Last year the folks at Tacoma’s Broadway Center for the Performing Arts asked me to do a set of illustrations of their historic theaters. Then they kindly offered me a media sponsorship of one of their upcoming shows. I was happy to say yes (hey, free tickets for me and my friends!), but I didn’t give it much thought beyond that—the illustrations were plenty of fun on their own. But then they said, “We think we have the perfect show lined up for you.”

And that’s how I got to chat with Ira Glass yesterday. While I waited my turn at the meet-and-greet, I did what I always do: reach for pen and paper. The best part was the sketch turning into a collaboration—when Ira added the word bubble.