''Cerebus'' (; also ''Cerebus the Aardvark'') is a
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series created by
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...
Dave Sim
Dave Sim (born 17 May 1956) is a Canadian cartoonist and publisher, best known for his comic book ''Cerebus'', his artistic experimentation, his advocacy of self-publishing and creators' rights, and his controversial political and philosophical b ...
, which ran from December 1977 until March 2004. The title character of the 300-issue series is an
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
aardvark
The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike ...
who takes on a number of roles throughout the series—
barbarian
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
,
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
, and
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
among them. The series stands out for its experimentation in form and content, and for the dexterity of its artwork, especially after background artist
Gerhard Gerhard is a name of Germanic origin and may refer to:
Given name
* Gerhard (bishop of Passau) (fl. 932–946), German prelate
* Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (1292–1340), German prince, regent of Denmark
* Gerhard Barkhorn (1919–19 ...
joined with the 65th issue. As the series progressed, it increasingly became a platform for Sim's controversial beliefs.
The comic began as a
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
of
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...
comics, primarily Marvel's version of
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
. However, it evolved to explore a variety of other topics, including politics, religion, and gender issues. At a total of 6,000 pages, it progressively became more serious and ambitious than its parodic roots. Sim announced early on that the series would end with the death of the title character. The story has a large cast of characters, many of which began as parodies of characters from comic books and popular culture.
Starting with the "
High Society
High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...
" storyline, the series became divided into self-contained "novels", which form parts of the overall story. The ten "novels" of the series have been collected in 16 books, known as "
Cerebus phonebook
''Cerebus phonebooks'' are the paperback collections that Dave Sim has collected his comic book series ''Cerebus'' in since 1986. They have come to be known as "phonebooks" as their thickness and paper stock resemble that of phone books. The fo ...
s" for their resemblance, by way of their thickness, to telephone directories. At a time when the series was about 70% completed, celebrated comic book writer
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
wrote: "''Cerebus'', as if I need to say so, is still to comic books what
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
is to the
Periodic Table
The periodic table, also known as the periodic table of the (chemical) elements, is a rows and columns arrangement of the chemical elements. It is widely used in chemistry, physics, and other sciences, and is generally seen as an icon of ch ...
".
Publication history
''Cerebus'' was
self-published
Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using POD (pri ...
by Dave Sim under his
Aardvark-Vanaheim, Inc. publishing banner. For the first few years the company's publisher was
Deni Loubert
Denise "Deni" Loubert (born September 30, 1951) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed July 19, 2011WebCitation archive is a Canadian comics publisher, co-founder of Aardvark-Vanaheim, and ...
, Sim's girlfriend (the two married and divorced during the comic's run). Sim's position as a pioneering self-publisher in comics inspired numerous writer/artists after him, most notably
Jeff Smith (''
Bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid Organ (biology), organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white blood cells, store minerals, provid ...
''),
Terry Moore (''
Strangers in Paradise
''Strangers in Paradise'' is a creator-owned comic book series, written and drawn by Terry Moore, which debuted in 1993. Principally the story of a love triangle between two women and one man, ''Strangers in Paradise'' began as a slice-of-life ...
''), and
Martin Wagner (''
Hepcats'').
In 1979, Sim, who was at the time a frequent
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
user, began using
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
, taking the drug with such frequency that he was eventually hospitalized.
[page 1]
page 3
/ref> It was this incident that Sim claims led to the inspiration to produce ''Cerebus'' for 300 monthly issues.
When Sim published the first ''Cerebus'' "phone book", a paperback collection of the ''High Society'' graphic novel (issues #26–50), he angered distributors—who felt that their support had been instrumental in his series' success in an industry generally indifferent to small publishers—by offering the first printing via mail order only.[Coville, Jamie]
Collector Times June 16, 2005 The decision was a financial windfall for Sim, however, grossing over $150,000 in sales (). Sim became known for picking up hotel tabs for self-publishers and helping other self-publishers by paying for meals and limo service between stops. Negotiations regarding DC buying ''Cerebus'' took place over the course of 1985 to 1988, offering $100,000 ($ today) and 10% of all licensing and merchandising, which Sim rejected.
The series hit a personal sales record with issue #100 which, despite being a normal issue in the middle of a story arc
A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
, had a print run of 36,000 copies. Sales took a substantial drop over the next 50 issues, however, and Sim commented that the fact that readers could not simply "jump in" to ''Cerebus'', and had to read the entire series in order to be able to understand the current issue, was a major reason for the sales drop.
In July 1984, ''Cerebus'' publisher Aardvark-Vanaheim was threatened with possible legal action by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
over a parody of Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
in ''Cerebus''.
When Sim guest-wrote the 10th issue of Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic book creator, artist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horro ...
's comics series ''Spawn
Spawn or spawning may refer to:
* Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise
** '' Spawn: ...
'', he donated his entire fee—over $100,000—to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) is an American non-profit organization formed in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses. Charles Brownstein served as the organiza ...
.
"Jaka's Story," a tragic character study dealing with gender roles and the political suppression of art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
, is generally cited as the series' pinnacle of narrative achievement. Later issues of the series became highly personal, and began to alienate many long-time fans, female readers especially. Issue #186 (collected in ''Reads'') contained a lengthy prose section that was attacked by some readers and critics for what they perceived as overt misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
, and which Sim describes as "anti-feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
". During this part of the story, the storyline consisted of a textual treatise written by Viktor Davis, a fictional "Reads" author, interspersed with the main ''Cerebus'' storyline. In Davis's material, he refers to the "creative male light" and the "emotional female void," a reversal of the gender-based view of creation espoused by the Judge at the end of ''Church and State'' (in which the "female light" is raped by the "male void" and shatters into the physical universe). As Sim himself says in an interview with ''The Comics Journal
''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...
