Honestly what I also find kind of frustrating about his anti-feminist screeds are that he can get so close to drawing a solid outline around the worst aspects of capitalism and how it's super alienating, how businesses use the fact that people depend on their spouses as leverage to get them to do more work, etc. Then he feels the need to try and turn that around to implicate wives as being complicit just by virtue of existing in a system that knows how to weaponize them.

WHEW. I'm grateful that I came here before buying a huge deal of these comics on Humble Bundle.... Thank you!

am still waiting to get my mind-reading soul-stealing man-destroying powers tbh

At this stage I'm mature enough to appreciate the beauty while tuning out the filth... but I still can't recommend it to anyone. You have to be in the right place to enjoy something like this. Just like with Crumb.

Maybe there's something wrong with me. But, I liked Cerebus. The fact that the character is a full on asshole doesn't bother me. I'm not emotionally invested in the artist, but I do recognize him as a master of the form. The two times I've met him, I approached him as a fan and not a critic. I can read and enjoy a book about a jerk as long as it's presented in a style that doesn't kill my appreciation of it. As an example: A friend immediately stopped watching the FX series "The Shield" when, at the end of the first episode, the main character shot and killed an undercover cop. His choice. I kept with it. As I stated, maybe there's something wrong with me. Your critique is well thought out and presents a few facts of which I was previously unaware. While, I wouldn't 'hang out' with Sim, I can see his place in comics history as an innovator. Thank you for your well crafted presentation.

I had to stop reading after Mothers and Daughters. And even then I skipped over all the “reads” as they had less and less to do with Cerebus’ story. I do still think that High Society and Church and State are brilliant satires of politics and religion.

Only about five minutes into the video, but so far it’s really good.

Cerebus the Aardvark is basically Bojack Horseman before Bojack Horseman.

Although I do not disagree with anything you have said, I must say as somebody who has study the Torah and the Tanakh in university,(sorry English is not my first language) that Dave's interpretation of Genesis is not that far as you may think. As far back as the 13th century, Jews had dissected the Torah and have developed ideas like the "binah" sephirot which is understood as the receptive feminine principle. Often symbolically shown as a cup or womb or even a type of void. On the other side is chokmah which is understood as the projective male principle. Often symbolized as a sword or light, something that is phallic and projects forward. Now where does Sim get the idea of some sort of sexual transgression between these two principles. We have to go all the way back to genesis and look at the creation of man. It says first that God made man and woman. And then later it goes on to give the story about how eve was made from Adam's "rib". This confused readers as it was understood both genders were produced at the same time but the second story with eve suggest other wise. This confusion is due to a translation error and overall misunderstanding of genesis (the most complicated book of the Torah) First when it says that God made man in woman, in its original Hebrew it is implied by how its written that God created the very concept of man kind in a hermaphroditic type way. Kind of like how people say mankind or human but it refers to both genders. Human is gender less and consists of the two. When it comes to the eve story the translation error is that when it says that got took Adam's rib, in its original Hebrew that noun of "rib" was commonly used to mean half or whole side. Meaning God took the human that possessed bothe the masculine and feminine principles inside and split them. Sorry for the long explanation but imagined how many hours and years this took in school, but I'm almost done. This translation errors weren't sussed out by 13th century jews and they saw plainly that the creation story had two accounts for two separate women. They began creating a new mythology where eve was the second woman and the first woman made with Adam was a character named Lilith. It is said that since they were equals there was a disagreement between Lillith and Adam over who would be on top in missionary. Adam forcing himself on top of Lilith is the sexual transgression that leads to God having to expell the first woman and split the two principles from Adam. (Try not to think of Lilith and Adam as traditionally man and female before the eve account but more of a hermaphroditic pair of humans) I know this is confusing but it's the head Canon of a bunch of jews thousands of years after the fact. This does not explain the idea he proposes about yaweh being a feminine void and a higher being being the projective male. But there's an explanation for that two. The creator God yaweh is the keter or crown sephirot that is above binah and chokmah. But there are 3 realms above the keter sephirot. To put it simply its the nature of the God mind before he has any pathos. It goes from absolutely nothing to infinite projective light. And of something is projective than it needs to be reviewed or captured by something otherwise it would just go on forever. That would be the feminine keter sephirot. But this is a common mistake made by new readers into Jewish mysticism and is probably a failure on Sims research. Also the idea of yaweh being a false evil God is a concept explored in gnosticism. And is the evil gods creation is often the result of a female emanation of the true God going against the will of the God and having a son that turns into the evil God. I'm sure you came across alot of these concepts in other media. I believe that Sim got into Jewish mysticism and kaballah and was probably heavily inspired by them but deeply misunderstood that at the core of them all humans share both principles and the genitals do not deem if one would lean to one principle or the other. And he probably didn't understand that in those teaching and writing that the true full human is a perfect balance of both. Any who I spent many long years studying these things and I can tell he was greatly inspired by these concepts but probably didn't have enough material to research. Anyways have a good day

