Elf Request

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.

Usually I type these entries up over the weekend. But I didn’t, not this weekend. This weekend was even extra long, double the normal length. But nope, no working on AMoC for me. Well, Sunday night I picked a page from one of Dave Sim’s notebooks. But the rest of my long weekend? My second shot of vaccine on  Thursday and going to Boston to see a Bruins game. First on Friday night and then Sunday afternoon. Saturday I spent going through a box of Cerebus goodies from The Waverly Press. And I slept in. All the way to 6am? 7am? I can’t remember. I just know that the sun was up.

So that one page I picked out on Sunday? From notebook #8. The two pages up the time jumped out at me. That and the unused title of 'Elf Request':

Notebook #8, page 15

The “calendar” for the last half of December is Dave writing down what he wants to get done. Since Cerebus was dated January 1985, this must be December 1984. Which amazes me. Looks like the issue is finished on Dec 29th when the cover is slated to be done, and then sent to the printers. Does that even account for Ger’s time doing the backgrounds? When would the book make it to the comic stores? Seems like too quick of a turn around time. 

It is now Tuesday, and I’m tired from getting up just before 4am and working all day so I can buy all of this Cerebus stuff. This is why I typically do these on the weekend when I have more time. 

If you can tell me what page the two pages shown in thumbnail form above actually are in the finished issue, you’ll have my thanks.