Joe Matt

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Joe Matt
Karlscorner-20040213-a.jpg
Joe Matt (left), with Mark Oliver Everett and Rivers Cuomo in 2004
Background information
Born September 3, 1963
Died September 2023 (age 60)
Origin Philadelphia, PA
Cuomo's letter to Matt
Joe Matt was an American cartoonist, best known for his autobiographical comic book, Peepshow. Rivers Cuomo has cited Matt as an inspiration in his songwriting.[1]

Connection to Weezer

Rivers Cuomo told Addicted to Noise in 1996, "Lyrically, I think I'm influenced by very few other musicians. Maybe Lou Barlow and Brian Wilson and some of his later songs. They just seem very direct and honest and unpretentious. Other than that, I think I'm hugely influenced by comic books. Especially the autobiographical comics like Joe Matt's Peep Show." The name "J. Matt" appears on the map included in the liner notes to Weezer's album Pinkerton.

Cuomo wrote a letter to Matt in 1997[2] which was later published in Peepshow, and was followed by an interview between the two:


Rivers Cuomo head.png
Dear Joe Matt
  Peepshow is brilliant. Your work has been a big influence on my songwriting. I feel like comics and pop music are analagous (quasi) art forms. Comics has it's "Conans"; music has it's Iron Maidens. Comics has it's "Cerebuses"; music has it's Fugazis. I feel like the new Weezer album Pinkerton is a lot like Peepshow: You and I both are shedding light on our despicable ids, we both feel guilty for what we uncover, and we both aim to create what you call a "compelling work". We both are working under the shadow of the higher arts: you under da Vinci and me under Beethoven, and yet we both are somehow above fluffy pop entertainment like "Archie" (for you) and the New Kids on the Block (for me). We're both incredibly slow to produce. And we both like asian girls.
Keep jerkin' off,
Rivers Cuomo
L.A., CA.


- Rivers Cuomo, [2]

Comic strip

On July 14, 2007, Karl Koch and Joe Matt (along with a friend, Maggie) collaborated on a six-panel comic strip, drawn on a piece of lined paper. The comic was later uploaded to the Karlophone Myspace profile.[3]

Matt passed unexpectedly in September of 2023.

See also

References