Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast: Recent Episodes
Brad & Lisa Gullickson
Join married couple Brad and Lisa as they explore the various dynamics of comic book relationships throughout pop culture and publishing history.
Every comic book reader remembers the first time they encountered Bill Sienkiewicz. Whether it was in Moon Knight, The New Mutants, Elektra: Assassin, or a recent variant for Absolute Batman, Sienkiewicz’s art smacks your eyeballs and demands your attention. You probably weren’t sure about it at first, but as your eyes refused to leave, you discovered new wonders capable in this medium called comic books. Like the first time Sienkiewicz saw a Neal Adams Superman instead of a Curt Swan Superman, his art stirs discomfort in those who’ve stewed in the routine.
This week we return from San Diego Comic-Con International, and we’ve brought Bill Sienkiewicz with us. The convention premiered the trailer for his new documentary, That Polish Guy, directed by Remsy Atassi and produced by Sal Abbinanti. We were granted a sneak peek at an early edit, and it’s jammed with creators expressing their admiration for Sienkiewicz.
Sienkiewicz exploded on the scene and has continued to evolve his style to this very day. We excitedly spoke to him about his relationship with comics, how discomfort is part of the deal when it comes to a lifelong passion for comics, whether you’re on the artist’s side of things or the reader’s side, and how That Polish Guy attempts to shape his story.
In an effort to relate our San Diego Comic-Con experience beyond our own perspective, we also invited Badr Milligan, host of The Short Box, onto the show to explain the convention’s particular vibe from a newbie's viewpoint. This is a recap, not of the news and exclusives, although there’s some of that, but of the show’s emotional pull. Make sure you subscribe to The Short Box and follow Badr Milligan on Instagram and Bluesky.
To learn more about That Polish Guy and when it will be available to watch, sign up for updates on the Sienkiewicz Art website. And follow Bill Sienkiewicz on Instagram and Bluesky.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- The Extended Badr Milligan SDCC Conversation
- Previously on CBCC: Bill Sienkiewicz on Alliances: Orphans
- Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
Glinda and the Wicked Witch finally get their romance. Vampire Snow White and Werewolf Belle must fight the evil queen, while exes-to-lovers, Sleeping Beauty and Alice, try to escape a Nightmare version of Wonderland. Kat and Phil at Lifeline Comics have been building a Kickstarter empire with their Mature Fairy Tale Universe for years…did we also mention they are queer? Well, now they are all colliding in a special Big 2-style event. Nothing will be the same. Head to Kickstarter for Fairy Tale Wars #1, which sees the popular series The Beast and Snow, Nightmare in Wonderland, and The Witches of Oz crossover for a first-of-its-kind comics event.
I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! is the wild new original graphic novel from Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard, the twisted minds behind Plastic, Vinyl, Plush, and the current hit Image book, Narco. Imagine a post-apocalyptic world where Heaven and Hell are at war, a nerd wakes up trapped in the body of a supernatural slasher, and his only allies include a roller derby angel, a possessed truck...and immortal murder chickens. Critics are already calling it wildly creative, wonderfully weird, and an absolute blast. Back the Kickstarter for an oversized deluxe hardcover, exclusive editions, art prints, and even the Murder Chickens Card Game, available only during the campaign. If you love horror, dark comedy, and comics that break every rule, head to Kickstarter and search I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! before the campaign disappears!
This August, the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special is here to make it a nuclear Summer! This 48-page Summer Special features five self-contained stories featuring Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Judge Death and Stickleback – the King of Crime! Never read 2000 AD before? This is a great way to jump on board and try out The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. With a cover by Liam Sharp and stories from a galaxy of reality-warping creators, this is all-out sci-fi with an anarchic edge. And the best news is? It’s available through Lunar – so you’ll be able to order it through your LCS! It’s the ultimate apocalyptic beach read – so make sure you pick up the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special this month!
It’s never been easier to get 2000 AD: The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic in your grubby, American mitts. Stop what you’re doing. Grab your phone. Call your shop. Get your Progs and Megazines in your pullbox. If you need any more convincing than that, then Drokk, do we have an episode for you today.
As San Diego Comic-Con International begins its finale, we chat with 2000 AD Thrill-Cast hosts Michael Molcher and Chloe Maveal. We discuss 2000 AD’s relationship with America, how it shaped the entire modern comics industry, and which books you need to jam into your eyeballs immediately.
2000 AD has already had a brilliant San Diego Comic-Con with multiple panels (one hosted by us) discussing our dystopian present, teasing the upcoming Rogue Trooper movie directed by Duncan Jones, and slapping some of the prettiest produced comics in the hands of new readers who stumbled into their booth. I’m not sure we can make Judge Dredd fiction again, but 2000 AD is doing its damnedest to stimulate conversation while providing some of the wildest entertainment this medium has to offer.
