Swords Against Cerebus

The results are (almost) in, and they spell an overwhelming majority for Swords Against Cerebus, which means it’s time for another episode! This one covers issues 42 (“Campaign’s End”) and 43 (“Election Night”)!

In this episode:

- Is Annie the Rosetta Stone to Dave Sim’s aesthetic taste?|
- What the hell is a Wood Elf?
- Will this Astoria/Dirty Drew thing ever be good?

Find your hosts elsewhere:

- Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).
- Do you understand the Regency Elf’s designs on Cerebus? Email us at [email protected]!
- Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!
- And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Every great comic has that moment where all of the disparate plot threads come to a head, all the characters react exactly like they’re supposed to, and something beautiful is born. No, I’m not talking about the High Society plot. I’m talking about Neil the Horse, which debuts in issue #40 (“Campaign”)! Also in this episode of Swords Against Cerebus, we cover issue #41 (“Heroes”).

Other fun stuff in this episode includes:

The empire is losing the blood wars.

A worse, non-Neil Unique Story!

New leads on the duck statue!

Cerebus fursuit! (Not mine.)

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Want to explain Marx brothers to Ed? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes! (Although this week's intro is a sort-of cover of Slark by Ed.)

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

P.S.: Sophia did an excellent job editing out the thirty-nine instances of insane static coming from my microphone this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, tell her, because she’s the reason it’s even remotely listenable!

Con season is still upon us, and the panels wait for no podcaster! Come with us to the Petuniacon convention center, where there's a new episode of Swords Against Cerebus covering issues 38 “Petuniacon…Day Two” and “Petuniacon…Day 3!”

Talking points:

• Our quickly-souring opinions on a counterfeiting scheme that hasn't been relevant in 30 years!

• K'cor! (Yes, that one!)

• Slark!

Find your hosts elsewhere:

• Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

• Running for local office in Iest? Email us at [email protected]!

• Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes! (Although this week's intro is a sort-of cover of Slark by Ed.)

• And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Wake up, listeners. Wire mother needs you to like and subscribe for a new episode of Swords Against Cerebus, covering issues 36 (“The Night Before“) and 37 (“It’s Showtime!“). We start by responding to a letter from MJ Sewall, and then jump into two more issues we loved!

- Jaka’s emotions: normal!
- The inquisition’s demise: off-screen!
- The stories: unique!

Find your hosts elsewhere:
- Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).
- Trying to sell some old election paraphernalia? Email us at [email protected]!
- Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Hey! If you have time to stand around, you have time to move those flowerpots! We're preparing for Petuniacon, and we've got a big helping of Swords Against Cerebus for you, covering issues 34 ("Three Days Before") and 35 ("Two Days Before")! Hey, is this arc actually good? Or am I just being tricked by notorious hottie Bran Mac Mufin (yes, really)!

It's a big couple of issues. I promise you I haven't spoiled [even close to] everything. As a matter of fact, why don't you just listen for yourself?

Find your hosts elsewhere:

- Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

- Got an SEO tip for the business community? Email us at [email protected]!

- Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

- And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Appearing from behind a door you didn’t notice, it’s Swords Against Cerebus, covering issues 32 (“Alliance“) and 33 (“Friction“)! Despite a vicious attack by the Enemy, we are committed to bringing you the good news…we like Cerebus! For now, at least.

Syllabus for this episode:

“Actual superheroes” boomer comic.

Fairly OddParents Cosmo yelling image.

Killzone (PS2)’s steel case.

Calvinism

Yours truly (Ed) apologizes for their audio in this episode. Owing to attacks from the Enemy, I forgot to turn off my air conditioner. Sophia did what she could.

Short discussion of fictional sexual assault starting at 0:21:37 until 0:23:42.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Willing to part with one of these High Society A/V box sets? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

And with the hiss of the cockroach, it’s Swords Against Cerebus once again, covering issues 30 (“Debts”) and 31 (“Catching Cootie”)! Maybe you already guessed, but our least favorite character is back! Also, we finally read “What Happened Between Issues Twenty and Twenty-one!” And I can promise you this episode will answer these burning questions:

- Is that a titty window in the cover of #30?
- What historical reference did we totally miss in #27?
- Was anything actually explained by that short story?
- Is Palnu socialist?

