About

“You’re my kind of guy!”

– Guillermo del Toro, after Rev. Matt explained Rev. Matt’s Monster Science to him, I am not even kidding

“Watching Reverend Matt is like watching Wikipedia f*** a science history textbook at a comic book convention only for the purpose of performing a Monty Python sketch or an Eddie Izzard standup routine in the hopes that it will be included in Howard Zinn’s book ‘The Geek History of the United States.’”

– Brian Beatty

Hi, I’m Reverend Matt,* and welcome to Rev. Matt’s Monster Science! This project is, for me, the culmination of a lifelong obsession with monsters – any sort of monsters, mythological, cryptozoological, cinematic, paleontological – combined with a deep adoration for ranting like a maniac. We deal here in facts (about made-up stuff some of the time) and in comedy, with each giving ground to the other in its turn.

My old friend Aaron Engler had been bothering me to do something along these lines for a while. And the kick in the pants to actually do it came from an old theater colleague, Levi Weinhagen. It was Levi who, in July of 2012, invited me to perform in the Minneapolis Encyclopedia Show, this being a multi-performer showcase in which each performer or group thereof has eight to ten minutes to do something that plays off of a pre-chosen monthly topic. It can be dance, or poetry, or whatever; me, I do comedy lectures that shoehorn monsters into whatever the theme may be. But I didn’t have to shoehorn at first – Levi invited me because the July theme was mythical creatures, and he thought I might have something to say about this. He was right. So thank you to Levi, and thank you to Aaron.

Thank you also to Dr. Amy Bambi Wendt, for the extraordinary title image, incredible enthusiasm for this project, and ceaseless support of every kind. And to Matthew Foster, for the gorgeous webdesign you see here, and the excellent hosting. Also to Mike Hallenbeck, for a theme song that, if it’s the only thing to come of this whole affair, will have made it all worthwhile; and to Tony Karna, for the camerawork, the teaching me to edit, the emotional support, and the keeping body and soul together – I am eternally indebted. Aaand thank you to everyone who has come to the Encyclopedia Show!

(By the way – all images used on this site are used fairly to the best of my knowledge; but if I am incorrect in this, and I have posted something I oughtn’t’ve, please let me know and I will rectify it ASAP. Pronto, even. Plus also all content apart from static images is copyright Matt Kessen. That’s me!)

I hope you like it!

 

* Not a real Reverend!**

** Actually a real Reverend, legally, just not a real religious figure!