Ménage Á Pop is a three times a week intimate discussion between two people and a piece of pop culture.
1980s spin racks divided pretty evenly between Marvel and DC. But to push past this display and toward the back of the comic shop, one could uncover more independent endeavors. Sure, they were still comic books. But their cover and characters seemed... different. Dangerous. And it was in this Wild West of uncensored concepts that Tim Blevins formed an impenetrable fascination with the indie-artistry of CEREBUS issue 91.
POP NOTES
Comic author Dave Sim self published the entire run of CEREBUS (December 1977 to March 2004) through his studio Aardvark-Vanaheim. This company also published the earliest issues of indie books FLAMING CARROT COMICS by Bob Burden, PUMA BLUES by Stephen Murphy and Michael Zulli and NEIL THE HORSE COMIC AND STORIES by Katherine Collins.
Early in CEREBUS’s run, author Dave Sim was hospitalized by an overdose of hallucinogenics. It was in this altered state that Sim was was inspired to follow his character all the way through death.
Initially started as a parody of sword and sorcery comics like CONAN THE BARBARIAN, the comic series evolved over its run to explore deeper concepts such as class struggle, gender politics and religion. This change in tone lead to the term “The Cerebus Syndrome” in which a previously comical series becomes serious, self-reflective and, at times, heavy handed.
Thirteen years after CEREBUS’s final issue, Dave Sim published CEREBUS IN HELL, a five issue series in 2017. The series picked up following Cerebus’s demise in issue 300 as he wandered around the after-life in Hell. The art in these issue was a patchwork design of Cerebus drawings atop backgrounds composed of 19th century Gustave Adore illustrations for a publication of DANTE’S INFERNO
Dave Sim has arranged for the character of Cerebus to become public domain following the eventual death of series backgrounds artist Gerhard and himself.
As a comic creator, Dave Sim is a fairly controversial individual. While noted for elevating mainstream respect for cartooning both in and out of the comic book industry he has also drawn criticism for a rise of misogynistic and homophobic themes in both the actual storyline and a series of editorials in the back of various issues.
Tune back in the not too distant future of next Friday A.D as Tim dares to talk during the movie with MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000.
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MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
“Three Ways To Do That” (opening theme) composed and performed by The Madeline Prior. All rights reserved with Not A Holograms podcasts.
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