A pioneer of self-published comics and creators' rights, Dave Sim is best known as the creator of Cerebus the Aardvark, a comic book published from 1977 to 2004, which chronicles its main character in a 6,000-page self-contained story. Sim's epic is highly regarded for the scope of its achievement but also maligned by some for its views on religion and feminism. Upon his break-up with his last girlfriend, Susan Alston, Sim converted to his own amalgam of Western religions and swore off women forever. Susan Alston is a champion in the protection of comic creators and retailers. She was previously the Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. During this time, she was in a long-distance relationship with Dave Sim. Susan's work has been instrumental in changing public perception of comics as an art form.