A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION Dave Sim & Gerhard Cerebus #112/113 Original Story Art (Aardvark/Vanaheim, 1988); image size 10" x 15"
Original comic art of “Cerebus” reflecting on his life while suffering the rain.Alone in the rain… An extraordinary page from the ground-breaking independent comic series about an anthropomorphic aardvark, by the renowned art team of Sim and Gerhard.
Issue #112/113 “Square One” - has Cerebus returning to the ruined hotel at the end of “Church and State” where Cerebus goes to collect his few possessions. I've praised Dave Sims mastery of sequential flow before and these issues are a prime example of his craft. The panels lead us slowly through the hotel, showing us Cerebus’ genuine sadness at all he has lost, both people and possessions and there is no dialogue until the very end. Most notable is Cerebus contemplating his end nearly committing suicide, which he does again at a later date as well. Haunted by The Judges words that “you will die alone... unmourned and unloved...” According to Dave Sim’s notes this was seriously considered being added to later printings of “Church and State II.” But I think that book ends more dramatically and satisfyingly with the full page shot of Cerebus outside the ruined hotel.
The art is rendered in ink and Zipatone over graphite on heavy illustration board, measuring approximately 11 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches. Dave Sim inscribed and dated the work in the bottom margin. The work is also signed by both artists in the bottom right margin. The art is in very good condition.
Image of published cover is for reference only.
Read More about this piece at earthshinestudios.com
We realize many of you would like to bid on this auction lot, so for this listing, ComicConnect.com offers a 3 month, interest free, time payment plan with a 20% non-refundable deposit. Time Payments invoices can only be paid by cash, check, money order or wire transfer.
LEARN MOREArtists InformationDave Sim (born 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 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 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 a controversial examination of feminism and gender, while becoming progressively more sophisticated and experimental in his storytelling and artwork. Sim worked on Cerebus Archives afterward, and produced the comic books Glamourpuss, which examines 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 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.
In December 1977, Sim began publishing Cerebus, an initially bi-monthly, black-and-white comic book series. It began as 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.
Beginning with issue #65 (August 1984), Sim began collaborating with 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.
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 the complete run of Cerebus a 6,000-page novel, a view shared by several academic writers and comics historians.
Gerhard (born 1959) is the professional name of a Canadian artist known for the elaborately detailed background illustrations in the comic series Cerebus the Aardvark.
Gerhard was born on April 14, 1959, in Edmonton. His association with Dave Sim’s Cerebus began with issue #65 (August 1984), and continued through its conclusion in issue #300, in March, 2004. The series was written by Dave Sim, who also drew the foreground figures, and had worked on the self-published series largely solo for the first 64 issues. Gerhard jokingly described his job saying that he “draws tables and chairs behind an aardvark”. He is also fond of photography, later issues of the comic book have covers based on his scenic photos and sailing.
Three years after finishing his work on Cerebus, Gerhard ended his professional and personal relationship with Dave Sim.
Although most associated with Cerebus, Gerhard has produced works for other publications, although mostly with Sim. In September 1994, however, he worked with Stephen R. Bissette on the cover to Bissette's Tyrant #1, and colored Sim’s back cover for Oni Press’ Free Speeches #1 (August 1998).
Although most associated with Cerebus, Gerhard has produced works for other publications. In September 1994, he worked with Stephen R. Bissette on the cover to Bissette’s Tyrant #1 and colored Sim’s back cover for Oni Press’ Free Speeches #1 (August 1998).