Matt Howarth

### Associated acts

Hugh Hopper, Conrad Schnitzler, Quarkspace, Syndromeda, Ozone Player, Fanger & Schönwälder, Paul Nagle

**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 has released three officially licensed Residents comics, The Comix of Two Cities (1982-1996), Jello Jack (1992) & Stalking Ralph (1995).

## Background

Howarth formed 'Howski Studios' in 1969 and contributed to several fanzines until he began self-publishing comics in 1976, starting with 'Afternoon in the Sun.'

In 1980, Howarth began writing a comic called 'Changes' for the sci-fi fantasy magazine 'Heavy Metal.' In April of that year, Howarth illustrated a Residents retrospective published in said magazine, at the same time, working on a comic about The Residents, titled Stalking Ralph.

Two years later, in 1982, Howarth began writing *The Comix of Two Cities,* a 14-page comic inspired by The Residents' Mark of the Mole & Tunes of Two Cities albums. Howarth presented the comic to The Cryptic Corporation, who agreed to publish it through Ralph Records as a mini-series. Ralph sold the comic at the Halloween 1982 San Francisco Mole Shows, but canceled it in March of 1983, leaving a total of 6 finished issues unpublished.

In early 1985, Howarth began writing a spin-off of *Changes* for *Vortex Comics,* titled 'Those Annoying Post Bros.' In 1987, Howarth began writing 'Savage Henry', a comic which featured numerous musical cameos, including ones by The Residents.

The next Residents-based comic by Howarth would be the seven-page 'Jello Jack,' for the Freak Show anthology released in 1992, followed in 1995 by *Stalking Ralph,* and then, in 1996, by the complete version of The Comix of Two Cities; including the never published final 6 issues.

## See Also

* The Comix of Two Cities
* Jim Ludtke
* The Mole Trilogy

**Cast of Characters**
Mohelmot · Chubs (Innisfree · The Scientist) · The ObserverDarkness · The Evil DisposerCross (Zinkenites · Kula Bocca · The Big Bubble · Frankie DuVall)
**Part One: *Mark of the Mole* (1981)**
(video game · novel)
**Side A: Hole-Workers at the Mercy of Nature**
"Voices of the Air" · "The Ultimate Disaster" · "Migration"
**Side B: Hole-Workers vs. Man and Machine**
"Another Land" · "The New Machine" · "Final Confrontation"
**Part Two: *The Tunes of Two Cities* (1982)**
(*The Comix of Two Cities*)
**Side A:** "Serenade For Missy" · "A Maze Of Jigsaws" · "Mousetrap" · "God Of Darkness" · "Smack Your Lips (Clap Your Teeth)" · "Praise For The Curse"
**Side B:** "The Secret Seed" · "Smokebeams" · "Mourning The Undead" · "Song Of The Wild" · "The Evil Disposer" · "Happy Home (Excerpt From Act II of "Innisfree")"
***Intermission: Extraneous Music From The Residents' Mole Show* (1982)**
**Side A:** "Lights Out (Prelude)" · "Shorty's Lament (Intermission)"
**Side B:** "The Moles Are Coming (Intermission)" · "Would We Be Alive? (Intermission)" · "The New Hymn (Recessional)"
**The Mole Show (1982-1983)**(*Mole Dance 82* · *Live At The Roxy* · *La Edad de Oro* · Uncle Sam Mole Show · VHS · *Live In Holland* · DVD bag set)
**Part Three: ???**
"Now It Is Too Late" · "Going Nowhere" · "Tired Old Man" · "Marching To The We" · *Mole Suite*
**Part Four: *The Big Bubble* (1985)**(fictional band · Black Shroud Records)
**Side A:** "Sorry" · "Hop A Little" · "Go Where Ya Wanna Go" · "Gotta Gotta Get" · "Cry For The Fire"
**Side B:** "Die-Stay-Go" · "Vinegar" · "Firefly" · "The Big Bubble" · "Fear for the Future" · "Kula Bocca Says So"
**Part Five: ???**
**Part Six: ???**
**Related works**
"Open Up" · "Anvil Forest" · The 10th Anniversary Show (*Assorted Secrets*) · *PAL TV LP* · The 13th Anniversary Show · *Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed* ("From MOM1" · "Untitled" · "Jingle Bell" · "Another Another Land")
**Related articles**
Ralph Records · The Cryptic Corporation · Grove St. studio · Minna St. studio · Porno Graphics · Penn Jillette · Nessie Lessons · Snakefinger · **Matt Howarth** · Greg Easter · T.D. Wade

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Matt Howarth - Lambiek Comiclopedia
2. ↑ https://www.residents.com/historical/?page=stalkingralph
3. ↑ The Comix of Two Cities - Historical - The Residents
4. ↑ https://comicvine.gamespot.com/those-annoying-post-bros-1/4000-99366/