WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — By day, Matt Brady teaches physical science and honors chemistry at Parkland High School. But by night, he has a secret identity … as a comic book writer. OK, maybe it’s not so secret since his name is on the cover, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

Brady, 45, is the co-writer of “The Big Con Job,” a comic book miniseries that started its four-issue run this week. The first issue, which sells for $3.99, was released Wednesday, and subsequent issues will be released monthly. Saturday afternoon, Brady will sign copies of the comic at Ssalefish Comics.

Brady got his start in comics as one of the founders of Newsarama.com, a popular website devoted to news about the comics industry and pop culture. After leaving that website in 2008, he moved from writing about comics to writing them, handling such popular characters as Buck Rogers, Batman and John Carter, Warlord of Mars.

“The Big Con Job” is his first work with a creator-owned property instead of using pre-existing characters. The comic is described by publisher Boom! Studios as a sort of blend of “Galaxy Quest” and “Ocean’s Eleven,” telling the story of a group of washed-up actors deciding to pull a heist during Comic Con International, the popular comic book convention that draws more than 100,000 fans to San Diego each summer.

Read full story: The Winston-Salem Journal