Co-Editors Dominick Grace and Eric Hoffman (Dave Sim: Conversations, Chester Brown: Conversations, Seth: Conversations, Jim Shooter: Conversations, Steve Gerber: Conversations, Approaching Twin Peaks: Essays on the Original Series, and The Canadian Alternative: Cartoonists, Comics, and Graphic Novels) seek original, previously unpublished essays on the work of Dave Sim for a book of critical approaches on Sim, tentatively titled Dave Sim: Comics Iconoclast, to be published by McFarland.

Recommended themes: formal, historical, and thematic considerations, including Sim’s role as ground level self-publisher and how this position as comics industry outsider impacts his work; Sim as specifically Canadian artist; his advances and innovations in the graphic narrative form; intertextual or meta elements of his work, specifically in his magnum opus, Cerebus, including satire and parody; Sim’s innovative use of the episodic, periodical format in long-form storytelling; Sim’s testing of the limits of what constitutes a ‘comic’; realism vs. fantasy; caricature and photo-realism; generic transgressions; world-building; issues of gender, religion, and politics. Essays on all of Sim’s work (Cerebus, Judenhass, Glamourpuss, Cerebus in Hell, The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, early short works, essays, electronic media) are encouraged.

Please submit proposals of 200-300 words. Proposal due date: July 31, 2022.

Send proposals to davesimcomicsiconoclast@gmail.com

Final essay due date: November 30, 2022. Recommended length: 5,000-7,500 words although longer essays will be considered.

Planned publication date: fall 2023.