Cerebus #27 (1981)

In this issue, Cerebus probably gets called an "idjit."

In my early twenties, my girlfriend at the time became annoyed with my use of the word "idjit." I declared it was a real word and she denied it. I asked her if she saw it in print, would she agree it's a real word and she said yes. My plan was to get Mark Evanier to publish a letter from me in Groo that used the word idjit. She probably wouldn't have accepted that as proof and also Mark Evanier probably would have thrown me under the bus instead of going along with me because isn't that the kind of thing Mark Evanier would do to a person trying to win an argument against their supposed loved one? Anyway, before I could write that letter, I remembered that the McGrew brothers used the word idjit all the time. I had my proof! The conclusion of the story? She would not accept Cerebus as proof of the legitimacy of the word either! And that's why we broke up.

No, that isn't why. But the real reason probably wasn't much better. We were in our early twenties! She probably had all kinds of ambitions and big out-of-state college plans and I just wanted to replay Ultima IV in my mother's basement while going to a local state school. You can see how incompatible we were, what with her zest for life and my longing to live in a fantasy world created by some guy who seriously answered to the name Lord British. Also her inability to see how playing sealed deck Magic the Gathering after sex was romantic was a huge flaw in her personality.

Deni's "A Note from the Publisher" gives some information on the Cerebus Fan Club and Newsletter as well as some other book Dave was going to publish later that year, Unique Stories. I think it was some kind of anthology book for independent writers and artists. Or maybe just artists and Dave was writing it? Apparently it wound up as a back-up feature which isn't surprising. Deni begins the Note saying how they didn't have time to do the newsletter or fan club and then ends the note saying they're going to publish another comic. Your readers can do math, Deni!

Replacing the Swords of Cerebus essay in this issue are sketches of the evolution of the McGrew brothers. Dave began by drawing them too cartoony then too realistic and finally the guys you see on the cover. Whatever Dave did to reach that point was perfect because they truly look incompetently threatening.

The first thing we learn in this issue is that there is a Lower Iest and a Greater Iest. So the classes get a nice physical barrier as a metaphor for how they're separated one from the other. Maybe it's also a metaphor for Cerebus moving into a position way above his stature. He begins at The Regency in Greater Iest but doesn't feel comfortable there so heads down to Lower Iest. But now he's no longer welcome there either! The local guards goad him back to Greater Iest and he, reluctantly, climbs the steps back up.

On his way back to the Regency, Cerebus is ambushed by the McGrew brothers, Dirty Fleagle and Dirty Drew. They're the two most low downiest rottenest scoundrels in all of Estarcion! Actually they're both just Yosemite Sam caricatures (which is really getting into some mirror facing mirror shit when you start caricaturing caricatures). They plan on kidnapping Cerebus and holding him for ransom, a plan that instantly goes in the bin as Cerebus easily beats them both up. They say "Ouchie!" a lot which proves how despicable and rotten and Yosemite Sam they are. But Cerebus likes their moxie and their idea! If he were kidnapped, he'd get some peace and quiet from the local guards trying to guard him and all the lobbyists trying to get to Lord Julius through him. Also he might be able to split the ransom with them.

Cerebus holes up in a tavern owned by a long time acquaintance and rewrites the McGrew ransom letter, signing it "The Eye of the Pyramid," the supposed rebellious group from Palnu that crashed the Festival of Petunias.

For readers as dumb as a McGrew brother, Cerebus explains the entire plan.

On the page following the scan from above, Dave Sim explains the rules of Diamondback. He doesn't do it within the story. He takes a moment to address the audience as himself, explaining how readers have been curious as to the rules of the game and how he was in the process of producing Diamondback decks for sale. Can this page be counted as one of the 6,000 pages of Cerebus? I think we have to rule it out. Did Dave account for that? Is Cerebus actually only 5,999 pages long?!

Cerebus spends a week playing Diamondback against the McGrews, turning them against each other, and just torturing them for the pure pleasure of it. When he hears the ransom has been delivered, he's gotten overconfident, thinking of these two animals as simpletons. He turns his back on them and they knock him unconscious, leaving him so they can go get the ransom themselves. Once again, Cerebus loses a fortune. Or maybe worse! Isn't he expected to repay this later in the series?!

Aardvark Comments is starting to fill up! It won't be long now before Dave Sim has ample opportunity to repeatedly piss off readers by answering their questions! It's still just barely two pages but I seem to remember it eventually growing to take up quite a bit of space at the back of each issue.

Cerebus #27 Rating: B+. Not a lot happens this issue but it's quite entertaining. One thing Dave is really good at is taking a few characters, locking them in a room together, and simply having a lot of wonderful dialogue fill up the pages. On the negative side, Cerebus never gets called an idjit. The McGrew brothers call each other idjit loads of times though!