The comics industry has been a showcase not only for stories about superheroes, but also challenging narratives that push the limits of what can be accomplished in the medium. Cerebus the Aardvark looks at the opinionated exploits of the series’ titular character, but it’s also a fascinating example of a humble comic that slowly changes with its author, Dave Sim, over time.
Cerebus is a testament to what can be accomplished through independent comics, but it’s also progressively controversial and unfiltered. Cerebus is a comic that’s gained attention for many reasons since its debut, but it’s considerably deeper than just a controversial comic about a disgruntled aardvark.
10 Cerebus Started As A Parody Of Conan The Barbarian
Comics have a long tradition of building characters off of one another, sometimes even as an outright parody. Strangely, Cerebus the Aardvark starts as a tongue-in-cheek parody of Marvel's Conan the Barbarian and comics’ larger sword & sorcery genre. Cerebus’ initial stories are much simpler in nature and revolve around Cerebus' tasks as a barbarian mercenary. Many other early Cerebus characters operate as parodies of Marvel figures like Moon Knight, The Punisher, and The Thing, who is represented with the stone Thrunk. Cerebus even does an extended riff on characters from Neil Gaiman's Sandman.
9 The Series Was Always Going To End With The Death Of Cerebus
Cerebus the Aardvark concludes as a very different series than how it begins, but the nature of how Cerebus ends was telegraphed right from the start. Dave Sim has incredible love and respect for his creations, but he expressed that Cerebus’ death was the only natural conclusion to the story. He knew that this would be a long journey through Cerebus’ existence and the circumstances behind his demise weren’t yet determined, but Cerebus’ actions were always going to catch up with him.
8 It Ran For 300 Issues Over Nearly 30 Years
Many comic series experience lengthy runs, but Cerebus the Aardvark started at the end of 1977 and ran at a regular pace until 2004 when it concluded with its 300th issue.
Curiously, Sim has recently brought back the character in Cerebus in Hell, a five-issue series sets after Cerebus #300 where Cerebus is in Hell and draws from the Divine Comedy for inspiration. Sim has also released Cerebus #1s, where each issue is a new "#1" that parodies a classic first issue of a comic book, like Batman #1 or Action Comics #1.
7 Cerebus Grew From Parody Into A Platform For Sims’ Unfiltered Opinions
Any good story should allow itself and its characters the opportunity to naturally evolve. Cerebus the Aardvark is perhaps the ultimate example of this and the term “Cerebus Syndrome” has even been coined in reference to the comic’s dramatic turn. Cerebus starts as a broader, self-contained parody. Dave Sim writes Cerebus for over 30 years and in that time he allows his feelings to come out in his storytelling. Cerebus digs surprisingly deep into politics, religion, and internalized misogyny, which slowly alienated Sim from some of his peers and turned Cerebus into a more loaded series.
6 DC Was Interested In Buying The Series
Cerebus the Aardvark made waves for its subject matter, but it’s also a landmark example of self-publishing. Sim put out Cerebus under his own Aardvark-Vanaheim, Inc., and its success inspired many other budding voices in the comics industry like Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) and Bone's Jeff Smith to follow suit. DC Comics recognized Cerebus’ growth and they pursued Sim for several years in the 1980s to release Cerebus under DC’s label. Impressively, DC offered Sim $100,000 (back in 1988) and 10% of all licensing & merchandising, yet he rejected their proposition so he could still create Cerebus without interference.
5 Experimental Background Artist Gerhard Joins In Issue #65
Comics are a medium where artists are valued and known by name just as much as the writers. A talented artist can be the difference in what makes a comic popular or a phenomenon. Cerebus the Aardvark is an independent effort where Dave Sim does most of what’s involved in the comic’s production, which was even truer during its start.
Sim was the artist for the first 64 issues, but then renowned background artist Gerhard takes over from Issue #65 all the way to Issue #300. Gerhard’s detailed environments and stark settings perfectly compliment Sim’s sardonic creation and dark thoughts.
4 Cerebus Characters Can Be Used Freely By Other Creators
Dave Sim had always been a figure that’s liked to fight figures of authority or oppression and it’s led to some very strong beliefs that are not only present in Cerebus’ writing, but also his views on what’s done with the property. Sim is no stranger to lawsuits over copyright concerns and Cerebus’ roots come from riffing on established properties. Sim has provided a general license so that Cerebus, or any other characters from the comic, can be freely used by other comic artists. He’s even said that the series will enter into the public domain upon his death.
3 The Final 100 Issues Explore Sims Finding Religion
Long-running comics often change direction or tone when they work through different story arcs, but Cerebus’ shift is quite atypical. Cerebus’ first 200 issues are considered to be the end of the series’ first story, which attempts to tackle gender from a male and female reading. Cerebus’ final 100 issues, starting from “Rick’s Story,” become a deep study into theology and religion that mirrors Sim’s own change. Sim was previously atheist, but he forms a belief system out of many tenets of other religions and even makes his own prayers, which show up in Cerebus.
2 Sim Writes Himself Into The Comics
Comics have a history of working their creators into the story, which was only inevitable with Cerebus since it’s such a personal work for Sim. The “Minds” story features a powerful disembodied voice that identifies itself as “Dave.” Dave chastises Cerberus for his decisions and says that they’re the cause of his misfortunes. Dave shows Cerebus many versions of a future where he's with Jaka, his unrequited love, but they're all poisoned because of Cerebus' behavior. It's interesting to see the creator attack his creation in such an aggressive way, but for the purpose of change, which eventually does happen.
1 He's Crossed Over With Spawn And The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Cerebus’ influence led to many of Sim’s allies allowing him to collaborate on their series. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8 involves the Turtles getting sent back in time by Lord Simultaneous and they cross paths with a frustrated Cerebus. Cerebus appears a few more times with the Ninja Turtles, but his work with Spawn in “Crossing Over” gained much acclaim and even got a Will Eisner nomination. “Crossing Over” involves Spawn taking energy from other comic characters that Cerebus keeps as prisoners because their creators have sold away their rights. It’s a smart, meta story that’s reflective of Cerebus’ style.