Will Bunn "Bunny" Matthews III (February 15, 1951 – June 1, 2021) was an American
cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...
and writer from the Greater New Orleans Area. He is best known for his depictions of New Orleans characters and local dialect, especially Vic and Nat'ly Broussard.
Early life
Matthews was born in
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the parish seat and largest city of Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702, it is the principal city of the Monroe metropolitan statistical ...
in 1951. His family moved to the
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
suburb of Metairie when he was three years old. He graduated from
East Jefferson High School
East Jefferson High School is a public high school located in Metairie in unincorporated area, unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Its attendance boundary includes: portions of Metairie and Kenner, Louisiana, Kenner.
in Metairie, and afterwards worked at Jim Russell Records before enrolling at the
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a Public university, public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. First opened in 1958 as Louisiana State University in New Orleans, it is the largest public university and one of t ...
. Due to a high draft lottery number that decreased his chances of being sent to the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, he dropped out of college and began working as a
freelance writer
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
.
Career
Matthews's characters Vic and Nat'ly Broussard are an overweight husband and wife who speak in what some call the
Yat dialect
New Orleans English is American English native to the city of New Orleans and its metropolitan area. Native English speakers of the region actually speak a number of varieties, including the variety most recently brought in and spreading since th ...
and run a working-class corner bar and po-boy emporium in the city's
Ninth Ward
The Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana, which is located in the easternmost downriver portion of the city. It is geographically the largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. On the south, the Ninth Ward is b ...
. In light of these characters' sometimes unfavorable reception, it bears noting that Matthews has often and repeatedly described others' use of the word "Yat" as derogatory.
Matthews' cartooning style has been called "post-psychedelic baroque". Vic and Nat'ly first appeared in 1982 in ''Dixie'', a former weekly supplement of ''
The Times-Picayune
''The Times-Picayune , The New Orleans Advocate'' (commonly called ''The Times-Picayune'' or the ''T-P'') is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ancestral publications of other names date back to January 25, 1837. The cu ...
''. Matthews' first cartoon strip was titled ''F'Sure: Actual Dialogue Heard on the Streets of New Orleans'', published from the late-1970s to the early-1980s in the defunct New Orleans weekly paper ''Figaro'' for which Matthews also wrote music reviews. A collection of some ''F'Sure'' strips was published in book form in 1978.
Some of Matthews' artwork can be viewed in the
Louisiana State Museum
The Louisiana State Museum (LSM), founded in New Orleans in 1906, is a statewide system of National Historic Landmarks and modern structures across Louisiana, housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana's legacy of histori ...
in
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...
, the
Audubon Insectarium
The Audubon Insectarium is an insectarium and entomology museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. As part of its move from its previous location at the U.S. Custom House Federal Building to the site of the Audubon Aquarium, the museum r ...
in New Orleans, and gracing the sides of New Orleans bakery Leidenheimer Baking Co.'s delivery trucks. His original illustrations can be found in the
Historic New Orleans Collection
The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region of the United States. It is located in New Orl ...
, which also commissioned Matthews to create a large mural for the official City of New Orleans Pavilion at the
1984 World's Fair
The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was a world's fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier world's fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. The fair was held from May 12 to November 11, ...
. His exhibitions include "Chihuahua: King of New Orleans Dogs" (Scheurich Gallery), "The Art of Bunny Matthews" (Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans), "Bunny Matthews: Art For Heterosexuals" (Space Gallery), "Da Eve O'Destruction" (Vega Tapas Cafe), "Too Many Bunnies" (Arthur Roger 434), "Black and White" (Arthur Roger Gallery), "The People of New Orleans From A-Z" (Arthur Roger Gallery), "Before and After" (Arthur Roger Gallery), and "Bunny Matthews" (Arthur Roger Gallery). His monumental painting, "Nint'Wardica," based on Pablo Picasso's "
Guernica
Guernica (, ), officially Gernika () in Basque, is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the municipality of Gernika-Lumo ...
" and inspired by the BP oil disaster in 2010, was displayed at the
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is a museum dedicated to art by artists from the southern United States in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was established in 1999.
The building
The Ogden museum is located in the Warehouse Arts District of downtown ...
.
During his career as a music journalist, Matthews interviewed countless celebrities including
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
,
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, she achieved her first ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' hit aged 12 i ...
,
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
,
Peter Tosh
Winston Hubert McIntosh (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band Bob Marley and the Wa ...
,
Bunny Wailer
Neville O'Riley Livingston (10 April 1947 – 2 March 2021), known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. ...
,
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, songwriter and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development ...
,
Professor Longhair
Henry Roeland Byrd (December 19, 1918 – January 30, 1980), better known as Professor Longhair or "Fess" for short, was an American singer and pianist who performed New Orleans blues. He was active in two distinct periods, first in the heyday o ...
