Cerebus #50 Cover Sketches

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.

Dave Sim’s fourth Cerebus notebook had 99 pages out of 108 scanned, and it covers Cerebus #41 through 44. Kind of. On page 21 I found an outline for High Society and sketches for the cover to #50:

Notebook #4, page 21

Cerebus #39 was called ‘Petuniacon Day Three’, not ‘The Ambassador Suite’.

Cerebus #43 was called ‘Election Night’ not ‘The Election’, the word crossed out is Day.

The rest of them are spot on.

Dave said this about the sketches on this page: “I thought this was a very strong design and execution for the end of High Society. It took a while to figure out how many ‘panels’ I could fit in and the relative sizes of the Cerebi, but it looks as if it didn’t. Which is good.”

Giant-Size Public Defenders #1... in stores NOW!

Benjamin Hobbs:

The pre-launch page for SOCIH? Hardcovers V11 and V12 is up on Kickstarter.  The campaign will launch on July 27th at noon (EST), and run until August 13th. Click HERE to be notified when the campaign is live.

This week at your LCS: Giant Size Public Defenders #1 and it's Variant cover!

HEY KIDS!

Fix your copy NOW:

Now available to order from Diamond: Flailing at Love #1!

Next Week: More CIH? Fun!

"he probably does a LOUSY tree."

Hi, Everybody!

This. Then:

I did this once to Frank Miller at a CBLDF party. Everybody was standing around doing nothing for twenty minutes, and my friends wanted to leave, so I quick asked Frank for an autograph, and EVERYONE yanked out a Miller book and started clamoring for his signature...

Right, right...sotto voce...

The Rigamarole is right down there. Same as yesterday...

Next Time: Hobbs and the time HE hung out with Frank Miller: "Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything..."

SDOAR.com is up and live now. Check it out.

Hi, Everybody!

Mondays!

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The Kickstarter for the Cerebus #4 CAN Portfolio 6-7/78 Update:

The Real Update

They're all real, really, but the last thing we wanted to do was too much babysitting and too many updates for this campaign. Unfortunately there were some bumps in the beginning but we'll try to get them smoothed out as fast as possible.

There are two new Tiers:
1) The Cerebus No 4 CAN Portfolio + Remastered Comic Book in one package
2) The Cerebus No 4 CAN Portfolio + All 3 comics: Cerebus No 4 Remastered, Cerebus No 4 All Gold Remastered and Pieces Of Turtles 8.2 US Edition

You may now also purchase individual copies of any of the comics in the Add-Ons section.

And THIS POINT that may have been overlooked: The photo on the main page of the campaign shows Dave Sim with the pages of Cerebus No 4 spread out on the floor in front of him. We should make it clear that when this project was in the planning stages it was made clear to all involved that the only way to keep the cost reasonable and to make this A SINGLE ITEM, the pages in the portfolio are TWO-SIDED. The pages are thick enough that you will not see pages bleeding through to the opposite side and we will share the work in progress as we move along. The best thing about this format is that you may place the pages into an artist's portfolio and have your very own Artist's Edition that you are able to easily read and enjoy.


And so, about that comic that being remastered:

Cerebus No 4, Pg 1 VS Red Nails, Pg 17

From Dave Sim's Commentaries on Cerebus No 4 (in progress):
"...My panel 1 is BWS's pg. 17 panel 1. "Why doesn't mine look as good?" (I was fuming to myself) Well, because BWS's figure has a dramatic tilt to him where he's practically falling forward and the captions are providing a counterwieght in a SQUARE..."

Cerebus No 2 Page 2 - Original Art VS Restored Art

Anyone that has seen any of the Cerebus volumes restored by Sean Michael Robinson of Living The Line knows that they are the definitive versions of the series. Some of them have been improved so much beyond what even appeared in the original comics that Dave Sim was heard to say, "Maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought I was back then."

The 17th and latest printing of Cerebus volume 1 has pleased both Dave Sim and Cerebus fans worldwide. At this point no one had ever seen the original issues look so pristine and clear. Except for issues like number 4. No original art or original art scans (or few, if any) were available for this issue's restoration so using methods he perfected on his own, Sean painstakingly restored the individual issues or pages or panels that needed special attention. Until now this was the best we could hope for.

