— — North Tonawanda’s “Monster” Matt Patterson is, according to him, almost one of a kind.

“There are other monster Matts in the world but only one genuine Monster Matt Patterson, thank God,” said the local movie monster buff, mask maker, actor and first-time author.

“I’m a jerk of all trades,” he said, throwing in almost imperceptibly another small dose of self-deprecation.

That kind of thing is healthy, said Patterson, a self-described geek who gets his politics from Mad Magazine, his science from a stack of Fantastic Four comics and his humor from the almost obsessive urge to crack jokes about the movie monsters he’s studied for years — ever since discovering a book series at the North Tonawanda public library years ago.

Now, he’s written his own book, “Mostermatt’s Bad Monster Jokes, Vol. 1,” which  is in some ways a testament to his affable personality, containing about 400 zingers, stinkers and wha-wha’s so purposefully bad he was signed by West Coast publisher May December Publications earlier this year to write them down.

Things like: “Why was the mummy in trouble with the police?”

Answer: “He was trying to run a pyramid scheme.”

“I know they’re bad, they’re bad for a reason,” he said. “I don’t get too self important. I just think it’s a funny way to do things.”

Others are rather more sophisticated, such as, “What do you get when you cross a vampire and a podiatrist?”

Answer: “A nos fer a(toe).”

“That actually was a killer  when at the end of July I emceed the first Buffalo Monster Fest at D’Arcy McGees,” he said. “There was one lady who said ‘that joke was so bad I didn’t know whether to hit you with my purse or embrace you. It was so bad I’m definitely going to buy your book,’ ” he recalled fondly.

But underneath the knee-slapping persona there’s a highly credible artist and scholar.

Patterson has acted and helped produce local horror film projects in addition to being hired as a mask artist whose work is on display at Clifton Hill’s House of Frankenstein attraction.

All of it started when, as a child, he attended storytime at the library.

“After storytime was done they gave you time before your parents came to choose books and there was a series of orange books about monsters,” he said. “As I got a little older and came to the library myself there was a whole section of books about movies and monsters in movies. The library had everything to do with my book and my mask making and everything — I even thank the library in my book.”

In addition he writes for the horror website horrornews.net and maintains his own site, where more information on Patterson and his work can be found: www.monstermatt.com.

His craft — Patterson is just completing what he calls a zombie clown mask — began after he had shoulder surgery a few years back. A therapist had recommended playing with clay to strengthen his muscles after the procedure, and Matt struck a connection.

“There again, a lot of it was the library. I got very familiar with the images of monsters — Frankenstein and all that classic stuff,” he said. “I made a little face (out of clay) and I thought this is the principle of sculpting — I just made a little face and why don’t I do something bigger and that I can wear?”

In cutting to the chase, he was a finalist in Artvoice’s 2009 “Best Sculptor” competition.

Calling his recent rise to prominence as “Monster Matt” something of a mixture of dumb luck mixed with a dream, he said his book, now available on Amazon.com, has gotten reviews from people as far away as South Africa.

“I never expected anything like this to happen and it’s amazing it really is,” he said. “For your first book to be reviewed by someone across the globe is just phenomenal. The whole thing has just been like dumb luck. We’ve been doing pretty well on Amazon.”

The book (Monstermatt’s is one word) retails there for $12.95.

The book is also expected to be offered at Barnes & Noble stores soon.