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105-572: Dave Sim (born 17 May 1956) is a Canadian cartoonist and publisher, known for his comic book Cerebus , his artistic experimentation, his advocacy of self-publishing and creators' rights , and his controversial political and philosophical beliefs. Sim rose to prominence with Cerebus , which began in December 1977. Sim initially conceived it as a parody of Conan the Barbarian and other sword and sorcery comics, but after two years he began to consider

210-471: A boxing match , which Smith declined. In 2001, Sim published another essay, "Tangent", in Cerebus #265 (April 2001). In it, Sim furthered the themes from "Reads", describing the tangent he contends western society has taken due to the widespread acceptance and proliferation of feminism, beginning in 1970. The Comics Journal posted the full essay on its website, although a short introduction by staff distanced

315-478: A parodic cross between Conan the Barbarian and Howard the Duck . Progressively, Sim shifted his narrative style to story arcs of a few issues' length. Soon he moved to longer, far more complex "novels", beginning with the 25-issue storyline High Society which began in issue #26. The sword and sorcery elements in the series, prominent up to that point, were minimized as Sim concentrated more on politics . Cerebus

420-403: A " Nuremberg -style tribunal designed to bring to light the most deserving criminals who had over the past decade and longer besmirched the good name of the comics art and industry". Groth took issue with a 1992 speech Sim had given to Diamond Comic Distributors , which, at the time, was the exclusive distributor of most major U.S. comic book publishers. In his speech, Sim unabashedly advocated for

525-638: A Ghost , Keepers of the Earth , and The Orphan and the Polar Bear , just to name a few. In the Disney franchises of The Jungle Book and Tarzan , Mowgli along with Shanti and Ranjan can talk to the animals (such as a sloth bear, an elephant, a black panther, a tiger and a python) in the jungles of India, and Tarzan along with Jane and her father can talk to the animals: gorillas and elephants in African jungle. Out of

630-494: A belief that Sim was joking. Others would later speculate that Sim had a mental illness related to his heavy drug use in the late 1970s. The article also included a short interview with Sim's ex-wife, wherein she described the essay as evidence of Sim being "very scared". In the essay in Cerebus #186, Sim characterized fellow self-publishing cartoonist Jeff Smith as an example of a man dominated by his wife. When Smith contested this, Sim accused Smith of lying and challenged Smith to

735-414: A bimonthly presentation of his work before and surrounding Cerebus . On October 23, 2009, the first episode of the web series Cerebus TV premiered. The show aired new episodes Fridays at 10 pm Eastern time, which then stream continuously throughout the week. Credits list Dave Sim as the executive producer. Sim was often the primary feature of the shows, either interviewing comics legends or showing behind

840-483: 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. 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

945-446: 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 , using notes and stories provided by Rick. In

1050-518: 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

1155-430: A character based upon Julius "Groucho" Marx , 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. Issues #26–50. Cerebus comes to

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1260-512: 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. 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

1365-462: A fourteen-year-old girl resurfaced. Although Sim claims that the relationship did not become sexual until just before her 21st birthday, Sim conceded that his interest in her had been immoral, and that he had violated the Mann Act when he transported her across state lines during a 1985 convention. Van Sciver initially defended the relationship but subsequently canceled the project. In December 2016, it

1470-543: A glimmer of understanding of intellectual processes" and declared that "Light does not Breed". In 1995, The Comics Journal #174 featured a Bill Willingham caricature of Sim on one of the covers, bearing the title "Dave Sim: Misogynist Guru of Self-Publishers". Inside was a lengthy article written by Jonathan Hagey and Kim Thompson that published responses from comics creators such as Alan Moore , Seth , Rick Veitch , Steve Bissette , and Sim's friend and fellow Canadian Chester Brown . The responses ranged from anger to

