Meet a Local Comics Writer: A Chat with Matt Kund

by Mike Rhode

Recently I went to my first comics signing since the pandemic started. Matt Kund and Brett Murphy were at Fantom Comics on Dupont Circle for a few hours. I chatted briefly, bought their comics, took a couple of photos, and asked them for an interview. Here's Matt answering our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I’m mainly a writer, I do draw a little and soon I am drawing my first story for an anthology I am part of.  

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

Mostly know I am digital, I love working in Procreate on my iPad, I never thought I would be a digital artist, but that’s mostly want I use now.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I was born in the 1970s in Washington DC.

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

My day job is with the Federal Government.  I live in the Maryland now.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I have taken two classes in comics writing from Comics Experiences and on coloring class at Comic Experience as well.  

Who are your influences?

My influences - writing wise Jonathan Hickman is my biggest current influence.  I would love to be able to craft stories and world build like him

I grew up on 80s Marvel Comics, GI Joe and Spiderman 

I love Mike Zeck's Marvel covers.

Lee Weeks is my favorite all time, with Sean Gordon Murphy more currently.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

Get an early start, I did get serious about trying to make comics till my 30s.

What work are you best-known for?

I would think maybe my comic “Digital Forever” a sci-fi comic about a digitally-designed afterlife program.

What work are you most proud of?

A mini comic I did with call “RX-tiction” with my art and podcasting partner Noah Ray.  I was our first project together that lead to a bunch of future project and friendship built around art/movies and comics, and we told a zombie story with a twist I don’t think anyone else has tried.

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I am currently working on a book called “Metal Eagle”, that I’m excited about.  Pitched as "Atomic Blonde" meets "This is Spinal Tap."

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I don’t have a lot of writer's block.  I have written something every day for the last 1,500 plus days.  I was really influenced by "The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield were he talks about not waiting for the muse, setting down each day and being ready for the muse.

What do you think will be your future in the field? 

Hopefully as writer, but I would love to have a Jeff Lemire-like career, writing a bunch of books, and maybe doing the art on one.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?

Yeah all 3 of those, and Heroes Con in North Carolina. 

What's your favorite thing about DC?

I zipped over to the Art Gallery or the Portrait Gallery on my lunch (when I go into the office).  It’s a great outing to get inspired to want to make things.

Least favorite?

Tourist not understanding the unwritten law of the escalators, walking on the left and standing is on the right.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

National Portrait Gallery, it’s hardly ever crowded and so much fun to see the art!

Do you have a website or blog?

I have a website MattKund.com, I haven't worked on it lately I was trying for a time to detail the trails and tribulation of trying to break into comics as writer. Hopefully I get back to it. 

I have a Gumroad site to buy my comics - https://gumroad.com/forevercomics

Twitter @MKund
Instagram @MAK0876
Facebook Pages https://www.facebook.com/digitalforevercomic/ and https://www.facebook.com/ConstructingComic/

How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally?

I haven’t tabled in a year at a con.  But I have been able to Kickstart comic books as a publisher  -“Dino Thrashers” and as a writer - “The Reset” and a few anthology stories.  I run a meet-up group called DMV Indie Comics Creators and since March of 2020 we moved those to Zoom from in person meetings.

Tell us more about your new company, Forever Comics Publishing, your comic from it, and your Kickstarter campaign.

Forever Comics is a small publishing company I formed for my stories. And there is now an imprint mainly to handle sci-fi stories under Ageless Press, with the other co-founder Brett Murphy, who had started Legacy Comics, which is now the horror imprint under Ageless Press.

Forever Comics as published - "Digital Forever," "Multi - Larceny" and "The Reset" (via Kickstarter) and "RX-tiction," "Life Cycle" and "Orryx Mini Comics" with Noah Ray.

Matt, can you tell us about your Constructing ComicsPodcast?

Constructing Comics Podcast is a podcast I do with Noah Ray. It started off as a page-design podcast (which we still do from time to time). We do reviews of current releases, but we have found a good groove interviewing indie creators and some bigger names at DC and Marvel Comics.

