Buffalo Bill (2 Page Comic)

Cover Art for Horror Comic About Paranormal Investigators

Page From a Comic About Somali Pirates

Pirate comics are a classic genre, and I wanted to do a modern day version. I did two issues for a Zine called The Matter, which came across like a Spaghetti Western in a way - mainly because I wrote them in a language, and about a culture I don't have first hand experience with. It was fun, I'll put it that way, and below is an excerpt and some sketches. Honestly sketching the pirates was neat because I rarely draw guys with guns...or sunglasses. The comic was called Turrimo, which translates to Protection...the story centered around a vigilante style pirate who had a mystical protection from the sea itself, and often dealt with the political aspects of modern day piracy. In chapter one the main character is a boy, kidnapped by pirates on a ship that has been taken hostage...he falls into the water...and there he realizes he has protection, when sharks help him back to the surface instead of devouring him.

Violent Side, By Matt Strackbein -- The Comic Version

I've been writing a novel called Violent Side for a while now, and periodically I've envisioned it as a comic. It's a pretty original idea, if I do say so myself - a southern gothic style horror story focusing on the various aspects of living in an isolated area, in this case remote southern swamplands. Anyway the story takes place over several decades, beginning right after the Civil War actually, and below are pages from the first installment which was set in the 1970's. One thing I can say about writing a story that covers so much time is you can jump in wherever you want and tell  parts that essentially stand alone. That makes it not only fun to do, but easy to adapt into different mediums.

Violent Side, Pages One & Two of Chapter One

Violent Side, Pages Six & Seven of Chapter One

Art Conversation

I struck up a conversation with a fellow artist online several years ago and we talked purely in images. It was a great back and forth that went on for a while...here are some of the images I did. One of the best conversations I've ever had to date.

Dark Knight Returns - Apologies

This is my favorite page from  Dark Knight Returns, published by DC Comics (when I was just a kid). I wanted to draw this page as close to the original as possible to pay homage...I in no way take credit for this layout or composition...but I drew this and colored it as close to the original as possible. It was a great exercise in my own technical ability. Mr. Klaus Janson has seen it in person and had very nice things to say about the likeness.