1575-414: 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

1680-631: A labour negotiator. Sim became interested in comic books when he was eight. He had a letter published in Iron Man #37 (May 1971). Bernie Wrightson 's Badtime Stories (1971) inspired him to devote himself to drawing. Sim also found inspiration in Mad magazine, particularly Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood 's "Superduperman" parody, as well as underground cartoonist Jack Jackson 's Conan parody. He wrote and drew comics throughout his adolescence, and he began submitting work to fanzines . His first published work

1785-479: 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 . Issues #220–231. Eventually Jaka's ex-husband Rick arrives at the bar. He has significantly aged, become

1890-572: A part of the Native American family/community. Distinctions between humans and animals are more fluid. In these stories animals represent the ability to adapt and serve as mentors and guides. For example, in Louise Erdrich’s book Chickadee the protagonist is saved by a Chickadee, who instructs him in finding food and water, after he escapes a kidnapping. Other examples of Native American works with talking animal stories include How I Became

1995-407: A period of penance and self-reflection on Pluto , Cerebus asks "Dave" to place him in a bar he remembers from his mercenary days. 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

2100-401: A personal sales record with issue #100 which, despite being a normal issue in the middle of a story arc , 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

2205-456: 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

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2310-411: 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 . 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

2415-444: 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. Issues #151–162. First part of

2520-523: 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 .) The Judge explains his version of

2625-572: A safe distance. For example, Charlotte’s Web introduces the concept of death when Charlotte dies and Wilbur is charged with taking care of her offspring. Similarly, naturalist animal fictions also provide a vehicle with which to provide commentary on the humane treatment of animals, animal rights, and the conservation of animals. A good example of this would be the Doctor Doolittle series. Finally, in this digital age where modern childhood generally has very little contact and exposure to animals in

2730-526: A tool for inserting social commentary. In addition talking animals can be utilized for satirical purposes, for humorous purposes like in the case of Frog and Toad, and to decentralize and deemphasize the human experience. Talking animals can also be used to create analogies or allegories. For example, in Narnia , Aslan the Lion can be seen as an allegory for Christ. Finally, fictional works with talking animals challenge

2835-399: A wide range of uses in literature, from teaching morality to providing social commentary. Realistic talking animals are often found in fables, religious texts, indigenous texts, wilderness coming of age stories, naturalist fiction, animal autobiography, animal satire, and in works featuring pets and domesticated animals. Conversely, fantastical and more anthropomorphic animals are often found in

2940-743: A writer who has accompanied them on their river boat. 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 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

3045-660: A year's worth was produced in three days. Sim also wrote or drew stories published in anthologies such as Phantacea and Star*Reach . The Beavers also saw print in Star*Reach's sister talking animals comic Quack! . Around this time, Sim's work was published by Charlton Comics and Warren Publishing . In 1976, Sim took the only job he ever held outside of comics: an employee at Now & Then Books . He also wrote and drew parts of "Ali Baba" #1 for Gauntlet Comics. In December 1977, Sim began publishing Cerebus , an initially bi-monthly, black-and-white comic book series. It began as

3150-575: 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

3255-653: 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

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3360-569: Is common in the fantasy genre. For example, in L. Frank Baum 's Land of Oz , creatures (such as the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger) talk. The chicken Billina gains the ability to talk when she is swept away by a storm to land near Oz, as do other animals, and Toto, as explained in a retcon , always had the ability since arriving in Oz, but never used it. In C. S. Lewis 's Chronicles of Narnia ,

3465-716: 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. He dies 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 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 , but then he notices

3570-430: 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 ),

3675-450: Is eventually elected Prime Minister of Iest, but launches an unnecessary war of conquest that causes him to lose everything. 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

3780-534: 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 ' 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 's Elric of Melniboné ), Lord Julius,

3885-466: Is maimed for striking her). Jaka returns to Palnu, and Cerebus returns to the inn to find it in ruins. Issues #139–150. This story arc concentrates on the last days and death of Oscar Wilde (who is attended to by his trusted companion Robbie Ross ) rather than on Cerebus himself, who appears in only a few pages. (The title refers to the gothic novel Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin ,

