Dave Sim
In 1977, Dave Sim (b. 1956) began to self-publish Cerebus, one of the earliest and most significant independent comics, which ran for 300 issues and ended, as Sim had planned from early on, in 2004. Over the run of the comic, Sim used it as a springboard to explore not only the potential of the comics medium but also many of the core assumptions of Western society. Through it he analyzed politics, the dynamics of love, religion, and, most controversially, the influence of feminism—which Sim believes has had a negative impact on society. Moreover, Sim inserted himself squarely into the comic as Cerebus’s creator, thereby inviting criticism not only of the creation, but also of the creator.
What few interviews Sim gave often pushed the limits of what an interview might be in much the same way that Cerebus pushed the limits of what a comic might be. In interviews Sim is generous, expansive, provocative, and sometimes even antagonistic. Regardless of mood, he is always insightful and fascinating. His discursive style is not conducive to the sound bite or to easy summary. Many of these interviews have been out of print for years. And, while the interviews range from very general, career-spanning explorations of his complex work and ideas, to tightly focused discussions on specific details of Cerebus, all the interviews contained herein are engaging and revealing.
Eric Hoffman is author of Oppen: A Narrative. He coedited (with Jason Sacks and Dominick Grace) Steve Gerber: Conversations and Jim Shooter: Conversations; (with Dominick Grace) Chester Brown: Conversations; Seth: Conversations; and The Canadian Alternative: Cartoonists, Comics, and Graphic Novels; and (with Nina Goss) Tearing the World Apart: Bob Dylan and the Twenty-First Century, all published by University Press of Mississippi. He is also author of several books of poetry, most recently This Thin Mean: New Selected Poems; Presence of Life; and Losses of Life. Dominick Grace is author of The Science Fiction of Phyllis Gotlieb: A Critical Reading. He coedited (with Jason Sacks and Eric Hoffman) Steve Gerber: Conversations and Jim Shooter: Conversations and (with Eric Hoffman) Chester Brown: Conversations; Seth: Conversations; and The Canadian Alternative: Cartoonists, Comics, and Graphic Novels, all published by University Press of Mississippi.