,'' "''Cerebus'' #1–200 sthe completion of the story. The yin and yang
Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the c ...
. The ultra-female reading. The ultra-male reading. I'm attaching an allegory to the Big Bang
The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...
. You make up your mind which one's the pit and which one's the top of the mountain." By the end of the series, the Void is again male and identified as God, and the Light is female, now identified with YHWH. Issue #186 was followed by another essay in the back of issue #265 called "Tangent," in which Sim identified a "feminist/homosexualist axis" that opposed traditional and rational societal values. This material appeared as Sim was retreating from public life and becoming more marginalized by his peers in the industry.
Sim himself appeared as a character in ''Cerebus,'' as when he berated the title character in the "Minds" story arc.
Sim's religious beliefs heavily influenced the last third of ''Cerebus'' storyline. Once an atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, Sim became a believer in God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
while gathering research material for "Rick's Story". However, rather than following an established religion, Sim follows his own personal belief system cobbled together from elements of Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
, Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, and Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
, although he described himself in issue #8 of ''Following Cerebus'' as "mostly Muslim." A 2003 magazine interview describes Sim as reciting a prayer of his own devising five times a day (which was published in the back of issue #300), and as having sold much of his furniture to donate the money to charity as an act of religious asceticism
Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
. In an editorial contained in issue #297, Sim stated that he regards the production of ''Cerebus'' as of secondary importance to his religious practice. Sim's religious beliefs tie into his views on gender, and the bulk of the ''Cerebus'' storyline after "Guys" deals with this, especially "Rick's Story," "Latter Days," and "The Last Day."
A quarterly publication, ''Following Cerebus,'' followed in August 2004, featuring correspondence, essays, and previously unpublished artwork from Sim, as well as interviews with other comic writers and artists.
Sim was rumored to have said that had he died or otherwise chosen not to complete ''Cerebus'' prior to issue 300, the remaining issues were to either consist of blank pages or Gerhard was to have drawn his backgrounds only, leaving Sim's contribution blank. It is not known if this plan was ever serious, since it was never put into effect. At the completion of the series, Sim directed that upon his and Gerhard's death, ''Cerebus'' would enter into the public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work
A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
. Effective 31 December 2006, Sim purchased Gerhard's share of the company. Sim has already granted a general license for other creators to use his characters in their own works, stating that he is trying to be consistent with his own appropriation of others' works.
In early 2009, Sim launched the bimonthly series ''Cerebus Archive.'' It was translated into Italian; and in 2011, '' Church and State Vol. I'' was published in Spanish.
Published volumes
''Cerebus''
Issues #1–25.
This first story arc, uniquely in this series, consists of one to three-issue storylines with only occasional back-references. Cerebus is introduced as an amoral barbarian mercenary, fighting (and betraying) for money and drinking it away. During his adventures, he encounters the warrior Pigts (whose religion reveres aardvarks) and the insane wizard Necross, who turns himself into a giant stone Thrunk (visually similar to Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
' The Thing). Most of the series' prominent characters are introduced (or at least mentioned) in these issues, including Elrod of Melvinbone (a parodic representation of Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...
's Elric of Melniboné
Elric of Melniboné is a fictional character created by English writer Michael Moorcock and the protagonist of a series of sword and sorcery stories taking place on an alternative Earth. The proper name and title of the character is Elric VII ...
), Lord Julius, a character based upon Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
, Artemis Roach (a.k.a. The Roach, who would evolve into an all-purpose parody of Marvel and DC superhero characters) and Jaka. The series takes a sharp change in direction with issue #20 which is the first of the "Mind Games" issues that are a feature of the comic and introduces the philosophical Suenteus Po and the ultra-matriarchial Cirinists.
''High Society''
Issues #26–50.
Cerebus comes to the wealthy city-state of Iest as the representative of Lord Julius's city-state of Palnu. He quickly finds himself enmeshed in the fast-paced world of high finance and politics, and comic tension is built through his ignorance of the "high society" machinations going on around him. Cerebus is befriended by the legendary Regency Elf as he adjusts to his new circumstances. He meets and soon finds himself maneuvered into a political campaign by the mysterious Astoria, who is also manipulating Artemis into pseudo-super hero identities that are parodies of Moon Knight and later Sergeant Preston of the Mounties. Cerebus recognizes that he is a pawn in a political game between Lord Julius and Astoria, but he struggles to assert himself and ultimately confounds the expectations of everyone attempting to use him. Cerebus is eventually elected Prime Minister of Iest, but launches an unnecessary war of conquest that causes him to lose everything.
''Church & State I''
Issues #52–80.
After some travels, Cerebus returns to Iest and is manipulated by Weisshaupt, who wants to use Cerebus's popularity with the masses, into again becoming Prime Minister of Iest. Weisshaupt has maneuvered himself into the tenuous presidency of a federation of states (including Iest, Palnu and New Sepra) as a bulwark against the Cirinists. Weisshaupt lures Cerebus into a drunken marriage to Red Sophia, but ultimately loses his influence over Cerebus when Weisshaupt's rival, Bishop Powers, appoints Cerebus Pope of the Eastern Church of Tarim. Finally out from under anyone else's control, Cerebus lets absolute power go to his head and demands that all the citizens must give him all their gold or face the end of the world. Sophia walks out on Cerebus, and then he discovers that Jaka is married and pregnant. Cerebus is threatened by Weisshaupt's secret invention of cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
s, but Weisshaupt suffers a heart attack and Cerebus continues his papal reign of terror. He is finally ejected from the Upper City by the sudden invasion of the giant stone Thrunk, who claims to be the God Tarim.
