Illustrator and cartoonist Justin Thompson returns to Audio Signals for a creative deep-dive into storytelling, teaching empathy through art, and the mythological mischief behind his comic strip Mythtickle. From working with Peanuts to staging a children’s book play, this is a heartfelt, hilarious, and highly visual journey into the art of emotional storytelling.
Guest: Justin Thompson, Senior Artist at Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-thompson-91a47339/
On Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mythtickle/
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Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast & Audio Signals Podcast
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
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Illustrator and cartoonist Justin Thompson returns to Audio Signals for a creative deep-dive into storytelling, teaching empathy through art, and the mythological mischief behind his comic strip Mythtickle. From working with Peanuts to staging a children’s book play, this is a heartfelt, hilarious, and highly visual journey into the art of emotional storytelling. ⸻
🖍️ Drawing from Empathy: Storytelling, Mythology, and Cartooning with Justin Thompson By Marco Ciappelli ⸻ It’s always a good sign when you know a conversation is going to go longer than planned. This is my second time sitting down with the incredibly talented and endlessly creative Justin Thompson, and—just like the first—we could have talked for hours. You may know Justin from his long-standing work with the iconic Peanuts universe. Yes, that Peanuts—Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the unmistakable world built by Charles Schulz. But what makes this conversation truly special is the other side of Justin’s creative journey. His comic strip, Mythtickle, blends humor, mythology, and heartfelt emotion into something that is both whimsical and quietly profound. From Egyptian underworlds to Norse gods in detention, it’s a storytelling playground built for meaning and mischief. ⸻
✍️ From Snoopy to Schulz to Something Personal Justin’s professional path is a story in itself. He spent years as an actor and stuntman before pivoting into illustration and landing at the Schulz Studio in Santa Rosa, California. There, he reviewed merchandise, traveled to Japan as the studio’s liaison, and eventually contributed original creative content for the Peanuts brand—including authoring and illustrating several books. One of those books, If I Gave the World My Blanket, is now being adapted into a musical stage play for children. Yes—his book about empathy, kindness, and Linus’s iconic blanket is literally being brought to life. And somehow that still wasn’t the most exciting thing he had going on. ⸻
🎭 Mythtickle and the Mythology of Emotion Justin’s comic strip Mythtickle, published on GoComics since 2007, is what happens when you throw mythological characters from every culture into middle school together—and then ask, “What if they actually had feelings?” There’s Karma, a Japanese girl. Ziva, an African goddess. A mischievous pre-teen version of Thor. A dragon. A knight. All interacting in one bizarre, beautiful mytho-universe that’s as educational as it is hilarious. Justin doesn’t just write jokes—he teaches emotional storytelling through art. Literally. He teaches kids in Brooklyn, in Tanzania, and through The Mentor Project. His method starts not with technique, but with empathy: “What is that character feeling? And how can you show that with no words?” Because, as he says, “A good cartoon can be funny. A great cartoon can speak to anyone—anywhere—without needing translation.” ⸻
📚 Paper vs. Pixels: The Emotional Layout We spent part of this episode reflecting on something I think about a lot—the difference between digital and analog storytelling. “I want people to see the whole page,” Justin told me. “Composition, balance, flow—it hits you all at once. On a phone, it’s just frame by frame. You lose something.” He’s right. Comics, like music or visual art, are a full-body experience. You don’t just scroll through them—you step into them. You feel them. And Justin’s work is full of that layered, emotional resonance. ⸻
🔄 Teaching Through Comics (Without Saying It Out Loud) Perhaps the most powerful thread in this conversation is how Justin teaches cartooning to middle schoolers—not by focusing on punchlines or technique, but by embedding lessons in emotional intelligence. Empathy. Attunement. Compassion. He doesn’t label it that way, of course—because kids would roll their eyes. But it’s there, in every facial expression they draw. Every emotion they map from observation to page. “It’s humanity training,” he says. “They just think it’s cartooning.” ⸻
🎯 The Mythtickle Takeaway If you’ve ever wondered how silly jokes and ancient mythology could collide to form something deeply human, Mythtickle is your answer. And if you’ve ever wanted to see what a creative life looks like when it’s lived with intention, compassion, and more than a few dragons… then spend some time with Justin’s work. You’ll laugh. You might cry. You’ll definitely want to draw something. ⸻
RESOURCES
Listen to the episode on Audio Signals 👉 https://www.audiosignalspodcast.com
Watch the video on Youtube: 👉 https://youtu.be/9Yl4quXCkc8
📚 Explore Justin’s work and order his book
🔗 https://mythtickle.com
🔗 https://maddolphin.com
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/p/MythTickle-100057584344635/
🎨 https://www.gocomics.com/mythtickle
Keywords: Justin Thompson, Peanuts illustrator, Mythtickle comic strip, Charles Schulz Studio, empathy through art, teaching cartooning to kids, GoComics comic artists, mythology and storytelling, emotional storytelling, Linus blanket children’s book, drawing without words, Audio Signals Podcast
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Justin Thompson – Audio Signals Podcast (Episode 2)
Hosted by Marco Ciappelli
Marco Ciappelli:
All right, Justin, we got the red light—that means we’re on air. Or… I don’t know, is it still “on air”? It used to be radio, so I’ll call it that anyway.
