Notebook 36: Cerebus #285 - Not Really

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.

Last week we looked at some boring pages from Dave Sim’s 36th notebook. The final notebook used during the creation of Cerebus. I only say boring because the pages were walls of that appeared to be Dave writing down thoughts on the book The Basic Writings of C. G. Jung. A step above the blank pages we had been seeing from this notebook. If you’d like to see the pages of Notebook #36 we’ve seen so far, there is a tag, Notebook #36, that you can click on.  

Last week we ended with page #57, the third and supposedly last page for Cerebus #284. Now with page #58 we have the issue box number for Cerebus #285:

Notebook #36, page 58

And we’re still seeing material talking about Jung. It appears to be discussion about Jung’s thoughts on our shadow selves? The next page of the notebook shows us more of Dave’s notes on Jung.

Notebook #36, page 59

The phone number at the top left corner of the page is for a hotel in Toronto called the InterContinental Toronto Centre. That hotel may not be as nice as the Ritz-Carlton that is a block or so away, but the InterContinental is right by the Metro Toronto Convention Center so it is less of a walk if you’re going to a convention there. Cerebus #285 has a cover date of December 2002. So too early for the Toronto Comic Con of 2004 when Dave was a guest of honour (along with Will Eisner!). 

The rest of the page is Dave taking notes on more of Jung’s writing. The next page of the notebook is more of the same. With a lot of mark-ups:

Notebook #36, page 60

Well, after buggids of text, how about some tracing paper drawings? I’ve wanted to get this hockey sweater. . .umm. . .Fred Hammer’s Five Bar Gate sweater for some time. Can’t find a blank one anywhere. This tracing paper is a rough sketch for the cover of Cerebus #267:

Cerebus #267, tracing paper rough & actual issue for scale

Yes, you can click on the picture - any of them in this post - to get a larger view of the image.

If you know where I can find one, please let me know in the comments.

And then we have the tracing paper for Cerebus #280 pages #16 and 17. Like the prelim we saw for Cerebus #283 pages 3 and 4, this one goes across two pages:

Tracing paper drawing and Cerebus #280 pages 16 and 17 

There is also another sketch of Cerebus in the top panel. Looks like he is giving the stink eye to Konigsberg. That drawing is from the bottom left panel on page 20 of the same issue. He is listening to Konigsberg talk about YHWH and in the final panel of the issue, Cerebus declares her Yoohwhoo.

ICYMI: Kickstarter Updates Featuring The Future of CIH?

Benjamin Hobbs:

David Birdsong  has posted two updates on the CAN11/Narutobus Kickstarter that pertain to CIH? The first:

Hello Backers,

The best news from the last two weeks has been that Alliance Entertainment bought Diamond and they plan to retain as many Diamond employees as possible. That means the Diamond Edition of NARUTOBUS will be in stores in June. I proposed to Eddie Khanna that we solicit for our next issue, The Varkdalorian, to be released in August and the issue after, Possum At Large vs. Super-Cerebus for October and Secret Origins for December. In other words, a bi-monthly schedule.  

My proposal for the CANs starting next year is a regular release in March and August (mostly to avoid major holidays). If three CAN campaigns are beyond your reach this year then you can still retain your same CAN number by informing Dave you need a pause. (I shouldn't remind you that the previous CANs are available at a lower price during the campaign for the New CAN, but too late, I did remind you.)

So, our proposal for the remainder of year's Kickstarter campaigns are these two:

 Payouts from Backers would be June and October.

The Varkdalorian was the worst culprit with too many covers. The campaign will offer ONE Kickstarter cover and in this case a variant cover as an Add-On. One cover from this campaign was commandeered by "Manly" Matt Dow and will be it's own issue. That leaves one cover dangling and we'll do something with it, but the variant covers come to an end this year.

The Possum At Large vs. Super-Cerebus cover you see is the obvious choice for comic shops, but all three variants will be available as Add-Ons as well as the Raphael Kickstarter cover, but perhaps not as actual comic books that cost you $20. Dave's idea is to print some of the variant covers on backing boards and once bagged they serve the same purpose as the full blown variant cover (unless you are one of those people that actually touches or reads your comics).