''Church & State II''
Issues #81–111.
Cerebus returns to Iest's Upper City and uses Weisshaupt's cannons to destroy Thrunk and reclaim the papacy. Astoria has mysteriously killed the Western pope ("the Lion of Serrea"), and Cerebus must execute her for the crime in order to retain his papacy. Cerebus confronts her in a dungeon, and after being taunted by Astoria, he grants himself a divorce from Red Sophia, marries himself to Astoria, rapes her, and then divorces himself from her. Astoria's trial, which echoes with similarities to a repeating pattern of historical executions of reformers, is interrupted when Cerebus makes the predicted Ascension to the Moon that is the culmination of the land's religious prophecy. There, Cerebus meets the Judge, a timeless, godlike being who has watched over history from the very beginning. (Sim had based the personality of this character on cartoonist and playwright Jules Feiffer
Jules Ralph Feiffer (born January 26, 1929)''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 is an American cartoonist and author, who was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 as North- ...
.) The Judge explains his version of the creation myth of Cerebus's universe, before warning Cerebus that he will live only a few more years before dying "alone, unmourned and unloved." The Judge tells Cerebus that if the Aardvark ever questions his suffering, he should remember his "second marriage" to Astoria. Cerebus then falls back to earth, where he discovers that the Cirinists have invaded, and his empire has collapsed.
''Jaka's Story''
Issues #114–136.
Cerebus returns to Iest, now under a brutal Cirinist dictatorship, and runs into Jaka again. She is illegally working as a dancer in her landlord's tavern. The landlord/barman, Pud, treats Jaka kindly but secretly spends his days lusting after her. Cerebus agrees to live with Jaka and her husband Rick as their houseguest. That story is interwoven with unreliable tales of Jaka's childhood told by a writer, representing Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
, using notes and stories provided by Rick. In the end Cerebus disguises himself and travels to the Lower City to buy a jar of paint. While he is gone, the Cirinists find the tavern, kill Pud and arrest Jaka, Rick, and Oscar. Jaka is made to sign a confession of immoral behavior, and is reunited with Rick; however, the Cirinists reveal to Rick that Jaka aborted the son that Rick always wanted. He lashes out at Jaka and is allowed to divorce her (although he is maimed for striking her). Jaka returns to Palnu, and Cerebus returns to the inn to find it in ruins.
''Melmoth''
Issues #139–150.
This story arc concentrates on the last days and death of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
(who is attended to by his trusted companion Robbie Ross
Robert Baldwin Ross (25 May 18695 October 1918) was a Canadian-British journalist, art critic and art dealer, best known for his relationship with Oscar Wilde, to whom he was a devoted friend and literary executor. A grandson of the Canadian ...
) rather than on Cerebus himself, who appears in only a few pages. (The title refers to the gothic novel
Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...
''Melmoth the Wanderer
''Melmoth the Wanderer'' is an 1820 Gothic novel by Irish playwright, novelist and clergyman Charles Maturin. The novel's titular character is a scholar who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for 150 extra years of life, and searches the wo ...
'' by Charles Robert Maturin
Charles Robert Maturin, also known as C. R. Maturin (25 September 1780 – 30 October 1824), was an Irish Protestant clergyman (ordained in the Church of Ireland) and a writer of Gothic plays and novels.Chris Morgan, "Maturin, Charles R(obert) ...
, a relative of Wilde's. Wilde adopted this alias during this period of his life.) Meanwhile, a catatonic Cerebus, believing Jaka to be dead, spends his days mourning on the patio of a café. In the last few pages of the story, after the main action had concluded, Cerebus overhears a conversation by two Cirinist jailers insulting Jaka. Enraged, Cerebus murders one of the guards and then springs into action.
''Flight''
Issues #151–162.
First part of the "Mothers & Daughters" story arc. Cerebus's return to Iest and slaughter of Cirinsts leads to a very brief failed revolution. Cerebus descends into darkness and speaks with Suenteus Po. Meanwhile, Cirin works to manage her sect and arrange her own Ascension. Artemis, with Elrod as his sidekick, also stages his own impromptu revolution under his new persona "PunisherRoach", a parody of the Marvel comics character the Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
.
''Women''
Issues #163–174.
Second part of the story-arc "Mothers & Daughters". Cerebus crashes back to earth. He is assisted by a mysterious old woman who is being openly spied upon by the Cirinists; she sends him to a bar to hide. This story arc includes a parody of Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
's '' The Sandman'' in which the Roach plays "Swoon" (a parody of Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
) and Elrod plays "Snuff" (a trans person parody of Death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
). Astoria and Cirin symbolically duel in a dream realm. The book includes excerpts from books written by Astoria and Cirin that describe their differing beliefs. Cerebus flies across the city to slay Astoria, but is interrupted by the arrival of Suenteus Po.
''Reads''
Issues #175–186.
Third part of the "Mothers & Daughters" story arc. This book primarily consists of two long text pieces. The first revolves around an author of ''Reads'', heavily illustrated books in Cerebus's world. In this story, there is a strong thread about the dangers of commercial success and "selling out". The series moves from this storyline to a long essay attributed to Viktor Davis, a fictional ''Reads'' author. This essay puts forth a theory on the nature of the sexes, describing the "Female Void" focused on feeling, and the "Male Light" focused on reason. These two stories are accompanied by a long discussion between Cirin, Astoria, Cerebus, and Suenteus Po. Po gives information about aardvarks, including that all aardvarks have Cerebus's "magnifier" quality, and attempts to convince each of the others to abandon their pursuits of power and return to what they enjoy doing most, then leaves them to their fates. Astoria is convinced and also leaves, but not before giving Cerebus information about her history with Cirin and also informing him of his hermaphrodite nature. Cerebus and Cirin then engage in a long and brutal fight, which leads to the beginning of another ascension.
