Monday 15 June 2020

Cerebus Editor In Crisis (Take 2)

Okay, I'm feeling better now...


Hi, Everybody!

*long exhale*

SO, what's going on?

Strange Death Of Alex Raymond: Eddie and Carson and Sean have been talking. I sent all three of them this Fax from Dave:

But nobody is talking to me. (Like in depth). I don't know anything you don't know about who wants to do what...

The exception to that is that Eddie told me: 
I think the only way forward is: anyone
He means anyone who has worked on SDOAR, not "anyone" anyone...calm down Jeff...
is able to do what they want done with the work, Carson wants to take it to a publisher, he can take them to a publisher. Dave wants the digital files released, they get released. Eddie wants to set up a web page and post the research and SDOAR material, Eddie can do that. Despite what any other party thinks is best for the work. It's the only way it's workable
So if you want it digitally, bug Eddie.

To clarify: "bug" Eddie if you're a Patreon supporter OR ordered a "Fundraising Edition". If you're just some "rando" who wants a copy, let me save Eddie some time: @#$% OFF!!! You had your chance, it's too late now.

 If you want it properly printed bug Carso...wait until there's news on that front. (Please don't bug Carson...he's LITERALLY only known what's going on for three days.)

The Cerebus Miscellany Volume:  If you want a digital version, Brendan's your huckleberry. I don't know how you can pay Brendan for compiling it, but you can send Dave Sim a few bucks for writing and drawing the majority of the damn thing here. And if you wanna give Gerhard a lil' sumthin' sumthin' (ya now, for the effort) you can figure out how he wants that here. And if you DO send some money Dave's way (or Ger's,), he'd like you to let me know by commenting someplace on the blog, or emailing me at: momentofcerebus@gmail.com:

This was the letter I wrote as an introduction. With Dave's corrections.

The version I was working on is scrapped, and is being completely re-imagined as a print volume. With Remastered Art. And all the bells and whistles I can find. I'll let you know when you can get a copy. NOT FOR A GOOD GODDAMN LONG TIME!!! (So don't ask.)

And: Dave sent me this, this morning:



Cerebus in Hell?: You guys don't give a @#$% about CiH?... Don't lie... (Although, the newest Cerebus In Hell? The Amicable Spider-Vark is available to order from Diamond. Green Dante/Green Virgil is in stores, and Vark Wars: Walt's Empire Strikes Back should be in stores the last Wednesday of the month.)

Following Cerebus collected edition: This isn't a thing... why would I bring it up?

Cerebus Archive (the comic series) Collected: This isn't a thing either...

Heritage Auctions:  These are a thing. Happy bidding!

Now: Before you guys all go @#$%ing nuts in the comments, I'd like to say something:

Selah

Now, I first heard the term "Selah" in an issue of Rising Stars. If I recall correctly, J. Michael Straczynski 

DEC052727 - FOLLOWING CEREBUS #7 - Previews World
'emember him?

in the issue in question, said "Selah" meant: 
"pause and consider." They would use it as a break in a song or a psalm... a pause to think--to absorb what was just said before continuing. A call for reflection.
So, before everybody jumps to the comments and starts "coming out swinging", I'd like everybody to Selah.

Selah. 

Pause and consider what's going on. Wait a day. let the principle players of the situation(s) have time to react to each other before they have to react to you.

Selah.

Okay? Just this once. For me?

Next Time: I got another round of Adam Beechen and Dave's Aardvark Comment (I think, I gotta make sure it didn't go up yet. Pretty sure it didn't... Selah.)

15 comments:

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

Need this Strange Death news and Dave's decision to abandon cartooning in favour of being a streetcorner preacher have a great effect on this blog? Cerebus remains a work that rewards study. Dave said that he intends to use this blog more to help curate the small Cereus audience, so perhaps his engagment here will increase.

-- Damian

Brian West said...

Damian,

I think Dave is gonna be alright. It is what is.

Matt,

Don't beat yourself up. Things tend to happen for a reason. Hopefully we all will find out what the purpose is of this situation before we are dead.

