Vark Wars T-shirt.

Vark Thing.

Next Time: Steve Peters Week II Continues, so...Steve Peters?...How do you people not "get" this?

Housekeeping: The Ol' AMOC Mailbag, Please Hold For Dave Sim 10/2019 is coming, And I see shark fins...

Hi, Everybody!

Mailbag Time!

The ol' AMOC Mailbag (momentofcerebus@gmail.com) got a message from Paul Slade:

Remind you of anyone?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alvivi-Leather-Breathable-Headgear-Cosplay/dp/B07KXFT99M 

SPEAKING of Amazon, you can get a Vark Wars shirt there. Or here there, or also there.
_________________________

And then The ol' AMOC Mailbag got:

Hi Matt,
Dave sent me a postcard from Hell with a note instructing me to let you know my Ragmop Kickstarter is up and running now until Oct 14, and then to pretend that I’ve never heard of “Dave Sim”.
The link is: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/407549963/ragmop-the-world-needs-laughter
He didn’t say what you were supposed to do with this information. There wasn’t enough room on the postcard. I figure you must be able to read his mind and will know what to do!
Thanks, and all the best!
Rob Walton

Here's a video of Rob WITH Dave, AND Chester Brown:

View on YouTube

(Stolen from Dan Nitzani over on the Faceybooks...)

SPEAKING of Kickstarters, Friend to the Blog: Steve Peters is running a new KickStarter to fund his latest project: Parallel Comicverses #1, which has a new story in it, WRITTEN BY DAVE SIM! And to celebrate, I'm doing STEVE PETERS WEEK II:

AND, Dave's gonna call on Thursday, so get your questions into momentofcerebus@gmail.com, and I'll get 'em to Dave, and he'll answer them. (It's a pretty neat system we've developed...)

Next Time: Steve Peters Week II. I just said that. Damn man, why you gotta be like that?

Welcome to the 300 Club (Dave's Weekly Update #306)

Hi, Everybody!

Heeeeeere's

I gotta get one that says "2020"...

Problems viewing this video? Watch directly on YouTube...

Next Time: I'ma gonna go see Eric Powell for the Goon's 20th Anniversary Tour stop at Powers Comics in Green Bay, WI. (I'll be the guy with the "Six Demon Bag" and the Matt Dow's A Moment of Cerebus shirt... If you're in the neighborhood, stop on by!) So I'll probably whip something up tonight, and then get it in the kitty for tomorrow...(None of you care.)

When Is Jaka Coming Back?

MARGARET LISS:

A few years ago I scanned all of Dave Sim's notebooks. He had filled 36 notebooks during the years he created the monthly Cerebus series, covering issues #20 to 300, plus the other side items -- like the Epic stories, posters and prints, convention speeches etc. A total of 3,281 notebook pages detailing his creative process. I never really got the time to study the notebooks when I had them. Just did a quick look, scanned them in and sent them back to Dave as soon as possible. So this regular column is a chance for me to look through those scans and highlight some of the more interesting pages.

We last saw Dave Sim's eighth notebook in last October's Fascination & Fruition. With 86 pages scanned the notebook covers Cerebus #70 to 79.

On page 35 I saw something that I thought was a Note To The President. That bit along the top of the page - especially the bit on Jaka's possible return.

So I took a look see. The NFTP for Cerebus #72 has some of it, but it isn't the text straight from Dave's notebook. It looks like a practice run for the NFTP, which surprises me as I thought those were written off the cuff.

Notebook #8, page 35

And here is the NFTP for Cerebus #72 (from the NFTP archive):

You know, it's not really true that there's nothing to say in this space. I mean this would be a great spot to clear up a lot of the confusing plots and sub-plots and sub-sub-plots.

I mean, I could tell you when Jaka is coming back, then, couldn't I? Wouldn't that make sitting down and filling all this empty space worth while? Well that depends.