''Minds''
Issue #187–200.
Fourth and concluding part of the "Mothers & Daughters" story arc. Cerebus and Cirin ascend, then are separated by a mysterious force. As Cerebus flies through the solar system, he is shown images from his past and is forced to reconsider his actions and his faith. He then encounters a disembodied voice calling itself "Dave" that acknowledges itself as Cerebus's creator. "Dave" shows Cerebus the history of the Cirinist movement, revealing that Cirin is actually named Serna and was the best friend of the real Cirin (the old woman Cerebus encountered in ''Women''), but usurped Cirin's leadership and effectively exchanged identities with her. "Dave" then gives Cerebus information about his past, showing that Cerebus unwittingly ruined his original destiny, causing chaotic repercussions which have influenced most of his adventures. Cerebus demands that "Dave" ''make'' Jaka love him; in response, "Dave" shows Cerebus visions of possible futures between himself and Jaka, all of which are disastrously flawed for both of them due to Cerebus's nature. After a period of penance and self-reflection on Pluto
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...
, Cerebus asks "Dave" to place him in a bar he remembers from his mercenary days.
''Guys''
Issues #201–219.
Cerebus spends time, and eventually becomes bartender, in one of the Cirinists' bars where "degenerate" men are essentially quarantined from the female citizens. Described in the trade paperback's introduction as based on a bar that Sim frequented during a near-alcoholic stint between relationships, the series features various parodic characters who come and go while Cerebus remains stationary. Cerebus begins a somewhat reluctant relationship with a woman named Joanne, who was first introduced in one of the possible futures with Jaka that "Dave" showed Cerebus in ''Minds''.
''Rick's Story''
Issues #220–231.
Eventually Jaka's ex-husband Rick arrives at the bar. He has significantly aged, become a heavy drinker (having barely been able to tolerate alcohol in "Jaka's Story"), and it is gradually revealed that the mental and emotional scars from the events at the end of "Jaka's Story" have left him mildly insane. Rick is working on a book about his life, which gradually becomes a religious work in which Cerebus is a holy figure and Rick his follower. Joanne returns and taunts Cerebus by courting Rick. At the end of the book, Rick departs, for reasons not entirely clear, and tells Cerebus that he will see Rick only once more in his life. After Rick has left, Jaka shows up at the bar, and she and Cerebus depart together, heading for Cerebus's childhood home of Sand Hills Creek.
''Going Home''
Issues #232–250.
First part of the "Going Home" story arc. Cerebus and Jaka travel across land, then on a river boat. Cerebus is eager to make as much time as possible, as he fears being trapped in the mountains near Sand Hills Creek by winter, but instead he indulges Jaka's desire for shopping and public appearances. Along the way, they encounter veiled hostility from the Cirinists. Cerebus and Jaka's relationship begins to show signs of deterioration, and Jaka is almost tempted away by F. Stop Kennedy (a fictional version of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
), a writer who has accompanied them on their river boat.
''Form & Void''
Issues #251–265.
Second and concluding part of the story arc "Going Home". Cerebus and Jaka continue their journey towards Sand Hills Creek, in the company of Ham and Mary Ernestway, analogues to Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
and his fourth wife, Mary. On the trip, Mary tells them about some of her and Ham's journeys. This material is based on Mary Hemingway's journals about Ernest's last African safaris prior to his death. Ham dies in what appears to be suicide, but Cerebus becomes convinced Mary murdered him and flees in panic, taking Jaka with him. They discover that they have been traveling in circles without making any significant progress toward Sand Hills Creek, and nearly die in a blizzard. They finally arrive in Sand Hills Creek only to find that Cerebus's parents are dead and the rest of the community has shunned Cerebus for his perceived abandonment of his family. Cerebus drives Jaka away, blaming her for keeping him away too long.
''Latter Days''
Issues #266–288.
First part of the story arc "Latter Days". After a prodigious leap in time over two issues, Cerebus returns from the north intent on provoking the Cirinists into killing him. Instead, he is captured by a trio of characters based on the Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
, who await a religious revelation from him. While Cerebus was in the north, a religious movement developed out of the teachings of Rick and his writings about Cerebus. Once Cerebus supplies the required revelation, he inspires a successful anti-Cirinist rebellion and a subsequent reordering of society. Much of the second half of this chapter consists of Cerebus giving a highly idiosyncratic analysis of the Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
. Published over the course of nearly a year, this section, called "Chasing YHWH", was presented almost entirely in text format, with minimal art. This story arc is unusual in that disembodied thought balloons give the impression that Cerebus is speaking directly to the reader at times. It is revealed in the last issue of the arc that Cerebus has been talking to a female reporter who bears a striking resemblance to Jaka. He eventually falls in love with the woman and marries her.
''The Last Day''
Issues #289–300.
The second and concluding part of "Latter Days", and the conclusion of the series as a whole. In the first 40 pages Cerebus has a dream or vision in which cosmology
Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount (lexicographer), Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in ...
is seen as a reflection of theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, complete with explanatory footnotes by Sim. Upon waking Cerebus—now incredibly aged, decrepit, pain-wracked, and mildly senile—makes the laborious trek to his writing desk to write down his new revelation. He then hides the manuscript, and it is implied that nobody will find it for two thousand years.
Cerebus spends most of the rest of the book trying to persuade his chief of security, Walter O'Reilly (named after Corporal Walter (Radar) O'Reilly from ''M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.
Th ...
