The AMOC review of SDOAR (part 1)

Hi, Everybody!

The Official A Moment of Cerebus review of The Strange Death of Alex Raymond by Dave Sim and Carson Grubaugh:

Well, I've finished my Kickstarter 1st Edition of SDOAR. Here's the review I'ma post on the Amazons:

The Strange Death of Alex Raymond by Dave Sim and Carson Grubaugh is the epically complex tale of, nominally, the circumstances surrounding the death of Flash Gordon creator Alex Raymond on September Sixth, 1956 in an automobile accident. Begun in the pages of Sim's comic book series glamourpuss (2008-2012), it starts as a history of photorealism in newspaper comic strips of the middle 20th century, specifically focused on the strip Rip Kirby by Alex Raymond, and The Heart of Juliet Jones by Stan Drake. And then turns into a sprawling metaphysical examination of the events and people involved in the fatal car crash. Most of Sim's work from the pages of glamourpuss is discarded, and written and drawn anew for a proposed comics series that was to be published as a number of 48 page issues. That project was abandoned and reconfigured as a five volume series of books, with new bridging material drawn by Grubaugh added to the material created by Sim for the proposed series. Sim eventually experienced a mysterious hand/wrist malady that left him unable to draw, and Grubaugh stepped in to illustrate the remainder of the book. Confused? You won't be after this episode of SOAP...

The two artists manage a fusion of style that doesn't make it obvious as to where Sim's art ends and Grubaugh's begins. Or, at least, the two art styles aren't so diametrically opposed as to cause confusion in the reader. Sim's tale is informed by a holistic lattice of coincidence that he dubs "Comic Art Metaphysics", which ties the car crash to: Gone With the Wind author, Margaret Mitchell; reporter and self confessed cannibal William Seabrook; "The wickedest man in the World" Aleister Crowley; practically every cartoonist whose work ever graced the funnies pages from 1919 to today; and comics historians big and small.

In the 253 pages that comprise the first two volumes of Sim's proposed five volume series (and the majority of this book), Sim and Grubaugh lay out a very compelling narrative full of twists, turns, and obsessive attention to detail that draws the reader in and fully commands the reader's attention. Unfortunately, Sim decided that this project wasn't commercially viable and abandoned his efforts to publish it. Fortunately, Sim's long held and expressed beliefs about creator's rights means he's given his consent to allow Grubaugh to attempt to finish the story to the best of his abilities. In doing so, Grubaugh presents the mock-ups of Sim's opening of the proposed volume three, and his own attempt at a conclusion.

Joining Sim and Grubaugh is Living The Line Publisher Sean Michael Robinson, who acted as: Digital production, book design, digital lettering, and additional art and hand lettering on the book, who also wrote an afterword attempting to explain the complex behind the scenes saga of this volume.

All in all, The Strange Death of Alex Raymond is both terrific and, unfortunately, terrifically incomplete. One hopes that at some point, Sim will be able to complete his narrative, and find an artist of Grubaugh's caliber to finish The Strange Death of Alex Raymond...

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So, there ya go.

My more in-depth review begins thusly:

The Strange Death of Alex Raymond

The Good: After reading the California Test Market/Fun Raising Edition of Volume One (the first half of this book), I emailed Eddie Khanna and said:

Volume One is GREAT! When can I get volume Two?

So, now I got to read that. But when I talk to Dave next week for Please Hold For Dave Sim 12/2021 (Get your questions in to momentofcerebus@gamil.com...), I'm probably asking him when I can get Volumes 3-5.

And like I said above, I don't notice a giant difference between Dave and Carson's art:

Even without a "real" ending, the book is still 90% satisfying...

The Bad: That 10% of unsatisfying is REALLY unsatisfying. Carson's attempt at an ending, while creative and a clever easter egg to Dave's proposed introduction to Barry Windsor-Smith's Storyteller collection, doesn't quite land. (Sorry Carson...) I mean his conclusion can't be faulted, but it doesn't answer any of the questions Dave introduces in the story. (I mean, I know that Carson really CAN'T answer those questions, but it really is unsatisfying that Dave never got to where we wanted him to. (Namely an ending...)

Also:

Fuck this guy...

The "Missing" bits from near the end of volume two are REALLY @$%&ING ANNOYING!!!

DEEPLY UNSATISFYING, because I think Dave was explaining a MAJOR plot point of the glamourpuss SDOAR narrative...

The Ugly: Um...THAT👆. Dave losing a MAJOR plot point to the litigious "Margaret Mitchell Glamour" (while also losing the potential ORIGIN of the "M.M.G." is just devastating.)

The other "Ugly" bit is the loss of the vast majority of the glamourpuss Strange Death narrative. 

Which, I believe is "out" because, as Dave admitted once (either here, or in a Patreon post) that he got a lot wrong in glamourpuss. Like:

From glamourpuss #14, click for bigger on the double page spreads.

If you enjoyed this, and want/need digital glamourpuss, I'm giving it away as PDFs. Just email momentofcerebus@gmail.com, and I'll send ya the files.

I'm going to stop here, and pick this up on Tuesday, with the pages from glamourpuss that illustrate why this little $#!*

is such a mother @$%&er...

(I mean, I really liked the book Carson, I just have problems with Dave's decision...)

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Heritage, they got a bunch of neat Cerebus stuff.

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Cerebus in Hell?:

Defective Comics

Swords of Cerebus in Hell? Volume 11

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The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe

Up to 35% off site-wide:

November 28 – 30

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales will be running:

November 26 – 29

Tell your fans! Remind them that everything will be up to 35% off -- that means $13 tees, $20 phone cases, $30 hoodies, and way more!

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Next Time: Oliver! Monday: The Dave & Mikhail show! Tuesday: The review continues!