Look closer. You can see below the original art scan has so much more information than the restored art. A comparison of the two close-ups makes you think. If Sean could get the restored art this close to the original using subpar sources... imagine what the restored version will look like. If you like it as is, with all the pencil lines and smutz, you get all that in the CAN Portfolio. How often do you get the Artist's Edition and the restored version at the same time?

If at all possible we'll see if Sean can share some of his work in progress on the restoration but he is currently in the middle of relocating his entire operation. But not to worry, we'll send someone by to flog him if it looks like he's falling behind or nodding off.

Little lines, getting clearer all the time

You can find out more about Sean Michael Robinson and his brand new publishing venture at: https://www.livingthelinebooks.com/

Living the Line also got a new book, and it's on the Kickstarter. 6 days left. And then they've ALSO got a new series with Carson Grubaugh  The Abolition of Man #1. It's a comic "drawn" by an AI.

They also published The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, which has the website of annotations, (FINALLY!) so if you want a "Cerebus" moment, I'd click over there, because I'm running kinda dry today...

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Cerebus in Hell?:

Flailing At Love

CIH PRESENTS KURTZ VS KURTZ ONE SHOT (this one reaches Final Order Cut-off shortly...)

____________________________________

If YOU have anything related to the 1982 Tour, that'd be of interest, shoot me an email at momentofcerebus@gmail.com and I'll get it to the Waverly Press.

____________________________________

The Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing is BACK on CerebusDownloads.com (if it doesn't show up, refresh the page.)

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Next Time: A REAL Moment of Cerebus, promise...

The Jeff Seiler Memorial Cerebus Trading Card (#301)

Hi, Everybody!

Before I forget (AGAIN!) Dominick Grace is looking for scholarly Cerebus analysis:

am not sure how many academically-oriented members this group may have, but for those who are, this may be of interest:

CALL FOR PAPERS
Co-Editors Dominick Grace and Eric Hoffman (Dave Sim: Conversations, Chester Brown: Conversations, Seth: Conversations, Jim Shooter: Conversations, Steve Gerber: Conversations, Approaching Twin Peaks: Essays on the Original Series, and The Canadian Alternative: Cartoonists, Comics, and Graphic Novels) seek original, previously unpublished essays on the work of Dave Sim for a book of critical approaches on Sim, tentatively titled Dave Sim: Comics Iconoclast, to be published by McFarland.
Recommended themes: formal, historical, and thematic considerations, including Sim's role as ground level self-publisher and how this position as comics industry outsider impacts his work; Sim as specifically Canadian artist; his advances and innovations in the graphic narrative form; intertextual or meta elements of his work, specifically in his magnum opus, Cerebus, including satire and parody; Sim's innovative use of the episodic, periodical format in long-form storytelling; Sim’s testing of the limits of what constitutes a ‘comic’; realism vs. fantasy; caricature and photo-realism; generic transgressions; world-building; issues of gender, religion, and politics. Essays on all of Sim's work (Cerebus, Judenhass, Glamourpuss, Cerebus in Hell, The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, early short works, essays, electronic media) are encouraged.
Please submit proposals of 200-300 words. Proposal due date: July 31, 2022.
Send proposals to davesimcomicsiconoclast@gmail.com
Final essay due date: November 30, 2022. Recommended length: 5,000-7,500 words although longer essays will be considered.
Planned publication date: fall 2023.

I mean, I think it's obvious to anybody who has visited this website since Tuesday, 14 November 2017, that I'm woefully unqualified to talk about Dave Sim and Cerebus in a scholarly way...

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The Kickstarter for the Cerebus #4 CAN Portfolio 6-7/78 is fully funded. But don't let that stop you from buying one. Or the Remastered Cerebus #4. Or a "Solid Gold" Remastered #4. Or an American edition of Pieces of Turtles 8.2.

Here's a little tease from Dave:

And here ya go, to avoid the googling:

And:

Is a crap scan, I admit it...

ANYWAY, 20 days to go.

Dave said that this KS is:

(In Oliver's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark is currently available "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi".)

Which brings us back to the Cards I, Dave, & Margaret got from Dagon at The Waverly Press:

Well, Dave signed all his and sent them to me:

I got 'em the other day

So, first up are the contributor's to Jeff's Cerebus Readers in Crisis series. Then, to anybody I think deserves to have one.