What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Is Fantom your local store?

Hickmen’s X books, and Pax Romain; Mister Miracle; Anything by Brubaker and Phillips.

 Yes, Fantom is my local store, I have been with them since Union Station, but since Covid, I have moved to mail order, happy that I can still help them out and get my books during the pandemic.

Matt Kund & Brett Murphy at Fantom Comics

PR: The State of Small Press Expo

The State of Small Press Expo

For Immediate Release Contact: Warren Bernard Email: warren@smallpressexpo.com Bethesda, Maryland – April 6, 2021 Dear SPXers, Earlier this year, we reached out to SPX's creative community and attendees to provide a status update on the fate of SPX 2021. In a nutshell, should we elect to proactively cancel our show (versus the event being cancelled by an external body, like the local health department), SPX would incur a devastating cancellation fee that would, essentially, wipe us out permanently.  We want nothing more than to see all your beautiful faces, your amazing artwork, and everything else that comes with creating our annual festival together, with you. We also want to make sure the return of SPX is both safe and economically viable: for your travel, for your stay, and for the exhibition itself. We promised an update on our status around the end of March. So, along with some specifics about where we stand with regard to SPX 2021, we're including in this note a deeper look into where SPX is as an organization and what you can expect in the coming year. Needless to say, the pandemic has touched and changed us all.  As there are some long-term impacts to the show, we want to let everyone know what those are and what they mean for the community. STATUS OF SPX 2021 At this point, not much has changed with our situation regarding SPX 2021. We are actively engaged with various entities within the Montgomery County government about whether or not a show of the size and scale of SPX could (or should) be held in September.  We are also negotiating directly with the Marriott regarding the potential cancellation fee as well as the terms of future contract years. We will give everyone a status update by the end of this month at the latest, while we push for a final resolution, one way or the other.  In the absence of an in-person festival, we anticipate continuing, and perhaps expanding, aspects of the virtual events held by SPX in 2020, including programming and, of course, the annual Ignatz Awards presentation. 2021 IGNATZ AWARDS Given the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, we have made the decision to once again have the Ignatz Awards submissions submitted digitally (we do ask that you retain one copy of all works for potential submission to the Library of Congress).  We will be sending out the submission process details within a few days. The publication window of eligibility for the 2021 Ignatz Awards is June 1, 2020 through May 30, 2021, with a submission deadline of June 1, 2021. SPX INITIATIVES   SPX is a volunteer, non-profit organization. Everything we do goes toward a range of initiatives devoted to promoting the visibility and success of creators in the independent comics community. About 95% of festival revenues and sponsorships goes towards operating the show, with the remaining going towards these programs: The Graphic Novel Gift Program - Since its inception in 2011, our Graphic Novel Gift Program has provided over 2,500 copies of works by members of the SPX community to libraries serving under-privileged patrons. Besides supplementing their constrained budgets, these gifts expose both library collection managers and patrons to titles that better reflect the diverse make-up of their communities. The Library of Congress National Book Festival - As the sponsor of graphic novel programming at the Library of Congress National Book Festival, SPX provides financial support to indie comics creators to support their appearance as special guests of the festival, the largest such show in the United States. This allows a few SPX creators to share "The Big Stage" every year with the most esteemed authors in the country, and have their works promoted to the over 200,000 people who attend the NBF every year. The SPX Collection at the Library of Congress - The Small Press Expo Collection at the Library of Congress was established in 2011 with the express purpose of preserving the works of SPX creators for future generations. In the 9 years of its existence, over 10,000 mini-comics, graphic novels, posters, prints, original art, and ephemera have been preserved as part of the cultural, artistic, and social history of the United States at the preeminent Library of Congress. With the impact of the pandemic on future SPX events and its revenues still uncertain, neither the Graphic Novel Gift Program nor the NBF sponsorships (nor any other non-festival related initiatives) will be funded until 2024 at the earliest.  We will need at least 2 years of attendance to ascertain whether we have the cash flow to either re-start these programs, or create new programs to support the SPX creator community. When we are in a position to do so, you'll be the first to know.  The same goes for the small stipend SPX provides for our Executive Director. This stipend was suspended in June 2020, and will not be reinstated until 2024 at the earliest, if approved by a vote of the Executive Committee. The pandemic has also impeded our ability to capture the history and legacy of SPX creators for preservation and study in the decades to come as a part of our Library of Congress collection. It has been a truly momentous period in so many ways and your work has often been an essential commentary to these events. We are committed to working with you, as well as with the Library of Congress, to ensure the preservation of material from this "lost" time.  CBLDF RELATIONSHIP When SPX was created in 1994, one of its primary non-profit purposes was to be a fundraiser for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. When our corporate charter was rewritten in 2011, this explicit language was removed in support of a broader mandate that has allowed us more flexibility to expand into other initiatives, with our Graphic Novel Gift Program and Library of Congress Collection being notable new programs that resulted. SPX no longer has any relationship with the CBLDF, our last collaborative effort with that organization being the initial fundraising for the "Defend the 11" campaign, in 2018, which saw SPX divert 100% of its funds budgeted for the CBLDF to defray the legal defense costs of members of our creative community who faced a defamation lawsuit. Proceeds from all sales at the CBLDF's table at that year's show also went to the Defend the 11 fund. SPX has not contributed any funds to the CBLDF since 2017 and going forward has no intention of supporting them in any way. BEHIND THE SCENES SPX is a labor of love for our team. We are volunteers, with about 20 of us contributing our time year-round as a part of the Executive Committee. As SPX has grown, so has the crew that supports it, resulting in an ever-more diverse, multi-generational range of perspectives about who we are today as an organization and how we should accomplish the mission set out in our charter. One thing that has not changed is that we are here to support you. Along with the work we put into our year-round initiatives, when you are here with us at SPX, whether it be by providing coffee in the morning, hosting a reception in the evening, or being your advocate with the hotel when it comes to shipping, parking, etc., we strive to care for our creative community, the attendees, and the 100+ volunteers that support SPX, so that you can focus on what you've joined us to do, be it reconnecting with friends, moving merch, or singing your heart out at karaoke.  SPX aims to be a place where you can be your best self, to find acceptance and joy amongst the family you choose, while also finding the creative challenge and insight that forces you to grow as an artist, and the professional opportunities that help you build a successful career. We are always eager for your feedback on how well we hit this mark, year-after-year. Thanks SO Much, The SPX Executive Committee Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 650 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests. The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show. The SPX Collection at the United States Library of Congress is dedicated to preserving the works of the SPX community for future generations. Small Press Expo P.O. Box 5704 Bethesda, Maryland 20824 www.smallpressexpo.com Email: press@smallpressexpo.com STAY CONNECTED ‌ ‌ ‌

