Jayson Hallberg

Jayson Hallberg (b. 1999) is a digital comics artist, illustrator, and designer. Drawing with a stylus and iPad, Hallberg’s drawings pop with bold lines and lively colors. “I live in a bright-colored world - saturated all the way,” he says.

Many of Hallberg’s drawings pay tribute to the places and vehicles that give him joy - the signage of Route 66, diners, amusement parks, and most of all, trains old and new. A member of the Oak Park Model Train Club, Hallberg has a sharp eye for technical detail that he pours into illustrations of locomotives. But he’s a versatile artist, adept with logos, maps, and portraiture (particularly of the canine variety).

Hallberg is also a prolific cartoonist. He’s devised a character roster of children, pets, and robots navigating middle school life in The Life of the Aztec Geek. Developed over 6 years, the comic strip serves as a heartfelt tribute to the gentle humor of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts. Other stories pull directly from the artist’s own life. A Jayson and Ricky D Showdown chronicles Hallberg’s friendship with fellow artist Ricky Willis, forged over a shared love and deep knowledge for public transportation and Chicago’s built environment.

In the studio, Hallberg is known for his tirelessly optimistic personality, taking time every day to chat with other artists and play marathon sessions of Hangman. He says, “I don’t just brighten up a room when I walk into it I just blast it like a nuclear explosion of positive vibes.” Hallberg started working at Project Onward in 2023. He lives with his family in Berwyn, IL.