3990-701: Is still to comic books what Hydrogen is to the Periodic Table ". Cerebus was self-published by Dave Sim under his Aardvark-Vanaheim , Inc. publishing banner. For the first few years the company's publisher was Deni Loubert , 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 ), Terry Moore ( Strangers in Paradise ), and Martin Wagner ( Hepcats ). In 1979, Sim, who

4095-577: Is why humans are responsible for caring for animals. The talking creature concept is featured within much traditional literature , and several mythologies, including Greek , Chinese and Indian mythologies. A notable example from the Judaeo-Christian tradition is the talking serpent from the Book of Genesis , which tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil . In

4200-645: The Journal from the ideas therein, calling them "nutty and loathsome". The following issue included a rebuttal to the first "Tangent" by "Ruthie Penmark". Several years later, in issue #263, the Journal devoted a section to discussion of Cerebus . It reprinted a 2001 essay by R. S. Stephen—"Masculinity's Last Hope, or Creepily Paranoid Misogynist?: An Open Letter to Dave Sim"—addressing the "Tangent" controversy. Sim's reply to Stephen, and Stephen's subsequent rebuttal, were published in The Comics Journal #266. Despite

4305-566: The Punisher . 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 's The Sandman in which the Roach plays "Swoon" (a parody of Dream ) and Elrod plays "Snuff" (a trans person parody of Death ). Astoria and Cirin symbolically duel in

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4410-634: The Qur’ān , animals are seen as gifts from God and thus are meant to serve humans. Aside from a few animals being able to speak, they are never anthropomorphized, personified, or given names. There are only a handful of times that animals speak in the Qur’ān and most of these occurrences happen in relation to Solomon. For example, it is a hoopoe (a bird native to Africa, Asia, and Europe) that tells King Solomon of Queen Sheba’s idolatrous ways. In Native American mythology, animals are integral to human survival and thus

4515-494: The speculator boom occurring at the time, a position that Groth felt personified the worst aspects of capitalism and greed. Although Sim did not maintain a consistent monthly schedule for the entire run, which at times required an accelerated production schedule to catch up, he completed the Cerebus series on schedule in March 2004. As the series progressed, it was noted for its tendency towards artistic experimentation. Sim has called

4620-456: The speculator boom occurring at the time, a position that Groth felt personified the worst aspects of capitalism and greed. In September 2018, Sim publicly voiced support for Ethan Van Sciver , a leading figure in the Comicsgate movement. Van Sciver hired Sim to write a story for Van Sciver's creator-owned book Cyberfrog . In the wake of this announcement, statements Sim had made about dating

4725-434: The " High Society " 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 phonebooks " 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 wrote: " Cerebus , as if I need to say so,

4830-478: 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

4935-471: 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

5040-518: The "lowest, subhuman form of life in our society", he mentioned that few, if any, people had defended him, allowing him to be called "the lowest, subhuman form of life in our society with impunity." Sim's letter ended with an ultimatum , requesting that those who wished to receive his return correspondence reply with a letter or online posting and the statement, "I do not believe Dave Sim is a misogynist." All others were asked not to attempt to contact him again. The coverage of Sim's writings about feminism

5145-586: The 1980s and early 1990s, Sim used his sales leverage from Cerebus to act as a major proponent and advocate of creators' rights and self-publishing . After the Puma Blues distribution incident , he helped write the Creators' Bill of Rights along with Kevin Eastman , Peter Laird , and Scott McCloud . In addition to speaking on these topics at comic book conventions (as in his 1993 PRO/con speech), Sim also published

5250-665: The 2012 end of Glamourpuss would mean the end of The Strange Death of Alex Raymond , a running feature in that book. In 2013 it was announced IDW would publish the series in a reworked edition, as well as handle a number of other projects, including a Cerebus cover collection. In 2001, Sim and his then-collaborator Gerhard founded the Howard E. Day Prize for outstanding achievement in self-publishing, in tribute to Sim's mentor, Gene Day . Bestowed annually at SPACE ( Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo ) in Columbus, Ohio from 2002 to 2008