There are people in the world who don't want to know what changes are going to take place. There are other people who soak up previews like a sponge soaks up water. Unfortunately, I'm one of the former rather than latter individuals. I watched STAR TREK II on television the other night up until the last half hour when Spock stands up and goes out to die. I had known that was what he was going to do so why extend the eyestrain?

What I can tell you is that this section of the Cerebus story-line now has a name.
"Church and State."

Like it? Well who cares. That's what it's called.

I've had a few comments in the last while that time isn't passing as quickly in the story-line as, say, in issue 27. This is largely a reaction on my part to the cramming I had to do in the "High Society" storyline. If the overall reaction to "High Society's" conclusion had been "Shit, Dave, that was a long way to go for nothing", I probably would have made a more concerted effort to provide a series of sixty and eighty page stories with a lot of "Three days later..." and "After a series of misadventures..." captions strewn throughout.

Quite the contrary, the reaction (particularly from those people who started reading the book in the last two years and have read "High Society" in one sitting) has been in favour of the extended story-line.

To pull the curtain aside ever-so-slightly, "Church and State" is largely concerned with Cerebus' personal identity crisis set in motion in issue 5 when he discovers the Pigts (and vice versa). Is he Cerebus, The Great Cerebus, Most Holy, a combination of all three? If a combination of all three, in what percentage does each dictate his thoughts and actions?

Now the only way to illustrate this effectively in my opinion (and as me Dad used to say "Who else's Opinion counts around here?") is to show you the little bastard bouncing off his mental walls in great detail over a couple of days and take an ungodly number of issues to do it.

Consider the implications of selecting one of those identities given his present circumstances. Pick an identity. Any identity.

Okay get your noses out from behind my curtain and start reading.

See you next issue.

Iron Manticore ON SALE NOW!

Benjamin Hobbs:

Hurry, one and all, to your nearest and dearest LCS! IRON MANTICORE #1, the jaw dropping follow up to TALES OF SOPHISTICATION #1, is ON SALE TODAY!

Now Available to order from Diamond, VARK THING #1!

Promo strip courtesy of David Birdsong!

 
Next Week: Varking Dead, a "brief" history.  Part One.

"No Thanks I Already Had One."

Hi, Everybody!

I love how "Julius's" bandage falls off when he arches his eyebrows. Oh right, sotto voce...

(This whole sequence is great, but it goes on for sixteen pages. I ain't got that kinda time....)
___________________________________

If you want some rigmarole, scroll down to the "KRAKAthakkaBOOM!!!" post.

It's all down there, somewhere...

Next Time: Hobbs, and a drunk Manticore...

Cerebus In Matt's Life: Part The Fifth (It's funny, because this one involves drinking...)

Hi, Everybody!

So, over the weekend, I hung a bunch of stuff in The Hall of Solitude (Located above the AMOCave, in Stately Dow Manor):

Mostly this stuff....

I shared these pics over on the Faceybooks, and our ol' friend (and birthday girl) Margaret Liss asked:

ohhh, how about a close up of that space collection of pictures? And Cerebus and his son on the boat?

Well, I COULD, but I'd rather post close-ups as I talk about 'em, and to get there, I have to turn once again to:

Cerebus In Matt's Life: 
(Specifically,)
Part The Fifth

When last we did this $#!*, I left off with:

Next Time: Guys. Matt lives Guys. It. Was. Epic.

And then I skipped around and missed part the fifth.

The short version (Trust me, you want the short version.):

For about six months in 2003, I imbibed alcohol. It was great. Me and the kids from the college, would go bowling on Thursday nights, and then hang out at my buddy Rabbit's place and drink. (Well, I wouldn't drink, I'd just hang out.)

One week, I pulled out my hand-made diamondback cards

[Insert image of my missing deck here.]

And we played Diamondback. And turned it into a drinking game. If you got two priests, it was called an "Alterboy," and you had to take a shot of Scotch. Which I took mixed with Coke, in my bucket class:

That's right, I drank scotch from a "buggid":

As "classy" people do...

