Matt Writes Stuff

My name's Matt O'Keefe. I write stuff. Articles, blogs, comics, comics journalism, more. This is a public journal about myself, my interests, and the trials and tribulations involved in a career of freelance writing.

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Comic Book Crunch

A few weeks back I wrote a big feature about the intense working conditions requiring of comic book artists, why that is, and the damage it does to their emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Frankly, I was disappointed it didn’t get more condition considering the seriousness of the topic and the artists who contributed to the piece. If you haven’t read it I encourage you to do so, and to share it with others if you think the subject matter is valuable for people to learn about.

Comic Book Crunch: The toll drawing comics takes on artists

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Article about #SixFanArt

I wrote about something most people reading this probably noticed a few weeks ago: artists creating fan art of 6 characters on social media. It was a great distraction from COVID world and I enjoyed discussing its formation with its creator, Melissa Capriglione. Give it a read!

SHUT IN THEATER: Behind social media sensation #SixFanArt

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TKO feature for The Beat

I wrote a big piece about TKO Studios for the Beat, speaking with co-founder Tze Chun and several retailers to analyze the state of the publisher after a little over a year on the market. I really enjoyed digging into how TKO’s novel approach paid off (or didn’t) in comic book stores and where they stand in the industry now. It was a lot of work but very rewarding, so I hope people give it a read!

TKO Studios in Review: The industry's response to two waves of disruptive publishing

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Interview with Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou!

I had the pleasure of interviewing comics critic extraordinaire Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. He’s pioneered some of the most interesting comics analysis of the last several years and his newest project, PanelxPanel One Shots, is no exception.

Matt Chats: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou on comics criticism and his PanelxPanel Kickstarter

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Analysis of The Insight Project

Last week I wrote an analysis of The Insight Project, an initiative from video game developer Ninja Theory using its technology to learn more about and treat mental suffering. It has a lot of potential, but a lot of that relies on what Ninja Theory learned from the reception to its game Hellblade, which depicted psychosis to very mixed results. I worked really hard to accurately present the initiative and its potential faults. I hope it’s informative and that the news suggests further use of video game technology for practical purposes!

https://www.comicsbeat.com/insight-project/

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Matt Chats: Brandon Dayton on GREEN MONK: BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS, his take of Star Wars with some Miyazaki mixed in

I really took to a recent Image graphic novel. Green Monk: Blood of the Martyrs is a very quiet, melancholic story about a warrior monk. I was really glad to get to interview cartoonist Brandon Dayton about the book, which you can check out below.

Matt Chats: Brandon Dayton on GREEN MONK: BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS, his take of Star Wars with some Miyazaki mixed in

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Matt Chats: Ken Garing on the classic comic book roots of GOGOR

I chatted with Ken Gogor, a writer/artist inspired by some of the great classic cartoonists, about his recent series GOGOR. You can read that interview below!

Matt Chats: Ken Garing on the classic comic book roots of GOGOR

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Why the MCU endures as Star Wars fizzles out

Wrote an editorial for The Beat about what differentiates The Star Wars revival from the enduring success of the MCU. I'm really proud of it, due in large part to Managing Editor's Samantha Puc's stellar suggestions and advice, which strengthened it considerably. Check it out!

Why the MCU feels forever when the Star Wars revival is already dying down

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Making Comics: Great guides for several comic book crafts

Covered some of the many excellent guides to the art of sequential storytelling in my latest Making Comics column for The Beat. A lot to learn for anyone interested in making, critiquing, or just reading comics, so if you're reading this post you should probably check these out!

Making Comics: Great guides for multiple comic book crafts

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Interview about nonprofit comics criticism outlet SOLRAD

Some of my favorite interviews are with members of the media, and this was no exception. I chatted with Daniel Elkin and Alex Hoffman about SOLRAD, a nonprofit source of comics criticism, and what makes it distinct from other online outlets. Check out our discussion at the link below!

Matt Chats: Daniel Elkin and Alex Hoffman on their new comics criticism venture SOLRAD

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Tevis Thompson interview about turning video games criticism into subtext for SECOND QUEST

Several years ago, popular video game critic Tevis Thompson created a wonderful graphic novel called Second Quest, a Zelda-like fantasy story that addresses a lot of his feelings about the franchise. I had a wonderful discussion with him about how he did that and his creative process.

Matt Chats: Tevis Thompson rethinks Zelda in SECOND QUEST

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KILL LOCK Interview

I interviewed the very kind and talented Livio Ramondelli. He’s the writer and artist of the new IDW series Kill Lock, which I predict will go down as one of the best new series of 2020 if it gets the attention it deserves. Check out my interview with Livio, then grab the first issue which is out now!

Matt Chats: Livio Ramondelli on imbuing humanity into a mechanical world in THE KILL LOCK

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Making Contact with the Cartoonist Behind ADHD ALIEN

I chatted with cartoonist Pina Varnel about ADHD Alien, a comic strip about a subject close to my heart. I think it both educates the wider public about life with ADHD and helps those with the disorder feel less shame about their symptoms. You can find the link to the interview below!

Matt Chats: Pina Varnel on turning therapy homework into beloved webcomic ADHD ALIEN

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Making Comics column about the role of the letterer and responsibility of their collaborators

The overwhelming response to my feature about how writers can treat artists better encouraged me to write about how to aid even more unappreciated collaborators: the letterers. Check out my article about that below!

Making Comics: The role of the letterer and responsibilities of their collaborators

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SWIMMING IN DARKNESS with Lucas Harari

About a month ago I was offered the opportunity to interview the creator of Swimming in Darkness, a European graphic novel that's received praise from some really big names in comics. Intrigued, I gave the book a read and am glad I did because it's a very special book. Read my interview with cartoonist Lucas Harari about its development and his inspirations.

Matt Chats: Lucas Harari on SWIMMING IN DARKNESS, minimalism in art, and inventing a legend

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Tony Fleecs discusses deal-hunting via time travel

I chatted with Tony Fleecs about Time Shopper, in which an employee, instead of protecting the fabric of time and space, decides to travel into the past for deals on historical merchandise. It's a fun comic with strip-like humor and it was great to interview Tony about it, so I hope you give it a read!

Matt Chats: Tony Fleecs on historic deal hunting in TIME SHOPPER

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EA's turnaround with the Star Wars license

To celebrate (or at least acknowledge) The Beat hosted a Star Wars week ahead of the release of Rise of Skywalker, I wrote about how EA righted the ship after the (somewhat overblown) microtransaction mayhem alongside the release of Battlefront 2. You can read the full article at the link below!

How EA turned its Star Wars games around in the knick of time