Rick's Story (comics)
Encyclopedia
Rick's Story is the eighth novel in Canadian
cartoonist
Dave Sim
's Cerebus
comic book
series. It is made up of issues #220-231 of Cerebus. It was collected as Rick's Story in one volume in November 1998, and was the 12th collected "phonebook" volume.
Rick, Jaka's ex-husband from Jaka's Story
, unexpectedly shows up in the tavern that Cerebus has inhabited for the duration of Guys
. Rick is writing a book about his relationship with Jaka. He looks up to Cerebus and constantly pesters him for advice. Cerebus feels like his babysitter and constantly tries to get Rick to leave, even try to get him married off to Joanne from Minds
, who has also shown up. Rick has descended into religious madness, and starts telling the story of Cerebus as an angel/demon in faux-King James Bible-style English.
Rick is writing a book, entitled Rick's Story, about his breakup with Jaka. He was monogamous by nature, and it irrevocably changed him when his marriage with Jaka collapsed at the end of Jaka's Story
. He has become an alcoholic
, and the story he tells Cerebus of his life since last they met is convoluted and contradictory. He breaks down crying after being hit with a ball when playing Five Bar Gate. Cerebus resents becoming Rick's babysitter and desperately tries to get Rick to suck it up, be a man and get on with life, telling him to "Go on! Beat It! Scram!" which for Rick takes on the character of religious teaching. Following this, Rick begins Cerebus-centred religion, in which Cerebus represents both god
and the devil
.
Rick reads out his version of the "Books of Genesis" in a style reminiscent of the King James Version of the Bible
. He eventually descends into religious insanity, eventually leading to gory, drunken self-flagellation
resulting in mortification
.
Rick starts going out with Joanne, and Cerebus tries to convince him to leave with her. Eventually Rick leaves, but not before placing a spell on him and telling him to "go to hell", as Cerebus had told Joanne. He tells Cerebus they will see each other only one more time after that day.
Sim himself appears in the pub and talks with Cerebus, but Cerebus doesn't recognize who he is. Sim leaves cerebus a package, which turns out to be Jaka's doll, Missy. Finally, Jaka arrives on the scene and tries to convince Cerebus to go with her to Sand Hills Creek, where Cerebus grew up. Cerebus must decide between Jaka and his male companions in the tavern. He decides on going with Jaka.
. It was the 12th "phonebook" volume.
The covers of the issues displayed the current Rick's Story installment number on a bar-sign graphic which, after a turning point in the story, began to grow and engulf the cover, leaving a small bar-sign-shaped area for the actual cover drawing that shrunk every issue.
People of Canada
Canadians are the people who are identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be genetic, residential, legal, historical, cultural or ethnic...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Dave Sim
Dave Sim
David Victor Sim is an award-winning Canadian comic book writer and artist.A pioneer of self-published comics and creators' rights, Sim is best known as the creator of Cerebus the Aardvark, a comic book published from 1977 to 2004, which chronicles its main character in a 6,000-page self-contained...
's Cerebus
Cerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark, or simply Cerebus , is an independent comic book, written and illustrated by Canadian artist Dave Sim, with backgrounds by fellow Canadian Gerhard. Cerebus ran for 300 issues from December 1977 to 2004, and was over 6000 pages long, the longest-running original...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series. It is made up of issues #220-231 of Cerebus. It was collected as Rick's Story in one volume in November 1998, and was the 12th collected "phonebook" volume.
Rick, Jaka's ex-husband from Jaka's Story
Jaka's Story (comics)
Jaka's Story is the fourth novel in Canadian cartoonist Dave Sim's Cerebus comic book series.There is danger in the air, as the fascist matriarchal Cirinists have conquered the city of Iest. Cerebus hides from them halfway between the Upper and Lower cities in the mountainside home of Jaka, the...