Ngl i only collect sims stuff for the art. I love the art of his books. Though hearing all this is WIIIIILD

Just came across this. You made a nice presentation. I loved Cerebus up until about the second half of Church and State. Even before the rape scene, something about the story seemed to change for the worse. I stayed with it. Loved Jaka's Story. Even enjoyed Melmoth a bit. But then it went downhill quickly. It's such a shame, because it was so good at one time. If someday someone can remix Cerebus, using preexisting art to "rewrite" the second half of the story into something that more closely matches the first half and provides a better ending, I would love it. But oh well. At least we still have the great first few stories. Some are so good that I still go back and reread them just for a laugh, like issue 50 (51?) after High Society when he is trapped in the closet on a boat with Elrod and Lord Julius. That never fails to make me laugh.

Is cerebus a prototype of...Griffith?

What a great analysis, thank you

I loved the story of Cerebus the Aardvark... up until chapter 265. To me, that was the true end of the story. Everything beyond it seems like aimless meandering rambles. Cerebus was an asshole, yes, but it's clear that he's nothing to aspire to. Hell, the story beats both us AND Cerebus over the head with his numerous flaws and their various ramifications. The characters in Cerebus are fascinatingly complex; they are not simply strawmen to be decried as fully wrong or fully right. Even the psuedo-Fascistic Cirinist society is shown to be surprisingly amenable to its citizens... Cerebus included. Ergo, I can take the author's viewpoints, and I can take them or leave them. Just as every viewer is exposed to the various conflicting viewpoints in his stories, and can themselves pick and choose what they wish to acknowledge or ignore. To me, that is the greatest strength of Cerebus the Aardvark.

Great video!

Holy shit - no pun intended - so in other words, Dave Sim’s basically a cranky modern gnostic.

ok that went off the rails FAST.

I think of Cerebus as a horrific self evisceration by the artist of the artist. I don’t agree with the characters or the authors assertions, but I still think it’s a very interesting work

Dave sim looks like g man from half life

I'd be interested in reading the piece by Tiegen O'Neal (total guess on the spelling there) on The Hurting am not able to find it. Any idea how to find it?

I've always enjoyed Cerebus. It gave me a thrill. Your overview was generally balanced and for that I commend you. However, at the end you call Cerebus "300 issues of hate speech" (or something like that). Interesting. Personally, I don't see that at all. Cerebus has a particular temperament & I've found him to be quite delightful. I'll always remember the scene in the crossover with TMNT when Cerebus says icily "NEXT TIME YELL LET'S GO A LITTLE LOUDER!! SOME OF THEM DIDN"T HEAR YOU!!" ClassIc!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

I'd sign that document, interview him, and then explain to the world his absolute, pants-shitting fear of women.

It’s difficult to know what to do with people like Dave Sim. Should you force him into treatment for his own good, or is that a violation his human rights. The same mental forces that create truly unique geniuses also produce the insane 😅😢😮

Cool to know if I hear these names leave a date's mouth to vacate the area immediately. I've read a lot of "dark" media too and idk who behaves worse: the creators or the fans.

Cerebus is still a masterpiece tho

I think the Judge was based on a Jules Feiffer character.

Know your enemy. Read Cerebus.

Hm.... I jumped on and off the Sim train in 1996-1997, never having read _Mothers & Daughters._ (Which had, to be fair, been published.) I was certainly aware then that Sim was an asshole. I had no idea he later went mad. However, I do encourage you to see the film _Crumb_ to help you understand the potential mindset. Not all of us can be winners, even if we learn how to be true to ourselves. We can't even necessarily become _Beautiful Losers,_ It is sad that Sim nursed his personal grievances into some kind of cosmology. But then, he did - at some point - also write _High Society._ And _Church & State._ And, basically, invent the graphic novel. And at that point, he knew how to laugh at himself. Which is not, as it turns out, a cure.

Oh the Void was a hard chuckle, as a woman. What a deplorable Petersonian creep Dave has become. His poor wife. Pity, because Sim had a few intelligent screeds and inspired characterisations in his Cerebus run, as well as some stunning art.

Knew nothing about Cerebus, and man what a weird trip this was. Bonkers.

