Heavenly creatures

In the late 1980s and early '90s, Sim became a folk hero for independent comic book artists. He spoke out for creators' ownership of their work, used "Cerebus" to boost other up-and-coming comics and even ran a 13-page excerpt of "Bone" in 1992. ("You guys are going to love this one," Sim announced.) Sim has proved resoundingly that one can write, draw and self-publish a monthly comic for 27 years -- but not necessarily that one should.

As Sim's ideas about religion and gender relations changed over time, the setting and characters of "Cerebus" became increasingly unwieldy vehicles for their creator's personal views. Sim dabbled more heavily in dense textual pieces, including mannered pastiches of Wilde and Fitzgerald's prose styles. He indulged in metafictional gambits, injecting himself into the narrative to talk directly to Cerebus. He recycled ideas and twice took Cerebus off the earth itself to travel the solar system -- which admittedly provided some of the book's most breathtaking moments.

In reading "Cerebus" over the last 10 years, it became increasingly difficult to separate the work's wild creativity from Sim's strident views about women, beliefs that Sim insists on calling "anti-feminism," while his critics -- and most of his dwindling readership -- find them indistinguishable from straight-up misogyny. Appreciating later "Cerebus" can be like trying to separate the work of, say, Richard Wagner or D.W. Griffith from their personal beliefs.

But Sim's comic book isn't -- necessarily -- as didactic as Sim himself. By far the book's most sympathetic and well-rounded role is Jaka, a princess turned dancer and Cerebus' true love (insofar as he's capable of love). With one or two exceptions, Sim's men never prove to be avatars of reason, but Machiavellian plotters, self-absorbed artists or colorful clowns. For all of Sim's polemics, "Cerebus" comes closer to the equal-opportunity misanthropy of "Gulliver's Travels" than to the elevation of one gender over another.

Since he began condemning women as emotion-based "devouring voids" and the source of a host of marital and social problems, Sim turned from champion to persona non grata in the comics field, and even had a highly public falling out with Jeff Smith. In a 1999 interview with the Comics Journal, Smith described a weekend visit from Sim, who expounded on his views about women in front of Smith's wife. "Bone's" creator claims to have said "Dave, if you don't shut up right now, I'm going to take you outside and I'm going to deck you" and that the "Cerebus" creator hastily backed down.

But a year after the interview appeared, Sim published an editorial in "Cerebus" calling Smith a liar and challenging him to a three-round boxing match to settle their differences. (Not surprisingly, the challenge coincided with the Ham Ernestway storyline in "Cerebus.") Smith opted not to box his fellow cartoonist, sent "Cerebus" a letter telling Sim to "get stuffed" and has avoided further comment on the affair. However, in the letters page of "Bone's" penultimate issue, Smith tipped his hat to Sim and Gerhard for getting to 300: "The troubles between Dave and I are personal, not professional, so congratulations, boys. You did it and you did it on time. I know it took a dedication few artists will ever have."

Though "Cerebus" tries its readers' patience in all possible ways, it remains a book that stretched the possibilities of the comic book form further than any rational person could expect. "Bone" doesn't match "Cerebus" for insane ambition, yet proves about a zillion times more satisfying -- not the least by making the devalued "cartoony" comic books seem cool again.

"Bone's" bittersweet ending inspires the kind of melancholy that accompanies the final chapter of any wonderful piece of escapism, but at least Smith expects to pen further tales in the "Bone universe" in the future. (He next plans to do a limited Captain Marvel series for DC Comics.) In interviews, Sim has said he has no immediate plans to continue with comic books at all, and likens himself to a prisoner facing the end of a 27-year sentence. "Cerebus'" conclusion may leave readers both impressed at Sim's achievement and relieved that it's over. In "Cerebus" 121, the Oscar Wilde character's capper for "Church and State" applies to the culmination of the comic book itself: "The ending was less of a grand finale than a grand finally." At least "Cerebus," like "Bone," gave funny animals a grandeur all their own.

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