The Author:
Cielo 365:
As an ode to my daughter, I am writing 365 children’s books in 365 days, giving each one art direction, and putting them on the internet for free.
By Matt Zurbo
Books:
Idiot Pride is about cruising and being on the run without going anywhere. It’s about the claustrophobia of an inner city suburb, its dangers and pitfalls, and the salvation and humour found in the most solid of friendships.
Flyboy and the Invisible
Carlo and Will are best friends. Through thick and thin. Even when the whole town turns on them and Will begins to change, friendship is everything, right? But Carlo has no idea just how dangerous this friendship can get.
Have you ever wanted to be lost?
Sassy Piero had no idea she did until one smouldering summer night she and her older brother, Bobby, heard the sound of jazz. They snuck down the fire-escape, into the backstreets of the city and found a band of not-quite-right people, the Firebreakers, descendants of dragons, singing, calling, to all storms.
They were a doorway, a promise, a journey.
But to pursue them, Sassy will have to face their dangers, their challenges. To learn their music she will have to leave her brother and father behind.
And what of Bobby? He’s a Real Boy. No way is he going to do anything other than lose himself in punk and grimy rock’n’roll.
Hot Nights, Cool Dragons is an adventure. A story about paths taken, paths not taken, and the conflict between passion and love.
Footy Books:
“Football is a heart and soul game,” AFL Legend Ron Barassi once told Matt Zurbo. Taking that observation as his cue, Zurbo travelled across Australia interviewing players great and good, from the famous to the journeymen. In doing so, Zurbo—himself a veteran of 650 amateur games and counting—has recorded the footy stories of some of the game’s characters, from Rene Kink and Graham Cornes to Joe Misiti and Robert ‘Bones’ McGhie. The result is the players’ oral history of footy through seven decades, in their own words.
Champions All
Champions All is an oral History of AFL/VFL football, an encyclopedia of the history of our great game, compiled from the brutally honest thoughts of over 170 of its players from the 1940s to now. From Triple Brownlow winners, four time premiership coaches to thugs, characters, gentleman champions, glamorous high fliers, rugged club servants, 100 goal kickers and honest back pockets. If you are sick of spin, this book is for you. From childhood to retirement, quiet moments, tall tales, family and big picture, great Grand Finals, heartache and often conflicting opinions, at last a book detailing the history of AFL/VFL as it should be told; 100% through the words of the players and coaches who were out there. A book that delivers not just the view from the oval, but what made the hearts tick of the people out there.
Kids Books:
Blow Kid Blow
A kid uses his trumpet sounds to take him places. A book about the power of music and imagination.
A boy gets a very different birthday present! Now an Emmy winning cartoon.
Fred the Croc
A croc that eats tourists to become famous!
My Dad’s a Wrestler
A boy worship’s his Dad, the wrestler, despite the fact he never wins anything.
Lu-Lu’s Wish
A little girl thinks she has no talent, but she does – for wishing. A tale of passion.
Tommy Tuckers
3 hilarious short stories about a little ratbag.
I Love Footy
A boy and girl use their imagination to discover all that is fun and adventurous about footy. Including Vikings and cavemen!
Moon
A whimsical poem about loneliness and the power of the moon.
Poetry:
A Tribute to Comics:
Sex and Magic: The Death of Dr Strange
Sex and Magic: The Death of Doctor Strange is short listed, Emmy winning Australian author Matt Zurbo’s character driven, sometimes brutal, often life-affirming take on the Marvel Universe. 25 self-contained stories that also form an overriding arc, The Death of Docotor Strange. It was written six years ago, but events in the Marvel Universe are catching up to some of the sub plots, so now is the time.
Sex and Magic: the Death of Doctor Strange was created and drawn by Matt as thanks to Marvel, with love and affection for the characters that, more than any book, taught him his love of stories.
Columns:
Footy Almananc writer for ten years. About grass roots sport and community, mostly. A sample page – Unrushed, Unspoken
Talks:
An interview with Matt Zurbo