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Released monthly, our web comic opens up the stories underlying across Meow Wolf exhibitions.
Imagine getting lost in the story of your favorite comic…and then being able to walk into that universe and explore it IRL.
Meow Wolf is thrilled to be releasing a series of web comics based on the stories behind our exhibitions. The first series, Confessions of a Taver, follows the story of Robin, a character from Meow Wolf Houston’s Radio Tave, as he embarks on an adventure across realities. The project is a fusion of internal and external talent. The Meow Wolf team working on the comic is led by James Stephenson, Devon Giehl, Steve Borst, Luke Dorman, Katherine Lewis, and Nikki Tucker with contributions from Michael Wilson, Julianne Aguilar, Marley Prudeaux, and Mady Preece. Featuring art from Sam Teccetta, Justin Couch, Kate Major, Cole Wilson, Aubrey Schwartz, Pip N’ Pop, Fluff Faun, Anna Moore, and Chris Hilson.
Confessions of a Taver also features an exciting collaboration with artist Eduardo Francisco de Jesus. He’s known in comic nerd circles for his expressively experimental digital comic series, Blink, available on the Tapas platform and a novel exploration of vertical scroll storytelling. His ability to craft immersive, nonlinear narratives aligns perfectly with Meow Wolf’s surreal world-building.
A quick note on taving: in the Meow Wolf Universe, taving is the act of opening a portal to travel to another world. Taving requires intention, can be done haphazardly or with great prowess, and is an idiosyncratic expression for each taver. Multiverse-hopping will be a big theme in these comics, as they are underlying in many of the exhibitions at Meow Wolf.
We had a chance to sit down with James and talk about the challenges, opportunities, and mind-bending possibilities of expanding Meow Wolf’s story into the digital realm.
Erin: Can you tell us about your background and how it informs your role in developing Meow Wolf’s new webcomic?
James: I come from a media background—television, animation, and games. I spent about 15 years at Nickelodeon, then worked with several independent animation studios. My focus has always been on storytelling and content development, and when I joined Meow Wolf two years ago, it was to help translate our characters and stories beyond our physical exhibitions into other forms of media. That’s been my focus ever since.
Erin: What has been the biggest challenge in adapting Meow Wolf’s nonlinear, exploratory narratives into a more structured format like a comic?
James: The most interesting challenge has been realizing how much was already there to build from. Meow Wolf has spent years developing characters, themes, and story arcs, so it became a process of listening, gathering ideas, and understanding which narratives were ready to be expanded. Some characters naturally stood out because their stories had transcended their original exhibitions, making them perfect candidates for ongoing development. We focused on those characters—ones with open-ended arcs that could evolve into something bigger over time.
Erin: Why do you think expanding Meow Wolf’s universe beyond its physical locations is important?
James: Meow Wolf has never just been about exhibitions—it has always been a massive, collaborative world-building and storytelling project. Expanding into other media feels like a natural progression. Right now, you have to physically visit one of our locations to experience the world of Meow Wolf, but not everyone has that opportunity. Creating new ways for people to engage—whether through comics, digital media, or other projects—makes our universe more accessible and invites more people into the experience.
Erin: Crafting a Meow Wolf universe is different from something like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What are the unique challenges we face?
James: The challenge and opportunity are the same—Meow Wolf doesn’t develop stories the way anyone else does. It’s a massive collaborative project with contributions from countless artists, writers, and creators, all working together to build something that is thematically consistent yet wildly diverse. Unlike most major media franchises, which tend to have singular creative leads, our process is co-creative. That makes it more complex but also more exciting. It’s unlike anything else out there, and that’s what makes it so compelling.
Erin: How does the digital comic fit into the larger Meow Wolf narrative?
James: The first arc of the digital comics focuses on Robin, a character from Radio Tave in Houston. We assume many readers will be meeting him for the first time, so this comic serves as an introduction. But Robin will also play a major role in future exhibitions. The idea is to use the comics to gradually build toward larger interconnected stories across multiple platforms and exhibitions.
Erin: Can you tell us more about the creative team behind the digital comics?
James: The digital comics are written internally by our story team. For the first arc, we brought in Eduardo Francisco, a comics artist with experience at Dark Horse, Marvel, and beyond. He’s been pioneering digital comics on the Tapas platform with the series Blink, which uses vertical scroll storytelling. Eduardo was a great fit for this project because he understands both traditional and digital comics and could collaborate with our internal team, including Luke Dorman on art direction and Marley Prudeaux on graphic design and typography. This was a truly collaborative effort, ensuring that the comics reflect Meow Wolf’s aesthetic and storytelling goals.
Erin: How will the digital comics be released?
James: Starting in April, we’ll release a new digital comic on the first Wednesday of every month. The first arc, Confessions of a Taver, will follow Robin’s journey as he explores the multiverse. Beyond that, we’re developing future stories that will allow our internal artists to pitch ideas and contribute to the expanding narrative. The format will remain flexible—some issues may be highly scripted, while others could be entirely visual and experimental. We want these comics to be widely accessible, so they’ll be available on our website, app, and through our newsletters.
Erin: Anything beyond digital comics in the works, like a graphic novel, or other forms of next-gen storytelling?
James: Stay tuned (wink).
Erin: It’s exciting to think about how these projects will shape how audiences engage with Meow Wolf’s stories. To be able to connect emotionally with these characters, and then step into the actual world where the stories happen.
James: That’s exactly the goal. Ideally, someone visits one of our exhibitions, gets blown away by the experience, then discovers our digital comics or graphic novel, which deepens their connection to the stories and characters. When they return to the exhibition, they’ll see new layers of meaning they might have missed the first time. Expanding beyond our physical walls is about creating more ways for people to engage with our universe, whether they can visit in person or not.
Erin: This is all so exciting. Thank you so much for sharing!
James: Absolutely. Looking forward to seeing this all come together!
Well, there you have it. Read all the current episodes of Meow Wolf’s web comic, Confessions of a Taver.