''), to admit his son, Shep-Shep, with whom he remembers sharing an idyllic father–son relationship. However, the Sanctuary is under lockdown due to opposition from a new and even more rabidly "feminist-homosexualist" group led by Shep-Shep's mother, whom Cerebus refers to as "New Joanne", which favors such "rights" as pedophilia
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...
, zoophilia
Zoophilia is a paraphilia involving a sexual fixation on non-human animals. Bestiality is cross-species sexual activity between humans and non-human animals. The terms are often used interchangeably, but some researchers make a distinction b ...
, juvenile recreational drug use
Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...
and lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
motherhood. As a result, social values have undergone a complete breakdown.
Cerebus finally goes to bed despairing of seeing his son again, but Shep-Shep manages to sneak into Cerebus's room late that night. Their subsequent conversation shatters Cerebus's last illusions about his son. Shep-Shep has aligned himself with his mother, who has been conducting genetic engineering experiments, partly with knowledge gained from Cirin's earlier experimentation. Cerebus is disgusted and horrified when Shep-Shep shows him the results of one of the experiments, a lion cub with a human baby's head, and explains his mother's plans.
As Shep-Shep leaves, Cerebus grabs a knife, intending to kill him, but falls out of bed and breaks his neck, alone, unmourned, and unloved, just as the Judge had predicted. His life flashes before his eyes in a series of flashback panels and his ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
sees many of his old friends and enemies waiting for him in "the Light." Jaka, Bear, and Ham beckon to him, and he eagerly rushes to join them, thinking they are in Heaven
Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
, but then he notices the absence of Rick and realizes that the Light may in fact be Hell
In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
. He calls out to God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
for help, but is dragged into the Light nonetheless.
Other appearances
''Comics Buyer's Guide''
*"Silverspoon", ''Prince Valiant
''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...
'' comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
, 11 pages published weekly in ''Comics Buyer's Guide
''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The public ...
'', reprinted in ''Swords of Cerebus'' Vol 4 and in the ''Cerebus'' "phone book" from 11th printing on
''Swords of Cerebus''
Each of the six issues includes one or two Cerebus stories not all of which are included in the "phone books".
''Swords of Cerebus'' Vol. 1, January 1981
*"The Name of the Game Is Diamondback", 7 pages, layouts by , story and art by Sim, January 1981
''Swords of Cerebus'' Vol. 2, June 1981
*"Demonhorn" (first appeared in Nucleus #1), 5 pages, story and art by Sim
*"The Morning After", 6 pages, inks by Josef Rubinstein
Josef "Joe" Rubinstein (born 4 June 1958) is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' ''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' and the 1982 four-issue ''Wolverine'' miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank ...
''Swords of Cerebus'' Vol. 3, Fall 1981
*"What Happened Between Issues 20 and 21", 8 pages
''Swords of Cerebus'' Vol. 4, Fall 1982
*"Magiking", 10 pages
*"Silverspoon", (first appeared in Comics Buyer's Guide), 11 pages,
''Swords of Cerebus'' Vol 5, Summer 1983
*"Cerebus Dreams", written and drawn by Barry Windsor Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith (born Barry Smith, 25 May 1949) is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States. He attained note working on Marvel Comics' ''Conan the Barbarian'' from 1970 to 197 ...
''Swords of Cerebus'' Vol 6, Fall 1984
*"A Night on the Town"
All of the stories above except "Demonhorn" were reprinted in "Cerebus World Tour Book 1995"
''Epic Illustrated''
*"His First Fifth", 9 color pages, October 1984
*"A Friendly Reminder", 3 color pages, February 1985
*"Selling Insurance", 2 color pages, June 1985
*"The Girl Next Door", 3 color pages, June 1985
AV in 3D
* "Cerebus Dreams II", 4 3D pages, December 1984
Cerebus Jam #1, April 1986
*"The Defense of Fort Columbia", by Sim, Gerhard, Scott and Bo Hampton, 6 pages
*"The First Invention of Armour, 1404" by Sim, Gerhard, and Murphy Anderson, 6 pages
*"Squinteye the Sailor" by Sim, Gerhard, and Terry Austin, 5 pages
*"Cerebus versus the Spirit", Sim, Gerhard, and Will Eisner, 4 pages
Anything Goes!
*"Breaking Up is Hard to Do", 3 color pages plus cover, March 1986
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8
*"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Cerebus the Aardvark", by Eastman, Laird, Sim and Gerhard, 43 pages plus cover, 1986
Spawn
''Spawn'' #10, May 1993
*"Crossing Over", 22 color pages plus cover, story by Sim, art by Todd McFarlane
Glamourpuss
The March 2011 (incorrectly dated March 2010 on the reverse cover) issue of '' Glamourpuss'' #18, written and drawn by Sim
*"What if Cerebus had lived in the age of Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...
", 10 pages.
''Cerebus in Hell?''
In 2017, Sim started publishing a new series, ''Cerebus in Hell?'', with issues #0 and #1 through #4. Cerebus, having died in ''Cerebus'' #300, is now in what appears to be Hell, wandering—and, as usual, badmouthing—his way, with art by Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, as a printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engraving ...
swiped from that artist's famous illustrations for Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
's ''Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
''. Small pictures of Cerebus, copied from the ''Cerebus'' comic book, with only a few poses repeated throughout, are added to the art.
''Cerebus'' #1s
Starting in August 2017, Dave Sim began to write and publish a series of monthly comic books, all numbered "#1", and all satires of various classic comic books. The first, ''Batvark'' #1, is a satire of ''Batman'' #1, the second, ''Aardvark Comics'' #1, a satire of ''Action Comics'' #1. As with ''Cerebus in Hell'', the artwork is by Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, as a printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engraving ...
with small pictures of Cerebus added.
