INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Committed to PETA

No, that’s not Harvey unmasking himself — it’s Dan Mathews, PETA activist and brain behind such campaigns as “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur.”

Mathews has compiled his PETA indiscretions into a book: Committed: A Rabble-Rouser’s Memoir, and will hold a reading and signing at Books-A-Million, 5750 W. 86th St., July 11 at 5:30 p.m.

Mathews describes his writing as “black comedy.” “I’ve been writing as long as I’ve been an animal rights activist,” he says, “and I’ve always had a different take on things. I wrote an article for Details, ‘The Connoisseurs Guide to the World of Jails,’ where I rated jail food, accommodations, etc., and it led to more articles and then the book sprung up.”

Mathews has been with PETA since 1985, so he has a longtime insider’s knowledge when it comes to the often-controversial organization. “I realized that there are so many animal rights books out there that there needed to be a book that captures the spirit of PETA and the crazy things we’ve done.”

But Mathews doesn’t have any Carrie moments planned for Friday’s event. “At the signing I’ll be reading and talking about my 23 years at PETA.” Anecdotes will resemble this one: “My father owned a chicken truck, so I was the last candidate for vegetarianism.”

Mathews exudes a zest for life ... all life. “People think when you become an activist you become a bore, but I think you get a lot out of life. It’s fun to kick ass sometimes.”