If you think that includes you, send a remembrance of Jeff to momentofcerebus@gmail.com, along with your address, and I'll get one to ya.

And if you DON'T have a remembrance of Jeff, but want a card for your collection, send an email to momentofcerebus@gmail.com, and I'll let you know where to send a self addressed stamped envelope so I can mail you one (why should I pay the postage? You're getting a free card...) (And if you've already got the address of The AMOC Cave, skip the middleman and just send me a self addressed stamped envelope and I'll get you a card...)

SIGNED cards go to people who ACTUALLY knew Jeff. Don't think I'm sending them out to every Tom, Dick, and Harry-Roach who comes along...

"These, ah say, these are for friends of ol' Jeffy. Not just fans of the kid in the bunny suit..."

(Plus, I've got twice as many unsigned cards...)

The left stack are unsigned, the right are from Dave.

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Sean Robinson and Living the Line, publishers of the Eisner nominated The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, have a new book, and it's on the Kickstarter. 6 days left. And then they've ALSO got a new series with Carson Grubaugh  The Abolition of Man #1. It's a comic "drawn" by an AI.

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And speaking of ordering stuff from Diamond:

Cerebus in Hell?:

Flailing At Love

CIH PRESENTS KURTZ VS KURTZ ONE SHOT (this one reaches Final Order Cut-off shortly...)

____________________________________

If YOU have anything related to the 1982 Tour, that'd be of interest, shoot me an email at momentofcerebus@gmail.com and I'll get it to the Waverly Press.

____________________________________

The Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing is BACK on CerebusDownloads.com (if it doesn't show up, refresh the page.)

____________________________________

The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe

Up to 35% off site-wide:

June 26

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: The Monday Report. Plus I betcha Dave'll have another KS tease...

The Kickstarter for Cerebus Archive Special is live soonish...

Hi, Everybody!

As DAMNIT BIRDSONG! posted yesterday, a Kickstarter is a'comin' for ALL 22 PAGES from Cerebus #4. This link will work.

Dave Faxed me:

Those second two have Dave's mock-up off the description:

Anyway:

Tentative price $190 

Here's the base $110 version:

And the big guy is $900:

Those prices are sorta not set in stone.

Remember, it goes live tonight. 

____________________________________

Sean Robinson and Living the Line, publishers of the Eisner nominated The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, have a new book, and it's on the Kickstarter. 11 days left. And then they've ALSO got a new series with Carson Grubaugh  The Abolition of Man #1. It's a comic "drawn" by an AI.

____________________________________

And speaking of ordering stuff from Diamond:

Cerebus in Hell?:

Flailing At Love

CIH PRESENTS KURTZ VS KURTZ ONE SHOT

____________________________________

If YOU have anything related to the 1982 Tour, that'd be of interest, shoot me an email at momentofcerebus@gmail.com and I'll get it to the Waverly Press.

____________________________________

The Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing is BACK on CerebusDownloads.com (if it doesn't show up, refresh the page.)

____________________________________

Oliver's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark is currently available "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi".

_____________________________________________

The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe

Up to 35% off site-wide:

June 25-26

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!

____________________________________

Next Time: More on the Kickstarter, and a special offer...

FLAILING AT LOVE (Dave's Weekly Update #446) Then:CEREBUS No 4 - The Expensive Remastered Version! & the ONLY chance to get POT8.2 US EDITION!)

Hi, Everybody!

  

Dave's Weekly Update:

Problems viewing this video? Watch directly on YouTube...

Flailing At Love

Here's the original cover that is being parodied:

And then there's these things:

Okay, 

Next tiiii DAMNIT BIRDSONG!!!!

CEREBUS No 4 - The Expensive Remastered Version! & the ONLY chance to get POT8.2 US EDITION!

WOULD YOU BUY COMICS

FROM THESE MEN?

Conjoined twins, Dave Sim & Dave Sim

have decided to offer you not ONE,

but TWO Great Comics!

(For the price of TWO Great Comics!)

CEREBUS No 4

Featuring all 22 pages of the June/July 1978 issue

scanned from the Original Art

including a 2005 cover recreation by Dave Sim

available in several formats

POT8.2 US EDITION

Exactly the same as the Canadian Edition, but now

with a $25 price tag.  For a few dollars more

you can fill up that POT8.2-shaped hole in your collection.