We’re recording another podcast, and I’m really happy to have you back. This is our second conversation for the Audio Signals podcast, where we talk about stories, storytellers, and storytelling.
Everything is storytelling—and you do it in a very particular, very artistic way. You work with a company that everybody knows, with characters that are iconic all over the world. I mean, everyone knows who Snoopy and Charlie Brown are—and Charles Schulz, of course.
You’ve been with the company for a long time, doing your thing. I’m glad to have you back—it’s easy to just sip some coffee and have a chat with you. So, welcome back, Justin.
Justin Thompson:
Thank you, Marco. I’m so glad to be back. Talking with you is easy, and always interesting.
Marco Ciappelli:
I love that—I really do. I remember our first conversation—I think I said, “Let’s go for 30 minutes,” and we went well past 45. It was so much fun.
Honestly, I could say we already planned to keep this going. I’ll be even happier to have you back again—because there are so many creative and storytelling angles we can explore. Maybe this becomes a regular thing. I’d love that.
Justin Thompson:
That’d be great. I love good conversation—especially when it’s interesting, and your show always is.
Marco Ciappelli:
Thank you! So, we have something in common—we’re both part of The Mentor Project. Maybe we’ll talk more about that later. You also teach a lot—you’ve done some amazing work in Africa with kids, starting from scratch. That alone is an adventure.
But for anyone who missed the first episode, could you give a short intro? Who is Justin Thompson?
Justin Thompson:
Sure. I was an actor and stuntman in New York for about 16 years, mostly in the ’90s. Then, in 2003, I moved to California and pursued my fallback career: art and illustration.
I started working for the Charles Schulz Studio in Santa Rosa as a merchandise reviewer. I looked at everything with Peanuts characters to make sure it looked right for licensing—no weird-looking Snoopys allowed!
For a few years, I was also the studio’s liaison to Japan. I’d travel there to meet licensees—giving art direction and presentations. I did that for 13 or 14 years.
Now, I’ve moved into creating artwork, since the studio started producing more of our own content around 2009–2010. I’ve written and compiled about eight or nine books for Peanuts. The most recent one I wrote and illustrated was If I Gave the World My Blanket, which came out in December 2021.
Recently, we got a note from the Miami Children’s Museum—they want to turn that book into a stage play with music, about 30 minutes long for kids. They sent us a script, we tweaked it, and they’ll produce it early next year. It’s super exciting.
Marco Ciappelli:
That’s amazing!
Justin Thompson:
Yeah, they adapted my book—I still can’t believe it. It’s a super sweet story. I never imagined it would be turned into a play, so I’m thrilled.
Also, I’ll be on a Comic-Con cruise in February for Peanuts—Tampa to Cozumel and back. It’s the first floating Comic-Con. I’ll be doing panels, art demos, trivia nights, and a talk about Schulz.
And there’s a new Peanuts-themed Clue board game coming out—I drew the board and the box art. It should be released in May.
Marco Ciappelli:
That’s so fun. Clue and Peanuts—two of my childhood favorites combined. What a mix! I’m already imagining the characters and how the board looks.
Justin Thompson:
It turned out great. And don’t worry—nobody gets killed. The crime is that someone stole Linus’s blanket. You move through different locations—Charlie Brown’s house, the pumpkin patch, the ball field—to solve it. It’s super cute.
Marco Ciappelli:
That’s serious! You don’t mess with Linus’s blanket. I love it.
So, last time we talked a lot about your work at Peanuts and the cultural impact of Schulz’s creations. People can check out that episode. But now, I want to hear about your own comic strip—Mythtickle.
It’s mythology-inspired, right? You created your own characters, and I imagine that’s very different from working within the vision of someone like Charles Schulz. So, how did you even start doing your own thing?
Justin Thompson:
The strip is called Mythtickle—two words: “myth” like mythology, and “tickle” like laughter.
The site GoComics syndicates it—along with about 80% of comics you’d recognize, like Peanuts and Garfield. They used to have a training section where aspiring cartoonists uploaded daily strips and gave each other feedback. That’s where I started.
This was my first year at the Schulz Studio, and being in that creative environment really inspired me to start my own strip. At first, the strips were terrible—I was just learning. But over two and a half years, I improved a lot, met other great cartoonists, and eventually GoComics brought me up to their main site—sort of like being “called up to the majors.”
