Neil Mattis has been through many battles, but these days much of his time is spent at the Regal Inn in Murfreesboro painting scenes from the Civil War and of NASCAR races.
He has reenacted Civil War battles since the age of 7. Growing up in Maryville, his uncle introduced him to the art of reenacting, and Mattis has since become somewhat of a history buff.
The 44-year-old tells of his adventures reenacting as he wears a replica of Joseph E. Johnson’s Army of Tennessee uniform from the Civil War.
“Today, I command 10,300 troops,” he says.
His uncle first got him involved in war reenacting, and that same uncle met his own demise on the battlefield. He actually died on the battlefield in Gettysburg.
“He wanted to die facing the enemy,” Mattis said, as his painting supplies surround him in the small motel room.
According to Mattis, his uncle had a heart condition, and when he fell on the field, a note was discovered in his pocket saying not to revive him.
Mattis’ escapades range from his days running moonshine in the East Tennessee hills and backroads around Maryville and Gatlinburg to his creation of the comic strip “Mutant Militant Cats,” which featured lab cats obtaining unprecedented powers and becoming, well, militant.
“They got injected with a serum that’s supposed to make humans live longer,” Mattis said of his superkitties.
The strip caused quite a stir in California when it lampooned Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the artist said. The cats captured him, during the filming of a sequel to Commando, no less, and tied him up. The governator ended up falling headfirst into a pit of cat poop.
“I don’t understand why he was so upset,” Mattis said. “I met Schwarzenegger twice and he seemed like a good humored person.”
All fun and joking aside, Mattis’ biggest battle came last summer, when he had to cope with his wife’s murder.
“She was my inspiration for doing my artwork and comics,” he said.
Joyce, his wife of 12 years, came up missing last year, and her body was discovered June 4, 2008, in a secluded area near Wartrace. Donald Ray Sachs faces first-degree murder charges, and the trial is set to begin June 8, just over a year from the incident.
If painting doesn’t provide healing or comfort for Mattis, at least it provides distraction. He paints cannons flashing and blue and grey clashing on wooden panels, and he is doing what he can to sell them at flea markets and other places to pay his bills.
Mattis, who earned his “Tennessee” nickname from his moonshine running days, is also completing an adult comic strip that features the Mutant Militant Cats, and he awaits reconvening with his Confederate brothers in arms. He plans to participate in recreating scenes from the Battle of Stones River this summer beginning July 18 at the battlefield, with other demonstrations following in August and September. (For more information on the battlefield and the various educational programs and events there, visit nps.gov/stri).
But for now, Mattis will continue to paint at the Inn, entertaining himself and the other guests and staff with drawings of the elusive Regal Rat.
See Neil Mattis’ artwork in person at the next Pulse music and art showcase at the Blue Rooster on the square on Wednesday, May 27. Other artists will be exhibiting work, and Rollo Greb, Exit 42 and Jeffrey Joslin will perform.
