Notebook 21: Spawn #10 Dialogue Part 3

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. 

~*~~~*~

Last week we saw pages from Dave’s 21st notebook which covered dialogue from Spawn #10. I thought we were done with it, but nope, we have a few more pages of it. Why did I think we were at the end of the dialogue – other than how the writing has changed in style, but those pages from last week showed us dialogue from the end of Spawn #10. So what is up with this the dialogue on these pages? Lets take a look.

Notebook #21, page 64

This dialogue matches up with page nine and ten of Spawn #10. There are small changes, but it is pretty close to the finished pages. The next page of the notebook not only continues the dialogue from 10 but up through page 14. 

Notebook #21, page 65

Next week: Cerebus #168 material. . .Finally! Oh, sorry, you wanted more Spawn #10 material? 

Notebook 21: Spawn #10 Dialogue Part 2

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. 

~*~~~*~

The last couple of week’s we’ve been seeing material from the Campaign ’93 that appeared in Cerebus #167. So of course the next pages in Dave’s 21st notebook cover Spawn #10. We have seen some pages from this notebook with Spawn material in them already: Crossing Over, Crossing Over Part Two, Notebook 21: Spawn #10 Dialogue. So ready for more?

We pick up with page 61 of the notebook which has a big 16 circled in the top left corner:

Notebook #21, page 61

As you can see below the big circled 16 is some crossed out writing: Page Nine Spawn. Looking at Spawn #10, this dialogue appears on page 16. It is the dialogue between Cerebus and Spawn and Spawn talks about saving the superheroes who are locked up. There are minute differences between the dialogue on this page and on the finished page. 

For example, the notebook page has Cerebus saying “Their creators who sold them. Nice guys. It’s just that. . .well. Like Cerebus said. It’s best not think about it.” And the dialogue from Spawn #10: “Their creators. The one’s who sold them. Like Cerebus said. It’s best not to think about it.”

The page continues with dialogue for page 17 of Spawn #10. Something I hadn’t noticed about the dialogue in Spawn #10. . .See on the notebook page the dialogue is this:

Spawn: Everything is. . .gray.

Cerebus: Mm. Black and white and gray. Actually.

In the Spawn #10 I’m reading (the remastered edition from 2020 when Cerebus says gray it is spelled grey. 

The next page of the notebook continues the dialogue with Spawn #10 page 18’s dialogue:

Notebook #21, page 62

The dialogue matches up pretty well with the finished page, just a few slight changes. The dialogue continues on page 63:

Notebook #21, page 62

We can see Dave updating page numbers along the left border: from 13 to 20, 14 to 21, and 15 to 22. The biggest change I saw between this dialogue and the finished page is Spawn’s last line: “the nicest day of my whole life” is changed to “I had a . . .bad dream, I think. But. . .You know. . .It’s best not to think about it.” An echoing of the line Cerebus had earlier in the issue. 

Notebook 21: Spawn #10 Dialogue

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. 

~*~~~*~

We saw material for Cerebus #166 & 167 in last week’s entry on Dave Sim’s 21st notebook. Will this week go back to walls of text or will we get more sketches? Onto page 41:

Notebook #21, page 42

Wait, what? Spawn #10? We have seen some of Dave’s material for Spawn #10 already:

• Notebook 21: End of Cerebus #164 & Spawn 10: page 24 of the notebook
• Crossing Over: pages 25, 26, and 64 of the notebook
• Crossing Over Part Two: pages 27 & 28 of the notebook

The dialogue on page 42 covers the first four pages of Spawn #10. It isn’t word for word, but a lot of it is in those pages. Though there is more dialogue in the finished pages of Spawn #10, this page captures most of it.

The next pages of the notebook continues the dialogue from the next page, page 5 of Spawn #10. The dialogue in the boxes is what shows up on page 6 and 7, the double page spread with the arms of the heroes coming out of the jail cell while Spawn screams nooooo! Though some of that dialogue didn’t make it: “Dark Knights Knights of the Darkness. Some of them are mere children. Titans. Boy Wonders.”

Notebook #21, page 43

The bottom left corner dialogue appears in a slightly altered format on page 8 of Spawn #10. The dialogue on the next page of the notebook appears on page 16 and 17 of Spawn #10. 

