Creator Interview: Justin Madson

Storied Arcs

Send us a text

In this special episode, Mike and Alex were fortunate to chat with cartoonist Justin Madson, the creative force behind Breathers. They discuss Justin's origin in comics, and how and why he began writing and drawing his own stories. Then they dive into Breathers, from its initial conception back in 2007 to its eerie prescience in 2024. Justin talked about how the story and the world of Breathers came together and how he navigated weaving together his various character threads into a cohesive story. He also commented on how it felt/feels to see the real world become more like his story and how that meta-context affects how readers receive it. We touch on his experience working with It's Alive! to publish Breathers, and chat briefly about his YA graphic novel, Tin Man, including his influences and motivations for writing that story. Finally, we get a little tease of things Justin is working on for the future (like Breathers sequel?!?). You can follow Justin's work at his website and purchase his books and prints directly from his shop. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
• Or specifically, find us on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Twitter/X.
• Learn more about our hosts, the show, or where to find us at www.storiedarcs.com

Subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Google Podcast, or anywhere else fine podcasts are found!