Children of the Sun > Reading & Writing

Cerebus

(1/1)

RottingCorpse:
Matt, since you've entered your "anti-feminist" phase and you're a comic book (Sorry. "Graphic novel." )freak, I feel it's my duty to introduce you to Dave Sim's Cerebus unless of course, you've already found it yourself. In that case, I commend you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebus

Cerebus is an Aardvark, a "cartton animal in the world of people" to use Sim's own description. It started out in the late seventies as a Conan the Barbarian parody and evolved into something so much more. Cerebus lives in a medieval world of war and shady politics and over the course of his career is a mercenary, prime minister, pope, a houseguest that won't leave, a drunkard (always a drunkard) and perhaps even something divine.

He finds himself embroiled in a battle between The Cirinists and the Kevillists, "Mother's and Daughters caught in a war of ideas that closely mirrors many tenants of Conservative (Cirinists) and radical (Kevillist) feminism.

It's fucking insane, and Sim probably is too.

It's also brilliant in it's satire of politics and political movements. I usually cite The Stepford Wives (1975) as the main inspiration for Women's Studies, but to deny Cerebus's influence would be wrong on so many levels.

Get it into you. Most Holy has spoken.

Matt:
The sad thing is I'm less anti-feminist than I was when this issue first came up. I think I've narrowed it down to this girl being obsessed with having some kind of movement to protest and she picked feminism as it's the most accessible for her and gives her the best avenues to power over other people. What bothers me most is how advertising corporations pass off sexual empowerment as feminist or empowering to women, when it isn't at all. It's crass exploitation. Now, when you get to talking about Andrea Dworkin or Catherine McKinnon, I can't stand women like that who seem to be obsessed with ruining all relations between the sexes and who advocate lesbianism as the most effective way to fight patriarchy.

I've heard of Cerebus before, maybe from Scott McCloud's work or others. I haven't dug into it though.

RottingCorpse:
I was kidding about the anti-feminist label anyway. Well, half-kidding. I think every dude goes through a period where he blames women for not only his, but the world's problems. At least I did, and I think I'm a better person, AND have better attitudes toward women, for it.

Read Cerebus though. Sim's personal ideas are misogynistic to be sure, but his view of feminism and matriarchy within th story is pretty fair. It's only when he goes off on personal tirades does the guy shit on his own story.

The first "phone book" is more parody than anything, but there are A LOT of important story elements introduced.

Navigation

[0] Message Index