By the Book

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Emma and I are taking two classes at the Vancouver Island School of Art this semester (Drawing II and Principles and Elements of Design). Both classes are going well so far. I've been posting some of the assignments on Instagram.

This week's comic originally appeared in the UVic Martlet, where Smith vs Smith was originally published in 2008. See the first every published Smith vs Smith comic below:

Since this first Smith vs Smith ran in the Martlet back in 2008, Andrew and Ash have gotten married and are actually expecting their first kid this summer (I'm gonna be an uncle!).

Tomorrow is Hourly Comics Day, where myself and other cartoonists attempt to draw a comic for every hour we are awake. Make sure you're following along on Instagram and Twitter!

Matt's Best Friend

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The cats used to just ignore us after returning from vacations , but Thor has gotten really needy since we moved to Canada. This isn't the first time I've written about our family's toilet habits. 

This comic originally appeared in Camosun College's Nexus Newspaper's January 4th issue.

If you're in Victoria, BC, keep an eye out for issues of the Nexus to see Smith vs Smith comics several weeks earlier than they appear online! 

And if you're an University of Victoria student, keep an eye out this Thursday for Smith vs Smith in the UVic Martlet! 9 years ago (holy crap!), Smith vs Smith first appeared in the Martlet and I'm so excited to be back! 2017 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for Smith vs Smith and I can't wait to share more good news as it happens. Stay tuned! 

Happy

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While in Scotland for our Christmas break, Emma and I attended the wedding of a family friend. I bought a kilt for the occasion. 

Emma gave me a lot of really amazing Christmas presents, but my favorites are the amazing Ban Dai S H Figuarts full posable drawing figures for comic book artists. With my background in film, I'm always disappointed that my comics aren't more cinematic, but I'm hoping that these figures open up a whole new realm of possibilities! Check out the original poses below: 

Panel 1: Matt and Emma are getting ready for a wedding. Matt is wearing a kilt. Emma is in a dress. 

Emma: What should we write on the card?

Matt: What about: "We hope you're as happy as we are?"

Emma: That's not very nice!

I'm very excited to use these little guys in the future! 

Stress

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Emma and I had a great Christmas in Scotland with her family, but 2017 is going to be an exciting year for Smith vs Smith comics and I couldn't wait to get back to work! For starters, Smith vs Smith is going to published in three papers in the next few weeks! 

This comic is a spiritual sequel to "Stressed," a comic I created way back in 2009, when I was finishing a teaching job in Malaysia and didn't know what was next. (I ended up teaching English in Hong Kong and will be compiling the comic strips from that time into a mini comic soon). See the original comic below. I'm hoping you can see an improvement in my art over the last 8 years...!

The original "Stressed" in all its Comic Sans glory.