''Mothers & Daughters: a novel'' is the sixth novel in

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 ...

's ''

Cerebus ''Cerebus'' (; also ''Cerebus the Aardvark'') is a comic book series created by Canadian cartoonist Dave Sim, which ran from December 1977 until March 2004. The title character of the 300-issue series is an anthropomorphic aardvark who takes on ...

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. Sim considers the novel to be the final portion of the main story. It collects ''Cerebus'' #151–200 in four volumes, the seventh through tenth volumes of the paperback "

phone book A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

" collections of the series, titled ''Flight'', ''Women'', ''Reads'' and ''Minds''. After two quiet, character-focused novels ('' Jaka's Story'' and '' Melmoth'') in which the character Cerebus took a supporting role, Cerebus springs into action and takes centre stage in the series again. The novel is filled with climactic happenings, including the revelation of the identity of Suenteus Po, a sword battle between Cirin and Cerebus, and Cerebus having a long conversation with his creatorSim himself. Of particular note are the text portions that made up a large part of the third book of the novel, ''Reads'', and especially what was the last issue making up that book issue #186, in which Sim speaks to the reader in the first person about his ideas on gender. His writing in that issue about the "Male Light" and the "Female Void" have earned Sim a reputation as a

misogynist 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 lost him numerous readers.

Background

Cerebus, who had twice been Prime Minister of the

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

of Iest (first in ''

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 ...

'') and then all-powerful Pope, had fallen from grace at the end of '' Church & State''. The

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 ...

matriarchal Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property. While those definitions apply in general E ...

Cirinists invaded Iest, and Cerebus went into hiding, first with Jaka (the love of his life) and her husband. After Jaka is captured by the Cirinists for illegal

exotic dancing A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a " stripper" or an " ...

, Cerebus believes she has been put to death. He takes Jaka's doll, Missy, with him and finds a café at which to spend the rest of his life, paying for it with a rare gold coin, whose value has become superinflated as the Cirinists have collected all the gold in the city. Cerebus comes out of the near-

catatonic Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...

state in which he had spent the duration of '' Melmoth'' when he hears of Jaka's ill-treatment at the hands of the Cirinists. He becomes enraged and starts attacking Cirinists with his sword, clutching Missy to himself.

Books

Sim considers ''Mothers & Daughters'' to be one novel, but divided it into four books, as indicated in the indicia of each issue. The four books were collected into paperback "

phonebook A telephone directory, commonly called a telephone book, telephone address book, phonebook, or the white and yellow pages, is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that ...

" volumes separately.

''Book One: Flight''

(''Cerebus'' #151–162) Cerebus's return from hiding and slaughter of Cirinsts leads to a very brief revolution. When word reaches Cirin, who is busily having books burned, she dispatches her army and has the rebellion brutally crushed, but before they can capture Cerebus, he disappears. 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 ...

, armed with pearl-handled semi-automatic

crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long fi ...

s. Punisherroach plows through the Cirinists before Elrod leads him to a brothel, where he falls for a prostitute named Blossom, which calms him down somewhat. Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Kopp (a parody of former Canadian

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

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, ...

) each try to take control of Cirinist power. Cirin works to manage her sect and arrange her own Ascension, while obsessing over Astoria and her connection with Cerebus. Cerebus ascends into the Seventh Sphere and finally up to the Eighth Sphere where he speaks with Suenteus Powho, he discovers, is the mysterious ''third aardvark''. Po warns Cerebus not believe what George (the Judge from '' Church & State'') has told him, as he is not reliable.

''Book Two: Women''

(''Cerebus'' #163–174) 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 ''

Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...

'' 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 transgender 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.

''Book Three: Reads''

(''Cerebus'' #175–186) This book primarily consists of two long text pieces. 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' "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 In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrate ...

nature. Cerebus and Cirin then engage in a long and brutal sword fight, which leads to the beginning of another Ascension. The first revolves around an author of ''Reads'', which are heavily illustrated books that are popular in Cerebus' world. In this story, there is a strong thread about the dangers of commercial success and "

selling out "Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal gai ...

