Notebook 36: Cerebus #274

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.

As we continue our look at Dave’s final notebook used in the creation of Cerebus, notebook #36, we are up to page 25 and what is slated as Cerebus #274 material. Last week we looked at pages for Cerebus #273 which actually had material that was used in Cerebus #274. If you’re looking for past posts on Notebook #36, just use the Notebook 36 tag.

Last week’s Cerebus #274 material centered around page 5 and 6, so what does page 265 show us?

Notebook #36, page 25

Well, it is more material for Cerebus #274, page 7, where the Three Wise Fellows start badmouthing Todd “Far Lane” McSpahn. Not much from this page was actually used, I think Dave waws just getting his juices flowing for as Todd calls them, “Krunchy? Lunchy? Munchie?” The next page of the notebook continues this dialogue from the Three Wise Fellows. 

Notebook #36, page 26

Then down the bottom of the notebook page is some dialogue that makes its way onto the finished page #7 From the ‘They art naught but. . .but. . .TODD followers your nay-plooz ultraness’. There is an arrow moving the ‘Todd huggers’ in front of the ‘Todd nosers’, which is the way it shows up on the final page. 

The following page of the notebook is more of the same – Three Wise Fellows dialogue that looks like it could be part of Cerebus #274, but it doesn’t end up on the final page. Well, except for Cerebus’ line of “So where is this. . .”Todd”?” Which does make it on page 8, but without the quote marks around Todd. 

 Notebook #36, page 27

“Cerebus’ sloe gin fizz o’savagery" sounds like it could be one of those bottles behind the bar in the tavern Cerebus worked at. A bunch of good chirping as they say in the hockey world was left off the final page. And the whole ‘Todd Ptoo’ thing never turned up on the finished page either.