Joe Matt
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2012) |
Joe Matt | |
---|---|
Born | Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S. | September 3, 1963
Died | September 18, 2023 | (aged 60)
Nationality | American |
Area(s) |
|
Notable works | Peepshow |
Joe Matt (September 3, 1963 – September 18, 2023) was an American cartoonist, best known for his autobiographical work, Peepshow.[1]
Early life
Joe Matt was born and raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, a middle-class suburb of Philadelphia. He had three siblings. His mother was a housewife. His father held a variety of different jobs, including owner of a carpet store and a longtime stint working for Amtrak; in Matt's words, "he seemed to drift from job to job a lot." Matt credited his childhood lack of money with forming his later habit of cheapness. He attended Catholic school until 12th grade.[2]
Matt developed drawing skills by age five, and later said he considered himself an artist all his life. His mother encouraged him in this pursuit, having herself attended the
Matt earned a degree from the
Career
In his autobiographical comic
Matt began creating Peepshow in 1987. In 1992, his Peepshow strips were serialized by Kitchen Sink Press under the title Peepshow: The Cartoon Diary of Joe Matt. His work was later published by Canadian publishing house Drawn & Quarterly.
Joe Matt's work on Peepshow is part of the
In 2004, HBO began developing an animated series based on The Poor Bastard, a collection of stories from Peepshow #1 to #6, produced by Matt and David X. Cohen.[3] However, Joe Matt later stated that "they came to their senses and changed their mind".
The last issue of Peepshow, #14, went on sale in 2006, and a collection of Peepshow #11–14 titled Spent was released in 2007.
Matt worked as a colorist for other comics to make ends meet, most notably on superhero comics, a genre he disliked. Among his credits as a colorist are the Batman/Grendel limited series, Fish Police and Jonny Quest.
Personal life and death
Matt lived illegally[
Joe Matt died on September 18, 2023, of a heart attack, while working at his drawing desk. He was 60.[1][5]
Awards
For Peepshow, Matt was nominated for four Harvey Awards: for Best New Talent in 1990 and for the Award for Humor in 1991, 1992, and 1993.
Matt was nominated for a 1989 Harvey Award for his coloring work on the Batman/Grendel series.[6]
Bibliography
- Peepshow #1–14 (Drawn & Quarterly, February 1992 – October 2006)
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.[7]
- The Poor Bastard, 1996 (Drawn & Quarterly), which collects stories published in Peepshow #1–6. This book chronicles Matt's relationship and breakup with then-girlfriend Trish.[8]
- Joe Matt's "Jam" Sketchbook , 1998, Collaborations with Chris Ware, Seth, Chester Brown, Julie Doucet, Adrian Tomine, Max, Jason Lutes, Dave Sim, Will Eisner, Marc Bell, James Kochalka, Ivan Brunetti, Steven Weisman, etc., limited print.[citation needed]
- Fair Weather, 2002 (Drawn & Quarterly), which collects Peepshow #7–10. In this book Matt chronicles an episode from his childhood in 1970s suburbia.[8]
- Spent, 2007 (Drawn & Quarterly), which collects Peepshow #11–14. In this book, Matt chronicles a story arc that documents his obsessive "editing" of porn videos.[8]
References
- ^ a b Cronin, Brian (2023-09-19). "Joe Matt, Acclaimed Creator of Peepshow, Passes Away at Age 60". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ a b c Brayshaw, Christopher (January 1996). "Joe Matt". The Comics Journal. No. 183. p. 47-75. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ "HBO Developing Joe Matt's "The Poor Bastard"". 2004-04-27.
- ^ Matt, J. (2007). Spent. Drawn & Quarterly.
- ^ Johnson, Rich. "Joe Matt, Creator Of Peepshow, Died Aged 60 At His Drawing Board. RIP". Bleeding Cool.
- ^ "1989 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners". Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
- ^ Booker 2010, p. 396.
- ^ a b c Booker 2010, p. 397.
Works cited
- Booker, M. Keith (2010). "Matt, Joe". Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels: [Two Volumes]. ISBN 978-0-313-35747-3.
External links
- Biography at Drawn & Quarterly
- Joe Matt discography at Discogs