". 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 genders, describing the "Female Void" focused on feeling, and the "Male Light" focused on reason and that "feelings" (the void) seeks the utter annihilation of "reason" (the light). It is in the conclusion to this book that Sim produced issue #186, which earned him the reputation of being a

''Book Four: Minds''

(''Cerebus'' #187–200) 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 Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

" 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' 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.

Issue 186

''Cerebus'' #186 was published in September 1994. The issue is the final portion of the ''Reads'' collection in the Mothers & Daughters story. It went on to become one of the most notoriously controversial books in comics history. Sim speaks directly to the reader through a fictional version of himself, Viktor Davis. Sim had long been critical of modern

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 ...

. The text from this particular issue speaks directly about real-world events (rather than the ''Cerebus'' story-line) and involvement of men versus women. 'Viktor' offers that many modern problems are worsening by the influence of women, specifically their alleged tendency to take important decisions based on emotions rather than intellectual reasoning. He describes gender roles and male-female relationships with visceral metaphor to the effect that the "Female Void devours the Male Light," and suggests that most men in long-term relationships with women are treated little better than "housepets". According to Sim, ''Cerebus'' issue #186 was "one of the few Cerebus back issues to sell out virtually overnight", and word of its content made headlines in the comics community. The reaction was generally a combination of shock and outrage, followed by sharp decline in readership. Once known as a pioneer for

independent comics Alternative comics cover a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to mainstream superhero comics which i ...

,"Dave Sim Speaks on Publishing" ''The Comics Journal'' #124 (July 1988), pp. 6-8. word of his essay brought Dave Sim a reputation as a

Characters

;Cerebus:After spending two novels in a secondary role, and spending an entire novel in a near-

state, Cerebus leaps into action and takes centre stage once again. He finally meets the mysterious third aardvark, who turns out to be Suentius Po. It is also revealed that Cerebus is a

. ;Cirin:Leader of the

Cirinists who have conquered the city of Iestalso, along with Cerebus, one of only three aardvarks known to exist in Estarcion. She is working to bring about another Ascension, and having a giant gold sphere made in preparation. Cerebus and Cirin have a dramatic sword fight during the course of ''Reads''. It is later revealed that she is not the real Cirin howeverher real name is Serna, and she has usurped power from the real Cirin, who is now an old, human woman. ;Suenteus Po:After appearing only as a voice in Cerebus' head for most of the series, it is finally revealed that he is the third Aardvark. ;Astoria:Cirin's greatest matriarchal rival ;The Roach:Once again taking on

parodic 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 ...

roles, first as the "Punisheroach" (after the

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

character,

), and then as "Swoon" (after

's take on the

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

character,

, from ''

The Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...

''). ;Elrod:The Roach's

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

again, Elrod takes on the persona of "Snuff" (a

transvestite Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western c ...

parody of the ''

'' character,

Publication

Originally serialized in ''Cerebus'' #151-200, ''Mothers & Daughters'' was conceived as one novel, but was collected into four paperback "

" volumes. As in '' Jaka's Story'' and '' Melmoth'' previously, and as in all the ''Cerebus'' stories to follow, the issues displayed the current issue number of the ''Cerebus'' comic, as well as the current number of the ''Mothers & Daughters'' storyline, so that issue #155 of ''Cerebus'' was also indicated to be installment #5 of ''Mothers & Daughters''. The four books of ''Mothers & Daughters'', however, were not indicated by name or installment number on the cover. All first printings were limited editions signed (by both Dave Sim and Gerhard) and numbered on the inside title page; ''Flight'' numbered out of 5000, ''Women'' and ''Reads'' numbered out of 3500, and ''Minds'' numbered out of 2100. The ''Cerebus'' "

" volumes had text-free spines until the publication of ''Flight''. Afterwards, all volumes (and reprintings of the earlier volumes) had text on their spines, including the title and volume number.

References

Notes

Sources

Cerebus FangirlCerebus Wiki
set up b
Cerebus Fangirl