That was in 2006 or 2007, and Mythtickle has been running ever since. I recently compiled a book of the best strips from the last 15 years—so now people can hold it in their hands instead of reading online. It’s doing surprisingly well.
Marco Ciappelli:
Congrats! That’s awesome. So let’s talk more about digital vs. print. You mentioned having the comic online, but now you’ve printed a book. As someone who talks about tech and society, I’m always curious about how people feel about this shift.
Personally, I can’t read comics on my phone. I do a lot digitally—but comics? I want to flip the pages. What’s your take?
Justin Thompson:
Great question. I think it comes down to composition.
When you open a printed page with four stacked frames—two on top, two below—you take in the whole piece before diving in. The balance, the colors, the shapes—it hits you all at once. That’s part of the storytelling.
You don’t get that on a phone, especially if you’re just swiping frame by frame. It’s too small. I hope people read mine on a computer screen at least, where you can take in the composition as a whole.
Marco Ciappelli:
It’s like seeing a full painting in a museum before focusing on the details. That first impression matters.
Justin Thompson:
Exactly. It hits you beyond words—composition, tone, shape. All that matters.
Marco Ciappelli:
Can you teach that kind of thing? I know you teach kids—like in Africa, and elsewhere. Can you actually teach this intuitive, almost subconscious aspect of art and visual storytelling?
Justin Thompson:
I think that kind of insight is more suited for older students—high school or college. What I mostly teach is middle school. The curriculum I’ve built is typically 15 classes, one per week—basically a semester-long program. That’s what I used when I taught in Tanzania through The Mentor Project.
I recently condensed it into five core classes for a school in Brooklyn—inner city kids, through New York Edge. It went really well.
What I focus on, especially early on, is teaching emotion—how to observe it, feel it, and draw it. We start with empathy and attunement. I get them to tune into themselves and each other, track facial changes, and put that on paper. Then I teach them how to turn the head, express that same emotion in profile, etc.
And every drawing has to mean something emotionally. That’s the rule. I tell them: “If you really get this, people will look at your work and think you’re a great cartoonist—and they won’t even know why. It’ll just hit them.”
Marco Ciappelli:
I love that. And I find it really interesting that you start with empathy. Most people probably don’t associate empathy with cartooning—but it makes perfect sense. If you can’t connect with other people’s emotions, how can you expect to express your own?
Justin Thompson:
Exactly.
Marco Ciappelli:
So, you’re teaching emotional awareness, but doing it in a “stealth” way—because if you showed up and said, “Today we’re going to talk about compassion and attunement,” most kids would check out.
Justin Thompson:
Yep. I sneak it in. It’s kind of subversive that way. They think they’re learning cartooning—and they are—but really, I’m using that as a vehicle to teach something deeper.
Marco Ciappelli:
It clearly comes from a place of passion. You’re not just drawing—you’re teaching humanity. And I think that’s why people connect with your work. You’re surprised people love the book, but honestly, it’s because you’re putting so much of yourself into it.
Justin Thompson:
I try to. If I Gave the World My Blanket is full of emotional life. It’s about Linus going around and giving his blanket to friends who are sad, scared, angry—whatever they’re feeling. And when he runs out, he looks back and sees that everyone else is happy. He realizes he doesn’t need it anymore. That he’s okay because they’re okay. That’s the journey.
Marco Ciappelli:
Beautiful. And speaking of journeys—you’re also going on a literal one soon. The Comic-Con Cruise!
Justin Thompson:
Yep! I’ll follow up with you after and let you know how it went.
Marco Ciappelli:
Please do. But let’s get back to Mythtickle for a minute. Tell me more about the characters—it’s based on mythology, right?
Justin Thompson:
Yeah. The characters are mostly mythological or folkloric—kids around middle-school age. There’s Karma, a Japanese girl. Her best friend Ziva, a goddess from Central Africa. Thor is a mischievous boy from Asgard. Then there’s a dragon and a knight—my two main characters.
They all go to school together. Their teacher is “Miss Nature,” who’s only heard, not seen. The classroom is inside a giant white tree—a nod to the Tree of Knowledge.
If I think of something funny, I ask: “Who would say this? Who would it affect?” And that shapes the strip.
It’s high concept—probably too much so for newspaper syndication. Most strips are very simple setups: a guy and his cat, for example. But I need something with more depth to stay inspired, and mythology really does that for me.
Marco Ciappelli:
And you’ve built this amazing crossover of cultural references—characters from all over the world interacting. It’s almost infinite in scope.
Justin Thompson:
It is! One story arc in the new book is 66 strips long. The main character dies and ends up in the Egyptian underworld—but he’s not sure where to go. Meanwhile, his best friend, the knight, searches for him, and ends up in Asgard’s version of the afterlife—Hel.
