Please Hold For Dave Sim 11/2021

Hi, Everybody!

It's Please Hold Time!!!

Audio:

And for the "V" portion of the A-V A/V Club:

Part one:

We begin with Seiler’s cat.

Then Dave answers:
A question from last month that I didn’t send from Nadab Art:

Hi! Dave!

On Latter Days Page 430 there's two characters that look like they came straight out of the show South Park. My question is: "How about that, huh?" It's probably the most "modern" reference in Cerebus and I'd like to hear you talk about it.

Thanks, Nadab

And:

Little Orphan Aardvark Secret Society member “Weltansicht” (AKA Dan Eckhart) asks:

In his fax about a new cover for CEREBUS No. 1, Dave said he had “no idea how to draw in my CEREBUS No. 1 style anymore.” Could he please elaborate? Presumably, his style changed slowly, without intent, and without his noticing it. Or, perhaps, he consciously worked at it to achieve what he saw in his mind’s eye. I think the characters all look like they’re going to look by Jaka’s Story. Charles Schultz’s style also changed from when Peanuts started, but steadied eventually to the characters we all recognize. Do all artists go through this process? Are there some that never settle in? What is it about the early style that Dave thinks he couldn’t do?
Dan Eckhart

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Then Dave had a prayer time, and we picked up with part two (not sorry for not breaking this down by question. Maybe next month): 
Dave deals with:

MJ Sewall asks:

Not sure this is too personal.
I just watched the DVD audio/visual of High Society.
Loved that Deni read her publisher letters.
How is your relationship with Deni?
Or Gerhard, since you still live near each other?
Are there chats over a beer? Or just polite Canadian animosity?
Cheers,
M J Sewall

Steve Swenson asks:

Hiya Matt -
OK, for the next PHFDS event:
What was the idea behind both the Party Pack and ashcan issues from the GUYS era?

Was the ashcan only available at cons / retailor events?

Does the Archive have a plethora of these in storage, or just a few, or perhaps none?

And I've got more Archive questions, but until next time -

Steve in ABQ (and not the other Steve, nor the other other Steve...)

 And:

Matt ~~
Addendum: about how many copies of the Party Pack and ashcan issues were printed?
Steve

Turns out, Tim has an answer...

Little Orphan Aardvark Secret Society member “Toenail” (AKA Jen DiGiacomo) asks:

It's showtime, folks!

I include two fanzine covers by Messrs. Sim that I stumbled across whilst searching the interwebs for Simian ephemera. Hmmm, that's not right. Simesque? Simist? Never mind.

The illustrations date from 1982 and 1986, and are both related to Edgar Rice Burroughs. The latter is Aardvarks of Mars, and an impressive representation of incorporating one's own creation into another fandom. The former seems to be a straight up Tarzan sketch with ne'er an aardvark in sight. I am curious if there is any backstory here -- or if two overzealous fans (Bill Ross and Michael Conran respectively) merely published convention sketches without Dave's knowledge.
Cheers! Jen

 

with the addendum:

Curiously both Edgar Rice Burroughs News Dateline (May 1986) and ERB Collector (Jan 1994) are both issue #22. Hadn't noticed before.

Little Orphan Aardvark Secret Society member “Zipper” (AKA Easton PA’s very own Michael R.) opens a can of worms with:

Hi Matt!

Love the decoder wheel (it's not a book mark). I wish I got more of them to play with the other kids. LOL!

Here's my question for Dave.

Hi Dave!

I noticed something with Gary Borarski's Jack Grimm's Halloween Kickstarter. I believe you had promised Gary a cover for Jack Grimm if he had reached a threshold with his book. And you did!

I'm guessing that unbeknownst to you that Gary asked Gerhard to color what you had drawn. I'm guessing, again, Gerhard had decided to put his spin on it and create a new background as if both of you had collaborated on the piece and get the "team" back together one more time to benefit Gary's Jack Grimm's Kickstarter EVEN more.

Is the reason that you asked Gary to take your name off the collaboration because no one asked you if this would be OK?
Michael R.

I mean, that’s basically what happened, I can just send “Zipper” a private message with the hoopala, and we can keep “The McQuarry Famly’s derty lenen” from “pooblek” consumption…

And Little Orphan Aardvark Secret Society member (he doesn’t know he’s in yet, but he cracked last month’s coded message WITHOUT a decoder Bookmark!) “TeeVee” (AKA Dion Turner) asks:

G’day Matt,

Question for Dave (if I’ve made the cut off time, or roll it over to next month if not).

Cerebus losing his ear in Reads.

Was this injury something that you knew was coming or was it not until you were laying out the fight that you thought he was going to need a reminder of this for the rest of his life?…. and was it always specifically going to be his ear?

Given in Minds ‘Creator Dave’ also gives him an eye operation I was wondering if there was ever a potential that it was going to be the one injury - loss of an eye. I suspect not given the story that ‘Creator Dave’ shares on the procedure.

If so, then (to paraphrase an often asked question) “Why an ear?”.

Tying it to historical characters we have Van Gogh, but He did that to himself and the voices in Cerebus’ head that cause him to self-harm don’t show up until later in Guys and Rick’s Story - so there is a connection/reflection/echo of Van Gogh there, even with the cart before the horse (or ear before the voices, as it were).

The only other ear story I can think of is Jesus reattaching a guard’s ear at Gethsemane after one of his disciples went a bit sword happy. In Minds both Cirin and Cerebus get healed (probably more to prevent blood loss and passing out…. Which would have made a boring comic) but Cerebus is never restored/made whole. Which I expect ‘Creator Dave’ could have done. I’m not sure if this was on your mind at the time as we’re still a bit before Rick’s Story, but your research into the Bible may have been underway?

What we do get in Minds (and what I think the real point of the ear is) is the discussion between Cerebus and his Creator where Cerebus demonstrates time and again that he. just. doesn’t. listen. It’s the most simple view of it and that’s probably what makes it right. He gets another prompt early in Guys where he dreams his other ear is cut off, yes there is a story point there where he’s telling lies about Bear and becoming ridiculously drunk to the point where he has no recollection or control - but once again I think it’s ‘Creator Dave’ telling him, “You’re still not listening”, which in the end takes him all the way back to Sand Hills Creek, a season too late.

Hope you’re both doing well, I always enjoy the ‘please holds’
All the best,
Dion

Johnny Scrabbles wants to know if you have Conan #14 (The Coming of Elric) in your comic collection. (I suspect if you DID own it, you sold it when you moved out.)

Mikhail Bocharov posted on the FaceItBooks:

TIL Fun Fact: In the animated series about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), there was a episode-adaptation of the plot of the eighth TMNT issue (about Cerebus). The character was cut out, the story was rewritten a little, but such an Easter egg flashed through.

That’s the Aardvark I mentioned last month. In the episode, the Turtles and Renet fall out of a portal, the aardvark looks at them, looks away and snorts derisively.
Aaron Wood commented on the post:

Would have been a great opportunity for an action figure

Which is where I really should ask if you want me to contact NECA (who are doing new TMNT action Figures) and try to work a deal to get a TMNT Cerebus made and get A/V some money?

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And Dave wants me to figure out a way to find a home for this:

And for the L.O.A.S.S.:

"TeeVee" already cracked it...

Sorry this was so late, I have a life...

Next Time: In the afternoons, Oliver.