Matt Howarth

answers the Usual Questions

Matt Howarth

Matt Howarth is a writer/artist who produces comic books and graphic novels. He also has a busy site for reviewing music.

Has your interaction with fans, for example, at conventions, affected your work?

Definitely -- to a certain degree. It's always nice to get feedback, but then my creative sense tends to gravitate toward trying new things, so I can't say that any specific feedback has helped guide me in any direction other than always expecting the unexpected from my work.

Is there any particular incident (a letter, a meeting, a comment that stands out?

A friend once commented that my writing is comparable to a person leaving a store with wares falling out from under their jacket. I like that, for it accurately describes the surprising turns my stories tend to take.

Do you have a favourite author or book (or writer or film or series) that has influenced you or that you return to?

My work has been deeply influenced by the writings of: Philip K. Dick, Hunter Thompson, H.P. Lovecraft, and J.G. Ballard. I know, quite a mixed bag of influences.

Who is the person you would most like to be trapped in a lift with? or a spaceship?

I was once trapped in an elevator with Bill Gaines, creator of EC Comics (albeit only for a few minutes when I was a young fanboy). I'd like the opportunity to spend more time with him as an adult.

Who is the person you would most DISlike to be trapped in a lift with? Or a spaceship?

Someone with a narrow-minded, intolerant outlook.

What would you pack for space? (Is there a food, beverage, book, teddy bear, etc that you couldn't do without?)

Music--tons of electronic music.

What is the most important thing you would like to get/achieve from your work?

To entertain, to expand the readers' outlook on life.

What is the special satisfaction of your work?

I'm a workaholic, so I like to keep busy. If I became deprived of the opportunity to write or draw, I suspect ideas would build up inside me until I (quite literally) exploded.

submitted by Matt Howarth

10 September 2014

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Just the facts:
Born: At some point in the 1950s, somewhere on the East Coast of the United States of America. I seem to have more of an affinity with the future and outer space than my current locale.
Resides: In the Philadelphia region, where I happily live as a recluse, chained to my work desk.
Bibliography/Awards:
While best known as the writer/artist of "Those Annoying Post Bros.", my output is astoundingly vast, including several comic book series ("Savage Henry," "Keif Llama: Xenotech," "Konny & Czu," "The Comix of Two Cities," "Star Crossed," "Bugtown," and more), graphic novels, text novels, collaborations with musicians, and contributions to a variety of pubs (like Heavy Metal, Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, Transmetropolitan, Taboo, and more).

Web site:
Matt's Attic (my main website, currently undergoing reconstruction)
The Bugtown Mall (my online catalog)
Sonic Curiosity (my music reviews)
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