Cerebus in Hell? Presents
* #1 Cerebus in Hell? No. 0, November 2016
* #2 Cerebus in Hell? No. 1 (1/4), January 2017
* #3 Cerebus in Hell? No. 2 (2/4), February 2017
* #4 Cerebus in Hell? No. 3 (3/4),March 2017
* #5 Cerebus in Hell? No. 4 (4/4), April 2017
* #6 Batvark #1, August 2017
* #7 Aardvark Comics #1, September 2017
* #8 Strange Cerebus #1, October 2017
* #9 Death of Cerebus in Hell #1, November 2017
* #10 Cerebus: The Vark Knight Returns #1, December 2017
* #11 Watchvark #1, January 2018
* #12 The Amazing Cerebus #1, February 2018
* #13 World's Finite Cerebus #1, March 2018
* #14 Love and Aardvarks #1, April 2018
* #15 The Undateable Cerebus #1, May 2018
* #16 The Un-Bedable Vark #1, June 2018
* #17 Teenage Mutant Ninja Cerebi #1, July 2018
* #18 Nick Calm, Agent of C.O.D.P.I.E.C.E. #1, August 2018
* #19 Crisis of Infinite Cerebi #1, September 19, 2018
* #20 The League of Extraordinary Cerebi #1, October 2018
* #21 Cerberus in Hell? #1, November 2018
* #22 Canadian Vark! #1, December 2018
* #23 Giant-Size Jingles #1, January 2019
* #24 Cerebus the Aardvark In: Sim City - A Dave to Kill For #1, February 2019
* #25 Cerebus the Aardvark In: Sim City - That Issue After #1 / Teenage Money-Nabbing Cerebi #0, March 2019
* #26 Super Cerebus Annual #1, April 2019
* #27 Cerebus Woman #1, May 2019
* #28 LGBTQ etc. People #1, June 2019
* #29 Fornicators inc. #1, July 2019
* #30 Tales of Sophistication #1, August 2019
* #31 The Iron Manticore #1, September 2019
* #32 Colour Your Own Cerebus in Hell? #1, October 2019
* #33 Vark Wars #1, November 2019
* #34 Vark Thing #1, December 2019
* #35 The House of Cerebus #1, January, 2020
* #36 The Silver Cerebus #1, February 2020
* #37 The Varking Dead #1, March 2020
* #38 Green Dante/Green Virgil #1, April 2020
* #39 Vark Wars: Walt's Empire Strikes Back #1, May 2020
* #40 Attractive Cousins #1, July 2020
* #41 The Amicable Spider-Vark Annual #1, August 2020
* #42 Batvark Penis #1, September 2020
* #42 Batvark Penis #1 Virgin Cover Variant, September 2020
* #42 Batvark XXXXX #1 , September 2020
* #42 Batvark XXXXX #1 (Second Printing), January 2021
* #43 The Vault of Cerebus #1, Octoberish 2020
* #44 Spider-Whore #1, November 2020
* #45 Hermann #1, December 2020
* #46 Hermann #1 Virgin Cover Variant, December 2020
* #47 Cerebus in Hell? 2021 #1, January 2021
* #48 The Amazing Batvark #1, February 2021
* #49 Flaming Cerebus Comics #1, March 2021
* #50 Cerebus The Duck #1, April 2021
* #51 Baby Yoda Cerebus #1, May 2021
* #52 Strangers in Cerebus #1, June 2021
* #53 The Unethical Spider-Vark #1, July 2021
* #53 Crisis In Infinite Quarantine #1, August 2021
* #54 Batvark: Coronavirus - There Are No Comics #1, September 2021
* #54 Batvark: Coronavirus - While Diamond Slept: 2020 #1, September 2021
* #55 Super-Cerebus VS. Covid-19 #1, October 2021
* #55 Super-Cerebus VS. Covid-19 #1 Wraparound Cover Variant , October 2021
* #56 The League of Extraordinary Corona #1, November 2021
* #57 Coronavirus Book #1, December 2021
* #58 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #58 Cerebus in Hell? 2022 #1, January 2022
* #59 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #59 Defective Comics Annual #1, February 2022
* #60 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #60 Cerebus the Emily #1, March 2022
* #60 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #60 Cerebus the Emily #1 Harpies' Bizzaarre Variant, March 2022
* #61 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #61 Batvark: A Poet in the Family #1, April 2022
* #61 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #61 Batvark: A Poet in the Family #1 Batvark-Girl Variant, April 2022
* #62 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #62 Grey A.L.@. #1, May 2022
* #63 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #63 Giant-Size Public Defenders #1, June 2022
* #63 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #63 Giant-Size Public Defender: Varkdevil Variant #1, June 2022
* #64 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #64 The Uncrucifiable Cerebus Goes To A Gay Bar #1, July 2022
* #65 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #65 Kurtz VZ Kurtz #1, August 2022
* #66 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #66 Flailing at Love #1, September 2022
* #67 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #67 Hell 'O Dali #1, October 2022
* #68 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #68 BTVRK #1, November 2022
* #69 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #69 Giant-Size Aardvark Vanaheim Three-Wheel #1, December 2022
* #70 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #70 Cerebus in Hell? 2023 #1, January 2023
* #71 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #71 Cancel America Comics #1, February 2023
* #72 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #72 AV Team-Up #1, March 2023
* #73 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #73 New Varks #1, April 2023
* #74 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #74 Aversions #1, May 2023
* #75 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #75 She-Aversions #1, June 2023
* #76 Cerebus in Hell? Presents #76 War In Hell? #1, July 2023
Characters
Cerebus
Cerebus is a misanthropic anthropomorphic biped
Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning 'two feet' (from Latin ''bis'' 'double' ...
al gray aardvark
The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike ...