KAL wins Overseas Press Club of America Award

https://opcofamerica.org/2020-opc-award-winners/

Veteran cartoonist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher joined some select company with his fifth career OPC Award for Best Cartoon as his crow quill found favorite subjects in China, Vladimir Putin, climate change and deadly conspiracies. Only nine journalists have more than five career OPC awards.

THE BEST CARTOON AWARD

Best print or digital graphic journalism, including cartoons, on international affairs

Sponsor: Daimler

Kevin Kallaugher (pen name KAL)

Judges: Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher seems like a cartoonist transported from a bygone era, while still creating compelling work that resonates with today's audience. His impeccable pen and ink cross-hatching and weaponized bobble-headed caricatures might look at home on newspaper editorial pages of a century ago, which seems fitting since that was the last time we saw a global pandemic on the scale of COVID-19.

Constructing Comics - Episode 200- An Interview with Joshua Starnes

Constructing Comics - Episode 200- An Interview with Joshua Starnes

Noah Ray and Matt Kund

Constructing Comics Podcast April 6 2021

https://soundcloud.com/user-608556812/constructing-comics-episode-200-an-interview-with-joshua-starnes

On Episode 200 of Constructing Comics - Noah and Matt interview Joshua Starnes writer of "The Box" coming in August 2021 for Red 5 Comics. We talk writing stories, influence of films, and submitting an art portfolio to a publisher.