Kickstarter covers are being lowered to $20 and will be sold individually. The only bundles will be the current CIH? issue and the current CAN and if bought together the comic cost goes down to $15. If we do indeed go to two regular CAN releases going forward then they may not be so closely tied to CIH? releases.

ALL OF THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, but if all goes well then we can release Cerebus In Hell? as a bi-monthly comic book and two CANs a year on a schedule you can be sure of. You know, like we used to do it.

Opinions are certainly welcome.

David B

The second update features a fax from Dave and a note from David:

I made it clear to Dave at least a couple of years ago that I would not participate in Cerebus In Hell? if it costs him money to make it so I wish I had not read this (I already knew this, but denial is not just a river in Egypt). But here it is. Cerebus In Hell? can no longer compete due to a shrinking fan base so the comic shop version is most likely done after Narutobus arrives in shops in June if there are enough orders to justify printing it.

If those of you reading this would like future releases from Dave of any kind I would suggest you contact him and let him know. 

phone: 1-519-576-0610

fax: 1-519-576-0955

Dave Sim, Aardvark-Vanaheim, PO Box 1674, Station C, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, N2G 4R2

Thank you all for supporting the campaign.

David B

Next Week: MORE CIH? FUN!

SDoAR 3.13: Unlocked Page! 1 in 7 to Win Carson Grubaugh's Painting!

Friendly neighborhood reminder that David Birdsong generously donated to our GoFundMe raffle Carson Grubaugh's painting from an early version of The Strange Death of Alex Raymond. Note that the frame was damaged and there was no glass in it so he removed the art. The marks made by the frame can be seen below. 16 x 20 inches, acrylic on board.

I am happy to report that $165 have been donated since last week for a grand total of seven raffle tickets sold and one new page unlocked on Dropbox. So if you are interested in the painting, your chances are pretty good if you buy a ticket or three. AND I'll probably toss a few more things in the pot come next week.

Rules to win the Carson Grubaugh SDOAR Painting

Entries (or our equivalent of raffle tickets) cost $25 each and can be donated via lump sum to the Strange Death of Alex Raymond 2024 GoFundMe campaign through Monday, April 28, 2025 at midnight, PST. I will then randomly assign numbers to each entry and have Dave pull another Karnak, and I'll announce the winner on April 28, 2025. Cool? Cool.

SDOAR GoFundMe -->> https://www.gofundme.com/f/sdoar-2023

Life continues to keep me busy -- I won't bore you with the details until next week, but I am finally setting aside time this week to go through the proof version of the Giant-Sized Ashcan #0 with a fine-tooth comb, so more news on that front, one hopes (again), next week!

Just the GoFundMe Facts, Ma'am

• $17,200.00 raised to date from 295 donations

• 89 new pages released as mocked up by Dave Sim from 11 June to 8 January 2022

• 110 total pages available on Dropbox, including Dave's 2019 mocked-up pages

• $200.00 away from unlocking page 111

• If you have not donated > $5+ donation grants access to all 109 pages and all pages moving forward

• If you have donated, thank you. If you want to donate monthly, GoFundMe now offers such an option! Huzzah! Check it out here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sdoar-2023/donate?source=btn_donate 

SDOAR GoFundMe -->> https://www.gofundme.com/f/sdoar-2023

The Strange Death of Alex Raymond New Mockups Preview 

If you haven't read The Strange Death of Alex Raymond before, now is the perfect time to dive in, four pages at a time, and read the story as presented in the hardcover. 

This, 

This, this, 

This, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, this, 

This, this, this, 

And this.

If you want to see how Carson Grubaugh finished the hardcover, well, you're going to need to purchase a copy of your own. HOWEVER, if you want to see how Dave Sim continued the story in the blue pages -- bring me the blue pages -- mockups that appeared in blue ink in final section of the hardcover can be found here...

This, 

This, this,

This, and this.

Then in June 2021, Dave picked up the story again and it continues here, here, then below.

Dave's 2021 mockups, Part 3

If you enjoy the journey, you can join us for all the new pages on Dropbox by donating $5 or more. 

SDOAR GoFundMe -->> https://www.gofundme.com/f/sdoar-2023

Jen x 

The Strange Death of Alex Raymond Proto Version #5 (AKA the photorealist bits from glamourpuss #18)

Hi, Everybody!

Mondays!

