Matthew Hawkins originally migrated from the Pacific Northwest to the Big Apple to make comics. But while attending School of Visual Arts, to earn his BFA in Cartooning, Matt ended up making more movies instead. And shortly after graduating, he found himself involved in video games, which was great, because that's what he was most interested in all along.
As an active member of the local game scene, Matt's basically done it all. On the developmental side of things, his biggest claim to fame is the title of former lead game designer at Ubisoft's short-lived and semi-experimental NY studio in 2000. From there he formed his own company, Pixel Jump, and produced cell phones games well before the iPhone created such an economy.
In addition to designing games on a freelance basis, Matt provides consultation to those wishing to understand the interactive space. Clients on that end include Sony Classics, Paramount, NBC/Universal, Warner Bros, Miramax, and MTV. Matt has also taught the fundamentals of game design at his alma mater, as well as provided thesis advisement for the SVA's BFA Computer Art department.
On the journalism end of things, which is what Matt is mostly known, his first big break was with Nickelodeon Magazine in 2002, where he served as their go to games scribe. From there, he's written for a wide range of audiences and outlets, including Electronic Gaming Monthly, Giant Robot, Gamasutra, Insert Credit, and Tiny Cartridge, to name just a few, a couple of which he still contributes to.
Most recently he wrapped up a celebrated run as editor for GameSetWatch, and is the primary games reporter for both Heavy and Guyism. He also maintains a fairly popular blog that not only deals with gaming, but comics, animation, Asian cinema, pop culture, the internet subculture, and life in NYC, both the good and not so good. It's perhaps why Matt has been called "The Harvey Pekar of video game journalism."
In recent years, Matt also began producing a physical format of his blog, called the FORT90ZINE, which also reflects his love for indie comics and self-publishing. It's been cited as "The publication that helped spark the video game zine renaissance currently in effect." It stays close subjects that are dear to Matt: in addition to games, the weird and wonderful creations by those who are inspired by them.
That same passion for game culture was also the impetus behind his efforts throughout 2010, in which he curated and promoted a series of highly acclaimed and successful game/art expositions throughout Queens and Manhattan, in conjunction with Babycastles, NYC's first and only indie arcade. Matt is also currently the east coast representative of the game culture collective Attract Mode.
Matt is also a frequent guest at various conventions throughout the northeast; he's spoken at The New York Comic Con, The New York Anime Festival, The Toronto Comics Art Festival, The Connecticut Film Festival, The RE/Mixed Media Festival in Dumbo, The Doomsday Film Festival, and ICON, all on the topic of video games.
Among how many other projects is UNLUCKY, a series autobiographical mini-comics based upon hard to believe, yet very much true tales from Matt's past, all of which are illustrated by a variety of indie comic talents. The very first installment of which was given a honorable mention in BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2007. There's also Matt's affinity for New York Cable Access, which the basis of an unannounced project for sometime in 2012.