5355-455: The Barbarian . 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

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5460-620: The Blue Falcon and Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf have the hero aided by a fox and a wolf respectively, but in the similar tale The Golden Bird , the talking fox is freed from a spell to become the heroine's brother, and in The Bird 'Grip' , the fox leaves the hero after explaining that it was the dead man whose debts the hero had paid. Whether shape-shifted or merely having

5565-476: The Cirinists into killing him. Instead, he is captured by a trio of characters based on the Three Stooges , 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

5670-525: The Greek Aesop’s Fables . The Panchatantra , a collection of Indian animal fables, is another early example. Both use talking animals for didactic purposes. More recent fables like Sarah Trimmer’s History of the Robins (1786) use talking animals to instruct children on how to behave in society as well as how to maintain the social order. They also reiterate the superiority of humans to animals which

5775-436: 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

5880-579: The North (a small book of cartoons published by the Highway Bookshop in northern Ontario ), Sim spent 1975 and 1976 developing a comic strip called The Beavers . Highway Bookshop published the strip as a book in 1976. A second book failed to materialize when the publisher shut down. Sim then pursued syndication, pitching The Beavers to the Kitchener-Waterloo Record . With Day inking the strips,

5985-806: 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 , zoophilia , juvenile recreational drug use and lesbian 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

6090-561: The absence of Rick and realizes that the Light may in fact be Hell . He calls out to God for help, but is dragged into the Light nonetheless. Talking animals in fiction Talking animals are a common element in mythology and folk tales , children's literature , and modern comic books and animated cartoons . Fictional talking animals often are anthropomorphic , possessing human-like qualities (such as bipedal walking, wearing clothes, and living in houses). Whether they are realistic animals or fantastical ones, talking animals serve

6195-564: The animals, Sabor the leopard does not speak. In the French feral child comic book Pyrénée , Pyrénée can talk to the forest animals in the French mountains of Pyrenees . In Go, Diego, Go! and Dora the Explorer , Dora and her cousin Diego can talk to the animals in the rainforest. Animal fictions with more conservation-oriented themes allow young readers to engage with challenging messages at

6300-407: The artist Gerhard , who drew all the backgrounds while Sim, who continued to write the series himself, drew the foreground figures. Gerhard and Sim continued to work together on Cerebus until the series concluded with issue #300, in March 2004. During a panel discussion at the 1999 San Diego Comic-Con the editorial staff of The Comics Journal indicted Sim in what Gary Groth characterized as

6405-504: 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,

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6510-473: The company to Sim in 2007. Sim helped create the Creator's Bill of Rights in 1988. He has criticized the use of copyright to restrict creators, and has arranged for his body of work to fall into the public domain following his death. Sim has already released one of his works, Judenhass , to the public domain . Sim was born on 17 May 1956. His father was a factory supervisor at Budd Automotive and worked as

6615-580: 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. Issues #1–25. This first story arc, uniquely in this series, consists of one to three-issue storylines with only occasional back-references. Cerebus

6720-576: The complete run of Cerebus a 6,000-page novel, a view shared by several academic writers and comics historians. He purchased Gerhard 's stake in Aardvark-Vanaheim and has made arrangements for the copyright of Cerebus to fall into the public domain following his death. Beginning in 2006, Sim began publishing an online comic-book biography of Canadian actress Siu Ta titled Siu Ta, So Far . In late 2007, Sim announced two projects. One, which he initially referred to only as "Secret Project One",

6825-580: The course of writing Cerebus , Sim expressed opposition to feminism and made controversial statements regarding men and women. Sim expressed his views on gender in issue #186 of Cerebus , in a text piece as part of the story arc "Reads" (one of four books in the larger "Mothers & Daughters" arc), using the pseudonym Viktor Davis. Among the various theories expounded upon in the piece, Sim's alter-ego Viktor Davis categorizes humanity into metaphorical lights , which tended to reside in men, and voids , which tended to be in women. He characterized Voids as "without

