Notebook 21: BANG! ROAR! RUMBLE! BANG!

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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Last week I showed off my new teapot and teacup so there was no ‘notebooks’ post. The week before last we finally got to some sketch pages of Dave’s 21st notebook. They were sketches for material in Cerebus #183. More specifically they were for the fight scene between Cirin and Cerebus. Then on page 230 we get some text of Viktor Davis giving us the ‘Bang!’ prior to something else falling.

Well, page 231 of the notebook is an unknown narrator talking about how they prefer conversation with men and that “if I’m going to be owned by someone I want to be owned for sex not conversation.” I’m not going  to go back through Reads to see if this made it into the finished book:

Notebook 21, page 231

The text on page 232 continues with the same. . .better than thou attitude:

Notebook 21, page 232

On the next page thankfully we get some sketches and different text:

Notebook 21, page 232

The top is a thumbnail for Cerebus #184 pages 2 and 3 or if you’re following along in the phonebooks, it is Reads pages 188 and 189. The double page spread of ‘BANG’ as the ground falls away from the throne. The text is some of the lettering for the pages of the throne separating and being sent (?) to outer space.

Will the next pages of the notebook continue with more sketches of revert back to the walls of text? Or will I continue to show pictures of cleaning drinkware? Who knows. Come back next week to see what I have time to do.