Notebook #21, page 44

Well, kind of. It looks like what was the first pass at the dialogue for those two pages, but it didn’t make the cut.

Next week – back to Cerebus issues, not Spawn #10. This was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.

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Hi, Everybody!

Matt here. Piggybacking on Margaret's post to let everybody know that the Pud's Tavern Logo shirt for my kid's dance team has dropped:

They're only available in pink...

Unfortunately, they're only available to order until August 26th at 11:59pm. CST. More unfortunately, they'll only ship to my kid's high school. So if you want one, email me at momentofcerebus@gmail.com, and I'll work something out...

I bought one for Dave already. And if you need/want one bigger than 3X, lemme know and I'll see what I can do...

Notebook 21: End of Cerebus#164 & Spawn 10

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. 

~*~~~*~

Last week we continued with material for Cerebus #164 that was on pages 18 and 20 of Dave’s 21st notebook. We had looked at pages 19 and 21 a few years ago, so we’re skipping ahead to page 22. We’ve been looking at notebook 21 for so long that I’ve put a header at the top about it and it seems that most of it has been covering Cerebus #164. And guess what? Yup, more for Cerebus #164.

Notebook #21, page 22

And that is a spot-on accurate list of what is on every page of Cerebus #164 with the exception of page 18. Page 18 isn’t blank; it is the Original Cirin sending Cerebus to the tavern with some money in order to evade the Cirinists. As we saw on previous pages, Dave already had this material, and more, in mind for Cerebus #164 and this is a final. . .grocery list so to speak of items for the issue. 

Though as we saw last week with page 20 of the notebook: it covered material on pages 17 and 18 of Cerebus #164. Just mixed together as if it belonged on one page. While Dave had most of the issue sorted out, that page 18. . .was next up in the notebook.

Notebook #21, page 23

Yup, rough page thumbnails for pages 17 and 18 of Cerebus #164. Those thumbnails are a lot closer to the finished pages then the thumbnail on page 20 of the notebook. Take a look for yourself:

Cerebus #164, pages 17 & 18

And one last page for today. And it doesn’t deal with Cerebus #164. 

Notebook #21, page 24

What? Spawn #10 stuff? Looks like Dave jotting down some ideas for the issue. Why didn’t I include it with the other Spawn #10 material in the notebook? I don’t know. Go back to 2014 and then 2018 and ask me then. But here are pages #25, 26, and 64 of the notebook: Crossing Over. And then pages #27 and 28: Crossing Over Part Two.

With up to page 28 already posted, are we going to see more Cerebus #164 material on page 29? No, we will not. We already saw pages 29 and 30 in Ends & Odd Bits. We already saw page 31 in Alcohol Is Free and There Is No Last Call. Page 31 has a page by page list of items for Cerebus #165 so my guess is we’re finally done with Cerebus #164. Next up, page 32.

Treasures, I say, TREASURES from the Please Hold Editing Suite.

Hi, Everybody!

Mondays!

Still working on the last of the Please Hold videos, so here's a couple of "gems" from the process:

Okay "moment".

I'll finish the videos as FAST as I can, and we'll be done with this by the weekend... (I think I may have SERIOUSLY screwed up the Audio, so THAT'LL be fun...)

Okay, okay put down the pitchforks

Please Hold For the answer to the question we missed (well, I didn't miss it, I just didn't say nothing to Dave 'bout it...)

Canyon Frost asks:

My comic shop said both their distributors were totally out of Cerebus vol 1! Any word on a new print run?

And Dave sez:

So know we know...

Next Time: I'm in the editing suite, so "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn..."

Advice: Marc Di Stefano & Cat Scratch. PLUS: New-ish Dave Art!

Hi, Everybody!

Dave checks in:

And these excerpts from Cat Scratch:

If these are too small, you can see them bigger by buying a copy.

New Dave Art!

9/5/2024:

9/26/2024:

10/3/2024: (Click for Bigger)

BIGGER:

Are these cards and/or postcards?

Rigamarole:

_______________

Dave Sim/Cerebus related Kickstarters:

Shannon Wheeler, totally funded. I'ma getting a copy because I bought the last collection, and remastered goodness is always cool.

