As portrayed in his autobiographical comic-book series, Joe Matt was a lazy dirtbag. He was also a supremely talented cartoonist, best known as part of the holy trinity of Canadian indie artists along with close friends Chester Brown and Seth, despite his American citizenship. In the wake of his untimely passing in 2023, this massive 464-page hardcover book collects his long-running but highly sporadic series, Peepshow, in its entirety, including the never-published fifteenth issue.
Buy PeepshowIn just the span of the first issue, originally published in 1992, Joe manages to physically assault his girlfriend (off-page), publish his lust for one of her co-workers without her real-world advance knowledge, and bicker with her over sharing food costs amounting to less than one dollar. He also establishes a long-running forum with Chester and Seth where he seeks their counsel while they hang out, generally resulting in Seth making fun of him for his outlandish views and penny-pinching frugality. This sets a template for the rest of the series, originally released at a paltry average of one issue a year through 2006.
It’s interesting to see the dynamic of the trio of cartoonist friends from Joe’s perspective, especially in light of the renewed attention to Chester’s similar recounting of their friendship in his book Paying for It, the basis for the recent indie film of the same title. Seth also long ago used their friendship as grist for his ongoing series, Palookaville, but it seems like Joe got the most mileage out of turning his friends into recurring characters. It’s also striking how comparable their styles are, all working in similar black and white linework with deeply revealing autobiographical details. This is Joe’s book though, and the friends only make up one component of his work, with the bulk devoted to his ongoing frustrations with the fairer sex and his absurd dedication to a monastic lifestyle, with his religion consisting of extreme porn addiction.
As the real-time years pass, Joe doesn’t seem to mature, drifting from one failed relationship attempt to the next, finally abandoning his illegal alien stay in Canada when HBO comes knocking with an offer to make an animated series out of his comic. That 2003 move to L.A. is documented in the previously unpublished fifteenth issue, which languished in his desk until its discovery after his death, requiring just a few final pages of inking provided by Chester. The book also includes all original series covers and letters pages, providing insight to the real-time reader reception of the series during its run.
The final word is reserved for legendary Eisner Hall of Fame editor Diana Schutz, a longtime friend of Joe with a stunning revelation for those not in the know. She has a personal connection to his work, as she is the sister of Trish, Joe’s only meaningful girlfriend who he assaulted in the first issue. Her admission of her conflicted feelings for Joe is riveting, with her friendship and deep admiration for his artistic work constantly warring with her abhorrence of his assault on her sister. In our current age, she rightly posits that he would have been cancelled immediately upon publication of the first issue, and her stark admission of her feelings stands as the book’s bravest and most intense autobiographical content.
