Issue 35

From CerebusWiki

February 1982: Two Days Before

Issue 35
Writer & Artist	Dave Sim
Publisher	Deni Loubert
Circulation	Unknown
High Society
Previous	Next

1 Issue Summary
2 Characters
3 Locations
4 Artist Notes
5 Annotations
6 Backup material

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Issue Summary

Cerebus returns to the Regency Hotel after a night on the town. He wants to resign as diplomat, but an angry Astoria has plans for him. Lord Julius has nominated Elrod to replace Cerebus, going so far as to adopt Elrod. To get the business vote, Astoria will have Cerebus promise millions of crowns from Palnu to prop up the Iestan economy. Julius will have to match the amount, thus making the election a bidding war. At this point everyone in Iest is living on credit anyway, Astoria explains while picking out a new suit for him. The house of cards that is Iest will collapse, and soon. The best they can hope for is to cash out at the right time.

On his way to the seamstress's shop, Cerebus meets Bran Mac Mufin in the hallway. Cerebus issues a veiled threat and continues on his way.

The next night Astoria and Cerebus meet with Prime Minister Gatson to sway him to their side. He confesses that he prefers to serve one master, and that master is Julius. Astoria threatens to consolidate power in the ranking diplomatic representative's office rather than the legislature. Gatson scoffs.

While they argue, only Cerebus notices that Lord Julius is serving their coffee. Astoria drags him away to put on his new suit and show Gatson his financier image. After he changes, he admires himself in the mirror for a moment. A hotel staffer gives him the message that Jaka wants to see him.

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Characters

Cerebus (last seen in issue 34; next appearance in issue 36)
Astoria (last seen in issue 34; next appearance in issue 37)
Bran Mac Mufin (last seen in issue 34; next appearance in issue 37)
Lord Julius (last seen in issue 19; next appearance in issue 38)
Prime Minister Gatson (last seen in issue 30; final appearance)
hotel staff member

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Locations

Iest

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Artist Notes

If Dave has something to say on the issue, add it here

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Annotations

The cover displays the 50 crowns that Cerebus gives the seamstress. Combined with the 500 crowns paid as "penalty" to Astoria in Issue 34 and the 50 crowns he paid to the cab driver earlier in the same issue to take Elrod away, Cerebus now has at most 400 of the 1000 crowns Astoria gave him in Issue 32.
The 50 crown note on the cover shows a portrait of a man with the word 'Blakely' underneath it. This could be a portrait of Cyrus N. Blakely, who is the first Prime Minister of Iest and an ancestor of Harmon Blakely.
Two typos in this issue: Expletives is spelled explitives on page 1, and Sepran is spelled Seran on page 6.
(page 4) Cerebus's request for "a dozen raw eggs, twelve gallons of water, and some hot towels" is a reference to the rather odd sorts of hangover "cures" that Cerebus uses, as seen in The Morning After.
(page 5) Adopting Elrod as his son may be another way for Lord Julius to indicate a potential successor. In Issue 32 we found that naming Cerebus his kitchen staff supervisor may have been such an action as well.
(page 11) Bran quotes a prophecy: "the church will ... turn inward," a reference to the Exodus Inward. The accuracy of this first clause makes him sound authentic, but his track record is not always so good.
(page 13) Clearly, Gatson is more interested in romance than economics. This sort of attitude is part of how Iest's economy got into such a bad state in the first place.
During his brief encounter with Julius, Cerebus doesn't think to ask why Julius has suddenly turned against him.Cerebus certainly doesn't suspect Astoria, who probably expects to sacrifice him at the first sign of trouble.
- The allusions to Cerebus as his son are drawn from Groucho Marx's performances, not because Julius is Cerebus's actual father.