Thursday 14 November 2019

What Could You Do Forever

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.

Last week we saw page 26 from Dave Sim's 13th notebook in Old Friends, Familiar Faces. The notebook covers issue 112/113 and "Jaka's Story Overall Map". And in the comments to last week's entry, Tony requested more of the preliminary planning of Jaka's Story. Well. . .way back in June of 2014, we saw some bits in Jaka's Story.  Then in January of 2016 in Jaka the Dancer we saw a bit more. And just because Tony asked, here are a few more pages showing some preliminary planning of Jaka's Story.

On page 18 of the notebook, we see some sketches of Pud, looking a big older and more tired. And some sketches of Jaka dancing. Notice in the first sketch of her in a very long dress she has short hair, that has another line that appears as if Dave wondered what about giving her long hair?

Notebook 13, page 18
Then on page 25 we get to see a bit more about the Guardian that was mentioned on last week's page. Along with who the sailor was supposed to be.

Notebook 13, page 25
The text that was crossed out? "Abandoned by her father under the pretense of doing good for her." "The most interesting stories don't have endings." "He told her he would be to see her when he could - a lot at first every day. Not as often. Then. . .I'm afraid it might be almost. . .never."

4 comments:

Tony Dunlop said...

Holy Mackerel! That's what I call service.

Lots of "backstory" that we never heard about in the monthly book, or (now that I have the phone book) Dave's introductory essay. I don't recall hearing about any of this in the Archive commentary, either, but I've only read that once and may well have missed something.

JS is by far my favorite Cerebus volume, so this stuff is priceless to me. No wonder we call Margaret "Cerebus Fangirl." Thanks a million, Margaret.

Jeff said...

"The most interesting stories don't have endings." Not true, but, words to live by.

Tony again said...

I wonder if that's Pud's mum at the top left...?

Anonymous said...

Sharing for awareness. Has everything from the Cerebus group been backed up? Does this perhaps warrant a Moment of Cerebus announcement?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2019/10/17/yahoo-groups-online-forum-shutdown/4007150002/

Yahoo Groups is shutting down: Act soon or lose all your old photos, message history

Dalvin Brown

USA TODAY

Yahoo posted a notice Wednesday that it is winding down its Yahoo Groups website, which is largely a mix of outdated community forums and mailing lists that you probably don't even use.

Users will be able to add content until Oct. 28. On Dec.14, all previously uploaded content will be wiped away for good. "You'll have until that date to save anything you've uploaded," Yahoo said in its announcement.

Files, polls, links and photos will disappear from the website along with folders, attachments and almost everything else, Yahoo said. Users will still be able to contact their group members via email.