Anyway, after ten "shots"," I was good and "fuckeded" up. Another night, I got very drunk and acted like Cerebus in Guys. (Remember, this is the short version....)

Cut to 2004, when I met Dave and Ger for the second time,

(The bit that I need to at to THAT, is this:

Inside cover to issue 295

Specifically, THIS. This is where I got the idea to give Dave the watch.)
I got a picture of them AND the Cerebus Muppet holding my "buggid":

Photo by Rabbit. (I have a copy in my toolbox at work.)

Photo by me (And it's all dramatic and $#!*....)

Which leads to Cerebus In Matt's Life: Part The Sixth.

And then (to get back to what Margaret asked for), (and page 372 of Collected Letters 2004.):

 

Any chance I get to post Aardvark Wang....

I want that shirt.

Okay, if you want some Rigmarole, just click yesterday's post (it's the same $#!*....)

Next Time:"But MATT! Where's what Margaret wanted?!?" Patience. Patience....

KRAKAthakkaBOOM!!!

Hi, Everybody!

__________________________________
What kinda "marole"? A RIG-A-marole:

Hope you ordered your copy of Vark Wars, 'cause it's time to order VARK THING! OCT191438

Click for biggerness

________________________
You want a prototype The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, you gotta pledge (or up your pledge) here. Eddie clarifies:
So if you joined after sep 6, for $50, we’re assuming you want in on the contest so you get 50 chances. If you were already a contributing Patron before, and you had contributed $150 in total since you joined, and you upped your pledge by $10 after Sep 6, you get 15+ 10= 25 chances.
_______________________
Friend to the Blog, and recipient of his own special themed week here on AMOC (last year, and again at the end of the month. That's right, like Shark Week, Steve Peters Week is COMING BACK!), Steve Peters is running a new KickStarter to fund his latest project: Parallel Comicverses #1, will be a softcover black and white, digest-size book, with 70 pages of comics and over 30 pages of glimpses at the creative process. And a new story WRITTEN BY DAVE SIM! With a Cerebus knock-off character: Cerberus
__________________________
AND: New Cerebus Merch:

Ladies love the Vark Wars! Love it!

David Birdsong says:
US: Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Sweatshirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee V-Neck T-Shirt

UK: Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Sweatshirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Germany:Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück T-Shirt
Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück Sweatshirt
Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück Langarmshirt

And still available - "Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct"
US: Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct Tee
UK: Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct Tee

I'll send a copy of Vark Wars signed by both Dave and myself to the first person that sends Dave a Vark Wars shirt. There's really just four versions and the V-Neck for the Ladies is sold only on Amazon US.

__________________________
Colin Upton!: https://www.patreon.com/colinuptoncomics COLIN UPTON!!!: https://colinupton.tumblr.com/ For the love of Pete: COLIN UPTON!!!!!: https://www.facebook.com/Colin-Upton-Comics-257449422123/
__________________________

Paging Dr. Norm!

Hi, Everybody!

I was gonna do a bit about Todd and the 300 club, but I'm tired.

Instead:

Remember Dr. Norm from glamourpuss?:

Yeah, him...

Star of his own column:

Thanks to David Birdsong for the glamourpuss scans.

Anyway, he sure looks familiar to me:

From the back of Mystery Incorporated #1

So, who is that guy anyway?

