Joe Matt
Encyclopedia
Joe Matt is an American
cartoonist
. He started drawing comics in 1987 and is best known for his autobiographical work, Peepshow
. In addition to his cartooning career, he is known for his large collection of vintage Gasoline Alley
comic strips. Matt lived (illegally) in Canada from 1988 to 2002. He currently lives in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles
, California
.
, in which he examines his inadequate social skills
, his addiction to pornography
and the lingering effects of his Catholic
upbringing.
His work is published by Canadian publishing house Drawn and Quarterly
.
Joe Matt's work on Peepshow is part of the autobiographical comics
genre, kickstarted by the confessional stories of Harvey Pekar
and Robert Crumb
. As with these artists, Joe Matt's work frequently involves soliloquies "to camera". Peepshow is part of a self-referential universe that includes Matt's contemporaries Chester Brown
and Seth, all of whom have included each other in their books.
In 2004, it was reported that HBO was developing an animated series based on "The Poor Bastard" that would be produced by Matt and David X. Cohen
http://icv2.com/articles/home/4783.html. Joe Matt has later stated, "Yes, HBO was interested in making a series based on The Poor Bastard, but they came to their senses and changed their mind. Please feel sorry for me and buy the book when it comes back into print in January 2007."
The most recent issue of Peepshow, #14, went on sale November 1, 2006. A collection featuring Peepshow #11-14 titled SPENT was released in June 2007. Matt has stated that "I'll soon be writing / drawing about L.A. for a book that most likely will not be released as single issues, but rather a self-contained book."
for other comics to make ends meet, most notably on superhero comics, a genre which Matt himself dislikes. Among his credits as a colorist are the Batman
/ Grendel
- Limited Series, Fish Police
, Moebius: The Exotics and Jonny Quest
.
Also, despite his view on coloring as a task that merely "pays the bills," Matt was nominated for a 1989 Harvey Award
for his coloring work on the Batman/Grendel series http://users.rcn.com/aardy/comics/awards/harvey89.shtml.
Four collections of Joe Matt's comics have been published as books, as well as a "jam" sketchbook:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
. He started drawing comics in 1987 and is best known for his autobiographical work, Peepshow
Peepshow (comic book)
Peepshow is the title of a 1992 comic book collection and an ongoing autobiographical comic book by American cartoonist Joe Matt, both published by Drawn and Quarterly...
. In addition to his cartooning career, he is known for his large collection of vintage Gasoline Alley
Gasoline Alley
Gasoline Alley is a comic strip created by Frank King and currently distributed by Tribune Media Services. First published November 24, 1918, it is the second longest running comic strip in the US and has received critical accolades for its influential innovations...
comic strips. Matt lived (illegally) in Canada from 1988 to 2002. He currently lives in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Peepshow
He is the author of the autobiographical comic PeepshowPeepshow (comic book)
Peepshow is the title of a 1992 comic book collection and an ongoing autobiographical comic book by American cartoonist Joe Matt, both published by Drawn and Quarterly...
, in which he examines his inadequate social skills
Social skills
A social skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning such skills is called socialization...
, his addiction to pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
and the lingering effects of his Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
upbringing.
His work is published by Canadian publishing house Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly is a Canadian comic book publishing company, headed by Chris Oliveros, and based in Montreal, Quebec. Its focus is on graphic novels and underground or alternative comics. Drawn and Quarterly was also the title of the company's flagship quarterly anthology during the 1990s...
.
Joe Matt's work on Peepshow is part of the autobiographical comics
Autobiographical comics
Autobiographical comics are autobiography in the form of comic books or comic strips. The form first became popular in the underground comics movement and has since become more widespread...
genre, kickstarted by the confessional stories of Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar was an American underground comic book writer, music critic and media personality, best known for his autobiographical American Splendor comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
and Robert Crumb
Robert Crumb
Robert Dennis Crumb —known as Robert Crumb and R. Crumb—is an American artist, illustrator, and musician recognized for the distinctive style of his drawings and his critical, satirical, subversive view of the American mainstream.Crumb was a founder of the underground comix movement and is regarded...
. As with these artists, Joe Matt's work frequently involves soliloquies "to camera". Peepshow is part of a self-referential universe that includes Matt's contemporaries Chester Brown
Chester Brown
Chester William David Brown , is an award-winning, best-selling Canadian alternative cartoonist and, since 2008, the Libertarian Party of Canada's candidate for the riding of Trinity-Spadina in Toronto, Canada....
and Seth, all of whom have included each other in their books.
