Bugtown

Matt Howarth is an American comic book writer/artist known for such series as Those Annoying Post Bros, Savage Henry, Star Crossed, and Bugtown.

Howarth's influences include writers Philip K. Dick and H. P. Lovecraft, comics artists Steve Ditko, Bernie Wrightson, Moebius, and Philippe Druillet, and progressive music. He was active in the field of fanzines from 1969, when he also co-founded Howski Studios.[1]

Howarth, via Howski Studios, published a number of graphic novels and comics in the years 1976–1985.

Howarth's first ongoing series was Those Annoying Post Bros., about two fun-loving bad boys from the fictional Bugtown. In the early 1980s Heavy Metal introduced Post Bros as a continuing story, but they did not have their own comic book until Vortex Comics began publishing Those Annoying Post Bros. in 1985. It ran for 18 issues until 1990. In 1991, the title was taken over by Rip Off Press, which published an additional 20 issues until 1994.[2] MU Press picked up the title from 1994–1998, publishing 25 more issues, for a total of 63 issues.

While continuing to produce Those Annoying Post Bros. Howarth wrote and drew the six-issue limited series Particle Dreams for Fantagraphics in 1986–1987. In 1988, Fantagraphics also published Howarth's six-issue series Keif Llama: Xeno-Tech.

From 1987 to 1994, Howarth did the comic book series Savage Henry for Rip Off Press, about the adventures of a guitarist from an alternate reality. He is the lead guitarist for a fictional insect band called The Bulldaggers. Most issues of this series featured authorized guest appearances by real musicians, including The Residents, Hawkwind, Moby, Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Schulze, Nash the Slash, Foetus, Yello, Wire, Steve Roach, Richard Pinhas, Ron Geesin, and David Borden. Conrad Schnitzler (an original member of Tangerine Dream and Kluster) was a regular guest in this series and several graphic novels. Howarth created album cover artwork for several releases on the Birdo'Pray record label. He also provided the illustrations for Dr. Adder by K. W. Jeter.

James Wallis of Hogshead Publishing designed a roleplaying game based on Howarth's Bugtown comics.[3]: 304  Wallis brought his Bugtown game to Phage Press in 1992 to be produced, but creative differences kept Wujcik from agreeing with him so Wallis pulled out of Phage in 1994.[3]: 269  Wallis brought his Bugtown game to Wizards of the Coast, but he found no success there either as Howarth was unable to come to an agreement with Wizards on royalties.[3]: 304  In 1996, Erick Wujcik convinced Howarth to relicense the Bugtown rights to him, although Wujcik never actually published a game based on the comic.[3]: 269  Howarth did write and draw a Bugtown/Amber crossover called "Amber Raves of Pain" for Amberzine #6 (February 1994) through #9 (January 1997).[3]: 269 

In 1994–1995, Antarctic Press published Howarth's four-issue series Konny & Czu. The MU Press imprint Aeon Press published Howarth's six-issue limited series Comix of Two Cities in 1996. The DC Comics imprint Helix released Howarth's three-issue limited series Star Crossed in 1997.

In the 2000s, Howarth published the six-issue series Bugtown and the second-volume of Keif Llama: Xeno-Tech (also six issues), both with MU Press.

Since 2008 Howarth has published a number of prose novels and short story collections through a print on demand service.

In 2012, Sonoluxe Records released Howarth's 110 page graphic novel The Last of the Neon Cynics as a PDF File on an Enhanced CD also featuring nine pieces composed by musician Bill Nelson as a soundtrack. Set in the 23rd century, the Science-Fiction Western features an intergalactic cowboy called Cassidy. The same year, Howarth contributed a comic to accompany Arthur Brown's CD The Magic Hat.