Can we all agree IDW editor Scott Dunbier has the magic touch? Not only was he long the Alan Moore Whisperer, but now he’s become the Dave Sim whisperer.
Despite his antipathy towards publishers with publicists and contracts, Dave Sim has signed up with IDW to publish a color collection of Cerebus covers. These covers, quite a visual treat, are not included in the current “phone books” and have long been unavailable. As you can read in the PR from A Moment of Cerebus below, Dunbier has been dispatched on a mission to Kitchener to scan in the Cerebus covers, and he and Sim seem to be getting along famously.
Seeing as how the negotiations for this were not conducted publicly, unlike the ones with Fantagraphics, many things become clearer. First, that Sim’s mention of “other publishers” was indeed a nod and a wink. And all the hoops and tautologies and wasted time and silliness of the Fantagraphics thread really does look more and more like chain yanking, doesn’t it?
As for those of you wondering “How can they be doing business with this madman????” the answer is simple. He’s been published by other companies in the past, and worked with several collaborators. And they’ll all tell you. Dave Sim is actually completely agreeable and professional.
Until, one day, he isn’t.
And some times that day never comes.
IDW is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement with Aardvark-Vanaheim Inc. to publish a book of the 300 CEREBUS covers in 2013, IDW CEO and Publisher Ted Adams announced today as Scott Dunbier, IDW’s award-winning Special Projects Editor arrived in Kitchener, Ontario to begin the daunting process of scanning all of the CEREBUS covers — and cover related material — at the “Off-White House”.
“With the long-anticipated launch of Dave Sim’s HIGH SOCIETY DIGITAL and HIGH SOCIETY AUDIO DIGITAL only days away, and as a long-time fan of Dave’s work, I couldn’t be happier to have IDW here in the Ground Zero spotlight with Dave and CEREBUS in announcing this major publication event which fans have been clamouring for since CEREBUS came to an end in 2004,” said Adams.
Dave Sim, president of Aardvark-Vanaheim, added, “I can’t think of any other publisher than IDW and any other editor than Scott Dunbier to whom I would have entrusted this Herculean task. I’m working full-time with Scott, providing him with every imaginable raw material needed. Based on Scott’s flawless track record, I think we’re all in for a treat.”
A Moment Of Cerebus
This supports my theory that the Sim/Fanta thing was nothing but a brilliant marketing ploy on Sim’s part.
Are people actually waiting for this? Hope so. I kinda missed the Cerebus train.
http://www.RECONDITEpictures.com
If Dave Sim was not serious about Fantagraphics publishing his work, it was not a “brilliant marketing ploy” as you put it, but a betrayal of the public trust, since he made it a public negotiation.
To the good people at IDW Publishing, all I have to say is that I hope you do not lose money on the project and it does not delay any of your other fine publications, such as your Artist Editions.
I guess that’s the kind of liberal-beast-assuaging, New-York-Times-appealing press release Dave Sim expects from his publishers these days. He should have just posted it to the TCJ thread and said, “Do something like this. Now how about those contract terms?”
Wow. So that whole Fanta thing was just to drum up interest for this? Sim just kinda asks for all the hate he gets, doesn’t he? I wonder if Dunbier had to sign that silly petition?
After the hit pieces the Journal has run against Sim over the decades, I have no real issue with Dave screwing around with Kim and Gary. Frankly they should have known better. Now as for the good stuff, I am highly pleased to see the Cerebus covers finally coming out in a decent collected edition.
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