Check out Red 5 Comics
www.red5comics.com
twitter.com/red5comics
www.facebook.com/red5comics

Follow Joshua
twitter.com/JoshStarnesFilm
www.instagram.com/jbstarnes1/

Follow the Box Comic
www.facebook.com/The-Box-Comic-Bo…100389911951029/

Please give us a rating/review, and share the podcast!

Give us follow to keep up with the podcast, art and news -

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twitter.com/ConstrutComPod
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www.facebook.com/AgelessPress/

Jude Jones on the superhero Icon

Respectable Icons: Milestone Media's "Icon" and the Politics of Presentability

Jude  Jones

NeoText April 2021

https://neotextcorp.com/culture/respectable-icons-milestone-medias-icon-and-the-politics-of-presentability/

How Icon and the Politics of Respectability Shaped Barack Obama (and Me)

A proud New Orleanian living in the District of Columbia, Jude Jones is a professional thinker, amateur photographer, burgeoning runner, and lover of Black culture, love, and life. Magneto and Cyclops (and Killmonger) were right. You can read more from Jude here.

Ann Telnaes goes to war

We're all in this together — unless you're a Republican

By Ann Telnaes

April 1, 2021

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/01/telnaes-cartoon-republicans-coronavirus-wwii-posters/

Tom King's New God movie cancelled

Ava DuVernay's New Gods and The Trench films shelved at WB

The two long gestating films have been put on the shelf.

Heidi MacDonald

04/02/2021 

https://www.comicsbeat.com/ava-duvernays-new-gods-and-the-trench-films-shelved-at-wb/

YouNeek Studios Q&A with their new publisher Dark Horse

Dark Horse Comics: YouNeek Studios Q&A and Live Art

Dark Horse Comics April 1 2021

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/971566529

The latest comic from The Lily

I used to laugh off anti-Asian jokes. Now, I will stick up for myself every time.

It's been too easy to downplay racism in the past

(Tenzing Lhamo Dorjee for The Lily)

Tenzing Lhamo Dorjee

Mar. 31, 2021

https://www.thelily.com/i-used-to-laugh-off-anti-asian-jokes-now-i-will-stick-up-for-myself-every-time/

'Wonder Woman: Heartless' audiobook set in DC

On the heels of Wonder Woman 1984, Realm (formerly Serial Box) is releasing a new audio book where Wonder Woman is living in DC. The writers and voice actor got together recently to discuss the creation of the story.

Behind the Scenes of 'Wonder Woman: Heartless'

Amanda Rose Smith (Head of Audio at Serial Box), Natalie C. Parker (writer), Tessa Gratton (writer), Alaya Dawn Johnson (writer), Heidi Heilig (writer) and Tiana Camacho (narrator) moderated by Karama Horne

•Mar 29, 2021

Realm (formerly Serial Box)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCz3qFUcGOk

PCHH on Falcon and Winter Soldier

In 'The Falcon And The Winter Soldier,' Sam And Bucky Are Vib(ranium)ing

Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Eric Deggans

Pop Culture Happy Hour March 30, 2021

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/29/982352708/in-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-sam-and-bucky-are-vib-ranium-ing

https://play.podtrac.com/510282/edge1.pod.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/pchh/2021/03/20210330_pchh_pchh_20210330_falcon_and_winter_soldier_final.mp3

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/982352708

Cavna gets comics recs from Asian-American cartoonists

Four graphic novels that illuminate anti-Asian racism through personal experience

Michael Cavna

April 1, 2021 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/04/01/graphic-novels-racism-asian-american/

The Lily's latest comic

I'm a barista, but often my customers need more than coffee. They look to me for connection.

During the pandemic, people have been asking more of service workers

(Dabin Han for The Lily)

Dabin Han

Mar. 28, 2021

https://www.thelily.com/im-a-barista-but-often-my-customers-need-more-than-coffee-they-look-to-me-for-connection/