And since you know I love to tease about the letters…one terrifying letter from Frank Thorne.

Content warning: discussion of a character claiming to have been raped, summarized between 42:53 and 43:48, and analyzed between 48:24 and 55:00.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

- Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).
- Got an audition tape for the Neil the Horse musical? Email us at [email protected]!
- Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!
- And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

You hear a knock on your door. “Room service,” comes a voice from outside. You open the door and a bellhop glides in with a cart. On the cart is a silver cloche. The bellhop lifts the lid, and out comes a tiny podcast. It’s episode 16 of Swords Against Cerebus, covering issues 28 (“Mind Game II”) and 29 (“Repercussions”)!

We have some very special treats for you this episode, including but not limited to:

- The first female character since “This Woman, This Thing!”

- Abundant therians!

- And an incredible letter from Carl Barks.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

- Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

- Think you can you articulate the ecclesiastical breakdown of Estarcion at the time of Mind Game II? Email us at [email protected]!

- Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

- And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Dear friends,

You are cordially invited to season 2 of Swords Against Cerebus, starting today. Expect fancy hotels, fancy lads, and fancy schemes. And lots and lots of furries.

Sincerely,
Swords Against Cerebus

High Society is upon us, and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover! So bring your nicest jacket, and prepare for:

- Phonetic accents…again.
- The Regency Hotel (sans Elf…for now)!
- Somehow, an explanation of the rules of Diamondback!

…and one very, very special letter.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

- Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).
- Have a good explanation of the rules of Diamondback? Email us at [email protected]!
- Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!
- And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

STOP THE COUNT! Before High Society really gets going, we thought it would be a good idea to go back and take a look at the short stories and one-offs we’ve missed up to this point. Along the way, we also hit work fetishes, Leopold the Gambling Priest, the Regency Elf, the real Regency Elf, the poster’s spirit, the objective attractiveness of The Spirit, and more.

This episode covers the following short stories:

“Passage”

“The Challenge”

“Demonhorn”

“Cerebus Versus The Spirit”

“The Name of the Game is Diamondback”

“A Night on the Town”

“Elfguest”

“Cerebus Dreams”

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have a few questionable verses of epic poetry to read us? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

They grow up so fast, don’t they? It’s finally here, folks — episode 13 of Swords Against Cerebus, putting a cap on the comic’s first “arc” with issue 25 (“This Woman, This Thing”)! What a weird place to start High Society from.

Here’s just a few of the names appearing before you this episode:

Albrecht Durer!

Mind Goblin!

Beau Brummel!

Sump Thing!

And to reflect before we embark on the next step of this journey, we give out some awards.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have a large sum of money you’d like to give away? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

P.S.: At the time this comes out, it seems only prudent to say “Happy Deltarune release!” and to point you towards SURVEY_PROGRAM, a podcast about Deltarune.

Come in, traveler. Rest your weary head. Let us care for you, but leave well alone the cellar…where we’re cooking up the twelfth episode of Swords Against Cerebus, covering issues 23 and 24 (“The Beguiling, parts 1 and 2”)! This week’s discussion questions:

Did Dave Sim kill John Lennon?

Can you trust any women?

Does anyone not want to fuck Cerebus?

P.S.: It’s Ed’s fault this one is late. If you feel obliged to send them some encouragement, fire a few shots off your balcony in a random direction.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have a compelling interpretation of a children’s fable? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Who are those fashionable podcasters in the Mega Man boots? Why, it must be the hosts of Swords Against Cerebus, bringing another episode to you! This one’s episode number 11, covering issues 21 (“Captain Cockroach”) and 22 (“The Death of Elrod”)! Maybe it says something that we rolled snake eyes on this pair of stinkers. Well, at least we had fun with ‘em!

This episode features such incredible things as:

A classic Dave Sim drug story!

