Issue 39
From CerebusWiki
| June 1982: Petuniacon Day Three | |
| |
| Issue 39 | |
| Writer & Artist | Dave Sim |
| Publisher | Deni Loubert |
| Circulation | Unknown |
| High Society | |
| Previous | Next |
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Contents |
Issue Summary
Blakely, a man of some influence in Iest, comes to see Cerebus, in order to determine whether or not he should back Cerebus' run for Prime Minister. A series of visitors interrupts the discussion, starting with Lord Julius. Lord Julius confuses Blakely in his normal bungling-that-isn't-bungling manner. Next it's Dirty Fleagle and Dirty Drew McGrew, newly escaped from prison and looking for revenge. It just so happens Moon Roach is on the scene to take care of the brothers, and then take care of himself. The last visitor takes a flight around Blakely's head before Cerebus convinces the Regency Elf to leave. It's Cerebus' tactical denial of even having seen the Elf that convinces Blakely to back Cerebus.
Characters
- Baskin (last seen in issue 38; next appearance in issue 43)
- Blakely (last seen in issue 37; next appearance in issue 41)
- Astoria (last seen in issue 38; next appearance in issue 40)
- Cerebus (last seen in issue 38; next appearance in issue 40)
- Elf (last seen in issue 33; next appearance in issue 41)
- Elrod (last seen in issue 38; next appearance in issue 43)
- Lord Julius (last seen in issue 38; next appearance in issue 40)
- McGrew Brothers (last seen in issue 29; next appearance in issue 40)
- The Moon Roach (last seen in issue 33; next appearance in issue 40)
Locations
Artist Notes
From the Note From The President in issue 74
"My admiration for this man’s work prompted me to render the cover of #39 in the Neal Adams style he was doing to perfection at that time in Moon Knight. I used a reverse Neal Adams signature parody on that cover.
The irony of doing a parody of Neal’s signature as a tribute to Bill Sienkiewicz escaped me at the time. This issue I stole Bill’s own very distinctive signature for the cover as a tribute, not to his ability to do a faithful and spontaneous variation on a seminal influence (it makes sense, I think, read it again) but rather for his own role as a seminal influence for a new generation of comics professionals (and aspiring professionals). As probably the single greatest influence on my thinking at this juncture of our story-line (page fourteen of this issue is page 1500, by the way) such a tribute was long overdue. A brilliant, brilliant individual and my closest friend in the field (after Gerhard)."
Annotations
- p3: Blakely's line is the first confirmation we have that the Grand Inquisitor was one of the inquisitors that talked to Cerebus and was then killed by the Roach in Issue 31.
- p3: Blakely also confirms that the Exodus Inward has happened.
- p4: Elrod's "Black Sun Punch" was last mentioned in Issue 7.
- p6: Lord Julius's mention of "infer and or imply" shrewdly wards off that rejoinder that was used in Issue 33 and Issue 36.
- p10: The cab driver, Blake Jockley, turns out to be the Roach, even though it appears to be the same cab driver that we saw in Issue 26 and Issue 34. Dave later confirmed this in a Q&A session from July 2004: "...I used a cab driver secret identity for the Moon Roach, which was a parody of the Moon Knight, one of whose secret identities was as…tad a!…a cab driver."
- "The Moon Roach knows" is a reference to The Shadow's catchphrase.
- p19: The Elf disappears with a poit sound effect. Last used in issue 30.
Quotes
- p2: Harmon Blakely to Astoria: "Now be a good girl and run along."
- p13: Moonroach: "The weed of money bears bitter interest rates."
Back up material
"Welcome to Heaven, Dr. Franklin," pt. 6 (Messner-Loebs)
