Stefan Matioc
Stefan Matioc's October 2025 cover.
Stefan Matioc is a multifaceted artist and capable of many different styles, says Isthmus art director Tommy Washbush. But he’s most well known for his stream-of-conscious, flowing one-line style, so Tommy urged him to go in that direction for his cover illustration.
Stefan gave Tommy a couple of “Halloween-adjacent” concepts to work from, and the idea of the "black" cat was a winner. “The silhouette is clear, it aligns perfectly with an upcoming cat-themed art show he’s involved in, has a spooky purple and neon green color scheme, and a ton of cute details,” says Tommy. “I love concepts that reward the viewer for spending the time to gaze at every aspect of it, and Stefan’s cover illustration is an ideal example of that. Even the Isthmus lettering has been given the same treatment, with some playful accents that still keep the logo identifiable."
Stefan, the first member of his Romanian family to be born in the United States, grew up mostly in Madison. He says he always loved drawing and comics, especially Calvin and Hobbes. He went to school in Minnesota and studied animation. He now splits his time between his art and working as a therapist.
Stefan Matioc
Early drafts for Stefan Matioc's October 2025 Isthmus cover.
Stefan Matioc combined his initial concepts into his final cover design, pairing the silhouette of a spooky cat with a variety of Halloween-themed doodles.
You might recognize Matioc’s distinctive squiggly one-line style from murals he has done for local businesses, including Banzo and The Sylvee. He is currently working on a mural in Sun Prairie for Prairie Pages, an independent bookstore expected to open Nov. 1.
You can see more of his work at stefanmatioc.com or in person at Imaginary Factory, Nov. 21, as part of the first annual “Imaginary Cats” show.
