“I have waited 43 years to see Cerebus No.1 the way it was supposed to look. Thanks to Sean Michael Robinson and The Waverly Press that wait is now over.”
– Dave Sim, 2020
Every legend has a beginning…
In December 1977, Deni Loubert published Cerebus No.1, Dave Sim’s comic book that followed the adventures of a short-tempered, barbarian Aardvark. Originally conceived as a parody of Barry Windsor-Smith’s masterfully illustrated Conan the Barbarian (which was a big hit for Marvel Comics in the 1970’s), Sim quickly found his own voice as a storyteller and illustrator, abandoning the typical self-contained, single issue adventures in favor of elaborate story-arcs which would often span dozens of issues.
The dawn of the 1980’s saw the popularity of Dave Sim’s Cerebus explode, igniting a revolution among self-motivated artists and storytellers who were looking for ways to go it alone, outside of the corporate structure of the BIG TWO publishers at the time, Marvel and DC Comics. Dave Sim helped pave the way for countless other self-publishers of the day, including Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bob Burden’s Flaming Carrot, Jeff Smith’s Bone, and Colleen Doran’s A Distant Soil, to name a few… Along the way, Cerebus found its place as one of the most intelligently written, entertaining, and influential comic books of all time! Though the series ended in 2004 with issue No. 300 after more than 6,000 pages of story and art, Cerebus still enjoys an intense and loyal following to this day.
Due to popularity of Cerebus, original copies of the first issue now command thousands of dollars, putting them out of reach for most collectors.
The original Cerebus No.1 was printed on newsprint paper and after 43 years, most of the few examples that have survived are typically found in lower grades. This new edition is presented with fully remastered art, prepared by master digital restoration artist Sean Michael Robinson, and will be printed on premium paper for stunning crystal clarity! We are working with one of the best printers in North America to ensure the highest quality reproduction!
RED – 24 Page Standard Edition. The original 24 page comic as it was presented in 1977, with remastered art. It’s like owning an original Cerebus No. 1, only cooler!
GOLD – 48 Page Expanded Edition. The original 24 page story with remastered art + 24 pages of Cerebus Archive rarities! Limited to the number of advance orders we receive.
PLATINUM – 48 Page Expanded Edition (Signed & Numbered). The original 24 page story with remastered art + 24 pages of Cerebus Archive rarities! Each PLATINUM copy is hand Signed & Numbered by Cerebus creator Dave Sim! Limited to the number of advance orders we receive. NOTE: Aardvark-Vanaheim “Cerebus Archive” patrons can specify their unique Cerebus Archive number for the Signed & Numbered platinum edition.
PROOF EDITIONS – These are proof copies produced for final internal review by Dave Sim, Sean Michael Robinson and the Publisher. These final stage pre-production proofs that we are offering represent the culmination of all the work that went into developing the “Expanded Cerebus” No. 1. This is our way of sharing the experience of the final stage of production with Cerebus readers who will receive the exact same copies we will be reviewing before the book goes to press.
RED (proof) – 24 Page standard Edition (50 Numbered Copies). The original 24 page story with remastered art, just like the original book as it was published in 1977, only better! NOTE: These 50 examples are the only 24 page “Standard Edition” remastered copies that will ever be offered with the original $1 cover price. The final production books will come with a $10 retail cover price!
RED (proof) – 48 Page Expanded Edition (50 Numbered Copies). The original 24 page story with remastered art + 24 pages of Cerebus Archive rarities! NOTE: These 50 examples are the only 48 page “Expanded Edition” copies that will ever be offered with RED flames!
If you are already a collector of Cerebus, this edition will rank with the crown jewels of your collection. If you are new to Cerebus, this is the perfect way to get introduced to this classic series, from the moment where it all began…
MANY sincere thanks to everyone who has supported or will be supporting this project in it’s final week. We put our heads together with Dave Sim to offer all of you a wide range of exciting Cerebus No. 1 collectibles!
Everything below is available to all backers who pledged for the $10 physical book and up… The price of the first item includes any additional packing and shipping costs, with discounts on the 2nd item and up… Perhaps you own a comic shop, or you like to hoard for a rainy day, for those of you we are offering bundles of 10 of everything at a deep discount.
To add any of these items to your existing pledge, simply click the “manage your pledge” button at the top of this page and manually add the additional amount (on top of your existing pledge amount) based on the prices below. When you fill out your backer report at the end of the campaign, be sure to note what extras you added to your pledge.
And remember, you are free to add as many as you want of each item for the last week of this campaign (unless noted otherwise). NOTE: The “Stretch Goal” items, Pins, and Posters are being produced exclusively for this Cerebus No. 1 project, based on the number of orders received. None of these items will be widely distributed or reprinted.