Make sure you hop over to 2000 AD, subscribe to the Thrill-Cast, follow Molcher on Instagram, and Maveal on Bluesky and Patreon.
Follow the Rest of Our San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Coverage* Christopher Cantwell on Star Trek * David Steinberger and Chip Mosher on Neon Ichiban 2.5 * Ben Wickey on More Weight * Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction on FML
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home
- Previously on CBCC: Ben Wheatley on Judge Dredd and Judge Dee
- Previously on CBCC: Jock on How Judge Dredd Incluenced Absolute Batman
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
Something magical is happening between the first and second arcs of FML, the Dark Horse Comics series. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick is passing scripting duties to her husband, Matt Fraction. Since the book began as a melodramatic amplification of her family experience, it seems natural, but we don’t think such a regime change has ever happened before in comics. David López will remain on art, showcasing some of the most extraordinary comics skills we’ve ever encountered and pushing the medium to its very heights. However, with this shift in perspective, FML becomes a comic every reader should pull (if they weren’t already, cuz those first eight issues exemplify the power of comic books).
As San Diego Comic-Con International rages into its third day (Saturday), we chat with Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction about FML. We discuss their unique working habits, how they play off each other, and how they don’t. This all has something to do with physics and jazz, but we won’t tell you how - you’ll have to listen.
This is our second FML related episode. Make sure you listen to Kelly Sue DeConnick’s first appearance on the podcast, as that establishes how her family informs the comic. Today’s episode is one we could not have predicted when we had that first one, but we’re so excited at the direction FML has taken.
FML issues 1 - 8 are out now from Dark Horse Comics. They’re written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by David López, colored by Cris Peter, lettered by Clayton Cowles, and designed by Laurenn McCubbin. Make sure you follow Kelly Sue DeConnick on Bluesky and Instagram.
Follow the Rest of Our San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Coverage
- Christopher Cantwell on Star Trek
- David Steinberger and Chip Mosher on Neon Ichiban 2.5
- Ben Wickey on More Weight
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
Cartoonist and animator Ben Wickey spent more than a decade toiling away on More Weight. The original graphic novel is an astonishing achievement, recounting the Salem witch trials through extensive research and dusting off History’s cobwebs. Wickey re-contextualizes the events and the people, establishing how the horror stretches across time, touching upon literary giants like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as himself and every one of his readers.
We’re publishing this podcast on the eve of the Eisner Awards, held at San Diego Comic-Con International. More Weight finds itself nominated for Best Graphic Novel Album - New. Wickey stands amongst some stiff competition, but as you heard in our Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 episode, we think it’s not only worthy of that nomination, but we believe it to be one of the best comics of the twenty-first century.
More Weight is not a textbook. It’s a riveting, horrorifying, and beautifully human drama. It’s staggering to witness the thought and concern Wickey put into these characters, and his artistic depiction is simply breathtaking. Today’s podcast is one we’ve wanted to have for months. It’s a thorough conversation, exploring with Wickey why the Salem witch trials are more significant today, and it will probably remain so for as long as those living dare to dismiss it as Halloween decoration.
More Weight is available from Top Shelf Productions wherever rad comic books are sold. Follow Ben Wickey on Instagram.
Follow the Rest of our San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Coverage
- Christopher Cantwell on Star Trek
- David Steinberger and Chip Mosher on Neon Ichiban 2.5
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
The digital comics market has evolved massively in the last few years. It’s time we had a proper conversation about our relationship with it, and we’re eager to have it with Comixology veterans and Neon Ichiban founders David Steinberger and Chip Mosher. With San Diego Comic-Con International in full swing, we brought them onto the show to discuss their evolution with digital comics and what they’re delivering to readers AND collectors stumbling around the con floor.
They recently launched Neon Ichiban 2.5. This next chapter in their development promises huge growth to their community. Steinberger and Mosher are bringing the convention environment to their platform. Meet your favorite creator. Get a signature. Walk artist alley and discover something new. Hang out with the like-minded and get nerdy together.
Neon Ichiban 2.5 offers digital signatures, commissionable remarques, community profiles, reviews, reading lists, collections, and a whole lot more. We get into it all with David Steinberger and Chip Mosher. And we talk about why San Diego Comic-Con is still an essential place to present digital comics.
Today’s podcast is Part Two in our San Diego Comic-Con coverage. Make sure you listen to Part One with Christopher Cantwell, all about IDW Publishing’s upcoming Star Trek relaunch (speaking of fandom and community). Visit Neon Ichiban, browse around, and follow them on their socials (Instagram and Bluesky).