Elrod bitching, again!

A really stupid plan!

Please enjoy responsibly.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Need to sell some worthless war bonds? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Iceberg, right ahead! It’s episode 10 of Swords Against Cerebus, covering issues 19 (“She-Devil in the Shadows”) and 20 (“Mind Game”)!

We were tricked — fooled, that is — by the last 18 issues, so sure we wouldn’t have to think about Cirinists and Suenteses for at least another five issues (if not twenty) that these issues knocked us on our fucking asses! For old time’s sake, let’s do some bullets:

The return of Henrot!

Rampant Islamophobia!

Elvis!

Easily the worst misogyny in the comic yet!

Usually I’m one to tease all the good bits in the episode summary, but you’re going to have to hear this one for yourself.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Got any Gerbies you need to pawn off? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

Chaos reigns! It's the ninth episode of Swords Against Cerebus, covering issues 17 (“Champion”) and 18 (“Fluroc”)!

Hope you didn't like the characters we've spent three and a half issues with, because we're going to hang out with some other guys now. One of them is Grimes! After that: youth group, vintage furries, a very accessible reference to a Mastodon post, and the mastodon in the room: Dave's extremely ill-advised letters column!

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have a crumbling hovel we can buy? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

From the pits under Palnu, it’s another Swords Against Cerebus, discussing issues 15 (“A Day in the Pits”) and 16 (“A Night at the Masque”)! Hey, they’ll let any old episode title fly down here.

It’s the rest of the Palnu trilogy, featuring a lot of weird returns! Dave Sim’s Reagan obsession — E’lass and Turg — Jaka (briefly) — and libertarianism!

Talking points:

Is communism bad? (No.)

Is Palnu communist? (No.)

Is Cerebus asexual representation? (Uh.)

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have a hot tip on Venusian battle plans? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Hello there. You must be our listeners. You see, we’re currently recovering from amnesia caused by prolonged exposure to the mind-altering vortex of issues 13 (“Black Magiking”) and 14 (“The Walls of Palnu”), as well as the short story “Magiking” and the “Silverspoon” strips. Look, buddy, it’s transient; shifting like water.

So far, this is the only time a story has made us do a “lightning round!” We hate the Thrunk! Also, these Prince Valiant parody strips are predictably racist! Other key words for the day: Groucho Marx, multiple systems (again), God’s Hedgehog Messenger, and the Kool-aid Man.

Note: Ed advances an argument in this episode concerning Dave Sim and antipsychiatry which they correct somewhat in episode 8. In the 2-week interregnum, they are happy to summarize thusly:

I believe the place I arrived at in the previous episode was that Dave Sim held his antipsych beliefs, and specifically his beliefs about schizophrenia, because they suited him, and that he wasn’t being entirely honest, accurate, or both about his own internal state. I don’t believe this - it legitimizes the idea that "someone with a mental disorder" or whatever is meaningfully distinct from someone without.

Instead, I’d like to argue that Sim is doing the same thing when he goes thru the finer points of a schizophrenia diagnosis – drawing a line between "actual schizophrenia" and "me.” Whether or not Sim has schizophrenia or not is immaterial to me; his lack of rigor with regards to antipsychiatry is what matters.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have questions about the eternal soul? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

We are the night! We are episode 6 of Swords Against Cerebus! This one covers issues 11 (“The Merchant & the Cockroach”) and 12 (“Beduin by Night”). In the dark, mean streets of Kitchener, Ontario, one man has an idea: what if Batman but “craaaazy?”

Just in case you thought these issues were starting to get any good, we unpack a big helping of ableism, along with the return of Elrod’s return, and Dave Sim’s account of himself.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have questions about the eternal soul? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Somewhere in the deserts of Mars, a hand falls to the ground, twitches once, and then ceases to move forevermore. The last of the forces sent to P’razz has been extinguished. The Venusian attack was swift and devastating. With the human economy decimated, there was no time or money to invent a bulwark against the arc lightning cannons, and nothing to prevent the loss of one of the most important strategic locations in all of the solar system.

