Bunny Matthews is a true original and a New Orleans literary and artistic legend. In his own time.

For those of you who aren’t aware, OffBeat published Bunny Matthews’ Vic and Nat’ly cartoons in OffBeat for many, many years, as did most other New Orleans publications, including the Times-Picayune, Gambit, and more.

Bunny was responsible for writing most of the very first issue of OffBeat (“The Sound of New Orleans From A to Z”), and some early Vic and Nat’ly cartoons also ran in that issue.

In fall 1999 Bunny—to his great surprise, and mine—became the editor of OffBeat. Our editor at the time had left and I was putting out feelers to find a new one.

I was talking to Bunny and happened to mention that I was looking for an editor, and he said “What about me?” Well. Hmmm. Bunny had written regularly for Wavelength, but pretty much had “retired” from music writing for a long time, and focused on his artwork and cartoons.

So we hired him. Bunny added a real local “note” to OffBeat and also injected much of his love for arcane quotes (this man is well-read), and enduring love of tits and ass (he’s a porn connoisseur) and of the fairer sex in general. A Jazz Fest cartoon Bunny did for OffBeat in our Jazz Fest 1996 issue created a shitstorm (Bunny loves to create those) because he depicted the Jazz Fest “nation” as a bunch of “Festi-Nazis”; some people at the Jazz Fest couldn’t take the joke (too bad for them). Many of his features and articles are still online on our web site. Bunny remained OffBeat’s editor until Katrina blew all of our staff people away in August 2005. He didn’t come back either, much to my chagrin. C’est la vie.

Bunny is one of the most talented New Orleanians, ever. His intellect is formidable, his wit is sharp and evil, and he has an eye for satire second to none.  He’s an inspired artist and writer, and an astute observer of the vagaries and quirks of New Orleans culture.

So it was awful to hear that Bunny had been diagnosed with brain cancer, earlier this summer.

One of Bunny’s sons, Jude, organized BunnyFest this Friday night at Tip’s—as creative people, and a devoted son in New Orleans will do—to help defray some of Bunny’s expenses: a most worthy cause, and a reason to celebrate Mr. Matthews, once again. Bands include Quintron & Miss Pussycat, King James and the Special Men, Guitar Lightnin’ Lee & His Thunder Band, the Creole String Beans and the Lonely, Lonely Knights plus O.L.D.

To get a taste of the breadth and talent of Mr. Matthews, check this out. It’s long, but “illustrative” of his talent.