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.
For the last month or more we’ve been looking at Dave Sim’s sixth notebook, and more specifically, looking at his pages for Cerebus #53. Last week it was page 38 of the notebook which had some dialogue and the thumbnails for pages 9 and 10 of Cerebus #53.
Well, pages 39 and 40 of the notebook have some Silverspoon stuff, so we’ll skip that . . .for now. Then on page 41 there a thumbnail for page 11 of Cerebus #53:
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| Notebook #6, page 41 |
Well, it says page 11, but it is only part of the page in thumbnail format, and it doesn’t really match up with the finished page. The text on the page does match up with the dialogue on page 11. Except what is crossed out. The crossed out bit starts with Cerebus asking the Countess: “Why won’t you tell Cerebus if you’re a Cirinist or a Kevillist” The text below it is the Countess’ response, but it doesn’t match the dialogue on page 12. Here it is in case you can’t read it:
You might work for the other side. Did you know Cirin had seven sons killed in one day during the Upper Feld Rebbellion (sic) of 1401? Personally I admire her a lot for what she’s done. I don’t know, though. If only mothers
voteare allowed to vote, who is going to keep them from having their own way, all the time. You’ve got to have something to counterbalance them. I don’t think I know enough about it, either.
That text is in-between the discussion of the Countess how she can get a deferral on her taxes. That text is not how the Countess answers that question in the finished book. And for the actual thumbnail for page 11, we need to go to page 42 of the notebook.
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| Notebook #6, page 42 |
There is the thumbnail that is closer to the finished page.
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| Cerebus #53 page 11 and thumbnail from page 42, click to embiggen |
The dialogue on the page is what the Countess’ answer to Cerebus question of if she is a Cirinist or Kevillist.
