Notebook 21: Conventions & Contracts

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.

We’re continuing our look at Dave Sim’s 21st notebook used during the creation of Cerebus #164 to 187. We’ll be looking at this notebook, which there were 260 out of 300 pages scanned, until we’ve seen every single page of it. Well, the pages scanned. If you want to see all of the notebook #21 posts to date, just use the Notebook 21 tag. 

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Yup, more pages of just text. Like man, give us a paragraph break or two. Something. I assume there are periods in this text, and it isn’t just one run on sentence:

Notebook #21, page 141

Yes, that wall of text is more on the convention that Victor was attending. Some talk of strawberries, an author and illustrator named Ronin Sin is mentioned and some discussion of a Kim Grinch of Hey, Buddy Enterprises. The next page of the notebook actually has some paragraph breaks and continues with the convention:

Notebook #21, page 142

A page of Victor trying to leave the convention but getting cornered by publisher after publisher. Sounds like me trying  to get out of the garden out of a Bruins game, but instead of publishers it is a Boston sports bruh trying to get in line to use the bathroom. . .the worst. At least the spots bros aren’t pushing their cards in my face.

The next page we get one last paragraph of convention text, and then we start a new topic: Mike Prosserman showing Victor the contract for two THOUSAND crowns. 

Notebook #21, page 143

This contract talk continues in the next page, with Victor asking when he’ll get paid. Victor doesn’t listen to Mike’s advice about having his solicitor review the contract before Victor signs it. Victor just hears Mike say that Victor will get his money once he signs the contract. So Victor signs it.

Notebook #21, page 143