Matthew Dow Smith
LightNews LightNews
banner
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Matthew Dow Smith
@matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
8.1K followers 2.1K following 8.1K posts
Writer, artist, comic book creator. The October Girl (Book Two coming May 2026 from Mad Cave/Maverick), Amelia Shadows (Book One coming April 2026 from Papercutz), DC's Misfits of Magic, and others.

Literary agent: Moe Ferrara at TriadaUS.
Posts Replies Media Videos
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Pol Krinn, Magnetic Kid

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
Magnetic Kid as a kids comics character
January 25, 2026 at 1:41 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Mysa Nal, White Witch

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
White Witch as a kids comic character
January 24, 2026 at 1:27 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Jacques Foccart, Invisible Kid II

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
InvisibleKid II as a kids comics character
January 23, 2026 at 1:32 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Blok

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
Blok. Just Blok. Lovely, adorable Blok. As a kids character.
January 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
A lot of talented comic book creators are out there desperate for work, and while I don't have any easy answers for them, I will say that one of the BIGGEST mistakes (of MANY) that I've made in my career was waiting for the next job and not just going and making my own job on my own.
Me. With a pipe in my mouth, with smoke drifting up over my head with the words COMIC BOOK DAD in the smoke.
January 21, 2026 at 10:06 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Back to inking the last bits of the next OCTOBER GIRL book --
Autumn Ackerman, sitting in a chair and looking worries, as usual.
January 21, 2026 at 4:42 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Dawnstar

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
Dawnstar as a cute kids character
January 21, 2026 at 1:03 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Happy Birthday, Tom Baker. You were my first Doctor and I will always love you because of that. My life would have been very different without you and Doctor Who.

#TomBaker
#DoctorWho
#HappyBirthday
Tom Baker as the Doctor Tom Baker as the Doctor but in a kids comics style
January 20, 2026 at 3:12 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Troy Stewart, Tyroc

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
Tyroc as a kids character
January 20, 2026 at 1:05 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Lovely first review of THE OCTOBER GIRL Book Two, out in May from me and @maverickogn.bsky.social!
October Girl book two returns with all of the same magic, thrill, and personal reflection of the first installment. We dive deeper into the characters and return to the iconic places that we met and visited in book one. This book expounds upon the night folk, and main character Autumn's family lore. This graphic novel is illustrated with blocky muted imagery, and has chapters split up by quotes followed by interior narration from our main character. The overall atmosphere created is both cozy and mysterious, with a little bit of melancholy. While these are stories centered around other worldly forces, they are very much reflections on family and life, making these books suitable and interesting for all ages of readers. I'm eagerly awaiting future installments of the series.
January 20, 2026 at 2:20 AM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
At one point, I was playing with the idea of pitching a Rock N' Roll graphic novel that was The Beths running around helping a bunch of aliens that crash landed on Earth, but I got busy with other things. Still think it would be fun.
Liz from The Beths with two retro looking ray guns with a green alien hiding being her.
January 19, 2026 at 10:54 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Did a quick (and rare non-kids) sketch because this reference set from @trueref.bsky.social is just so perfectly gothic and cool.
A drawing of a female vampire in a long flowing dress looking awesome
January 19, 2026 at 6:31 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Drake Burroughs, Wildfire

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
January 19, 2026 at 1:04 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Another Important Cat Update: The hedgehog toy has now achieved freedom and Amelia is just out cold. No word on the other toys currently trapped beneath her.
Amelia the cat sound asleep with a little hedgehog cat toy resting against her back
January 19, 2026 at 12:06 AM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Important Cat Update: I put some cat toys on Amelia's new throne and now she's just fully lounging on top of all of them.
Amelia on her throne in my home office with one toy visible. There are others beneath her Now she's almost snuggling that one visible toy Now you can't even see that toy. She's just fully on top of all of them
January 19, 2026 at 12:01 AM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
(And my bread. I am absurdly proud of my bread. Mainly because I never imagined I'd be someone who ever made bread.)
Bread! Breaaaaaad!
January 18, 2026 at 8:30 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Brin Londo, Timber Wolf

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
Timber Wolf as an adorable kids character And seriously, THAT is his original costume. Like... what?!
January 18, 2026 at 1:38 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
If you know me in real life, and know how bad I was at functioning as an adult for far longer than I care to admit, you'll understand how insane it is that I just regularly make bread now and it actually turns out this well.
Some pretty damn good looking bread, if I do say so myself
January 18, 2026 at 2:41 AM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Finally watched the first episode of Starfleet Academy and I get that there are quibbles like there are with any piece of entertainment, but c'mon, people... how can anyone say that isn't "Star Trek"?! That's pure Star Trek. And pretty joyous. Man, people need to unpucker their nostalgia butts.
Holly Hunter in the damn Captain's chair. How cool is that?!
January 18, 2026 at 1:17 AM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Sketchbook Saturday: Pryde of the X-Kids

#XMen
#KidsComics
#Marvel
#SketchbookSaturday
Kitty Pryde and her dragon as kids characters
January 17, 2026 at 6:35 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
I put a blanket on top of some storage boxes in my home office for the cats and Amelia has claimed it as her throne.

(And if you were wondering... yes, Amelia Shadows is named after my cat.)
A very regal looking black cat sitting on her throne of blankets and storage boxes
January 17, 2026 at 3:53 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Condo Arlik, Chemical King

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
Chemical King as a kids character
January 17, 2026 at 1:08 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Picked up my next big reading project at @greedyreads.bsky.social. Going to read the last three books in the Expanse series by James S.A. Corey in between wrapping up work on THE OCTOBER GIRL Book Three and the latest AMELIA SHADOWS.
James SA Corey's last three Expanse books piled on the corner of my desk.
January 16, 2026 at 10:59 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Legion of Super-Kids: Tasmia Mallor, Shadow Lass

(Not an official DC thing, just me having fun!)

#LegionofSuperHeroes
#LongLiveTheLegion
#FromTheSketchbook
Shadow Lass as a kids character
January 16, 2026 at 12:27 PM
matthewdowsmith.bsky.social
Never forget that these "genuises" had to spend billions and billions of dollars to build a Machine that can sort of do what you can do with a cheap pencil, a piece of paper, and your own imagination.
January 15, 2026 at 6:06 PM