There are comic-book crossovers that make perfect sense.
And then there are the ones that make you stop, look at the solicitation again, and say, “Wait… WHAT?”
That’s exactly the reaction to the latest Kickstarter campaign from Indy Comics: Ninja High School Meets Cerebus, the Aardvark, a new graphic novel bringing together two very different, yet strangely compatible, independent comic-book icons.
Ben Dunn’s Ninja High School and Dave Sim’s Cerebus the Aardvark come from very different corners of the comics world. One is a manga-influenced, action-packed comedy about ninjas, aliens, teenagers and the wonderfully chaotic students of Quagmire High. The other began as a parody of sword-and-sorcery comics before evolving into one of the most ambitious and controversial independent comic-book projects ever produced.
And now they’re sharing a story.
The project is being offered through Kickstarter, with the campaign promising the full graphic novel collaboration between Dunn and Sim. The pairing isn’t entirely out of nowhere, however. A preview of the collaboration has already been published: Ninja High School Cerebus: The First 16 Pages, released by Aardvark-Vanaheim in December 2025. That black-and-white preview was written and illustrated by both Dave Sim and Ben Dunn and presented the first 16 pages of their collaboration.
So this isn’t simply a hypothetical “what if?”
It actually happened.
Two Independent Comics Legends Collide
For longtime independent-comics readers, the appeal goes beyond the novelty of seeing Cerebus standing alongside the cast of Ninja High School.
Ben Dunn’s Ninja High School dates back to the 1980s. The original series was created and illustrated by Dunn and followed the bizarre student body of Quagmire High School, a mixture of novice ninjas, mages-in-training and undercover aliens. The series quickly became one of the recognizable titles of the independent-comics boom.
Cerebus, meanwhile, debuted in December 1977. What began as a parody of sword-and-sorcery comics became Dave Sim’s enormous 300-issue saga, ultimately running for more than 6,000 pages. Over the course of its run, Cerebus moved far beyond its original parody roots and became an ambitious work dealing with politics, religion, philosophy, gender and power.
That makes the crossover particularly intriguing.
These aren’t simply two characters from different comic books being thrown together because somebody thought the combination would look good on a cover.
They’re representatives of two different eras and philosophies of independent comics.
The History Is Already Being Made
What’s especially interesting about this Kickstarter is that the project has already generated a piece of comic-book history.
The previously released 16-page preview gives readers an opportunity to see what happens when Dunn and Sim actually put their characters together. The preview was published in black and white and included an essay by Sim in addition to the story.
There has already been enough interest in that material that copies of the Ninja High School/Cerebus Kickstarter edition have begun appearing on the secondary market. Recent listings have shown copies selling for around $20, demonstrating that collectors are already paying attention to this unusual meeting of independent-comics history.
Now the Kickstarter is giving readers the opportunity to get the larger graphic novel rather than simply the initial preview.
Why This Crossover Actually Works
On paper, Ninja High School and Cerebus couldn’t seem more different.
But both series grew out of the same fundamental idea:
Independent comics could do things the mainstream publishers couldn’t.
Dunn was able to build a universe filled with anime and manga influences, ninjas, science fiction, comedy and superhero-style adventure.
Sim took an independently published parody comic and eventually transformed it into an enormous, highly personal work that challenged the expectations of what an independent comic could become.
Both creators developed recognizable visual styles. Both built worlds that could support an enormous cast of characters. And both have audiences who have followed their work for decades.
That makes this crossover more than a random meeting.
It’s a meeting of independent-comics history.
A Kickstarter for Comic-Book History
Kickstarter has become an important part of the modern independent-comics landscape, allowing creators to produce projects that might never receive the backing of a traditional publisher.
This particular campaign has another advantage: the concept sells itself.
How many opportunities are readers going to get to own a graphic novel featuring the characters of Ninja High School and Cerebus together?
Probably not many.
The campaign has already attracted attention from collectors and independent-comics fans, and the project is currently funded beyond its initial goal according to campaign-tracking data.
And that’s probably the best way to describe this project:
It’s weird. It’s unexpected. And that’s exactly why it belongs in comics.
For fans of Ben Dunn, Dave Sim, Ninja High School, Cerebus, or simply the history of independent comics, this is one of those projects that is difficult to ignore.
Because somewhere along the way, two completely different corners of the comics universe collided.
And somehow, Cerebus ended up at Quagmire High School.
That’s a comic book you have to see to believe.
The Kickstarter campaign is available on Kickstarter: NINJA HIGH SCHOOL meets CEREBUS, THE AARDVARK Graphic Novel
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