Was Shojo inspired by Cerebus's Lord Julius?

[Maulrus]

This might be a bit of a stretch, but it's been bugging me for a while now.

I started my mission to read all of Cerebus (completed today!) about a month ago. Lord Julius is a character who constantly appears insane and comical in every situation, while in reality he's controlling everything and manipulating everyone; similar to Shojo. The character trait probably isn't unique (I haven't encountered it elsewhere, but I'm sure someone else has written about a "crazy" ruler in complete control), but the mention of Cerebus syndrome earlier on in the comic made me think that (just maybe?) the characters were connected.

Any ideas, or am I reading waaaaaay too much between the lines?

[factotum]

Cerebus Syndrome is a well-known phrase--look it up on TV Tropes. (It was apparently coined in a webcomic called Websnark, but I've not read it). Therefore the appearance of the name in OotS is unlikely to indicate a link. As for the ruler who appears insane, or stupid, but is actually quite clever and sneaky, that's been around for donkey's years.

[Maulrus]

I knew about the trope (I've spent more hours on TV Tropes than I'm willing to reveal here :smallwink:), but I wasn't sure of how well-known it was or how common that kind of character is. Thanks for the answer!

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the reason I found Cerebus in the first place was I saw the mention of it in OotS, which prompted me to look it up. Even if there is absolutely no connection between the two for most, there'll always be one there for me.

[Nimrod's Son]

It was apparently coined in a webcomic called Websnark, but I've not read it
Websnark isn't a webcomic, it's a site that talks about webcomics. Amongst other things.

[allenw]

This might be a bit of a stretch, but it's been bugging me for a while now.

I started my mission to read all of Cerebus (completed today!) about a month ago.

You read all of Cerebus (300 issues) in a *month*? Wow. I read them as they came out (after #30 or so), and didn't give up until somewhere in the mid-200's.
So, did you read the letter columns too (later replaced by rather long essays)? Of course, you probably read the compilations, which I doubt included the letters (though I'm sure the ssays were there).
And did it seem to you that there was an exact point at which... someone... suffered a psychotic break, or did it seem more like a gradual spiral? :smalltongue:

[Kish]

Was Shojo inspired by Cerebus's Lord Julius?

A shockingly unlikely scenario.

[Maulrus]

You read all of Cerebus (300 issues) in a *month*? Wow. I read them as they came out (after #30 or so), and didn't give up until somewhere in the mid-200's.
So, did you read the letter columns too (later replaced by rather long essays)? Of course, you probably read the compilations, which I doubt included the letters (though I'm sure the ssays were there).
And did it seem to you that there was an exact point at which... someone... suffered a psychotic break, or did it seem more like a gradual spiral? :smalltongue:

Yep. I recently discovered the lucrative business of babysitting :smalltongue:, and I just couldn't stop reading. Most of the extraneous stuff wasn't included, and the most controversial thing in any of the phonebooks was the infamous Issue 186 essay.

And my opinions on Sim's mental decline (for lack of a better term) are probably not the most typical. While I understand how the later issues alienated many readers, and how his more controversial viewpoints did the same, I think the series took its most major turn after Jaka's Story and didn't change that much after that. I also think some of his best writing is later on; Minds through most of The Latter Days represent some really great stuff. I have to admit I skipped most of the Torah analysis sections in Chasing YHWH; they were just too dry. But really I don't think it changed that much later on, and it all seemed pretty fitting with the series to me.

And I've been wondering, what was it like reading them as they came out once he progressed into fully continuous stories? I gotta imagine they'd end rather suddenly in pretty weird places considering he just divided the larger story into 20-page segments for release.

And (finally), if you haven't, I'd recommend reading The Last Day. It is really a very wonderful conclusion to the whole thing.

[Toper]

The character trait probably isn't unique (I haven't encountered it elsewhere, but I'm sure someone else has written about a "crazy" ruler in complete control)
Another instance is (fantasy novel spoiler) King Joyse of The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through.

[Katana_Geldar]

Claudius is known for this in Robert Graves' novel I, Claudius. Though for most of his life it was to keep him alive so people wouldn't think he was worth killing.

[Steward]

It might as well be a reference to the "Oddfather", Vincent "The Chin" Gigante who pretended to be senile and demented for over 10 years to avoid going to federal prison. He would wander New York City in his bathrobes and slippers, mumbling and ranting like a madman. All the while he manipulated the vast Genovese criminal enterprise until his arrest and conviction during the 90s.

[Katana_Geldar]

Need more examples? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ObfuscatingStupidity)

[Mystic Muse]

I think Rich Burlew said he has actually read Cerebus in the one thread about TVtropes. Can anybody confirm this?

[Nimrod's Son]

I think Rich Burlew said he has actually read Cerebus in the one thread about TVtropes. Can anybody confirm this?
He said no such thing. Well, not in that thread, at least. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8006917)

[Mystic Muse]

He said no such thing. Well, not in that thread, at least. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8006917)

Ah. Well thank you for clearing that up. I was misremembering the part about "Cerebus syndrome" I guess.