Tomorrow, as she does MOST weeks, Jen DiGiacomo is gonna solicit everybody into giving a li'l something-something to The Strange Death of Alex Raymond GoFundMe she set up to get Dave money to keep working on pages (I do believe Dave's drawing pages in the 650s...). And as a part of that, she posted all of the pages from the Living The Line version of The Strange Death of Alex Raymond (up to page 205), and now she's posting Dave's mocked-up pages.

Fun fact: GoFundMe has changed their setup so you can contribute on a monthly basis (like the Patreon...).

So, to "tee her up", I'ma run the Proto-Strange Death of Alex Raymond that Dave ran in glamourpuss.

Because I can...

First this, then:

Next Time: Jen digs up them nude model photos...

"No one drugs CEREBUS and lives to tell of it!"

Hi, Everybody!

This.

Then:

Rigamarole:

______________

The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe

Up to 35% off March 30.*

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

Speaking of which, as requested, The Twitter Men Logo had been put on Merch, but The Mouse sent a takedown notice and 2 of the 3 designs are NO MORE. (One of these days, I'ma put all the removed design together in one image and see what happens...):
Blue & Gold

Yellow & Red

Blue
So get 'em while they still exist...

______________

You can get all 16 volumes of Cerebus, many of them Remastered for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)

_______________

Heritage has

• Cerebus #1 page 15
• Cerebus #15 Cover original art (the snake penis issue...)
• Cerebus #15 Cover original colour guide (in COLOUR...)
• Cerebus #16 page 4 (which has Lord Julius...)
• Cerebus #29 page 15
• Cerebus #54 page 8 
• Cerebus #1 slabbed in a 8.5
• Cerebus #233 page 1
• Cerebus, High Society, and both Church & States phonebooks signed by Dace and Gerhard.

_______________

The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. More on this as I'm allowed to post stuff...

_______________

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: Mondays!

Cerebus the Christmas Ornament?

Hi, Everybody!

My pal Christon sent me something:

He said to me:

Last year I had asked my buddy, who owns a 3D printer to make me a Cerebus ornament. Well, he came thru. Yes, it was several monthes after Christmas but he did finally come thru. He also made me several of the same thing. Since I don't necessarily need multiple of the same thing, I figure the best thing to do is share with someone who may actually appreciate Cerebus as I do. If you are interested at all, I'll send one to you. I need no money. You've MORE than earned it, as I appreciate your work on AMOC.
Christon

He also said:

I just got this back from CGC, thought I'd share how cool it looks

Neat!

Thanks Christon!
 

Next Time: Cerebus.

I Only Have a Minute (Dave's weekly update #584)

 Hi, Everybody!

Like it says on the Logo:

The little bit on the bottom there...

It's Friday, so that means:

Dave's Weekly Update:

Problems viewing this video? Watch directly on YouTube...

 

Well, as usual, the Weekly Update doesn't really Update everybody on the state of Aardvark-Vanaheim's affairs. So...to the Fax Machine:

Uh...Dave's printer/Fax broke, and he had to get a new one. So I sent a test fax to see if it was working.

THIRD BASE!

Anyway:

____________________

A Moment of Cerebus runs Saturday through Friday.

The Week in AMOC:

• Saturday: I got my CAN11... 
• Sunday: The last of second Elrod.
• Monday: No The Monday Report until the end of Ramadan, and I'm posting the glamourpuss SDOAR pages...
• Tuesday: Jen's posted all the Dave and Carson pages of The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, and has moved on to the mock-ups Dave produced after that. Donate to The Strange Death of Alex Raymond GoFundMe to see Dave's mock-ups for the next 400 pages (eventually). $135 until page 110 of Dave's POST-Carson SDOAR mock-up pages unlocks. AND GoFundMe has a MONTHLY option now, so you can schedule a reoccurring donation. And AND, Birdsong has donated a Carson Grubaugh original SDOAR painting (it was gonna be a cover for an early version.) Jen has all "the deets".
• Wednesday: Hobbs previews upcoming Cerebus in Hell? content. That's like his job around here and stuff...this time, an upcoming variant cover...
• Thursday: Margaret's IS done with Albatross One. If you click that link, you can see all the pages of the notebook, OR, you can get a PHYSICAL copy here, anyway not knowing where to head next, Margaret has decided to go with the LAST notebook, from page one to the end. Currently: Issue #284.
• Friday: that's this post. You're reading the Friday post right now. This is STILL like that bit in Spaceballs. (Should I link to LAST WEEK'S Update in these things?)