Robert T. Jeschonek, launched. Features a new Cerebus story by Dave.

John and Scott Palochik, 12 days to go. Dave liked issue #1.

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The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe:

October 13, and 23-28.*

*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.

_______________

The Cerebus Humble Bundle is over, you can STILL get all 16 volumes for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)

_______________

Heritage ain't got $#!*, but that'll change... it ALWAYS does...

_______________

The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. 

_______________

The Last Day Without nothing.

   "      "     "        "  Dave's signature.

   "      "     "        "  an Old Cerebus Remarque

   "      "     "     Auction catalog for the Panoramic Remarques. 

_______________

Oliver' Simonsen's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark it's currently available on "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi". If you're in Brazil..., "Mometu", "Nuclear Home Video".

_______________

Next Time: The Monday Report and something else...

The beginnings of New Dave Art!

Hi, Everybody!

Dave has sent unto us:

So, I bought Dave tone, and sent it up to him. I also included an invoice (because I was told to...)

I also included a thank you note from the one kid, the other kid sent a thank you postcard, which led to:

Anyway, Incoming!

Click for bigger

More as Dave sends it to me!

Rigamarole:

The Cerebus Humble Bundle is over, you can STILL get all 16 volumes for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)

__________________________

Heritage has FIVE pages of original Cerebus art coming soon. And JUST four months before Christmas... What. A. Coincidence.

__________________________

The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe: up to 35% off:

August 26-September 2.*

*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.

I'ma retiring some designs after this. And maybe uploading some new ones. But if you want Cerebus Election merch, it's going away on September third.

___________________________

The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. 

___________________________

The Last Day Without nothing.

   "      "     "        "  Dave's signature.

   "      "     "        "  an Old Cerebus Remarque

   "      "     "     Auction catalog for the Panoramic Remarques. 

___________________________

Oliver' Simonsen's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark it's currently available on "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi". If you're in Brazil..., "Mometu", "Nuclear Home Video".

___________________________

Next Time: Dave sent a link to a video...

Spawn #10 "Crossing Over": Rarities

Hi, Everybody!

ITEM!

Cerebus has come to HumbleBundle. $18 REAL American dollars (or more. They'll take all the money you wanna spend...) gets you all 16 volumes AND the Updated Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing! Eighteen bucks! (Unless you wanna up your pledge to benefit The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN):

The Global FoodBanking Network’s (GFN) mission is to nourish the world’s hungry through uniting and advancing food banks. GFN unites and empowers organizations that support those in need by reducing food waste and cultivating sustainable relationships that save lives.

Or, adjust your pledge levels so Aardvark-Vanaheim gets more. Since you KNOW Dave's probably sending 25% of "the take" to Gerhard. (I think you can do that. I know you can give LESS to Dave and Humble, and more to GFN, not sure about increasing Dave's cut.).)

This deal ends in... I can't remember, but it's not sticking around forever.

ITEM!

Friend to the Blog Steve Peters has a NEW Kickstarter: Comicverse: Subspace Chatter Softcover Collection. While it DOESN'T have a new Dave cover (that's the NEXT Kickstarter after this one...) It does have Cerebus related content, and Manly Matt Dow Art. 

The NEXT Kickstarter Steve's gonna do has new Dave art. So, let's help Steve out with this one so he doesn't have his confidence shaken and not do the next one. $30 (including the shipping price) gets you the book. And he's got some original art in there too.

Eleven days to go. Come on. COMEON!

ITEM!

