Issue 15
From CerebusWiki
| April 1980: A Day in the Pits | |
| |
| Issue 15 | |
| Writer & Artist | Dave Sim |
| Publisher | Deni Loubert |
| Circulation | Unknown |
| Cerebus | |
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Contents |
Issue Summary
As Kitchen Staff Supervisor Cerebus uncovers a growing plot against Lord Julius. Lord Julius, on the other hand, more concerned about the Festival of Petunias. Lord Julius lends Cerebus a sword so the pair, along with Baskin, can go into the Pits looking for the rebels. Lord Julius, however, is looking for a place to celebrate the Festival of Petunias.
While in the pits, Lord Julius and Baskin are trapped in a cell and Cerebus must battle a large snake called the shadow crawler by the leader of The Eye in the Pyramid.
Cerebus defeats the snake and in the process causes the structures in the pits by them to start to collapse. The trio make it out just in time to have the entrance hidden by rubble.
Characters
- Baskin (first appearance; next appearance in issue 38)
- Cerebus (last seen in issue 14; next appearance in issue 16)
- Lord Julius (last seen in issue 14; next appearance in issue 16)
- Lord Julius' Social Secretary (last seen in issue 14; next appearance in issue 16)
Locations
Artist Notes
Swords of Cerebus, volume 4, introduction to issue 14
One major worry of mine at the time, and one which I remembered again while re-reading these issues was the wall-to-wall cliches. "The revolution-ary mystic cult" - "the ruins of the city beneath the city" - "the duel on the bridge", and of course, the grandaddy of them all, "the battle with the Giant Snake". Okay, I was doing a parody, but ho-hum, y'know? You can run out of the "twenty-eight Deadly Fantasy Cliches" (or however many there are) after a dozen issues if your character gets around enough. "The Giant Snake" was a must, though, for this reason; I couldn't wait to write this introduction. You know why? So I could tell E*V*E*R*Y*O*N*E that yes, I was thinking of the phallic symbolism the whole time I was drawing the snake. It's true. The whole time I was drawing the snake I was thinking "This isn't a snake I'm drawing, I'm drawing a Giant Dick with eyes", or "I'm not drawing a snake crawling out of his cage with the leader of the 'Eye in the Pyramid' juxtaposed in the foreground. Hell, no! I'm drawing the leader of the 'Eye in the Pyramid' flipping his giant schlong out at Cerebus, who's going to cut it off." Why do you think those torches on the wall are at a forty-five degree angle? That's right! They're really all stiff wee-wees with their tips on fire (ouch). Right down to the big "O" scene where the giant "snake" smashes into the wall and behind it to the Leader of the 'Eye in the Pyramid'. Sort of changes the meaning of the "AAAAH" word balloon doesn't it? Now, why, you might very well ask yourself, why would someone consciously sit down and draw an allegory that revolves around a huge male member. Someday, folks, I hope to open the Underground Comix Price Guide, flip to the appendix with Cerebus and read:
Cerebus: Good Fine Mint
15# (Giant penis issue)
$20 $30 $40
And people say I've lost my ambition.
Annotations
- The title, "A Day in the Pits," is based on the Marx Brothers movie "A Day at the Races". It also ties into the title of Issue 16.
- Cerebus asks for a sword since his was lost at the end of Issue 12.
- Petunias used as a symbol for a party / convention is seen later in the book. In issue 37 Cerebus goes to Petuniacon.
