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We’re pleased to introduce a new comic strip to the world.

It’s called “Dead Engines,” and is drawn by Matthew Rogers of Southwest Roanoke County.

Matthew is 10 -- a fourth-grader at Oak Grove Elementary -- says he’s been drawing since he was at least two. Here’s what he has to say about his strip, which features characters he calls “the circle people.”

Q: Where’d the name “Dead Engines” come from?
A: “The first one I drew I gave to the school newspaper -- the Tiger Times -- and it was about an engine gone dead so I took the name from that.”

Q: Tell us about who the main characters are.
A: “They’re Chip and Pip. I came up with ‘em. I liked ‘Chip’ and Pip was supposed to be very hyper, so I named him Pip . . . Chip has a little scar on the side of his head so that you can recognize him. And Pip kind of has scraggly hair so you can recognize him, too.”

Q: Where’d you get the idea for these characters?
A: “I saw a smiley face and added arms and legs and hair and thought it looked kind of cute.”

Q: When did you start drawing?
A: “I’ve been drawing a long time. I started with stick figures, then came up with the circle people and started with that.”

Q: Do you remember your first drawings?
A: “ I did squiggle people when I was 2. They didn’t have any arms or legs but they were squiggles.”

Q: And what would you like to do with your talent for drawing?
A: “I just always wanted to be a cartoonist for a newspaper. My mom says it never hurts to ask.”

Indeed! You can look for more of Matthew’s work in the print edition of SWoCo, starting with our January 9 issue.