, although like other anthropomorphic characters in the series, he was born to ordinary human parents.
Supporting characters
; Jaka Tavers :The love of Cerebus's life. A dancer by profession, she is the niece of Lord Julius and (ex-)wife of Rick Nash.
; Lord Julius : Grandlord of the city-state of Palnu, who exercises control by making the bureaucracy incredibly dense and incomprehensible. Julius is crafty and intelligent, but often plays the fool to confuse and baffle opponents. His character design and behavior is based on Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
, including snappy insults, a constant cigar, the chicken walk, and a painted-on mustache.
; Astoria :A beautiful political manipulator, Lord Julius' ex-wife, and the main driving force behind Cerebus's campaign to become Prime Minister in ''High Society''. She is the leader of the Kevillists, a feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
sect which opposes Cirin. The Kevillists mirror the Cirinists' philosophy, but would prefer power in the hands of daughters instead of mothers. She is named for actress Mary Astor
Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...
, and may be inspired in some ways by Sim's ex-wife Deni Loubert, though Sim himself denies this in issue 298.
; Cirin : Leader of the Cirinists, a matriarchal fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
sect which conquers Estarcion at the conclusion of the ''Church and State'' storyline. Originally named Serna, she took the name and effectively exchanged identities with the ''real'' Cirin, whose views were much less militaristic. The sect honors mothers primarily, also giving high honors to daughters (potential mothers) and children. Men are tolerated. Like Cerebus, she is an aardvark.
; Elrod the Albino (Elrod of Melvinbone):Essentially Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...
's Elric of Melnibone with the voice and personality of Senator Claghorn
Senator Beauregard Claghorn was a popular fictional radio character on the " Allen's Alley" segment of ''The Fred Allen Show'', beginning in 1945. Succeeding the vaguely similar but much less popular Senator Bloat from the earliest "Allen's Alley ...
(or Foghorn Leghorn
Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon rooster who appears in ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the golden age of A ...
), Elrod is an almost purely comic character whose main purpose is to frustrate and enrage Cerebus. In ''Reads'' it is revealed that he was created by Cerebus's proximity to a magic gem, and after learning this he vanishes from existence. However, Joanne tells Cerebus she and her husband used to live next door to Elrod, who was married at the time to Red Sophia.
; Roach (Artemis):An incompetent superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
character. Sim used the Roach to satirize popular mainstream comic characters or industry publishing trends, beginning with Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
. His other guises have included Captain Cockroach (Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
), Moonroach ( Moon Knight), Wolveroach (Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
), the Secret Sacred Wars Roach (Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written ...
series and Frank Miller's Batman from ''The Dark Knight Returns
''The Dark Knight Returns'' (alternatively titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'') is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, with color by Lynn Varley, and pub ...
''), normalroach (Valentino's normalman
normalman is a limited series of American comic books created by Jim Valentino. It began in November 1983 as a four-page story in ''Cerebus'' #56 and #57 before being launched as a full-color 12-issue series which was published by Aardvark-Van ...
), Punisherroach (the Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
), Swoon ( The Sandman), and Sergeant Preston of the Royal Mounted Iestan police (the main character of the radio series ''Challenge of the Yukon
''Challenge of the Yukon'' is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit's WXYZ and is an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on January 3, 1939. The title changed from ''Challenge of the Yukon'' to ''Se ...
'').
; Adam Weisshaupt : Introduced in ''Cerebus'', he is a ruthless political opponent of Cerebus throughout the ''Church & State'' storyline. His manipulations of both Cerebus and the Roach lead to his pawns eventually growing more powerful than he ever hoped to be. Weisshaupt is named after the historical Adam Weishaupt
Johann Adam Weishaupt (; 6 February 1748 – 18 November 1830)''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'Vol. 41, p. 539Engel, Leopold. ''Geschichte des Illuminaten-ordens''. Berlin: H. Bermühler Verlag, 1906.van Dülmen, Richard. ''Der Geheimbund der Ill ...
but drawn to look like George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
(a connection well known to Illuminati
The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...
conspiracy theorist
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
s).
; Bear : Cerebus's best friend from his mercenary days and main drinking buddy. In "Guys" there are hints Cerebus is suppressing an attraction to him.
; Joanne :Introduced in a possible future for Cerebus and Jaka by "Dave" in "Minds", Joanne is a bored housewife who has an affair with Cerebus, prompting Jaka's suicide. After Cerebus returns to Estarcion, Joanne reappears and becomes Cerebus's lover, only to be spurned by Cerebus. She later seduces Rick as a way to taunt Cerebus. Joanne is in many ways an opposite of Jaka, and Cerebus bases much of his post-''Guys'' views on how to deal with women on his experience with her. After Shep-shep's mother leaves Cerebus, he labels her "New Joanne."
; Bran Mac Mufin:Originally a barbarian warlord whose people worshiped an idol who looked remarkably like Cerebus (and which the aardvark destroyed). He later turns up quite unexpectedly, in civilized clothing, to act as an adviser to Cerebus in two separate occasions, first in Cerebus's campaign and first reign as Prime Minister of Iest and then arriving after Cerebus is Pope to observe the miracles and give Cerebus advice, though he seems to have a hidden agenda. During the Iest campaign Cerebus states that he trusts Mac Mufin's military advice more than anyone else's. When Thrunk deposes Cerebus, Mac Mufin commits suicide by stabbing himself in the chest with a sword. Mac Mufin is a parody of Robert E. Howard's Celtic barbarian Bran Mak Morn. In his first appearance in issue 5 his name was spelled Bran Mak Mufin, but in subsequent appearances he goes by Bran Mac Mufin.
