From Deseret News archives:
'Cerebus' comic book a publishing pioneer
He would create an entire lifetime for his protagonist, a barbarian aardvark named Cerebus. Sim would write and draw the story to fill 300 issues, then let Cerebus die (not disappear in a dream sequence or fade into the sunset, but die, d-i-e, die) in the final pages of the final issue. And Cerebus wouldn't die heroically but on his bedroom floor, "alone, unmourned and unloved."
This concept alone was enough to put "Cerebus" on its way to earning its first-class creative license.
Add to that the facts that the books were self-published (in Canada, no less); were not drawn in color but in black and white (well, sort of white it is printed on newsprint that yellows with age); and were concerned with historic and current affairs (not superheroes or space adventure), and you have a one-of-a-kind comic-book enterprise.
Remarkably, the whole thing made a considerable amount of money.
Sim pioneered another aspect of cartooning by combining already printed monthly issues of "Cerebus" into large volumes, something no publisher had done before. Sim became a father of the graphic novel.
The most fortunate development in "Cerebus" came about with a chance meeting in the early 1980s between Sim and another Canadian artist, Gerhard, who came aboard with his remarkably disciplined, crosshatched inkwork that filled the previously empty backgrounds of Cerebus' world with beautiful architecture and classic interiors.
Even though the series ended in 2003, it is enjoying an active afterlife as Sim and Gerhard fly across the continent meeting the devoted and the curious and discussing Cerebus-related topics, as they did recently at Great Salt Lake Book Festival in Salt Lake City.
Hundreds of Cerebus readers came from as far away as Ohio and Los Angeles to meet the creators and perhaps take home illustrated autographs.
Starting Cerebus' career as a "Conan the Barbarian" parody, Sim evolved his warrior aardvark into a lover and a fighter, a prime minister and then a pope, all of which provided Sim the perfect foil to explore topical issues over the years. Politics, religion, violence, issues of gender their importance and their flaws were the mainstay of the "Cerebus" world.
And readers loved it particularly adults. At its height, "Cerebus" sold 30,000 copies a month.
Comments
- Tigers vs. Miners by the numbers 2:32 a.m.
- Springville vs. Dixie by the numbers 2:25 a.m.
- Wasatch vs. Juan Diego numbers 2:22 a.m.
- Mustangs vs. Tbirds by the numbers 2:02 a.m.
- Nuggets win after clock review 1:41 a.m.
- Robbery ends poorly for one suspect 1:20 a.m.
- Wednesday on TV 12:59 a.m.
- Integration is possible on TV 12:59 a.m.
- Herbert talks land issues in D.C. 12:59 a.m.
- Developer looking to buy RSL share 12:58 a.m.
- Utah group finds homes for orphans
- Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
- Y. tight ends talented tandem
- Jazz blow big lead, hang on
- Utes get extra motivation
- Senators want food tax restored
- Hair-pulling raises more questions
- Lobo land like home for BYU lineman
- BYU soccer incident still popular
- U. hopes to keep clicking
- House passes health care bill
265 - TCU showdown has big implications
188 - Lobo suspended
185 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Senators want food tax restored
152 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
105 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
104 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants nationwide will honor...
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Glad that he's finally going to be scouting how to beat TCU. Seems to...
Too anyone who whines about people who EARN high salaries; when was the last...
Don't know bout all that "Texas" stuff, but I'm here to tell you people, that...
Gorbachev was a brilliant leader and single most important individual in...
It buys votes from every irresponsible, lazy American in order to keep the...
My fear is the damage to the economy adding trillions of dollars to the...
I don't know, Ak can be horrible too, there are those times when he only...
Utah 24, TCU 21
You are so right about the BS of these 3 radio clowns!
And some of you out there could care less if we give up our freedoms as long...




You can be the first to comment on this story.