My copy of The Packrat Sampler has arrived! I thought I'd post some pics up along with a note on why this book is extremely special to me. I started MATRIXSYNTH in blog format back on July 20th of 2005. The first post on The Packrat went up on Halloween of that year (with two prior references here and here). The Packrat was with me on year one and has been a staple on the site ever since. The MATRIXSYNTH Packrat image pictured on the right of the site went up on August 2, 2006, and to my surprise and complete honor it graces the cover of the book! 
The Packrat pretty much symbolizes the true inner synth obsessed in all of us. He took a little hiatus in 2006 and came back in 2007 and has been going strong since. He brought us synth dreams and Buchla Christmas wishes. He has a significant place in synth history as the longest running, if not the only running, true synthesizer based comic strip. Because of that, and because of the awesome coolness of the man behind the strip, Mr. Dave C. Lovelace, who brought us much of the artwork behind Metasonix products as well as his other comic strips, and plays ripping keys in his band Parallax, I highly recommend this book. Check out that Tron keytar (more here)!
In all seriousness, The Packrat, also featured in Keyboard Magazine, is part of synth history. Not only does the book feature each episode of the comic, you get the history behind each including interesting tidbits you might miss in the comic otherwise, and you get a 12-page adventure never seen anywhere else (which includes another MATRIXSYNTH appearance).Seriously, get this book now! It's dirt cheap, it's synth history, and it is AWESOME!
:-)
ReplyDeleteThe Packrat is a direct product of Matrixsynth. The man behind the blog makes a pseudo-appearance (complete with his requisite anonymity) is the bonus comic adventure. It's been a fun ride & there's plenty more fun stuff planned for the twenty-teens. Thanks Matrixsynth for facilitating my perfect marriage of cartooning and music...
I got my Packrat Smapler last week :)
ReplyDelete@Matrix ... 2005 was a monumental year for me as well, it was the year I took the giant leap of faith to devote myself to music. I purchased my first analogue synth in October, the Voyager. (It was sadly the same month that the amazing Bob Moog passed away.)
@Dave I hope to meet you at this years AHNE meetup ... it will be my first time this year but definitely not my last :) I'm biting at the bit to start ordering the PCB's to start my modular build. :D
I'll be there Maeghan!
ReplyDeleteThanks again Matrix for the great post!!
Thank you Dave! It's so cool seeing it in print and seeing MATRIXSYNTH in it. I loved the appearance in the new adventure. You nailed it!
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