; Rick Nash : First introduced as Jaka's husband in ''Jaka's Story'', Rick is a friendly, gentle ne'er-do-well, whom Sim described in the introduction to the "phonebook" of ''Jaka's Story'' as "the nearest I will ever come to the portrayal of a good and thoroughly decent human being; completely without guile or malice". After his marriage to Jaka is dissolved, he becomes mildly insane. He eventually goes on to become the prophet of a religion centered on Cerebus.
; Suenteus Po:Estarcion's third aardvark, who has lived several lifetimes and has shaped the history of Estarcion. It is also a very common name and several people named "Suenteus Po" appear in the story in various roles—one as an enigmatic illusionist and another as a historian who narrates a sizable portion of Cerebus's first reign as Prime Minister of Iest (though it is very strongly implied that both these Pos are the aardvark). It is mentioned in ''High Society'' that some of the followers of the original Suenteus Po named their children after him. The name may be a playful misspelling of the name of Roman historian Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire.
His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...
. There was a rock band on San Francisco label Solana Records named Suenteus Po that released an album in 2000.
; The Regency Elf :A childlike, playful spirit who inhabits Cerebus's rooms at the Regency Hotel in ''High Society''; at first, only Cerebus can see her. She helps Cerebus with some of his political scheming, though, as innocent as she seems, it's all just a game to her. It is discovered later that the Regency Elf who appears to Cerebus is a fake created by Cerebus's subconscious. The Regency Elf is inspired in part by '' Elfquest'' and its creator Wendy Pini
Wendy Pini ''née'' Fletcher, (born June 4, 1951) and Richard Pini (born July 19, 1950) are the husband-and-wife team responsible for creating the well-known '' Elfquest'' series of comics, graphic novels and prose works. They are also known a ...
. Visually, the Regency Elf is inspired by Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981.
Born in ...
.
Various other characters in the series were designed to resemble famous actors, politicians, and other personalities and comic in-jokes, including British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
, Professor X
Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...
(with a bit of Chris Claremont thrown in), Canadian Member of Parliament Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps (born November 27, 1952) is a former Canadian politician who also served as the sixth deputy prime minister of Canada from November 4, 1993, to April 30, 1996, and June 19, 1996, to June 11, 1997. Her father, Victor Copps, ...
, director Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
, Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
, Rick Veitch
Richard Veitch (born May 7, 1951) is an American comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics.
Early life
Rick Veitch is a native of the small town of Bellows Falls, Vermont. One of six children, he w ...
, Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
, Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
, Norman Mailer
Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...
, Rodney Dangerfield, Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
, Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
, and Chico Marx
Leonard Joseph "Chico" Marx (; March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was an American comedian, actor and pianist. He was the oldest brother in the Marx Brothers comedy troupe, alongside his brothers Adolph ("Harpo"), Julius ("Groucho"), Milton ...
.
Collections
The first 25 issues of ''Cerebus'' were collected in six issues of ''Swords of Cerebus'', plus one supplement to volume six, and these stories were then collected in the ''Cerebus'' trade paperback. ''Swords of Cerebus'' also published several new short Cerebus stories, listed under "Other appearances" above, which were not reprinted in the "phone books"
All of the story arcs from the Cerebus comic book have been reprinted in collected omnibus editions of 240–630 pages each, all of which are presently still in print. They are generally referred to by fans and retailers as ''Cerebus'' "phone books" due to their size; also, they use the same newsprint paper as the original comics.
Sim has released two collections of his responses to readers' letters (the original letters are not included) after the publication of ''Cerebus'' #300. ''Collected Letters 2004'' () was released in 2005, and ''Collected Letters vol. 2'' was released in 2007.
Miscellaneous stories not appearing in the above collections have been reprinted in the short collections ''Cerebus World Tour Book'' and in ''Cerebus Number Zero'', which reprints issues #51, 112/113 and parts of issues #137–138. A few standalone, uncollected stories have appeared in various collections and magazines over the years, and Cerebus has made cameo appearances on the covers of magazines such as ''Comics Revue
''Comics Revue'' is a bi-monthly small press comic book published by Manuscript Press and edited by Rick Norwood. Don Markstein's Toonopedia, Don Markstein edited the publication from 1984 to 1987 and 1992 to 1996.
As of 2020, it has published ...
''. Sim also marketed a set of "Diamondback" cards (based upon a game seen in early issues) in the 1980s. All of the material in the ''Cerebus'' arc was reprinted in smaller collections called ''Swords of Cerebus'' before Sim decided on the "phonebook" format.
The phonebooks themselves tie into ideas presented in the series. Although grammatically incorrect, the titles of books 8 through 11 could be read as a sentence ("women read minds, guys"—the concept of women reading minds is a key plot point). Also, beginning with ''Going Home'' (the first storyline begun after Sim's religious conversion), the covers of each "phone book" are printed in full color, with ''Going Home'' and ''Form and Void'' using Gerhard's scenic nature photography as covers, rather than the drawings used on past books.
Reception and legacy
Cerebus has been rated to be one of the greatest characters in comics history. '' Wizard'' rated him as the 63rd-greatest comic book character, while ''Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' rated him as the 38th-greatest comic book character, describing him as a character born of bizarre brilliance. IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
placed Cerebus as the 91st-greatest comic book hero of all time, stating that "few names hold as much sway in the independent comics scene as Cerebus" and "Cerebus' mark on the industry will be everlasting".
The term "Cerebus Syndrome" has come to commonly describe developments where initially comedic or superficial works in any medium gradually become more serious, complex, and dramatic.
References
External links
*
The Aardvark Hero: Dave Sim's Cerebus
from Emma Tinker's thesis,
Identity and Form in Alternative Comics, 1967–2007
', University College London, 2008,
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cerebus the Aardvark
1977 comics debuts
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Comics about mammals
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