Drawing comics to live jazz with Dave Bryant and friends

I'm very happy to share my live comics jam this past August in Boston with former Ornette Coleman keyboardist Dave Bryant and his amazing friends Daniel Kurganov on violin and video editing, Jorrit Dijkstra on sax, Miki Matsuki on drums and Jacob William on bass. It was a wonderful experience and peak of my comics career so far.

 

MONK is here!

Now AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!

New book - “Monk: WORK”. An expressionistic romp through the stage, the studio and the street with enigmatic piano genius Thelonious Monk (1917-1982). It is a matter of public record that Monk was a founder of the revolutionary jazz style called bebop, along with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and later, Miles Davis.

Monk’s music parades an offbeat pageantry where the absurdity of life is never mocked or scorned—but rather treated with a sweet delectation and elevation. Artist Matthew Brown’s brush style is gestural and wild. Like the music itself—angular, dissonant, minimal (and emphatically rhythmic) yet warm-hearted.

Like all art that works, it is a mystery.

This is a non-linear, experimental comic—showcasing the time period during which Monk was recording the legendary album “Underground” (1968) with Charlie Rouse on saxophone, Ben Riley on drums and Larry Gales on bass.

DOLPHY is here!

Now available on Amazon!  “TEARS FOR DOLPHY: The Appearance and Disappearance of Eric Dolphy”.

Eric Dolphy appeared in 1928 in Los Angeles, California and disappeared in 1964 in Berlin, Germany. During his 36 years on our planet he played the alto saxophone, bass clarinet and flute. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. He performed with avantgarde luminaries such as John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman. 

His recordings reveal the traces of a brilliant comet, burning with invention, knowledge and passion. Those who knew him remarked on his kindness and generosity. Facing discrimination in the larger society for the colour of his skin and within the jazz community for his nonconformist exploration, he relocated to Europe… where he shortly collapsed and died, from undiagnosed diabetes. But, who was he? Who was he? Who?

Aah… the music.

Matthew Brown, author and artist of “ORNETTE SPEAKS: A Cartoon Grammar,” continues his experimental comics documentary work with “TEARS FOR DOLPHY: The Appearance and Disappearance of Eric Dolphy.” Including a comics introduction explaining how the author discovered Eric Dolphy’s music, an impressionistic biography of poignant scenarios from Eric’s life, a song-by-song surrealist exploration of Eric’s masterpiece album “Out to Lunch!”, and exquisite drawings from historical photos, interspersed with quotations by and about Eric Dolphy.

An excellent introduction to Eric Dolphy’s work – and a valuable addition to the slim literature available on this giant of the human and jazz world.

on:LINE Comix Anthology #4 is here!

 

I'm very happy to announce the Ambient Zero Publications release of on:LINE Comics Anthology #4 – edited by Claudio Ghirardo, assistant edited by Charles Hackbarth. This collection shares hot fresh work by artists and cartoonists pushing the boundaries – Mark Adair, Claude Bolduc @bolducclaude, Matthew Brown @poopsiepenguin, Marc Cohen @studio_m.s.cohen, Dennis Corrigan @corrigandennis, Victor Gad @victorgad_, CGhirardo @cghirardo64, Charles Hackbarth @charleshackbarth, Jennifer Herbert @lipstick_dirtyboots, Vince Mancuso @vince.mancuso, Arshi Mortuza @poetessarshi, Adam Reich @zenmadmonkey, Naomi Reid, Jack Ruttan and Natasha Vetka @multiversicon. Many of these artists were also featured in the recent show at John Gagné Contemporary Gallery... and some are just in the door.

Also featuring my first ever fully-painted colour comics story and a preview of my upcoming comic about piano genius Thelonious Monk.
Please feel free to share and enjoy! Absolutely free – download at this link:

https://archive.org/details/on-line-4-e-book-apr-2024

PENGUIN DETECTIVE: The Case of No Case is now available!

PENGUIN DETECTIVE IS NOW AVAILABLE!  185 pages at the affordable price of $15, contact me for your signed copy or order directly from Amazon!  

https://www.amazon.ca/PENGUIN-DETECTIVE-Case-No/dp/B0CCCSDP1K/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Six years in the making, Matthew Brown’s beloved character finally gets his own full-length adventure. PENGUIN DETECTIVE: The Case of No Case outlines how Poopsie the Penguin washes up on the shore of Moronto and, through a series of trials and travails, finally becomes a private detective.

Fitting between the chronologies of ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT and THE CLIFF, Matthew Brown pulls out all the stops to depict theme, character, plot, mood, noise, romance, repugnance, camaraderie, chaos, coffee and the search for meaningful employment—with artwork pushed to the next level.

Go penguin, go!

off:LINE Comics Anthology - sumptuously physical

 

off:LINE Comics Anthology is here! Ambient Zero, my publishing imprint, is releasing its first full-colour book! 163 pages. Rich texture, glorious hues, available from Amazon or directly from the artists! This aggressive potpourri of ebullient comix comes from Canada and features boundary-pushing fine art, physics, confession, autobiography, hallucination, humour, abstraction, cuteness, sassiness and despair tempered by wonder. 

Collecting the first 3 issues of Ambient Zero's digital on:LINE Magazine, off:LINE exists as a sumptuously physical object. Published by Matthew Brown and Edited by Charles Hackbarth, Adam Reich and Naomi Reid, featuring fresh and vital stories by Matthew Brown, Terence Cheng, Marc Cohen, Chris Evitts, Claudio Ghirardo, Pat Glassel, Charles Hackbarth, Jennifer Herbert, Vince Mancuso, Dr. Minzz, Sandra Mizumoto-Posey, Adam Reich, Naomi Reid and Jack Ruttan.

FEATURING BRAND NEW INTERVIEWS WITH ADAM REICH, JENNIFER HERBERT, CLAUDIO GHIRARDO, CHRIS EVITTS and MARC COHEN.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0C6BT78JP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i9