38. CEREBUS (Cerebus)

AKA: CEREBUS THE AARDVARK

Canadian artist Dave Sim, an outspoken proponent for the creative rights of comic book creators, a frequent marijuana (and occasional LSD) user and the man responsible for creating the longest-running, single-creative-team-driven series in comic-book history, is the person to thank for giving us one of pop culture's strangest and most complex characters: a misanthropic, anthropomorphic three-foot tall gray aardvark with a chequered history that has seen him playing the roles of pope, prime minister, mercenary and unwanted houseguest. The saga of Cerebus is made even more compelling by the fact that he's a borderline alcoholic hermaphrodite with (according to his creator) a voice like George C. Scott and a general dislike for everything and everyone he comes into contact with. A character born of bizarre brilliance.

Trademarks: Possessing of a bad temper, fine skills at hand-to-hand combat and a predilection for speaking in the third person. Oh, and he's an aardvark.

On Screen: Despite numerous cross-fertilisation appearances in the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Flaming Carrot comics, Cerebus has never (and is rather unlikely) to ever make the leap to the big screen - just look what happened to Howard The Duck. If it did ever happen, however, we're thinking Warwick Davis in the aardvark suit and Danny Huston providing the voice.

Did You Know?: Cerebus' name was originally an accidental misspelling of Cerberus, the mythical three-headed dog who guarded the gate of Hades in ancient Greek myth.

Buy Cerebus (Cerebus, Book 1) now on Amazon