Matthew first made a name for himself as the self-published comic artist m@b. He continues to work as an illustrator, mixing hand-drawn and digital imagery. His work appears regularly in Spacing, while his cartographic art has appeared in Sportsnet magazine, The Toronto Star, and showcased as part of Canada’s entry in an international map exhibition in Tokyo, Japan.
Comics have played a significant role in the development of Matthew’s career. His first comic was published in the Toronto Sun while in grade 8. Throughout his high school years, Matthew wrote a monthly comic strip in the school paper and was featured regularly in the yearbook. He continued to be published in the Carleton University and Humber College campus papers while studying journalism.
After leaving college, Matthew began publishing as an independent cartoonist, drawing a collection of wry and semi-autobiographical comic strips under the alias m@b (pronounced “Matt B”, his childhood nickname). Matthew created tremendous buzz in the comic world for his unique and persistent approach to marketing and promotion where thousands of copies of each issue were being picked up at comic and music shops across the city. After four years of publishing, he compiled the 15 issues released from 1998-2002 into a cohesive collection called Wide Collar Crimes. Starting in 2003, after helping launch TCAF, m@b was published weekly in Eye. He travelled North America as a featured comic artist at numerous alternative press festivals. He brought the comic to an end when Eye transitioned into The Grid in 2007.
GET BEHIND THE DRAWING BOARD OF MATT’S TIME MAKING M@B
MAP ART
Matthew’s cartographic illustrations have appeared in Spacing, Sportsnet magazine, and The Toronto Star.
City of Canada Transit
Over a period of five years, Matthew meticulously developed City of Canada Transit, a map of the country in the style of a subway map. He reimagined the existing highway network as different transit lines while city and town names became neighbourhood stations. It first appeared in the Toronto Star on Canada Day 2018 and was selected as one of Canada’s entries into the 2019 International Cartographic Association exhibit in Tokyo, Japan.
ABOVE: detail of the map in the Ontario region
ABOVE: detail of the Maritimes (left), Alberta (centre), and Quebec (right)
ABOVE: The City of Canada Transit map legend of fictitious transit line names
Willowdale Transit Authority map
Matthew’s fictitious map art Willowdale Transit Authority was displayed near the entrance to the North York Civic Centre subway station during the Cultura Festival in 2013. It confused thousands of potential transit riders. Matthew included his own personal phone number as the “call for info” contact and received over 50 calls asking for directions and clarification.
Maple Leaf Transit Commission
In 2012, Matthew’s fictitious map Maple Leaf Transit Commission was published as the final page of Sportsnet magazine’s commemorative issue, The Greatest Leafs of All-Time. The map charts the history of the hockey club since 1917 and uses the different lines to intersect and tell a story (i.e., when owners were GMs, or when a captain became a coach).
Parkway Metro
This illustration reimagines the GTA’s 400-series highway network as a modern subway system. This appeared in Spacing #69, 2024.
below: details of the map
EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATIONS
World Cup Transit, Spacing #70, 2025
Doug Ford Though Process, Spacing #69, 2024
Olivia Chow, Spacing #68, 2024; Library Hacked, Spacing #67, 2024
Toronto trees info-graphic, Spacing #69, 2024
Noise cover section digital illustration, Spacing #67, 2024
The Dark Side of the Oz, Nexus magazine, 1997
accompanied article on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz synchronicity
HOCKEY ART & ILLUSTRATIONS
While Matthew left The Hockey News long ago, hockey has not left Matt. He continues to keep his hands involved in the hockey world by creating unique pieces of digital artwork, inspired by vintage photography and publishing.
4 Nations OT Winning Goal print, 2025; Darryl Sittler 10-Point Game print, 2025
Wendel Warhol, Bunny Warhol, Lanny Warhol prints, 2025