6930-499: 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. Issues #114–136. Cerebus returns to Iest, now under

7035-433: The creatures. This serves as a warning to mankind's thoughtless pursuit of technological advancement. Animated toys in fictional works are popular for expressing human developmental and existential concerns. In toy literature, there are a few common motifs talking toys are used to convey. For example, talking toys can embody human anxiety about what it means to be “real” as well as reflect struggles of power when they are at

7140-400: The description of his views and his reputation as a misogynist, Sim maintains that he is not one. In 2008, Sim sent out a self-written form letter to individuals who had sent him mail, detailing his disagreement with being called a misogynist and disenchantment with what he perceived as a dearth of support in refuting those claims to his character. Contending that society perceived misogynists as

7245-796: The disposal of humans. Another common motif is the religious allusion to divine creation when humans create toys that come alive. Some examples of talking toy animals include the animals in Winnie the Pooh , the wooden toy dog in Poor Cecco , the Skin Horse and Velveteen rabbit in The Velveteen Rabbit , and the Slinky Dog toy and Tyrannosaurus Rex toy in Disney’s Toy Story . Anthropomorphism of animals

7350-491: The editorial staff of The Comics Journal indicted Sim in what Groth characterized as a " Nuremberg -style tribunal designed to bring to light the most deserving criminals who had over the past decade and longer besmirched the good name of the comics art and industry". Groth took issue with a 1992 speech Sim had given to Diamond Comic Distributors , which, at the time, was the exclusive distributor of most major U.S. comic book publishers. In his speech, Sim unabashedly advocated for

7455-467: 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

7560-406: 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. Issues #232–250. First part of the "Going Home" story arc. Cerebus and Jaka travel across land, then on a river boat. Cerebus

7665-406: The fairy tale, science fiction, toy story, and fantasy genres. The use of talking animals enables storytellers to combine the basic characteristics of the animal with human behavior, to apply metaphor, and to entertain children as well as adults. Animals are used in a variety of ways in fictional works including to illustrate morality lessons for children, to instill wonder in young readers, and as

7770-524: The first printing via mail order only. The decision was a financial windfall for Sim, however, grossing over $ 150,000 in sales (equivalent to $ 417,000 in 2023). 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 ($ 258,000 today) and 10% of all licensing and merchandising, which Sim rejected. The series hit

7875-488: The history of photorealistic comics, and Judenhass , about the Holocaust . Sim co-founded the small press publisher Aardvark-Vanaheim with his wife-to-be, Deni Loubert , in 1977. Most of the titles it published moved to Loubert's Renegade Press after the couple's divorce in the mid-1980s. The publishing company later was co-owned by Sim's creative partner, Gerhard , who dissolved their partnership and sold his stake in

7980-703: The human-animal divide and they identify children as the members of society who take on the responsibility of being ecological/environmental changemakers. In textual representations the creature retains its original form, other than being able to speak. Sometimes it may only speak as a narrator for the reader's convenience. The rabbits in Watership Down who, except for the ability to discuss their actions, behave exactly as normal rabbits, also come under this category, as do characters from animated films like Happy Feet and The Lion King . The tradition of using talking animals in stories dates as far back as 550 BCE with

8085-509: The human-animal divide. Other examples of animal autobiographies include The Life and Perambulations of a Mouse (1783), The Biography of a Spaniel (1806), The Adventures of a Donkey (1815), The Curious Adventures of a Field Cricket (1881), and Thy Servant, a Dog (1930). For some authors talking animals, rather than human characters, allowed them to publish their satirical commentary by protecting them from censure. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Orwell’s Animal Farm are some of

8190-445: 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 ), to admit his son, Shep-Shep, with whom he remembers sharing an idyllic father–son relationship. However,