I just waned to comment on Dave Sim's crime. People, it will never be enough for child abusers to "take responsibility". Abusers taking "responsibility" or "owning up" will never be justice for the constant trauma his victims will suffer. It will never change the fact that he committed a terrible crime and went unpunished. When it comes down to it, we are doing a huge disservice to victims by letting ourselves be satisfied with "but at least..." Or, "They said they changed..."! Are we really willing to naively let our standards for public figures/people we admire, be that fucking low? We need to do the opposite. Does that mean we should boycott all his work? No, we need take the darker substance he imposed onto his his work with a grain of salt and appreciate the good in them for what it is. So I would still buy Dave Sim's books...I'd just be genuinely far more comfortable buying his work if he was safely tucked away in Jail, far, far away from people's kids, that's all I'm saying!

still a master piece

Ok hear me out... the sonichu comics are very similar to cerebus

I like the Cerebus comics. It's weird that Sim is such a weird person. The criticisms I see as unfair about the books is that everyone tries to put modern mores on a dark ages society that is slowly evolving. Everyone is trying to manipulate everyone else. Cerebus is useless as a single minded barbarian, yes, but everyone keeps putting him in power because he's an aardvark, and that makes him a strong conduit for magic. So everyone wants him in their tribe or political party to keep him close at hand for what he is despite how he is. I'm not fully finished yet, but I think the story is fascinating. Edit: I enjoy for how complex it is, and I've been reading it on and off since I found it in high school. Each time I get to a part I don't understand, I put it down for a year or so, so I can learn more from life before picking it up again and starting from the beginning. It's a story I feel has made me try to expand my brain about how big the world is and how many perspectives there are and how to consider how they can all intertwine and build new things, like how Gaiman takes old myths and religions and combines them into interesting new stories and gives old characters new depth. I feel Imajica by Clive Barker makes me try to learn more in the same way. It's another book that makes me put it down and go learn when I hit a part I don't fully understand.

His misogyny has that same desperate quality of Philip Larkin's fascism. It's too loud. Darling, sit down, have some water, you've gone all red in the face, there there.

Wow i hate dave sim. Cerebus looks cool but the cosmology is disturbing and cringe

And yet, I am less disturbed by it than by the fact that people such as Neil Gaiman and Simon Pegg endorsed heforshe.

Illness is not a metaphor.

Dave Sim, isn’t crazy, He’s just a brilliant troll. An innovator.

I think this was a good and fair video. Clearly you have left-leaning opinions, and are running up against the divide between Liberal and Alt-Left; of wanting diversity and freedom, (except that everyone has to come to the same conclusion or else they are evil and should be silenced), and new and different ideas (except, by definition, every new idea is unusual and fringe, and won't be accepted by The Party.) However, you do seem like you are willing to listen, and think, and have at least a degree of being willing to take people as they are rather than trying to force/shame/condemn them to your own worldview. And although I read Cerebus from 1988-2004, I'm not going to spend a lot of time defending Sim, because I do think he was a bit of a dick and off his rocker, but he was also exceptional in many respects as well. It depends on whether you want to see him in a "glass half full" or in a "glass half cracked" sort of way, but regardless, I would argue that it is important - nay, vital - to read what you DON'T agree with, both for sake of compassion and for sake of understanding.

I find the criticisms of right wing artists like this so hilarious because if he was left wing and just as bat crazy no one would say anything

Cerebus is absolute genius. Trailblazer (with the pinis) on independent scene. As for Sim himself. Meh....Is he a Misogynist? Maybe...in the same way Bill Clinton is. But as we were all told during the sex scandals of clinton...."As long as it doesn't hinder his job". And it (or whatever one finds ill about Sim)...clearly hasn't affected his job. He's incredibly prolific. And extremelly entertaining.

I'm assuming anti feminists never watch CNN ? Lmao

9:31 yeah like Teddy Roosevelt or Bill Clinton. Those monsters.

40 years of misogynistic gangsta rap, no problem. One dude with a talking aardvark goes HAM on some broads for 3000 pages and it's game over. 🤷‍♂

Grooming didn't exist then, it wasn't term, much less a thing. He met a fan at 14. Age of consent was 14 in Canada, (16 now) and he dated and slept with her 7 years later. If this is wrong then cast the same rock at Elvis and every single member of Duran Duran, every metal band and every rap act who slept with a girl who was a fan and then slept with a band member later in their 20s.

Thumbs down for the Fox News reference. I don't watch the aforementioned channel, but lazy stereotypes are a pet peeve of mine.

Brilliant video for a "Woke" SJW just wanting to cr-p on a popular target to appeal to your "Fashionably Radical" friends who'd turn on you in a heartbeat . That's why you are apologizing for anything you dare admit someone might interpret you like about him/his comic. One man's opinion. I won't blindly defend Sim, he's got issues. Wonderful comic project and work for Indie creators. I don't care if he's a warped mess - part of his inner pain is what has created his works - and its not worth dismissing him over it even if he stepped on some snowflake's fee-feez...

Great video!!!