Okay, so that was the past week in AMOC. You're welcome.

Rigamarole:

______________

The AMOC TeePublic Shoppe

Up to 35% off March 28-30.*

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

Speaking of which, as requested, The Twitter Men Logo had been put on Merch, but The Mouse sent a takedown notice and 2 of the 3 designs are NO MORE. (One of these days, I'ma put all the removed design together in one image and see what happens...):
Blue & Gold

Yellow & Red

Blue
So get 'em while they still exist...

______________

You can get all 16 volumes of Cerebus, many of them Remastered for $99CANADIAN at CerebusDownloads.com (More if you want the Remastered Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing...)

_______________

Heritage has

• Cerebus #1 page 15
• Cerebus #15 Cover original art (the snake penis issue...)
• Cerebus #15 Cover original colour guide (in COLOUR...)
• Cerebus #16 page 4 (which has Lord Julius...)
• Cerebus #29 page 15
• Cerebus #54 page 8 
• Cerebus #1 slabbed in a 8.5
• Cerebus #233 page 1
• Cerebus, High Society, and both Church & States phonebooks signed by Dace and Gerhard.

_______________

The Help Out Bill Messner-Loebs Go Fund Me, or buy Rodney Schroeter's book with proceeds going to Bill. More on this as I'm allowed to post stuff...

_______________

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: Well I'm getting faxes again, so who knows?

Notebook 36: Cerebus #284. . .Kind Of

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.

After a blank page from Dave Sim’s 36th notebook book last week caused us to look at some preliminary artwork used in Latter Days, we have three pages this week full of text. Dave’s 36th notebook contains materials for Cerebus #265 through Cerebus #300. There were 58 pages scanned and the cover says there were 108 pages in the notebook. Many of the pages were nearly blank – with only a cover issue number box, but those pages were scanned in. Dave put a cover issue box number, leave a blank page, and then put another issue box number. This would give him three pages to work with for that issue of Cerebus. 

But not with Cerebus #284’s three pages.  And whooo, boy. You thought there were walls of text in Latter Days, well, get ready for the preliminary writings for those walls of text:

Notebook #36, page 55

Notebook #36, page 56

Notebook #36, page 57

Yup, three nearly solid pages of text. It appears to be Dave reading The Basic Writings of C. G. Jung (as he mentions in ‘Notes on Latter Days’, back of the Latter Days phonebook, page 504). And if you haven’t read ‘Notes on Latter Days’, here are Dave’s thoughts on Jung and Freud’s writings: 

“It was interesting to read Jung’s theories only insofar as I found them to be just as obscure, jargon-rich and devoid of content as Freud’s, equally unfound on anything remotely resembling scientific proof albeit skewed, as I found them to be, in a different and more mystical direction.”

So where in Cerebus #284 does any of the above text make it into the story? The final page of that issue:  page 20, aka page 380 of Latter Days, in Konigsberg’s journal. My eyes are getting too old to read all that tiny text and do a gap analysis between the notebook pages and that page of Cerebus #284. 

To make up for that, here is a piece of 9” x 12” tracing paper with a preliminary sketch of Konigsberg in his jester’s outfit when he is playing the fool:

Maine's I Scream ruler & Prelim art front

Back of preliminary art

Yes, there is pencil on both sides of the paper, so it was probably used on the artwork for Cerebus - as Dave would draw on the tracing paper, then flip it over so the pencil was on the Bristol art board he used for Cerebus artwork, and then use another pencil to transfer the drawing onto the artboard. This appears to be for page 3 of Cerebus #282, aka page 323 of the Latter Days phonebook:

Cerebus #282, page 3 top panel

CIH? Round-up!

Benjamin Hobbs:

David Birdsong sends along a lot of CIH? goodies this week!

First, a tease of the final variant cover for THE SECRET ORIGINS OF CIH?:

Next, a revised version of one of THE VARKDALORIAN variants... NOW WITH TEXT!

And finally, an updated CIH? checklist:

Next Week: MORE CIH? FUN!