8295-538: 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. 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 is seen as a reflection of theology , complete with explanatory footnotes by Sim. Upon waking Cerebus—now incredibly aged, decrepit, pain-wracked, and mildly senile—makes

8400-489: The magical ability to speak, the talking creature is perhaps the most common trait of fairy tales . The motif is certainly present in many more tales than fairies. A good example of the science fiction genre is the webcomic Anima: Age of the Robots which uses anthropomorphism to portray an alternate world as modern as ours, but inhabited by creature-lookalikes. The intelligent robots that they have made do rebel and threaten

8505-857: The most famous examples of this. Contemporary novels such as Alexis Wright 's The Swan Book , Colin McAdam 's A Beautiful Truth , Erin Hortle's The Octopus and I and Laura Jean McKay 's The Animals in That Country show animal voices alongside human characters. These novels portray animals as equally deserving of a place in the narrative. In the industries of illustration , cartooning , and animation , professionals refer to these types of creature characters as talking animals , funny animals , or anthropomorphic characters . Many fairy tales include talking creatures that prove to be shapeshifted people, or even ghosts . The fairy tales How Ian Direach got

8610-500: The natural environment, naturalist animal fictions allow authors to portray natural animal behavior. For instance Bambi , both the 1928 novel and the Disney film, realistically portrays the life cycle of deers. The hunting dogs in the film adaptation do not talk. Fictional works told from an animal’s perspective, like the horse in Black Beauty , encourage readers to empathize with animals. Furthermore, more generally they challenge

8715-440: 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. issue #187–200. Fourth and concluding part of

8820-451: 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

8925-513: The physical universe). As Sim himself says in an interview with The Comics Journal , " Cerebus #1–200 [is] the completion of the story. The yin and yang . The ultra-female reading. The ultra-male reading. I'm attaching an allegory to the Big Bang . 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

9030-499: The political suppression of art , 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 , and which Sim describes as "anti- feminism ". During this part of

9135-582: The prize consisted of a $ 500 cash award and a commemorative plaque. The recipient was chosen by Sim and Gerhard from a pool of submitted works. Beginning in 2009, the Day Prize was replaced by the SPACE Prize. In 2017, Cerebus returned in a series of one-shots collectively known as Cerebus in Hell? Presents. Each title presented as a #1. In 2020, Sim ceased work on The Strange Death of Alex Raymond . His collaborator on

9240-471: The project, Carson Grubaugh, finished and published the work, which saw release in 2021 through Living the Line. Sim's use of an extended, multi-layered storytelling canvas, divided in large arcs divided in mostly self-contained issues, was acknowledged by J. Michael Straczynski as his inspiration for the structure of Babylon 5 . Neil Gaiman named Sim as one of his two biggest influences within comics. During

9345-418: 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 . Effective 31 December 2006, Sim purchased Gerhard's share of

9450-487: The sales drop. In July 1984, Cerebus publisher Aardvark-Vanaheim was threatened with possible legal action by Marvel Comics over a parody of Wolverine in Cerebus . When Sim guest-wrote the 10th issue of Todd McFarlane 's comics series Spawn , he donated his entire fee—over $ 100,000—to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund . "Jaka's Story", a tragic character study dealing with gender roles and

9555-416: The scenes at Aardvark-Vanaheim. As of early 2013, there were approximately 115 episodes of Cerebus TV. In 2011, BOOM! Town announced that in 2012 it would publish Dave Sim's Last Girlfriend , a collection of letters between Dave Sim and Susan Alston originally intended for Denis Kitchen's Kitchen Sink Press. A collection of academic essays about Cerebus was published in 2012 by McFarland. It appeared that

9660-457: The second half of this chapter consists of Cerebus giving a highly idiosyncratic analysis of the Torah . 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