I dunno, I'ma ask Dave next month...
________________________
Cue Rigmarole!:

Hope you ordered your copy of Vark Wars, 'cause it's time to order VARK THING! OCT191438

Click for biggerness

Bleeding Cool's ALL over this...
________________________

You want a prototype The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, you gotta pledge (or up your pledge) here. Eddie clarifies:
So if you joined after sep 6, for $50, we’re assuming you want in on the contest so you get 50 chances. If you were already a contributing Patron before, and you had contributed $150 in total since you joined, and you upped your pledge by $10 after Sep 6, you get 15+ 10= 25 chances.
_______________________

Friend to the Blog, and recipient of his own special themed week here on AMOC (last year, and again at the end of the month. That's right, like Shark Week, Steve Peters Week is COMING BACK!), Steve Peters is running a new KickStarter to fund his latest project: Parallel Comicverses #1, will be a softcover black and white, digest-size book, with 70 pages of comics and over 30 pages of glimpses at the creative process. And a new story WRITTEN BY DAVE SIM! With a Cerebus knock-off character: Cerberus
__________________________

AND: New Cerebus Merch:

I'm getting me one....gonna wear it to The Rise of Skywalker....

David Birdsong says:
US: Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Sweatshirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee V-Neck T-Shirt

UK: Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Sweatshirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Germany:Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück T-Shirt
Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück Sweatshirt
Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück Langarmshirt

And still available - "Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct"
US: Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct Tee
UK: Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct Tee

I'll send a copy of Vark Wars signed by both Dave and myself to the first person that sends Dave a Vark Wars shirt. There's really just four versions and the V-Neck for the Ladies is sold only on Amazon US.__________________________

Colin Upton!: https://www.patreon.com/colinuptoncomics COLIN UPTON!!!: https://colinupton.tumblr.com/ For the love of Pete: COLIN UPTON!!!!!: https://www.facebook.com/Colin-Upton-Comics-257449422123/
__________________________

Next Time: Something wonderful...

Deep in the heart (Dave's Weekly Update #305)

Hi, Everybody!

Heeeeeere's

I gotta get one that says "2020"...

Problems viewing this video? Watch directly on YouTube...

Happy Birthday Mags, I got you....Wild Things! (Expect delivery in six to eight weeks...)
______________________

Last week's Auction, is...over. Congratulations to Bill Ritter who's won with a bid $175 (US)! Take a victory lap Bill, then call Dave at (519) 576-0610 and leave a message letting him know you won, and how you wanna arrange payment....
______________________

You want a prototype The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, you gotta pledge (or up your pledge) here. Eddie clarifies:

So if you joined after sep 6, for $50, we’re assuming you want in on the contest so you get 50 chances. If you were already a contributing Patron before, and you had contributed $150 in total since you joined, and you upped your pledge by $10 after Sep 6, you get 15+ 10= 25 chances.

_______________________

Friend to the Blog, and recipient of his own special themed week here on AMOC (last year, and again at the end of the month. That's right, like Shark Week, Steve Peters Week is COMING BACK!), Steve Peters is running a new KickStarter to fund his latest project: Parallel Comicverses #1, will be a softcover black and white, digest-size book, with 70 pages of comics and over 30 pages of glimpses at the creative process. And a new story WRITTEN BY DAVE SIM! With a Cerebus knock-off character: Cerberus

__________________________

AND: New Cerebus Merch:

I'm getting me one....gonna wear it to The Rise of Skywalker....

David Birdsong says:

US: Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Sweatshirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee V-Neck T-Shirt

UK: Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee T-Shirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Sweatshirt
Vark Wars Yellow Logo Tee Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Germany:Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück T-Shirt
Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück Sweatshirt
Vark Wars gelbes Logo-T-Stück Langarmshirt

And still available - "Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct"
US: Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct Tee
UK: Approval Is An Authoritarian Construct Tee

I'll send a copy of Vark Wars signed by both Dave and myself to the first person that sends Dave a Vark Wars shirt. There's really just four versions and the V-Neck for the Ladies is sold only on Amazon US.

__________________________

Colin Upton!: https://www.patreon.com/colinuptoncomics COLIN UPTON!!!: https://colinupton.tumblr.com/ For the love of Pete: COLIN UPTON!!!!!: https://www.facebook.com/Colin-Upton-Comics-257449422123/

__________________________

Next Time: Todd?