MATT
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MATT | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Charles Edward Kerbs August 8, 1940 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | March 4, 2002 (aged 61) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Known for | Erotic drawing |
| Partner | Jeffrey Johnson |
Charles Edward Kerbs (August 8, 1940 – March 4, 2002), better known by his pen name MATT, was an American artist, actor, and playwright active in the late twentieth century, known for his erotic comics and illustrations.[1][2]
Biography[edit]
Kerbs was born on August 8, 1940, in New Orleans, Louisiana.[2] He began working professionally while still in high school, painting a mural in the cafeteria of Easton High School, from which he graduated in 1959.[2]
As a teenager, Kerbs found a liking and talent for drawing the male form, especially wrestlers, cowboys, leathermen, and servicemen.[1] He was an avid reader of the beefcake magazine Physique Pictorial and drew inspiration from gay artists such as Tom of Finland, Harry Bush, and Art Bob.[1] His drawings were first published in Grecian Guild Pictorial when Kerbs was 16 years old.[1]
In the 1960s, Kerbs submitted his portfolio to Bob Mizer, who loved Kerbs' work and published it in Athletic Model Guild. According to Bill Schmeling, Mizer suggested Kerbs adopt the pen name MATT because of his talent for depicting "men-on-the-mats."[1] Kerbs's erotic drawings were massively successful, appearing in major leather, S&M, and fetish publications such as Drummer[3][4] and Honcho.[1][5] In the 1970s Kerbs' art was featured in the Galley House in New Orleans, followed by Stompers Gallery and the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York.[1] He was featured at the Tom of Finland Foundation's Erotic Art Fair in 1995 and 1996.[1]
During the 1970s Kerbs also worked for D.H. Holmes, designing an art nouveau mural for the company's Bourbon Street restaurant as well as elaborate holiday displays.[2] He also created costumes and posters for gay Carnival balls.
Kerbs had a passion for live theater. In 1964 he conducted an acting workshop for Free Southern Theater. In 1965 he played the lead role of Finch in a production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying by Gallery Circle Theatre.[2] After the show closed, he moved to Manhattan in New York City to pursue a career as an actor and playwright.[2] He wrote several plays, but did not find notable success.[2] During this time, he supported himself by designing fabrics and wallpaper patterns (with additional financial assistance from his mother, Rose).[2] In 1970, he and his friend Lyla Hay Owen formed their own theater, the People Playhouse, which produced several of Kerbs' plays.[2] Around this time he moved back to New Orleans.[2]
Kerbs was diagnosed with heart problems sometime in the 1970s.[1] In his last years, he began self-publishing some of his art and adult comic books.[1] He died of pneumonia on March 4, 2002, while hospitalized for heart bypass surgery.[2][1] He was survived by his partner of 18 years, Jeff Johnson, who committed to continue making Kerbs' art available to his admirers.[1]
Cultural Impact & Legacy[edit]
In 1997, Brush Creek Media published an 80-page collection of his art titled 'Rasslers, 'ranglers & Rough Guys: The Erotic Art of Matt.[6]
In a tribute published by the Tom of Finland Foundation in 2002, Bill Schmeling described Kerbs as "the all time great erotic "Wrestling Artist"" and wrote:[1]
"Charles Kerbs was a gentle giant, a quiet, unassuming powerhouse of creative genius and energy. The man may have left us, but his spirit lives on in MATT."
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Remembering Matt". World of Tom of Finland. Fall 2002. The Dispatch. 2002. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Obituaries - Charles Edward Kerbs". Ambush magazine. Volume 20, Issue 6. Ambush Magazine. 2002. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ "Drummer Magazine No 106 July 1987". Jack Fritscher. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Drummer Magazine No 107 August 1987". Jack Fritscher. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Honcho Magazine - February, 1987". cowboyfrank.men. February 1987. Honcho Magazine. 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ Matt (1997). 'Rasslers, 'ranglers & Rough Guys: The Erotic Art of Matt. Brush Creek Media.
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