"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do", page 1

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a three-page, text-with-illustrations story by Dave Sim with colors by Tom Luth. It was published in March, 1986 as the cover story to Anything Goes! No. 3 from The Comics Journal.

Summary

Cerebus, having been dumped by his live-in girlfriend Michelle (the first), has a mental breakdown. He dons the expensive silk blouse he bought for her just before the break-up, and arms himself with an heirloom cheese-slicer gift, and goes about his job of "Regional Representative of His Highness' Chancellor of the Exchequer and Agent of the Municipal Treasury", or rather, tax collector. An intelligentsia notices Cerebus dressed like a member of a Panrovian Harem and refers to him as having gone "bugfuck". Despite the apparently limited effectiveness of his kitchen utensil, Cerebus kills the man with the cheese-slicer, proving that the level of determination makes the tool.

Characters

• Cerebus (last seen in "A Friendly Reminder"; next appearance in "His First Sword")
• Unnamed Intelligentsia (only appearance; dies)

Dave Sim on "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"

Cover to Anything Goes No. 3

• "Canon", "A Friendly Reminder", "(1985/02) Epic Illustrated 28", "pre-issue 1", "While there is no way to pin-point where the story goes on the timeline because it takes place prior to issue 1\, it is relevant to both character and theme. Most likely set in 1403\, while Cerebus was living with Michelle.", "Color. May need to be printed in a separate volume\, or perhaps in the middle as a color insert/supplement.", "1403.1"

Dave: "AGREED – Dave Sim [would need to be cross-referenced with the ‘Breaking Up is Hard to Do Story” and the back cover of one of the issues of the Cerebus Fan Club newsletter that depicted the original Michelle and footnoted in “The Countess & The Aardvark”]"