Over on the Cerebus Facebook group, Tim Stoltzfus shared a rarity, he's got the original script to Spawn #10:

He tells his story:

The original script to Spawn #10, signed by Dave Sim, including a concept sketch for the splash page that was the first piece of art done for the book.
Been meaning to post this bit of Cerebus history in here for a while. Long story coming, but sharing here in part because I know people who can contact Dave Sim directly to verify this item is legit and because I think it is time I find a permanent archival home for it so it doesn't disappear.
The Long Story:
Back when I was much younger, I had a comic store in Southeast Pennsylvania and was a Cerebus fan. I met Dave many times at cons in the region, had a few letters printed back in the day, too.
It was May of 1993 when Heroes World Distribution held a retailer conference/gathering at their warehouse in New Jersey. (I think it was in Piscataway? It's been a while.)
One night was a charity casino night/auction. Everyone was given 1k in chips to play with, and then after several hours, you could use the chips to bid on auction items. Naturally, they wanted to raise as much money as possible, so you could bid above the chips you had, you just had to pay cash.
A side effect of this was that bidding prices were done in increments of $100 of "play money", but $100 in play chip money was actually $10 in real money. So an opening bid of $100 cost $100 in chips OR $10 in real money.
When this item came up to bid, hey, I wanted it. After a few rounds of bidding, it came down to me and one other person. Part of the auction was that Dave would sign the script for you and do a head sketch the next day.
I should be more specific, it came down to my Mom and one other person. While I was running the stores, she was the person who took care of most of the money, so she had final say in how much we spent on this item.
The reason the front page says "...and Forty-Five Hundred, Thanks!" is because the bidding got to $450 before the other person gave in.
The next day when I caught up with Dave to get it signed, Dave saw me and said "Oh, of course it is you that won it! But I can't give you just a head sketch, you already have a couple dozen of them." So he drew the full body sketch.
He also shared that he wasn't aware of the money system, so when he was in another part of the room and heard the amount being bid on the script, he was freaking out, "Who in their right mind is paying $4000 for this thing?" is the quote I recall.
I meant to post this a long time ago in here, but my mother passed away back in July of 2022 after an extended period of illness and I decided I didn't want to let this go just yet. It's one of the gems of my collection and I have her to thank for it.
But, I feel it is time I make sure it ends up in a safe place in case something happens to me. It's a piece of comic history now that should be preserved.
I'm hoping someone here who has the contact can share this with Dave and provide confirmation and then I figure we'll go from there. Anyone is free to PM me about this if they have ideas.
Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the pics!

If you're a member, you can see the whole thing in a video.

I'm pretty jazzed, because I might get hi-res scans of the whole thing.

And IF I do, I'll have half the set.

See, back before they realized what a horrid little thief I am, I got to poke around backstage, and one time I stumbled on the scans of Dave's copy of Neil Gaiman's script and thumbnails for Spawn #9:

This is over thirty years old. If that address or those numbers are still good, I'll eat Cerebus' hat...

Click for bigger

Click for bigger

OF COURSE I TOOK THEM! I JUST said I was a thief. Don't gimme that look! You woulda took 'em too!

I stole Todd's original cover to Spawn #10 too:

Click for bigger

AND Dave's note:

Click for bigger

I mean, how could I NOT?!?

Rigamarole:

__________________________

Heritage has Cerebus adjacent stuff.

__________________________

The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe: up to 35% off:

Sometime in July. When I know, you'll know.*

*Sale dates are not final and therefore subject to change.

___________________________

Annnnd...OH YEAH! My pals at the Waverly Press are running a "Summer Sale". Nearly EVERYTHING is reduced, with discounts between 20 and 80%! Until the end of June. (Sunday the 30th to be PRECISE.) Now's the time to buy that Cerebus #2 you had your eye on... Click HERE, and remember: Your dependents need Cerebus comics more than they need to inherit money when you croak... (I can GUARANTEE this doesn't apply to the NEW Spawn 10 Lenticular covers.)

The Waverly Press is ALSO running a new Kickstarter for a new Bobby Grossman book: Nobody Waved Goodbye.

___________________________

The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. 

___________________________

The Last Day Without nothing.

   "      "     "        "  Dave's signature.

   "      "     "        "  an Old Cerebus Remarque

   "      "     "     Auction catalog for the Panoramic Remarques. 

___________________________

Oliver' Simonsen's Cerebus movie: The Absurd, Surreal, Metaphysical, and Fractured Destiny of Cerebus the Aardvark it's currently available on "Plex", "Xumo", "Vimeo On Demand", "Tubi". If you're in Brazil..., "Mometu", "Nuclear Home Video".

___________________________

Next Time: More stolen goods? Ya know, by reading this YOU'RE just as guilty as I am...