Jacoby A. Matott
Filed under: Authors
Jacoby Ambrose Matott is an award-winning artist who was born in rural, northwestern Wisconsin. In his youth he was always drawn to the macabre. Halloween wasn't just one day of the year; it was a lifestyle. Any excuse to make and wear costumes was taken. Family trips to the video store often resulted in negotiations as he implored his parents to let him see whatever gruesome, scary movie his heart was set on (much to their reluctance). As he grew older, he transformed from a fan of horror, to a student of it. Many summers were spent chasing his friends around the backyard with an old VHS camcorder in an attempt to recreate scenes from some of his favorite movies.
Matott spent his formative years as a student of the arts, studying and practicing a variety of mediums. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire with a double major in illustration and theater. During these years many of his artistic skills were honed. Jacoby's theatrical training landed him various lead roles in theatrical productions. Yet, the simple role as a werewolf scare-actor at a local Halloween festival may have been his greatest inspiration. It was there that the idea for what would become his magnum opus and first-ever graphic novel, Pumpkin Guts: The Hellbound Halloween, crept into his brain. The next decade was spent crafting his 300+page behemoth of a graphic novel. Along the way he took on the remarkable talents of Andrew Walde as colorist, Nick Kotek as editor, and Keith Gleason as letterer.
Today Jacoby is proudly a working-artist at UW Eau Claire, where he manages the woodshops for both the theater and art departments. There, he oversees the set design and construction of various theatrical productions and art sculptures. Outside of his vocation, Jacoby prides himself in being a Jack-of-all-trades. His passions and skills include but are not limited to illustration, writing, carpentry, woodworking, sewing, acting, ballroom dance, and many more expressions of art. In his spare time he enjoys cruising around in his Hearse or riding motorcycle, working on his vintage car, cosplaying, attending conventions, reading comics, watching horror movies, and finding new and exciting ways to create art. He has begun his second horror novel which he anticipates completing in a few short years.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacobyamatott.authorartist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobymatott/
Winning Entry: Pumpkin Guts: The Hellbound Halloween
Contest Won: North Street Book Prize 2025, First Prize