,
Fats Domino
Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...
,
Eddie Bo
Edwin Joseph Bocage (September 20, 1930 – March 18, 2009), known as Eddie Bo, was an American singer and pianist from New Orleans. Schooled in jazz, he was known for his blues, soul and funk recordings, compositions, productions and arrang ...
,
Ernie K-Doe
Ernest Kador Jr. (February 22, 1933 – July 5, 2001), known by the stage name Ernie K-Doe, was an American rhythm and blues, R&B singer best known for his 1961 hit single "Mother-in-Law (song), Mother-in-Law", which went to number 1 on the ''Bi ...
,
King Floyd
King Floyd (February 13, 1945 – March 6, 2006) was a New Orleans soul singer, best known for his top 10 hit from 1970, " Groove Me".
Early career
King Floyd III was born in New Orleans in 1945. His musical career started as a singer at the Sh ...
,
Bobby Marchan
Bobby Marchan (born Oscar James Gibson, April 30, 1930 – December 5, 1999) was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, recording artist, bandleader, MC, and female impersonator. He was the key singer in the early lineup of Huey "Pian ...
,
Jessie Hill
Jessie Hill (December 9, 1932 – September 17, 1996) was an American R&B and Louisiana blues singer and songwriter, best remembered for the classic song " Ooh Poo Pah Doo".
Life and career
Hill was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United S ...
,
Albert Collins
Albert Gene Collins (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993)Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. He was noted for his powerful playing ...
,
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
,
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith (5 March 1957 – 24 January 2018) was an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist, lyricist and only constant member of the post-punk group the Fall. Smith formed the band after attending the June 1976 Sex Pistol ...
,
Marilyn Chambers
Marilyn Ann Taylor (née Briggs; April 22, 1952 – April 12, 2009), known professionally as Marilyn Chambers, was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress, singer and vice-presidential candidate. She was known f ...
,
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...
Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Michael Richman (born May 16, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic an ...
,
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of singles that found success in Europe and Australia, with both "Can the Can" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" ...
,
Al Green
Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer. He is best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Tired of ...
, and 1978 Playmate of the Year
Debra Jo Fondren
Debra Jo Fondren (born February 5, 1955) is an American model and actress. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the September 1977 issue and Playmate of the Year for 1978. Her pictorial was photographed by Robert Scott Hooper. ...
. He composed album liner notes for artists including
Smiley Lewis
Overton Amos Lemons (July 5, 1913 – October 7, 1966), known as Smiley Lewis, was an American New Orleans rhythm and blues singer and guitarist. The music journalist Tony Russell wrote that "Lewis was the unluckiest man in New Orleans. He hit on ...
,
The Meters
The Meters (later The Funky Meters) are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and Art Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their o ...
,
Earl King
Earl Silas Johnson IV (February 7, 1934 – April 17, 2003), known as Earl King, was an American singer, guita ...
and
James Booker
James Carroll Booker III (December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983) was an American New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist and singer. Flamboyant in personality and style, and a pianist of extraordinary technical skill, he was dubbed "the Blac ...
, with whom Matthews was close friends until his death in 1983. He was editor of the New Orleans entertainment magazine '' OffBeat'' from 1999 to 2005.
On February 15, 2012, Matthews' band, Bunny and the Playboys, performed for the first time at
Tipitina's
Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
History
Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977. Matthews resided in
Abita Springs, Louisiana
Abita Springs is a town in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,365 at the 2010 census, up from 1,957 in 2000. It is part of the New Orleans– Metairie– Kenner metropolitan statistical area.
History
Ab ...
, across
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain ( ; ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from w ...
north of the city. In 2015 he underwent multiple surgeries for a malignant
brain tumor
A brain tumor (sometimes referred to as brain cancer) occurs when a group of cells within the Human brain, brain turn cancerous and grow out of control, creating a mass. There are two main types of tumors: malignant (cancerous) tumors and benign ...
, from which he had largely recovered as of April 2016.
Matthews married Deborah Murphy (born 1961) on October 11, 1986. They were married for 31 years before Deborah died on April 3, 2018, due to complications from cancer. The couple had two children, Noah and Jude.
Matthews died in hospice care at Wynhoven Health Care Center in Marrero on June 1, 2021, of central nervous system lymphoma, at the age of 70.
Books
*''F'Sure!: Actual Dialogue Heard on the Streets of New Orleans'' (1978)
*''Vic and Nat'ly'' (1983)
*''Vic and Nat'ly, volume II'' (1985)
*''Vic and Nat'ly's 1985: A New Orleans Calendar'' (1984)
*''Journey Towards Christmas: A Travelogue, 1914-1994'' (1992)