In a lead-lined command center on Earth, a general puts their head in their hands. No one says anything. The comm links beep out and fall silent.

Finally, a great sigh rumbles out from the general’s chest. They look up, looking each and every person in the situation room in the eye. Words aren’t needed to express (in fact, couldn’t convey) the sorrowful resolve it inspires in everyone in the room.

“There’s only one thing to do,” the general says, and everyone knows how the sentence is going to end before it clears their lips.

“Send out the fifth episode of Swords Against Cerebus.”

If you’re hearing this, it means you have clearance to hear episode five of Swords Against Cerebus, covering issues 9 (“Swords Against Imesh”) and 10 (“Merchant of Unshib”). Important take-aways include:

The economic situation of Estarcion (it’s a mess)

The invention of buz (it’s a mistake)

The remarkable sexlessness of Cerebus’ misogyny (it’s, well, bad)

Oh, and Cerebus gets his back blasted by balls.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Ed’s comic, IA IA IA.

Ed’s previous podcast, News of the World (available wherever you get your podcasts).

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have a hot tip on Venusian battle plans? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

The door is guarded by two podcast hosts. One is always punctual and the other one is Ed.

Luckily, there's still time for Swords Against Cerebus episode 4, covering issues 7 (“Black Sun Rising”) and 8 (“Day of the Earth-Pig!”). Congratulations to the newlyweds, about whom we definitely did not learn additional, deeply uncomfortable, details! Welcome back to Elrod! Someone wears a bunny suit in this one (no, not the kind you're thinking of).

We're getting the toys out today, but not the fun ones.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Ed’s comic, IA IA IA.

Ed’s previous podcast, News of the World (available wherever you get your podcasts).

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Got a Cerebus plush to donate? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

Do you smell that? No, it’s not a wet aardvark — it’s Swords Against Cerebus episode 3, covering issues 5 (“The Idol”) and 6 (“The Secret”)!

While your hosts felt these issues were a breath of fresh air after issues 3 and 4, we’re also expert haters, so fear not — there’s plenty of shocking twists and turns in this episode. We’re setting our sights on Phil Seuling, the ending of issue 6, and (don’t say you didn’t see it coming) Dave Sim, again! You don’t actually need to write down every single embarrassing thought you’ve ever had!

Anyway, some important characters are introduced, or whatever.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Ed’s comic, IA IA IA.

Ed’s previous podcast, News of the World (available wherever you get your podcasts).

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have questions about the eternal soul? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

I’m calling a shot here. This one is going to be the definite article. Covering issues 3 (“Song of Red Sophia”) and 4 (“Death’s Dark Tread“), it’s episode 2 of Swords Against Cerebus.

Just in case you thought we were going to have a good time reading this, it’s a back-to-back bad issue bonanza. Red Sophia is a misogynist caricature! Elrod’s no fun! Frank Thorne’s roleplaying in the letters! No one’s getting out of this one looking good. Except for us.

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Ed’s comic, IA IA IA.

Ed’s previous podcast, News of the World (available wherever you get your podcasts).

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have questions about the eternal soul? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes!

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!

The inaugural episode of the only podcast covering every issue of Cerebus from start to finish, covering issue 1 (“Cerebus the Aardvark”) and 2 (“Captive in Boreala”).

LEARN:

Does “Cerebus Syndrome” actually manifest in the eponymous comic?

Which book of the Bible will we eventually be forced to discuss?

Is Bell Canada a white hat covert operative?

SEE:

Cerebus’s secret Star Wars origin!

The best sentence ever written!

The final word on the eternal soul!

Find your hosts elsewhere:

Ed’s comic, IA IA IA.

Ed’s previous podcast, News of the World (available wherever you get your podcasts).

Sophia Goodnight’s podcast, We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar (also available wherever you get your podcasts).

Have questions about the eternal soul? Email us at [email protected]!

Swords Against Cerebus’s theme song was composed by Avery Crimes

And follow Swords Against Cerebus through our RSS Feed, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or just at Gruppeshrike!