9765-561: The seminal The Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing in 1997, which instructed readers on the practical matters of how to successfully self-publish their own comics, and which promoted other creators' fledgling work. Sim has criticized the use of copyrights to restrict the use of creations which would have more quickly become public domain under earlier copyright law. He has stated that other creators are free to use his characters in their own works, which he characterizes as an attempt to be consistent with his own appropriation of others' works. In

9870-438: The series a self-contained work that would run for 300 issues and be subdivided into novels . By the time the 6000-page work was completed in March 2004, Sim had delved into politics , and an examination of feminism and gender, while becoming progressively more sophisticated and experimental in his storytelling and artwork. Sim worked on Cerebus Archives afterward, and he produced the comic books Glamourpuss , which examines

9975-428: 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

10080-597: The title character in the "Minds" story arc. Sim's religious beliefs heavily influenced the last third of Cerebus 's storyline. Once an atheist , Sim became a believer in God 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 , Christianity , and Islam , although he described himself in issue #8 of Following Cerebus as "mostly Muslim". A 2003 magazine interview describes Sim as reciting

10185-422: 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

10290-432: The world of Narnia is ruled by a talking lion by the name of Aslan , and many minor characters are talking woodland animals, both of which interact with both the humans of Narnia, and the children who act as the protagonists of the books. The popularity of talking animals in Western fantasy has fluctuated over time, with a new wave of animal stories appearing in the 1970s, but they became less common in subsequent decades. In

10395-598: 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 cannons , 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. Issues #81–111. Cerebus returns to Iest's Upper City and uses Weisshaupt's cannons to destroy Thrunk and reclaim

10500-589: Was Judenhass (German for "Jew hatred"), a 56-page "personal reflection on The Holocaust" which was released on May 28, 2008. The other is glamourpuss , a comic-book series which was a combined parody of fashion magazines (wherein Sim traces photos from real fashion magazines) and a historical study of the photorealist style of comic-strip art, for which he did a promotional "tour" of comics-related forums online in February 2008. In 2009, Sim began publishing Cerebus Archive ,

10605-595: Was at the time a frequent marijuana user, began using LSD , taking the drug with such frequency that he was eventually hospitalized. 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

10710-408: Was not the only subject of Sim's conflict with The Comics Journal . He and Gary Groth , the Journal ' s editor-in-chief, developed a combative relationship. In December 1979, the magazine published a review of the first dozen or so issues of Cerebus by Kim Thompson , who called Cerebus "a true heir to Carl Barks ' duck stories". During a panel discussion at the 1999 San Diego Comic-Con

10815-623: Was published through Sim's company, Aardvark-Vanaheim , which was run by his wife, Deni Loubert . The two met in 1976, married in 1979, and divorced after nearly five years of marriage. In 1979, during a time when he was taking large doses of LSD , Sim was hospitalized for treatment of schizophrenia -like symptoms. "Arnold the Isshurian", a two-page parody of Conan and Little Nemo , ran in Epic Illustrated in February 1982. Beginning with issue #65 (August 1984), Sim began collaborating with

10920-488: Was reported that Sim had suffered a wrist injury, and had been physically unable to draw since February 27, 2015. In a September 28, 2017 video on his Cerebus Online YouTube channel, he revealed that he had been showing some signs of recovery and was able to create his first new drawing of Cerebus. Cerebus the Aardvark The comic began as a parody of sword and sorcery comics, primarily Marvel's version of Conan

11025-677: Was some articles in the comics fanzine Rocket's Blast Comicollector . He had submitted artwork as well and, although it was rejected, Sim struck up a relationship with editor Gabe Quintanilla, who encouraged him to continue submitting material. Now & Then Books owner Harry Kremer allowed him to produce a newsletter called Now & Then Times . The first issue arrived in summer 1972. Sim produced another issue in 1973, but he had begun devoting his time to John Balge's Comic Art News and Reviews , another Canadian comics fanzine. For CANAR he interviewed subjects such as Barry Windsor-Smith. Inspired by Charles Schulz 's Peanuts and Outhouses of

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