Masonic references in Cerebus

Cerebus was a 300 issue graphic novel, published from December 1977 until November 2003. Written as several distinct stories, they were republished in what came to be called "phone books" due to their size. The story followed the life of an aardvark named Cerebus through his adventures as a barbarian warrior, president and later pope, in the United Feldwar States.

One character, "Adam Weisshaupt", introduced in Issue 21, "Captain Cockroach"; played a key role as Cerebus' patron, and later adversary, in the High Society series of Issues 26 to 50; often appeared in subsequent issues until he died in Issue 76, July 1985, "Verying Reasons of Assorted Depths"; and finally reappeared in a double page spread in Issue 300 after Cerebus dies and, the reader is left to assume, goes to Hell.

With his threat of cannon power, Weisshaupt united the city-states of the Feldwar Valley into the United Feldwar States, with himself as president. He also invented moveable type and had a university named after him. For those interested in the internal chronology of the story, according to The Cerebus Timeline, version 4.0 by Alexx Kay, Weisshaupt died on July 7, 1414.

The introduction of "President Weisshaupt", a thinly veiled parody of Bavarian Illuminati founder Adam Weishaupt, can be seen as an obscure reference to Freemasonry and contemporary conspiracy theory. Weisshaupt bears a resemblance to George Washington, echoing the claim in Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea’s 1975 Illuminatus! Trilogy that Adam Weishaupt traveled to America, killed George Washington and took his place.

Cerebus, "Ignore it, it’s just another reality". Vol. 1 No. 69 Dec. 1984. Kitchener, Ontario : Aardvark-Vanaheim Inc., 1984. Dave Sim, President. Deni Loubert, Publisher. ISSN: 0712-7774. Unnumbered page 3, top panel.

COMICS INDEX | OBSCURITIES INDEX

© 1871-2023 Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon A.F. & A.M. Updated: 2004/10/15
freemasonry.bcy.ca/fiction/cerebus.html