In 2004, it was reported that HBO was developing an animated series based on "The Poor Bastard" that would be produced by Matt and David X. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
http://icv2.com/articles/home/4783.html. Joe Matt has later stated, "Yes, HBO was interested in making a series based on The Poor Bastard, but they came to their senses and changed their mind. Please feel sorry for me and buy the book when it comes back into print in January 2007."
The most recent issue of Peepshow, #14, went on sale November 1, 2006. A collection featuring Peepshow #11-14 titled SPENT was released in June 2007. Matt has stated that "I'll soon be writing / drawing about L.A. for a book that most likely will not be released as single issues, but rather a self-contained book."
Colorist
Though Peepshow has developed a solid fan base, Matt has served as a coloristColorist
In comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black-and-white line art. For most of the 20th century this was done using brushes and dyes which were then used as guides to produce the printing plates...
for other comics to make ends meet, most notably on superhero comics, a genre which Matt himself dislikes. Among his credits as a colorist are the Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
/ Grendel
Grendel
Grendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
- Limited Series, Fish Police
Fish Police
Fish Police is the name of a comic book series by cartoonist Steven Moncuse. The plot centers on law and crime in a fictional underwater metropolis with the protagonist, Inspector Gill, trying to solve various, often Mafia-related, crimes while avoiding being seduced by the extremely well endowed...
, Moebius: The Exotics and Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest is a media franchise that revolves around a boy named Jonny Quest who accompanies his father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964-65 television series and has come to include two subsequent television series, two television films, and a video game.-1964–1965...
.
Awards
He has received recognition for his work in the comics industry. For Peepshow, he has been nominated for four Harvey Awards: for Best New Talent in 1990 and for the Award for Humor in 1991, 1992, and 1993.Also, despite his view on coloring as a task that merely "pays the bills," Matt was nominated for a 1989 Harvey Award
Harvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
for his coloring work on the Batman/Grendel series http://users.rcn.com/aardy/comics/awards/harvey89.shtml.
Selected works
- Peepshow # 1, February 1992 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 2, May 1992 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 3, November 1992 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 4, April 1993 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 5, October 1993 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 6, April 1994 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 7, March 1995 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 8, July 1995 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 9, April 1996 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 10, July 1997 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 11, June 1998 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 12, April 2000 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 13, February 2002 (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Peepshow # 14, October 2006 (Drawn & Quarterly)
Four collections of Joe Matt's comics have been published as books, as well as a "jam" sketchbook:
- Peepshow - The Cartoon Diary of Joe Matt, 1992 (Kitchen Sink)/1999 (Drawn & Quarterly), a collection of mostly one-page strips, usually dealing with a single subject, originally published between 1987 and 1991.
- The Poor Bastard, 1996 (Drawn & Quarterly), which collects stories published in Peepshow numbers #1 to #6. This book chronicles Joe's relationship and breakup with then-girlfriend Trish.
- Joe Matt's "Jam" Sketchbook , 1998, Collaborations with Chris WareChris WareFranklin Christenson Ware , is an American comic book artist and cartoonist, widely known for his Acme Novelty Library series and the graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he resides in the Chicago area, Illinois...
, Seth, Chester Brown, Julie DoucetJulie DoucetJulie Doucet is a Canadian former underground cartoonist and artist, best known for her autobiographical works such as Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary...
, Adrian TomineAdrian TomineAdrian Tomine , a popular contemporary cartoonist, is best known for his ongoing comic book series Optic Nerve and his periodical illustrations in The New Yorker.- Biography :...
, Max, Jason LutesJason LutesJason Lutes is an American comics creator. His work is mainly historical fiction, but he also works in traditional fiction...
, Dave SimDave SimDavid Victor Sim is an award-winning Canadian comic book writer and artist.A pioneer of self-published comics and creators' rights, 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...
, Will EisnerWill EisnerWilliam Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
, Marc Bell, James KochalkaJames KochalkaJames Kochalka is an American comic book artist and writer, and rock musician. His comics are noted for their blending of the real and the surreal...
, Ivan BrunettiIvan BrunettiIvan Brunetti is an American cartoonist and comics scholar based in Chicago, Illinois.Noted for combining blackly humorous taboo-laden subject matter with simplified and exaggerated cartoon drawing styles, Brunetti's best known comic work is collected in his largely autobiographical series Schizo,...
, Steven Weisman, etc., limited print.
- Fair Weather, 2002 (Drawn & Quarterly), which collects Peepshow numbers #7 to #10. In this book Matt chronicles an episode from his childhood in 1970s suburbia.
- Spent, 2007 (Drawn & Quarterly), which collects Peepshow numbers #11 to #14. In this book Matt chronicles a story arc that documents his obsessive “editing” of porn videos.