Cerebus is something else. Self published by the creator Dave Sim (a bit in he got some help on the backgrounds).
Just finished Volume 9 of the collected edition - 16 books in all, covering the 300 issue span of the comic. At it's peek it sold some 30 000 copies of each issue. "Reads" is weird. And full of ideas. And unlike most comics - more than half the pages (at least it feels that way when you read it and want to return to the "main" story) is filled with thoughts and musings from Mr Sim. Too bad he didn't have a blog or three to went through? The next volume is back to comic format all the way, so on we go - the big 3 0 0 is already out there. Will I make it all the way or will it weird me out? Stay tuned!
Some of the subjects include Alan Moore, To the moon and beyond..., together vs... "creation" (passionate and unique), Hourglass - time flowing away - our glass - tying us in, together.
Alone not the same as lonely, even if it seems to be the message in a lot of brands/products/services. Is it bad to be alone? Should we only find comfort in unions? Are we social animals or intellectual creatures? Mind over matter?
Emotion and reason - "and never the twain shall meet"? Who said it? About what? East and West? Ah yes, Mr Kipling it was
"Women inspire men to do great works
And then distract us from carrying them out"
Oscar Wilde
- from the online ed of the Reads text - sort of sets the stage for Sims main message; there are two forces (good-evil, male-female, create-nuture, ...) and they have differing goals, which in his book makes it all "bad". But Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde always had a bit of an ironic twist to his messages - I'm not too sure he would be all that distracted by your average woman for instance. Is it better to write a book or build a house?
Who is Colleen Doran? What did she do? A rebel? A visionary? A creator? A cartooninst. My, my - a broad view of the world the adorable mr Sim had at the time. Either Oscar Wilde or cartoonist. Sure makes a great base for drawing up (no pun intended - or maybe a Freudain slip?) the bigger picture?
(this post could probably need some more tuning - but i'll leave it open as it is for now)