In the meantime, hang in there. I think you're the glue that keeps this thing going. Where else will us Cerebus fans go to let our collective hair down. Twitter?! No way. Facebook?! Ok, you got me there. That is another option. But this is the only other place where Cerebus fans of all stripes come come together and shoot the S#!+.

What I am trying to say is that I am sincerely thankful for your devotion and service here. I work a crappy job with decent pay, but in a field of which I have little interest and have even less interest in most of my co-workers. Doing this stuff for you, David, Eddie, Sean, Ben, and Dave has been one of the highlights of my life, both on a personal and professional level.

Yes, this situation is a Class A CLUSTER_____. (Andy Khouri is offering simple solutions to complicated questions on Twitter as I type.) However, I like to think that this will work itself out without outside help. Yes, Carson will probably go his own way, as he probably should. Get what he is worth. However, non-SDOAR stuff is still ongoing.

One of the things that outsiders and Twitterati don't get, or will ever get, is that CEREBUS is a fan driven enterprise. Maybe that's not the most efficient way of doing business. Mr. Kopperman alluded to that yesterday. But it might be the best way to keep corporate interests from touching Cerebus. That might satiate Mr. Khouri's need for Cerebus to have a wider audience, but that would translate into less creative control all the way around of Cerebus. It would be an ignominious end to such a great, INDEPENDENT, creative work. When that happens then the towel will really have been thrown.

Anywho, I just wanted to share my thoughts about all this and offer encouragement to you, Matt. Thanks again for what you do.

Sean said...

Someone should ask Andy Khouri (or he can ask himself when his vanity Google alert arrives-- hi Andy!) to furnish The Class with a list of North American small publishers who have been publishing since 1977.

...

I'll wait.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

I think that Sean is attempting to be snide.

Anonymous said...

As someone who paid for the Fundraising Edition I would just as soon wait for printed copies of the books to be published so that Dave, Eddie, and Carson can earn back their investments of time and money. I also want a tangible work I can hold in my hands and read in the physical world, rather than online.

If the books are released/leaked digitally, would it not devalue the market value of the work, dissuading publishers from picking up the project and leaving all three of them in the lurch?

Assuming there is some aspect of a formal partnership to the project, has Dave gotten their assent to release the digital files, or is this a decision he has made independently of them?

--Claude Flowers

Mouse Skull Entertainment said...

Claude,

Selah.

I don't know. Dave said give 'em digital. Everybody else thinks that's a bad idea. Nobody knows WHAT the @#$& is going on...

Selah.

It'll be settled when it's settled.

Matt

Jeff said...

I'm calm.

I'M CALM!!!

SERI...seriously, the wintergreen green tea gets me to a good space.

That, and forehead rubs.

Jeff said...

Num, num! Forehead rubs. Aaaaaaaaah, yes.

Tony Dunlop said...

Ford always reminded me of Chevy Chase in that scene.

Selah.

Just me. said...

That guy? The one is ostensibly in charge here?

He's a pretty Good Guy.

That guy. said...

"The one who is"

Fucking autocorrect.

Some guy. said...

No, no, no!

I'm not That Guy, the guy in charge here. I'm the guy that tried to write something nice about That Guy.

Sheesh.

Fucking Internet.

Damian T. Lloyd, Esq. said...

I don't want to get anyone in trouble, and speaking purely hypothetically, but perhaps someone can answer a question: If, say, our beloved Matt Dow had once again fallen into the insidious clutches of the diabolical Ron Essler, and was trying to send out a coded help message, what would that look like?

-- Damian

Anonymous said...

Never a dull moment. Well actually, lots of dull moments, but every once in a while, all the pent up rage bursts forth in another tantrum of semi-coherent self-pity mixed with God. Alex Raymond fans never had it this good!

Mouse Skull Entertainment said...

Damian, it's kinda like that scene in the junkyard from Superman III.

Anonymous: hey! @#$& you pal! All my moments are @#$&ING brilliant!

The Manly One