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Sunday 31 May 2015

THE CLIFF BOOK 4 "Heart of Brightness" OFFICIAL LAUNCH!


Very excited!  We will have a live reading to a slideshow of the graphic novel panels by actors Morgan Jones-Phillips, Jacob Pendergrast, Liyat Benchetrit, Colin Matthews and more plus live improvised musical accompaniment by THE CLIFF Music Group--Mikhial Gurarie, Paul Swoger-Ruston, Adam Reich and Matthew Brown-- Tues. June 9, 8pm-midnight at the Handle Bar, Kensington Market, Toronto - 159 Augusta Ave.

Come one, come all!  This is a chance to enjoy art, theatre, music, comix and a drink all at the same time -- with friends, penguins and pigs!

THE CLIFF Bk 5 on Kickstarter -  


Wednesday 27 May 2015

THE CLIFF, Book Five: "The King" on KICKSTARTER!

Yes, that time has come... as Book 5 is underway I am excited to launch my first ever Kickstarter campaign!  Have a look!  If you think it's interesting, please pass it along!  Love, Matthew

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1409512491/the-cliff-a-graphic-novel-book-five


Monday 11 May 2015

ARTIST UNKNOWN - Matthew Brown speaks about Comix, India, Emotions and Penguins

Val Peter really managed to get a lot out of me in this interview where I discuss a life of working a day job in the regular world while meditating, producing graphic novels and waving my hands around a lot. With a wonderful soundtrack by Xyle and ambient shadows and banging by our roof repairman, Frankie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiqvAMkihqY


Interviewed by the "Artist Unknown" team of  host Val Peter and cameraman/musician Xyle while waiting to hand my graphic novel to Charles Burns at TCAF, 2015
(photo by Marc Tessier of Editions TRIP)

Thursday 7 May 2015

TCAF Time Again!


Hi, Just a reminder that this weekend - Sat. May 9 to Sun. May 10 will be the TCAF -
Toronto Comic Arts Fair at the Toronto Reference Library (Yonge St. just north of Bloor St.)      http://torontocomics.com/      Saturday 9am-5, Sunday 11am-5pm.
It is a tremendously exciting event with many visiting artists of international renown, new books and artists from all over the world, a fantastic Kids' section and
I will be debuting my graphic novel THE CLIFF, Book 4: "Heart of Brightness!" 
So if you'd like to drop by, I'd love to see you and  I'd be happy to draw a sketch in your very own copy...
I'll be sitting with my friends Marc Tessier, Stan Wany and the Editions TRIP crew at Table # 176 on the ground floor, near the fountain towards the back stairs.


Friday 1 May 2015

THE CLIFF Book 4 REVIEW #4 - Dress, Talk, Kill and Eat Ice Cream - by Chris Parsons

Review #4 of my upcoming graphic novel which will debut at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival - TCAF - next weekend, Sat. May 9-Sun. May 10/15.  If you are in town, please drop by to see the general hubbub and visit the Editions TRIP table...

Chris Parsons has written an amazing review, and I am very grateful for his carefully considered insights!



THE CLIFF Book 4 REVIEW #4 - Dress, Talk, Kill and Eat Ice Cream - by Chris Parsons

The Cliff is one of the most original and fresh stories I've come across in a while. This goes for both the writing and the drawing. Matthew Brown is a masterful world builder. Set in a future Earth with only a few minor adjustments to the reality we know now (read: cute-looking animals who dress, talk, kill and eat cream, for starts) Brown rids the mundane with the inane. And it’s a fun ride.

In “Book 4: Heart of Brightness” we see the follow-up to Poopsie the Penguin’s murder investigation which had led him and Mutt Blue to Varanasi at the end of Book 3. And – without giving anything away – we are treated to a bit more backstory of Mutt, more Blue family history and everyone’s connection with Nexus Island. While still keeping the level of casual fantasy of its predecessors, this book assumes a more film noir quality (times by ten for uniqueness because such plays out in India!) as elements of the murder mystery are interwoven with the overarching story of The Cliff.

The characters are hard to talk about without going into essay territory. They are just so full of the ravages that are the human condition, especially the animals. I think Poopsie the Penguin is my new favourite detective. His dry cynicisms are panel stealers. But, true to Brown’s delicate treatment of bigger story at hand, the reader is always aware that there is more to who he is and what truth he actually knows. This, of course, can be said about all the other characters, although I wanted to focus on Poopsie because, well, he’s awesome.


The drawings are raw and bold; the writing, witty and natural. Yet particularly for Book 4, it is the panels with no dialogue that stand as testaments of the artist’s ability to entirely cloak the reader in the vibrant universe of this tale. Having been to India myself, I was impressed with how well he had captured the landscape and its impact. The full page panels of Mutt walking down to the Ganges sum this up gorgeously.

Even more, what I loved about this book (as well as Books 1-3) is how Brown seamlessly blends the future world of our own with the inclusion of anthropomorphic animals. I want to say it has a psychedelic vibe but that would imply a lack of control and that is far from it. Everything is carefully constructed despite how conflicting to comprehension they may seem. Just as this odyssey must be for Mutt, it is for us to simply just experience it.



Each time I've read (and re-read) this series, I've finished with a jolt that my time in the universe of The Cliff was too brief. “Heart of Brightness” was no different. I eagerly awaited the release of this and now find myself in the exact same position for Book 5: The King



Chris Parsons (04/29/15)

GoodReads Bookshelves: 5 Stars, Graphic Novels