Matt Kirby, has been Busy since Inventing the Apples to Apples Game!

by The Bloom Report | 20 Jan 2022

The Bloom Report

What exactly do you do in the industry?

I am a content creator
 

What is your claim to fame in the industry?

Inventor of Apples to Apples
 

What has been your biggest achievement?

Apples to Apples and DecadesMatrix.com
 
What was your biggest failure?
Following up A2A
 
What have been doing since you invented Apples to Apploes in 2014?
I've been BUSY!!!!
 
I created the Family - Pirate - Strategy game : Picaroon. Here is are the three level of rules for Picaroon :
 
I plan on finding a distribution channel for it and a new version of my game Shipwrecked :
I am the Content Creator for all of the following with my friend Guustav who handles the IT - side of it.
 
My general interest website: https://www.entropynation.com/
 
I have created online games for the entropy site
 
This is a website I created that teaches 20th Century history graphically - along with the (most important) connections:
 
Here are the Cartoons i create for my entropynation.com website :
 
Here is a documentary I created about a very unique artists I know in SF :
 
Here is a website/ database I created that uses attributes to search for the world's most famous 1,000 pieces of art :
 
Here is a website I created for my father (deceased) who was a well - known artists in southern CA :
 
I work with Moxiebox to bring a quality Art - Lesson in a subscription form to home school families and public schools.
I produce most of the supplementary content that provides art history and/or connections to the time periods and general concepts :
 
I have conducted seminars for students and their teachers on the importance / method of employing creativity in their lives. I have a (100 + slide Presentation) titled " The Twelve Tools of Creativity" where I explore / articulate and express the nature of this most important topic. I plan on turning this into an E-Book.
 
In general I am always stressing the power and necessity of employing creativity in any fashion, more now than ever before !!!
 
One last thing : I hope to use the structure and accessibility of Apples to Apples in order to conduct / expose civil dialog in this country. The thought is to create a custom  Red State / Blue State Apples to Apples deck to create a forum to discuss important concepts / challenges that face this country. Id like to facilitate and MC these discussion and  post them on YouTube. Apples to Apples is a unique construct that can be utilized for the Public - Good. I'd like to be part of this !!!
 
 
Do you have a mantra that you live by?
Content - Content - Content 
 

Why and how did you get into the Toy and Game industry?

Complete amateur found a manufacturer, Out of the Box Games (OTB Games), which then sold Apples to Apples to Mattel. 
 
What has kept you motivated to stay in the toy industry?
I enjoy the divine process of invention !!!
 
What was your favorite project to date?
 
What trends do you see in toys or games that excite or worry you?
That Cards Against Humanity inspired RACE TO THE BOTTOM
 

What advice can you give to inventors who are presenting new toy or game ideas to you?

Amazon is not your FRIEND
 

What advice would you give a young adult graduating from high school or college today?

Passion Wins , Everytime
 
What advice do you have for people starting in the industry?
Invent from nature, not trends
 

Do you have a typical work day and how does it play out for you?

I try stuff
 

What’s your workspace setup like?

Typical
 
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Making people think / laugh / understand the nature of creativity
 

What is the worst job you’ve ever had and what did you learn from it?

It is better to have a job in the content biz
 

What’s a problem you’re still trying to solve?

A game that involves the intersection of personal and group goals
 

What and/or who inspires you?

Theoretical Physicis / Revolutionary Artists
 

What excites you?

The creative passion / connecting to The Source
 

How do you define creativity?

Connecitng notions / observations / ideas
 

How do you define innovation?

Employing creativity
 

How do you recharge or take a break?

Trying to improve at my tennis game
 

What words describe how you think or how your brain works?

WTF ?
 
What was your favorite toy or game as a child?
Odd Rods (Cards) Chess / Risk / D&D / Liars Dice
 

Where were you born?

San Diego, 1/7/1964 - Capricorn !!
 
What was your life like growing up?
Sensitive / creative / Frightened child navigating life
 

Where did you grow up and how did that influence who you are today?

S.F - A culture of intellectualism
 
What is one mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
One must think of others
 

What do you read every day, and why?

Online all the time, I want to read an actual book someday!!
 

Who is the person you most admire?

Richard Feynman / Carl Sagan / William Blake
 

What is your favorite gadget, app or piece of software that helps you every day?

My pillow !!! (Not the guy !!!)
 
How do you jumpstart your creativity when you find yourself stalled on a project?
Observe nature !!
 
When is the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?
Today, thinking about all the stupid stuff I've just done !!
 
What are your favorite childhood memories?
Mission Hills in S.D. - Haunted House hunting
 
Are you named after anyone?
My grandfather from Croatia : Anton Djzaic (middle name Anthony)
 

Do you have any kiddos?

Three brilliant / disruptive youths angling for Paradigm Shifts
 

Do you have any pets?

We are all addicted to thinking our dogs are immortal
 

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Wouldn't U like to know !!!
 

What’s in your fridge?

Cold Cash
 
Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which one(s)?
I play Rick Beato Music Appreciation Videos !!!
 
Who are your favorite musicians, singers or musical groups?
Beatles / Pink Floyd / Doors / Amaral (Spanish)
 

What music are you listening to now?

Richard Wagner
 
Fav Cereal ?
Fruit Lopps lOLOLOL

What are your favorite books?

LOTR - On the Road - Catcher in the Rye
 
What are your favorite websites?
Youtube, Live Science, Wired
 
Who are your favorite athletes?
Joe Morgan (Mlb) Fran Tarkington (NFL) , Dan Fouts (NFL)
 

Favorite movie of all time?

2001 Space Odessey - Butch Cassiday and Sundance Kid - The Graduate - Truman Show - Apollo 13 - Raiders of Arc
 

Tell us about your hobbies?

Tennis / pen/ink drawings / website creation / make videos
 

Hugs or Kisses?

A kiss is truly divine, a connection, a doorway
 

Everything would have been different if…

Nazi invasion of Russia, June 1941 .........
 
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Completely Unaware of Myself !!!
 
Editor's Note: Our last conversation with Matt was back in 2014! Check out Joyce Johnson's interview with Matt.

Apples to Apples game inventor Mattel game inventor DecadesMatrix.com Strategy Game Picaroon The Twelve Tools of Creativity

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