A Clarification - Dave Sim

I want to clarify something as to my "relationship" with comic book auteur, armchair philosopher, and alleged misogynist, Dave Sim:

I've met a veritable assload of "celebrities" in my thus short life and even had the honor and privilege of working with a (very) few, but absolutely none are on my speed-dial. In fact, I am absolutely certain that few, if any, would even know who the hell I am by name or face (well, some might recognize my face or name independent of one another, but not be able to place me). It's the nature of entertainment when you are a bottom-rung kind of wannabe, and I don't just admit that, I wear it as a badge! Maybe one day I, too, will attain the status of some of the luminaries I've met, but honestly, few of them remain as luminescent today as they were when I met them and probably aren't even considered "celebrities" by some. That, too, is the nature of the field, but I am no less honored to have met them and love to... I guess it's "brag" about these encounters, but "name-drop" is the preferred terminology.

I've met - shortlist - Motley Crue, Anthrax, Cannibal Corpse, Megadeth, BB King, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Mindless Self Indulgence, Van Halen, I fucking knew Saliva (they lived down the street, not far from Justin Timberlake, in fact [who was literally just a kid no one knew at the time]), 666 Mafia, and a list of country stars, comic book artists, writers, and creators, and RPG designers so long, I couldn't even begin to name them! Dave Sim was one of these.

I hung-out with some of these cats, actually worked with a few of them, some of them taught classes/courses I took, and more than a few were just fly-by-night, meet-and-greets backstage, in clubs, et.al. But Dave Sim is a special case:

Dave Sim was a frequent guest at many Mid-South Cons held in Memphis, TN in the late 1980s. I'm a proud Marvel Zombie, so I hadn't the faintest notion who the fuck Dave Sim was, but he walked, talked, and acted like a rock star - and quite a few people treated him as such - so I was obviously drawn to him.

Dave Sim spent an entire weekend at one of these conventions, going over my "portfolio" and drawing over it. Not in an ugly, unwelcome way; in a, "This line needs more strength because it's the Lead Line" way that every kid - and I was an actual child, all of maybe 10 at the time - who is dead-set on becoming a comics artist and writer should experience. I will never in my life forget that and I still have the pictures to prove it.

Through these conventions, I met a die-hard Dave Sim fan who was a Cerebus subscriber and frequent opiner in its pages. He and Sim developed an actual relationship and Sim often sent him tracings, small arts, and actual letters. That guy's name is Jimmy James (no, really) and he had his own, independent comic for a few years. One year, we paid for Dave Sim's lunch. Jimmy James put me up many times over the years and I did some work with him and his comic here and there (mostly outside of the published work - breakdowns, thumbs, etc.) and it was at his house where I first became a true fan of Sim's work through the Cerebus phonebooks, of which Jimmy had all, long after I'd met the guy and even bought him lunch!

Dave Sim is a genius in the comic book field and I'm honored as hell to have that story to share and to have had that experience.

So, when I say I "know" this person or that, I don't mean I fucked them; I "know" a lot of people the very way a lot of people "know" me - in fact, much the way that you "know" me. And I think that's fine to say and I don't think such people mind it.

Still, Sim is a controversial personality with whose views I often disagree and, just like Sim - perhaps even because of his meager tutelage (heh) - I, too, can be vociferous in my responses. Sometimes, this results in... personal slights and, basically, "insults" which are never truly meant personally. When I tone-down my thoughts and responses, I tend to ramble and apologize and no one wants to read that wishy-washy shit.

For those who demand "honesty" and "transparency" and all that horseshit, I've a very simple rule to teach you - and it's the most important one you will ever learn, certainly from me: it's fucking "showbusiness," kids. I've worked with people with whom I cannot stand to be in the same room and it's gone over like gangbusters... I can truly say, in one specific case, some of my best work (in that field) was done with one such person.

It's just entertainment, it's only rock n roll, and they're just funnybooks, gentlemen. I certainly don't mind it if you say you "know" me... though I can't fathom why anyone would and I seriously doubt any of this will ever get you laid.

And that, really, is what it's all about - no?

© C Harris Lynn, 2010