Hit audio drama podcast Bubble expands to comic books

(Image credit: Tony Cliff/Natalie Riess (Macmillan))

Maximum Fun's audio serial podcast series Bubble is expanding into the world of comics for an original graphic novel coming in 2021 from First Second, an imprint of the book trade publisher Macmillan.

"I'm a lifelong comics fan so it was a literal dream come true to make this book," Bubble creator Jordan Morris tells Newsarama. "I always felt like the podcast was like comic books for your ears so naturally it's been such a blast adapting it for this medium that I love so much. Seriously, I can't believe this is happening. I feel like I won a contest or something."

Bubble gives a unique spin on the idea of the gig economy gone wrong, where people hunt for monsters using an Uber-like app called Huntr. Set in a fantasy realm, Bubble's lead character Morgan lives in the proverbial 'bubble' of Fairhaven. Outside the protection of Fairhaven's boundaries however is the harsh alien wilderness of the Brush, where feral humans and monstrous Imps roam. 

Morgan moonlights as a monster hunter for Huntr, killing low-level monsters from time-to-time and transforming them (thanks to her roommate/BFF Annie) into drugs to sell on the side. 

But this relatively easygoing life gets put into overdrive when she's press-ganged into taking her Huntr side hustle into a full-time job - and against higher-level monsters as well. 

Morris and Sarah Morgan (a series writer of the podcast) have written the adaptation, with Delilah Dirk artist Tony Cliff and colorist Natalie Riess rounding out the team 

Here's a preview:

(Image credit: Tony Cliff/Natalie Riess (Macmillan))

"I'm so lucky I got to work with the brilliant Tony Cliff, Sarah Morgan, Natalie Riess and all the pros at First Second to bring this world to the page," Morris says.

The Bubble podcast was serialized in 2018, with a variety of voice actors including John Hodgman, Alison Becker, Judy Greer, Martin Starr, Paul F. Tompkins, and Rob Huebel. 

The producing duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are in the midst of adapting Bubble into an animated feature film with Sony Pictures Animation.

The OGN Bubble goes on sale on July 13, 2021.

Just as it's hard to find the perfect podcast app to listen to podcasts, so it is to find the perfect comic reading app to read comics. Let us help you out with our guide to the best comic readers for Android and iOS devices.

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)