Dave Sim’s entire Cerebus series is available on Humble Bundle, the charity-supporting retail site – for as little as $18. The hard-to-find books, once considered a pioneering classic of the emergent indie scene of the late 1970s and 1980s, are available as DRM-free PDFs. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Global FoodBanking Network. The bundle is being offered until July 18.
According to Humble Bundle:
“A giant of indie comics. Explore the pioneering indie comic saga Cerebus, a sprawling epic spanning 6,000 pages, touching on humor, political satire, and the wide-ranging philosophical musings of its creator Dave Sim. It also stars an anthropomorphic aardvark. What starts out as a send-up of Conan-style sword & sorcery evolves into something much bigger. Experience it all in this bundle, from early graphic novel chapters like High Society and Church & State, to the very end of the saga in The Last Day. Pay what you want for this essential cult classic and help support the Global Foodbanking Network with your purchase.”
Dave Sim’s Cerebus was a sprawling 300 issue self-published comic that acted as the inspiration and spearhead of the indie comics movement, which emerged as the comic book market shifted from newsstands to specialist stores and dedicated distribution networks. It ran from 1977 until 2004 as single issues, and was collected into sixteen large “telephone book” reprintings. It acted as a model for many in the indie scene to follow, such as for Jeff Smith’s Bone, Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise and more.
The early part of the series – which began as a parody of the Marvel Comics adaptation of Conan the Barbarian by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith before turning to exploration of political and philosophical themes. Arcs like High Society, Church and State, and Jaka’s Story were praised by critics. The latter half of the series – and the reclusive Sim’s own alleged behaviour – have rendered it a work no longer much spoken in high regard. Nowadays it is unusual to find any of the print collections in the wild (though rescanned, touched up editions do make it out there). All 300 issues are available on archive.org, however.
The Global FoodBanking Network covers over 40 countries and regions with active food bank groups, which are organised charitable organisations distributing food to those in desperate need, as well as reducing food waste.
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