I've got Cerebus #1 sitting on my desk just waiting to be read. I'll admit that I'm a little nervous about starting. I think my biggest concern is trying to come up with something interesting to say about each issue. I do not want 300 variations of “I really liked this one” or “Another good one” or “This is great”. Obviously I'll take about the events of each issue, but I'd like this blog to be more than a simple recitation of plot points. But I think I'm up to it — especially once we get into the really deeper story. Guess we'll find out soon.

I have somehow managed to get through life without knowing how Cerebus ends. Considering all the information that's available on the 'net, my interest in Cerebus, and the amount of time I waste spend online, this is fairly surprising. I even read a couple of articles when Dave Sim finished #300 and they didn't mention how it ended. One, if I recall, was a scholarly article that talked more about the themes that Dave wrote about throughout the run rather than specific plot points.

I did look up a couple of things on Wikipedia's Cerebus page when I decided to do this blog, but I only quickly scanned the part I was looking for and I read with one eye closed. I'd like to stay spoiler-free as I read through the issues, which might make it hard if I want to look up something about the issue I'm currently reading, but that's what I'd like. It'd be great if I could turn the last few pages of #300 and be surprised by what happens. I do seem to remember reading, back when I was reading the comic every month, that Dave planned to end the last issue with Cerebus' death. But I don't know if he did or not. So if you've stumbled upon this blog and want to comment (and I'd certainly like it if you did), please don't write, “Cerebus dies!”

On the other hand, this blog will be chock full of spoilers. It'd be kinda hard to discuss each issue without discussing, you know, what happens in each issue. I just don't see “Stuff happened. Cerebus did things. See you next issue.” as being a particularly interesting post. So consider yourself warned. I will be revealing plot details of a comicbook that finished its run nearly five years ago.

I've gone through all of my issues of Cerebus and between the single issues, the collections, and the bi-weeklies, I have every issue through 89 and many beyond. The latest I have is #183. Which is a good start, but I've got just about three months to start finding the missing ones. I'll be going to Chattacon next month and I know that at least one comic dealer was there last year, so I'll dig around and see what I can find. Between the local comicbook stores, Amazon, ebay, and the rest of the internet, I don't think I'll have too much trouble getting my hands on the missing issues. At least I hope not, otherwise My Cerebus Year might turn out to be pretty short....

To be honest, I was a bit surprised when I finished counting 'em up. I would've sword that I had both Church & State phonebooks and I'm sure I got further than Reads. And, thinking about it, I seem to be missing a few other books as well. So if you happen to find a mysterious box with a bunch of Cerebuses (Cerebi?) and other stuff somewhere, it's probably mine.

I'm sure that I already have legions of fans — or is that legion of fan — clamoring for the answer to those questions. My name is Robert Sommers and I live in the Atlanta area. During the day I'm a mild-mannered web and print designer for a very, very large, international conspiracy, er publishing company. By night I'm a mild-mannered freelancer working for very small publishing companies. (My next big project will be to come up with a website for my freelance efforts.)

I've also done a bit of writing and have had some short stories, poems, and reviews publishing in teeny tiny markets that no one's ever heard of. I am currently under contract to write a four-issue story for the VLE Comics title Herc Brown.

I read comic books as a kid, of course, along with plenty o' sci-fi, but I was never a serious collector or anything. I liked most of the usual suspects. Other than Cerebus, I'd have to say that my favorite comic book is The Watchmen. Yeah, I really went out on a limb there.

Back when I was in college in the mid 80s, I was hanging out in the late, lamented Novel Ideas, a sci-fi & comic book store. Someone handed me a copy of issue #66. Yes, the one where Most Holy blesses the baby. I thought it was the funniest thing I’d seen in a comic book and I was hooked. (I doubt I would find that as funny today.)

I started reading it and kept reading for a long time. But, eventually, as real life just kept happening I drifted away from reading comic books. I always wanted to get back into it, but I never quite did. And then I read that he'd finally finished #300 and I really wanted to get back into it. But I didn't. Finally, I decided that I'm just going to commit to doing it. The idea for blogging about it came pretty soon after that. Because, you know, if you do something these days, you gotta blog about it.

I imagine that if you’ve found your way to this blog already, you know what Cerebus is, but just in case you actually have a life or something, here’s a quick intro.

Cerebus is a comic book written and drawn by Dave Sim and published by Dave’s company Aardvark-Vanaheim. Somewhere in there, not too long after it started, another artist named Gerhard started doing the backgrounds. Both men and the company are Canadian if that means anything, eh.

Cerebus ran for 300 issues from December 1977 to March 2004. While the 300 issues are split up into multiple story-arcs and, if I recall correctly, some single-issue stories, the whole thing makes up one complete narative.

Cerebus, the character, is an aardvark. He is short, extremely strong, and exceedingly amoral, interested in precious little other than his own wealth and comfort. He’s been a mercenary, prime minister, and pope, among who knows what else. Well, anyone who’s read all 300 issues knows what else — which is what I’m here to find out. The name comes from a misspelling of Cerberus.

Note to self: Find out how to add words to the dictionary. It keeps flagging “Cerebus” as misspelled and that’s only going to get more annoying.

Welcome to My Cerebus Year. My goal is to read all 300 issues of Dave Sim's comic book Cerebus in 2009.

Because obviously nothing's interesting unless it's blogged about, and because like every other blogger I'm just narcissistic enough to think that you will be interested in what I have to say, here we are. I'll be offering my not-so-humble opinions about each issue, and whatever the heck else I feel like talking about.

I hope this turns out to be as interesting as I think it will.