Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey Brown is the Eisner Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Darth Vader and Son, the Jedi Academy middle grade series, and numerous other graphic novels for both adults and kids. Most recently, Jeffrey's been hard at work on the middle grade Lucy & Andy Neanderthal series, the picture book My Teacher Is A Robot, and a new Star Wars book, Rey and Pals. Jeffrey has an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he also occasionally teaches making comics. His artwork has been exhibited in New York, LA, Paris, and Chicago.

Jeffrey is dad to his two sons: ages 13 and 6.

In this episode, Jeffrey talks about the ways his late father's work as a minister—while deeply religious—was also creative, curious, and underscored by life-long learning. We discuss his transition from tourist shop handicraft, to fine art painting, how things eventually came full-circle back to his childhood love of comics and writing. He shares the surprise of his firstborn, the confidence he found in his second, and how he navigates (and negotiates) time between both boys. He also explains his analog workflows, techniques for squeezing art into the tiniest gaps of daily routines, and how his kids influence his Star Wars stories. This conversation offers a supplemental companion to Jeffrey's autobiographical graphic novel, A Matter of Life, a collection of pivotal moments, slices of life, and intimate vignettes.

If you're a parent new to comics, I highly recommend starting here.

Keep up with Jeffrey →
Instagram
Twitter