, unexpectedly shows up in the tavern that Cerebus has inhabited for the duration of Guys
Guys (comics)
Guys is the seventh novel in Canadian cartoonist Dave Sim's Cerebus comic book series. It is made up of issues #201-219 of Cerebus and was collected as Guys in one volume in September 1997....
. Rick is writing a book about his relationship with Jaka. He looks up to Cerebus and constantly pesters him for advice. Cerebus feels like his babysitter and constantly tries to get Rick to leave, even try to get him married off to Joanne from Minds
Mothers and Daughters (comics)
Mothers & Daughters: a novel is the sixth novel in Canadian cartoonist Dave Sim's Cerebus comic book series. Sim considers the novel to be the final portion of the main story...
, who has also shown up. Rick has descended into religious madness, and starts telling the story of Cerebus as an angel/demon in faux-King James Bible-style English.
Synopsis
Picking up where Guys left off, Cerebus is confronted with a strangely familiar face. When he can't quite figure out who this character is, he's given a hint: "You once told me that you were in love with my wife."Rick is writing a book, entitled Rick's Story, about his breakup with Jaka. He was monogamous by nature, and it irrevocably changed him when his marriage with Jaka collapsed at the end of Jaka's Story
Jaka's Story (comics)
Jaka's Story is the fourth novel in Canadian cartoonist Dave Sim's Cerebus comic book series.There is danger in the air, as the fascist matriarchal Cirinists have conquered the city of Iest. Cerebus hides from them halfway between the Upper and Lower cities in the mountainside home of Jaka, the...
. He has become an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and the story he tells Cerebus of his life since last they met is convoluted and contradictory. He breaks down crying after being hit with a ball when playing Five Bar Gate. Cerebus resents becoming Rick's babysitter and desperately tries to get Rick to suck it up, be a man and get on with life, telling him to "Go on! Beat It! Scram!" which for Rick takes on the character of religious teaching. Following this, Rick begins Cerebus-centred religion, in which Cerebus represents both god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
.
Rick reads out his version of the "Books of Genesis" in a style reminiscent of the King James Version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. He eventually descends into religious insanity, eventually leading to gory, drunken self-flagellation
Flagellation
Flagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
resulting in mortification
Mortification of the flesh
Mortification of the flesh literally means "putting the flesh to death". The term is primarily used in religious and spiritual contexts. The institutional and traditional terminology of this practice in Catholicism is corporal mortification....
.
Rick starts going out with Joanne, and Cerebus tries to convince him to leave with her. Eventually Rick leaves, but not before placing a spell on him and telling him to "go to hell", as Cerebus had told Joanne. He tells Cerebus they will see each other only one more time after that day.
Sim himself appears in the pub and talks with Cerebus, but Cerebus doesn't recognize who he is. Sim leaves cerebus a package, which turns out to be Jaka's doll, Missy. Finally, Jaka arrives on the scene and tries to convince Cerebus to go with her to Sand Hills Creek, where Cerebus grew up. Cerebus must decide between Jaka and his male companions in the tavern. He decides on going with Jaka.
Publication
The story was collected in a single 246-page volume as Rick's Story in November 1998 after being serialized in issues #220-231 of CerebusCerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark, or simply Cerebus , is an independent comic book, written and illustrated by Canadian artist Dave Sim, with backgrounds by fellow Canadian Gerhard. Cerebus ran for 300 issues from December 1977 to 2004, and was over 6000 pages long, the longest-running original...
. It was the 12th "phonebook" volume.
The covers of the issues displayed the current Rick's Story installment number on a bar-sign graphic which, after a turning point in the story, began to grow and engulf the cover, leaving a small bar-sign-shaped area for the actual cover drawing that shrunk every issue.
Reception
The book had little impact, and despite some memorable dialogue, one reader called it "the most forgettable of all the books so far", and found the faux-King James passages to be impenetrable, although at Jazz Bastards it was said to be "a chapter in the story of Cerebus that deserves a place with other respected graphic novels."Sources
- Cerebus Fangirl
- Cerebus Wiki, set up by Cerebus Fangirl