The Kickstarter begins this weekend

(most likely Saturday, the 25th, but the way the world

is turning these days we won't commit to anything

until a few minutes after it happens)

Next Time: More about that...

New Inside Front Cover Design

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 a couple of pages from Dave Sim’s first notebook. This week we’ll take a look at one page. Dave sketched a full page layout for the inside front cover of Cerebus. 

Notebook #1, page 51

Well, the inside front cover of Cerebus #21 didn’t quite look like what Dave had sketched above:

Cerebus #21, inside front cover

It wasn’t until a couple of issues later that this modified layout was used:

Cerebus #23, inside front cover

The layout is pretty much the same: the note from the publisher, the informational box on the right and then  down the bottom another box of publishing information. Though the layout of the information in the box is a bit different than what is on the notebook page. Boobah’s real life counterpart even makes an appearance. Kind of.

And I only just now noticed the typo of aardvark in the box in the bottom. 

CIH? Art Cards

Benjamin Hobbs:

On the Kickstarter campaign for V7 and V8 of the SOCIH? Hardcovers, I offered an Original Art card of Cerebus.  In the campaign, I said it would look like this:

They ended up looking like this:

I'm considering doing 1 or 2 more on the campaign for V11 and V12.  Either Dr. Varkhatten, Batvark, or Fiendix. They would look something like the cards above, but with the new name in the banner. 

Let me know in the comments if this would be of interest to you!

Next Week: It's the last Wednesday of the month! New CIH? at your LCS!

AMOC News: You hear it here first or it ain't AMOC News...

Hi, Everybody!

Got me one of them faxes from Dave.

I'm gonna break it apart so I can address the issues as they arise:

Well, we "only" had $34,555 pledged. And this was kind of a one off. I can't see "Hey Everybody! Let's put on a show!" working again. There were only TWO issues where the artwork was sold as a lot, and Heritage has had both of them. So unless #4 or #6 come up again, I don't foresee the Dark Treaders riding again...

Indeed they did. I got pictures and everything:

Dave continues, with:

It'll look like this:

BUT WAIT!

THERE'S MORE!:

BUT, WAIT!!

THERE'S...MORE!!:

BUT...WAIT!!!

THERE'S...seriously, wait for it...

MORE!!!:

I...I THINK it'll look a lil' something like:

THIS! (but, I could be wrong...)

BUT...and I can't stress this enough...WAIT!!!!

There is...MORE!!!!:

But...

"No @$%&ING WAY! THERE CAN NOT BE..."

Oh but there is imaginary AMOC Reader that lives rent-free in my head, THERE. IS.

MORE!!!!!:

I...uh...I don't have photos of these. P.O.T.8.2 will look REAL similar to this:

Almost exactly. (The BACK cover on the other hand...)

Birdsong "DAMNIT BIRSONG!" (right, sorry.) DAMNIT BIRDSONG! informs me that the Kickstarter could be going live as soon as Friday. More as I hear 'bout it...

Speaking of Kickstarters:

____________________________________

Hobbs' Kickstarter for the HARD COVER Swords of Cerebus volumes 9 & 10 ended, get your surveys in.

____________________________________

Sean Robinson and Living the Line, publishers of the Eisner nominated The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, have a new book, and it's on the Kickstarter. 11 days left. And then they've ALSO got a new series with Carson Grubaugh  The Abolition of Man #1. It's a comic "drawn" by an AI.

____________________________________

And speaking of ordering stuff from Diamond:

Cerebus in Hell?:

CIH PRESENTS KURTZ VS KURTZ ONE SHOT

____________________________________

If YOU have anything related to the 1982 Tour, that'd be of interest, shoot me an email at momentofcerebus@gmail.com and I'll get it to the Waverly Press.

____________________________________

The Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing is BACK on CerebusDownloads.com (if it doesn't show up, refresh the page.)

____________________________________

Oliver's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark is currently available "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi".

_____________________________________________

The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe

Up to 35% off site-wide:

June 22-26

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!

____________________________________

Next Time: Hobbs wants to know if you've accepted Cerebus in Hell? into your life. Preferably in a collected Hardcover format...