iFanboy Upstarts: Matthew Weldon

Some artists make their debut and then make their name by delivering work week-in and week-out and make it hard not to see them. But others seemingly become popular by being more rare, making those gaps between the release of new work time to reflect on their work so far but also to pine away at what comes next. One of my favorite artist in the past ten years is someone who hasn’t even done a dozen full-fledged comics. But that doesn’t matter.

Texas-born artist Matt Weldon came onto the scene doing shorts with writer Mark Andrew Smith in the the late 2000s Popgun anthology for Image, and did his first full-length story when he and Smith released the graphic novel New Brighton Archeological Society about a pint-sized group of Indiana Jones types who explore the world looking for treasures, artifacts and mythical creatures while trying not to get into trouble with their adult overseers. It was a rollicking piece of storytelling that put Weldon on the map; so much that after I interviewed him in 2009 for Newsarama I had two publishers email me trying to get in touch with him. That didn’t seem to come of anything however, as Weldon seemingly retreated from the scene after that. Since then he made a rare return appearance in a later Popgun anthology installment, and according to some unconfirmed rumors he did some small press comics I haven’t been able to track down at all. Three years since New Brighton, and he finally may be delivering a sophomore effort as he and Smith raised money last summer for a second volume and he is also confirmed as the artist for a second volume of Gladstone’s School For World Conquerors, another project by Smith. If just two projects weren’t enough, there’s also a third — Weldon is reportedly working on a series called Supplanter for the small press outfit Mohawk Media.

Comics take time, and not every artist can do it full-time, but I’m still chomping-at-the-bit waiting for new work by Weldon. The first volume of New Brighton Archeological Society is still in stores (as is even available online for free!) for people to catch up while they wait for what comes next. What do you think of his work?