Editing Matt Howarth

{{short description|American cartoonist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox comics creator

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| nationality   = American
| cartoonist    = y
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| notable works = ''[[Those Annoying Post Bros]]''<br />''[[Savage Henry (comics)|Savage Henry]]''<br />''[[Star Crossed (comics)|Star Crossed]]''<br />''Bugtown''
| awards        = 
| website       = http://www.matthowarth.com
}}
'''Matt Howarth''' is an American comic book writer/artist known for such series as ''[[Those Annoying Post Bros]]'', ''[[Savage Henry (comics)|Savage Henry]]'', ''[[Star Crossed (Helix)|Star Crossed]]'', and ''Bugtown''.

== Biography ==
Howarth's influences include writers [[Philip K. Dick]] and [[H. P. Lovecraft]], comics artists [[Steve Ditko]], [[Bernie Wrightson]], [[Moebius (comics)|Moebius]], and [[Philippe Druillet]], and [[progressive music]]. He was active in the field of [[fanzines]] from 1969, when he also co-founded '''Howski Studios'''.<ref>[http://lambiek.net/artists/h/howarth_matt.htm Howarth entry], Lambiek Comiclopedia. Accessed December 7, 2016.</ref>

==Career==
Howarth, via Howski Studios, published a number of graphic novels and comics in the years 1976–1985.

Howarth's first ongoing series was ''[[Those Annoying Post Bros]].'', about two fun-loving bad boys from the fictional Bugtown. In the early 1980s ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]'' introduced ''Post Bros'' as a continuing story, but they did not have their own comic book until [[Vortex Comics]] began publishing ''Those Annoying Post Bros.'' in 1985. It ran for 18 issues until 1990. In 1991, the title was taken over by [[Rip Off Press]], which published an additional 20 issues until 1994.<ref name="comicsjournal168">"Post Bros. Moves to ÆON", p. 39. ''[[The Comics Journal]]'', Seattle, May 1994.</ref> [[MU Press]] picked up the title from 1994–1998, publishing 25 more issues, for a total of 63 issues.

While continuing to produce ''Those Annoying Post Bros.'' Howarth wrote and drew the six-issue limited series ''[[Particle Dreams]]'' for [[Fantagraphics]] in 1986–1987. In 1988, Fantagraphics also published Howarth's six-issue series ''[[Keif Llama: Xeno-Tech]]''.

From 1987 to 1994, Howarth did the comic book series ''[[Savage Henry (comics)|Savage Henry]]'' for Rip Off Press, about the adventures of a guitarist from an [[Parallel universe (fiction)|alternate reality]]. He is the lead guitarist for a fictional insect band called The Bulldaggers. Most issues of this series featured authorized guest appearances by real musicians, including [[The Residents]], [[Hawkwind]], [[Moby]], [[Ash Ra Tempel]], [[Klaus Schulze]], [[Nash the Slash]], [[Foetus (band)|Foetus]], [[Yello]], [[Wire (band)|Wire]], [[Steve Roach (musician)|Steve Roach]], [[Richard Pinhas]], [[Ron Geesin]], and [[David Borden]]. [[Conrad Schnitzler]] (an original member of [[Tangerine Dream]] and [[Kluster]]) was a regular guest in this series and several graphic novels. Howarth created album cover artwork for several releases on the Birdo'Pray record label. He also provided the illustrations for ''[[Dr. Adder]]'' by [[K. W. Jeter]].

[[James Wallis (games designer)|James Wallis]] of [[Hogshead Publishing]] designed a roleplaying game based on Howarth's ''Bugtown'' comics.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|304}} Wallis brought his ''Bugtown'' game to [[Phage Press]] in 1992 to be produced, but [[Erick Wujcik]] had creative differences with Wallis so he pulled the deal from Phage in 1994.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|269}} Wallis brought his ''Bugtown'' game to [[Wizards of the Coast]], but was not successful there either, as Howarth was unable to come to an agreement with Wizards on royalties.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|304}} In 1996, Wujcik was able to talk Howarth into licensing the ''Bugtown'' rights to him again, although Wujcik never actually published a game based on the comic.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|269}} Howarth did write and draw a crossover between ''Bugtown'' and [[The Chronicles of Amber|Amber]] titled "Amber Raves of Pain" which was published in ''[[Amberzine]]'' from issue #6 (February 1994) through #9 (January 1997).<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|269}}

In 1994–1995, [[Antarctic Press]] published Howarth's four-issue series ''[[Konny and Czu]]''. The [[MU Press]] imprint [[Aeon Press]] published Howarth's six-issue limited series ''[[Comix of Two Cities]]'' in 1996. The [[DC Comics]] imprint [[Helix (comics)|Helix]] released Howarth's three-issue limited series ''[[Star Crossed (comics)|Star Crossed]]'' in 1997.

In the 2000s, Howarth published the six-issue series ''[[Bugtown]]'' and the second-volume of ''Keif Llama: Xeno-Tech'' (also six issues), both with MU Press.

Since 2008 Howarth has published a number of prose novels and short story collections through a print on demand service.

In 2012, Sonoluxe Records released Howarth's 110 page graphic novel ''The Last of the Neon Cynics'' as a PDF File on an Enhanced CD also featuring nine pieces composed by musician [[Bill Nelson (musician)|Bill Nelson]] as a soundtrack. Set in the 23rd century, the Science-Fiction Western features an intergalactic cowboy called Cassidy. The same year, Howarth contributed a comic to accompany [[Arthur Brown (musician)|Arthur Brown]]'s CD ''The Magic Hat''.

