The Matrix Comics Volume 1

The Matrix Comics Volume 1 is a printed collection of eleven comics and one short story set in the Matrix universe, all of which had been published online on the official website. Edited by Spencer Lamm with Sharon Bray as assistant editor, it was published in 2003 by Burlyman Entertainment and came to 160 pages.
==Introduction==
:The Matrix comics have, up until now, been exclusively available online at TheMatrix.com. At the site, we're into our third series. The dozen stories in this volume collect four from each series, spanning nearly five years. Considering some were written before the first film was even released, it is about time for them to be in print and on shelves. The emails asking us to do just this haven't hurt, either.
:It was [Lilly] and [Lana] who suggested we do comics, back in the very first days. Not adaptations, to be clear, but new stories. We figured, "Why create adaptations when the film already tells that particular story? Why be redundant?" Years forward, of course, the [sisters] would take this to new heights, crisscrossing the plots of the game ENTER THE MATRIX, the anime series THE ANIMATRIX, and yes, the comics, too, with the films themselves. At the core, [Lana] and [Lilly] love storytelling, in any form. On comics specifically, they happen to be big fans going back many years, well before they themselves became professional comic book writers (or film directors, for that matter). You need look no farther than their story, BITS AND PIECES OF INFORMATION, here in this book, and then consider how this was first written in 1998 (and illustrated by Geof Darrow, the trilogy's key conceptual designer, by no small coincidence).
:So from day one, as fans of comics, we began gathering stories set in the world of THE MATRIX. It was a heady time, back before the first film came out. We were contacting writers and artists for a film no one had seen or even heard of. Not everyone we approached was immediately receptive. However, those that connected with the script and storyboards saw the potential of what was coming on screen, and committed to the project.
:We were and continue to be very fortunate, as the writers and artists that accepted our invitation have consistently brought a deep passion and understanding, each embracing the material, adding their own unique perspective. As the sequels got under way, we never stopped receiving exceptional material from an ever larger pool of consummate professionals. For proof of this, simply begin turning the pages.
:This long overdue collection also happens to be the debut of BURLYMAN ENTERTAINMENT, a new company from the [Sisters] Wachowski. THE BURLYMAN was the first screenplay [Lana] and [Lilly] developed for the now defunct Four Corners Productions. Both are long-time devotees of the wrestling scenario and had hoped to revive the genre in the same fresh way they breathed new life into action movies with THE MATRIX films.
:I asked them if they thought the Coen Brothers had perhaps referenced their script in the film BARTON FINK. [Lana] hadn't seen it. ([S]he said [s]he didn't like subtitled movies. I told [her] it wasn't subtitled and then [s]he amended that [s]he didn't like movies that sounded like they were subtitled either). [Lilly] had seen it but [her] only comment was, "Coulda' been a good movie if they put some wrestlin' in it."
:As always, it remains a pleasure; enjoy what follows.
:Spencer Lamm
:October, 2003
==Stories==
Title 	Writers 	Artists 	Comments
Bits and Pieces of Information 	Lana & Lilly Wachowski	Geof Darrow 	Written as the first of a four part story,The Matrix Comic News Archive May 7th 1999 - from Archive.org aspects of this story were later incorporated into the Animatrix short film The Second Renaissance. Artist Geof Darrow worked as a concept artist on all three Matrix films.
Sweating the Small Stuff 	Bill Sienkiewicz 	Bill Sienkiewicz 	Spencer Lamm is credited under plot in the comic strip but not in the Volume 1 contents page.
A Life Less Empty 	Ted McKeever 	Ted McKeever 	
Goliath 	Neil Gaiman 	Bill Sienkiewicz, Gregory Ruth	A short story; illustrations were added at a later date.Matrix breaking news - news dated 19 December 2003
Burning Hope 	John Van Fleet 	John Van Fleet 	
Butterfly 	Dave Gibbons 	Dave Gibbons 	
A Sword of a Different Color 	
Troy Nixey 	
Troy Nixey 	
Get It? 	Peter Bagge 	Peter Bagge 	
There Are No Flowers in the Real World	David Lapham 	David Lapham 	Parts 1 & 2. Also released with Stray Bullets #2 for Free Comic Book Day in 2002 by El Capitan Books.
The Miller's Tale 	Paul Chadwick 	Paul Chadwick 	Released as a limited edition single story comic, given away at the 2003 San Diego Comic-Con and for pre-orders of the first printed volume.
Artistic Freedom 	Ryder Windham 	Kilian Plunkett 	
Hunters and Collectors 	Gregory Ruth 	Gregory Ruth 	
==See also ==
*The Matrix Comics
*The Matrix Comics Volume 2
*The Matrix Comics Series 1
*The Matrix Comics Series 2
*The Matrix Comics Series 3
*The Matrix Comics: 20th Anniversary Edition
==References ==
Category:The Matrix Comics
Category:The Matrix Comics Volume 1