So they’re both in different mythological underworlds, and the story bounces between them. Eventually, they reunite. I did a lot of research—Heim, Anubis, Hel—and I’m really proud of how it turned out.
Marco Ciappelli:
That’s awesome. And it sounds like the research aspect could also inspire readers to dig deeper into mythology themselves.
Justin Thompson:
Absolutely. That’s my hope. I want people to read a strip and go, “Wait, who’s that?” and then look it up. That’s how I learned as a kid—reading Peanuts, encountering big words or references I didn’t understand, and running to the dictionary.
So I’m trying to pass that on—make people curious about myth, folklore, and culture.
Marco Ciappelli:
I love that. Mythology always has a lesson—there’s always a moral underneath it. Even the scariest fairy tales, like Hansel and Gretel, were basically there to say, “Don’t go into the woods alone.” It’s storytelling with purpose. And mythology does the same—across cultures.
There’s a lot of responsibility in deciding how to tell those stories.
Justin Thompson:
Totally. Most mythology started as morality tales—teaching people how to behave, how to treat each other.
And I love how fallible the gods are, especially in Norse and Greek myths. They’re like ancient soap operas. These powerful beings make terrible decisions, just like humans. It makes them relatable.
Marco Ciappelli:
Exactly. They’re not divine and untouchable—they’re deeply human. Which actually brings me to your creative process. Are you someone who writes a story first and then draws it? Or do you start with a sketch? What comes first?
Justin Thompson:
Sometimes I start with a joke I’ve heard—something old that I think I can twist. I’ll reshape the punchline or give it a new ending. Other times, I’ll just start sketching one of my characters doing something silly, and the story starts to unfold from there.
So really, it can go either way. I don’t always plan everything out in advance.
Marco Ciappelli:
So, you’re more of a “pantser” than a “plotter”—letting the characters lead the way?
Justin Thompson:
Yeah, that’s right. Sometimes I’ll start drawing my dragon character, Booty. Maybe he’s on a skateboard. And then I ask—why is he on a skateboard? Where’s he going? That’s the beginning of the story.
Charles Schulz once said, “Just start drawing something silly and something will come to you.” I’ve used that a lot, and it works more often than not.
Marco Ciappelli:
And do you always add dialogue? Or do you sometimes create silent strips?
Justin Thompson:
I love doing silent strips. They’re really hard to pull off, but they can be so powerful. And the best part is, anyone in the world can understand them—no translation needed.
Those are the ones I always highlight for my students. I tell them: “If you can tell a story without words, you’ve got something special.”
Marco Ciappelli:
That’s like music. You don’t have to translate it—it just hits you emotionally. You’ve created a visual language that transcends borders.
Justin Thompson:
Exactly. If you get the expression right, if it’s honest and grounded in real emotion, people will feel it. You don’t need a single word.
Some of my favorite strips in the book are wordless. Not every comic in there is funny—some are heartfelt, even serious. And those seem to resonate most deeply with people. That’s the kind of response that keeps me going.
Marco Ciappelli:
Absolutely. It doesn’t have to be funny to be powerful—it just has to move people. That’s how you know you’ve told a good story.
Justin Thompson:
You want to make people laugh most of the time, sure—but once in a while, you give them something sentimental. Something honest. And that stays with them.
Marco Ciappelli:
Like Peanuts—sometimes very funny, sometimes very deep. Serious topics, even. I love that balance.
So, we’re almost out of time, and as usual, I could talk to you forever. But before we wrap up, please tell folks where they can find Mythtickle, how to support your work, and how to get in touch.
Justin Thompson:
Sure! If you’ve made it this far and are wondering, “Wait, what was the name of that comic again?”—it’s Mythtickle.
That’s “myth” like mythology, and “tickle” like something that makes you laugh. It also kind of sounds like “mystical” with a lisp.
You can read it online at:
Or just search “Mythtickle” on GoComics.
My website is:
You’ll find samples, book details, and more.
And if you want to email me:
📧 justin@mythtickle.com
The book is full-color and includes strips that haven’t even been published online yet, plus character bios, author notes, and more. I’m really proud of how it came out, and I’d love for people to check it out.
Marco Ciappelli:
That’s perfect. And if anyone missed any of those links, don’t worry—they’ll be in the show notes and on YouTube, depending on where you’re listening or watching.
Justin, thank you. I love these conversations. You’re a passionate, creative soul, and it shows in everything you do. I know people will love your work just as much as I do.
Justin Thompson:
Thank you, Marco. I love talking to you. I’ll definitely be back anytime you’ll have me.
Marco Ciappelli:
You bet. So stay tuned, everyone—more stories and storytellers are coming your way on Audio Signals.
Bye, everybody!