== Bibliography ==
* ''Afternoon in the Sun'' (Howski Studios, 1976)
* ''Sand Scripts''  (Howski Studios, 1977)
* ''Rock Horror'', 3 regular issues (Howski Studios, 1979) — co-starring [[Savage Henry]]
* ''The Hoobi Yaps Artifact'' (Howski Studios, 1983)
* ''The League of Mikes'' (Howski Studios,	1983)
* "Fire Shrine Trilogy" (1983–1987):
** ''Temple Snare'' (Howski Studios, 1983) — reprinted by MU Press in 1990
** (with W. E. Rittenhouse) ''The Anti-Chair!'' (Rhesus Records, 1983) — reprinted as ''This Is Heat'' (MU Press, 1993)
** (with W. E. Rittenhouse)  ''Faith of the Foe'' (Fandom House, 1987)
* ''Mailing Mike'' (Howski Studios, 1984)
* [[The Dune Encyclopedia]] ([[Berkley Books|Berkley]] 1984) <ref>{{Cite web |title=Matt Howarth's Attic |url=http://www.matthowarth.com/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=www.matthowarth.com}}</ref>
* ''The Mighty Virus'' (Howski Studios, 1985)
* ''WRAB: Pirate Television'' (Howski Studios, 1985) — spy thriller co-starring the Post Bros and M. Boche
* ''[[Those Annoying Post Bros]]'', 63 regular issues plus 3 annuals (Vortex Comics, 1985–1990; Rip Off Press, 1991–1994; MU Press, 1994–1998)
*''Particle Dreams'', 6 regular issues (Fantagraphics, 1986–1987)
*''[[Savage Henry (comics)|Savage Henry]]'', 33 regular issues (Vortex Comics, 1987–1990; Rip Off Press, 1990–1993; Caliber Press, 1994; MU Press, 2004)
* ''The Savage Sword of Mike'' (Fandom House, 1988) — guest-stars Ron Post., 36 pp.
*''Keif Llama: Xeno-Tech'' vol. 1, 6 regular issues (Fantagraphics, 1988–1989)
* ''Vigilante Rocker'' (''Reflex'' magazine, early 1990s) — collected by Howarth with new material; stars Ron Post; 31 pp.
* ''The Contaminated Zone'' (3 issues, Brave New Words, 1991) — guest stars include [[Hiroshima (band)|Hiroshima]], [[Savage Henry (comics)|Savage Henry]], [[Nash the Slash]], and [[The Residents]]
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', 2 issues ([[Mirage Studios]], 1991–1992)
* ''Savage Henry: Headstrong'' (3 issues, Caliber, 1994)
*''Konny and Czu'', 4 regular issues (Antarctic Press, 1994–1995)
*  (with [[Lou Stathis]]) ''Those Annoying Post Bros.: Stalking Ralph'' (Aeon Press, 1995) {{ISBN|978-1883847265}} — the Post Bros. are hired to kill [[The Residents]]
* ''Con and [[C'Thulu]]: The Cardboard Condo Concert'' (Aeon, 1996) — starring [[Conrad Schnitzler]] 
* ''Con and C'Thulu: Uberdub'' (3 issues, MU Press, 1996)
*''Comix of Two Cities'', 6 regular issues (Aeon Press, 1996)
* ''[[Star Crossed (comics)|Star Crossed]]'', 3 issues (DC/[[Helix (comics)|Helix]], 1997)
* ''Caroline: Circles vs. Squares'' (Aeon Press, 1998) {{ISBN|978-1883847326}} — co-stars Savage Henry; 80 pp.
* ''Savage Henry: Powerchords'' (3 issues, MU Press, 2004)
* ''Savage Henry: Puppet Trap'' (MU Press, 2004)
*''Bugtown'', 6 regular issues (MU Press, 2004–2005)
* ''Anubis Horn'' (MU Press, 2005) {{ISBN|9781883847425}}; 128 pp.
* ''Keif Llama: Xeno-Tech'' vol. 2, 6 regular issues (MU Press, 2005–2006)
* ''Con & C'Thulu: Music for Swimming'' (self-published); 30 pp.
* ''Bugtown'' novels:
** ''Secondhead Godhead'' (2008) — featuring Caroline, the Post Bros and Savage Henry; 202 pp.
** ''Induced Labor'' (c. 2009) — the Post Bros kidnap a baby deity; 184 pp.
** ''Poisonous Circles'' (c. 2010) — 2 short stories and a novella; featuring the Post Bros and Savage Henry; 165 pp.
** ''Sneakernet'' (c. 2011) — featuring the Post Bros and Savage Henry; 182 pp.
*''The Last of the Neon Cynics'', 110-page graphic novel released as PDF File on limited edition (500 copies) Enhanced CD with accompanying soundtrack by [[Bill Nelson (musician)|Bill Nelson]] (Sonoluxe, 2012)
*''The Magic Hat'', comic to accompany ''The Magic Hat'' CD by [[Arthur Brown (musician)|Arthur Brown]] with Rick Patten (2012)

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.matthowarth.com}}
* [http://www.bugtownmall.com/ Bugtown Mall]
* {{Comicbookdb|type=creator|id=4751}}

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[[Category:American comics artists]]
[[Category:American comics writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
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