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
Today, we’re bringing San Diego Comic-Con International to you, our beautiful listeners. Writer Christopher Cantwellreturns to the show for a boisterous Star Trek celebration. On September 23rd, IDW Publishing is relaunching its Star Trek line. Cantwell spearheads the main ongoing series alongside his artist collaborator, Dennis Menheere. We’ve been given a sneak peek, and consider their phasers set to stun cuz - We. Are. Stunned.
Years after the Star Trek: Picard finale, Seven of Nine now captains the Enterprise-G. Her crew includes several legacy characters. Picard’s kid. LaForge’s kid. Worf’s kid. Not to forget some characters familiar to those who’ve been reading the IDW comics and several new folks, too. This book is more forward-looking than backward-looking, as all good Trek should be.
Most excitingly, Cantwell and Menheere are free to make COMICS within the Star Trek franchise. In the past, likeness has been the predominant factor when crafting brand comics. Dennis Menheere lets loose with his cartooning, embracing shapes and lines that communicate emotion and thought. They're not just assembled to please entertainment lawyers.
These characters look like who they should look like, but more importantly, they feel like they should. Cantwell, Menheere, and the whole IDW crew seemingly have learned all the right lessons from Absolute Batman’s success. Let’s tell stories that only comics can tell. Let’s engage with this medium’s tools.
This episode is the first of five episodes coming at ya this weekend. Be on the lookout for one new Comic Book Couples Counseling episode for every day of San Diego Comic-Con International. It's a lot, but you're gonna have fun whether you're here in California or not.
As we said, Star Trek #1 arrives in comic shops on September 23rd. Final Order Cutoff (FOC) is August 17th. It’s written by Christopher Cantwell, illustrated and colored by Dennis Menheere, and lettered by Jodie Troutman. Make sure you’re following Christopher Cantwell on Bluesky.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook on Out of Alcatraz
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
The grownups killed the world. To escape destruction, Henry built The Forever Home. Inside, his family enjoys existence, protected by the poisonous elements outside. One catch: their time is compressed. For every twenty minutes they live, one hour outside passes. Nothing should ever cross the threshold.
Writer Christian Ward is having a moment. He’s about to launch his new artworld horror, The Patron. Event Horizon: Inferno currently rages on the stands, with the previous Event Horizon: Dark Descent premiering as a trade paperback next week at San Diego Comic-Con International. And, this fall, courtesy of Oni Press, he launches maybe his most personal and mature work yet, The Forever Home.
The Forever Home is his Cocaine Bear. The premise alone should hook you, and once you crack its pages, the comic delivers on its promise. It’s always a joy to have Christian Ward on the podcast. He’s a theme-forward storyteller, and as such, the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling guest. We get into it!
First, we discuss why this year’s San Diego Comic-Con is such a critical moment in his career. We look at the road behind him and the road ahead. We talk about The Forever Home’s dystopian present, the family tragedy bubbling within, and how it confronts tribalism.
The Forever Home #1 arrives in shops on September 9th. It’s written by Christian Ward, illustrated by Sammi Kivelä, colored by Jason Wordie, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Blue Sky and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Dan Schkade on Lavender Jack
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on Event Horizon: Inferno
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
We are the choices we make. Good guy? Bad guy? We decide that every day until our last day. On this week's podcast, we’re exploring how heroism and villainism mingle in Lavender Jack, the pulp adventure from cartoonist Dan Schkade. We’re considering when to swim with society and when to swim against it, and how comic book vigilante justice too often forgets its own messaging.
Lavender Jack, originally published on Webtoon, is where Schkade cracked the comic strip medium, preparing him to take over Flash Gordon, where he now lives daily. We discuss why these pulp adventurers appeal so profoundly to him, and how their tales can be told with a contemporary bite.
It’s the perfect discussion to prepare us for next week’s plunge into San Diego Comic-Con, where we’ll be moderating three panels and attempting to interview all the comic book celebrity guests. We’re in plug-goblin-mode during the intro, barely containing our excitement for the year’s biggest comic book event. If you thought our July 2026 coverage was already intense, oh boy, strap in.
Lavender Jack is written, illustrated, and lettered by Dan Schkade. It’s colored by Jenn Manley Lee. Volume One is currently available from Dark Horse Comics, and you can expect Volume 2 on September 29th. Make sure you’re following Dan Schkade on Instagram and Bluesky.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Dan Schkade on Flash Gordon
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
Witnessing adaptation is one of our great pleasures. How does one transform an audio medium into a visual one? How will the podcast World Beyond Number, from Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson, expand into The Wizard, The Witch, and The Wild One, courtesy of comic storytellers Jadzia Axelrod and Sarah Webb? When the chance to ponder the thought arose with some of those involved, we jumped at it.
There are only days left ot support Worlds Beyond Wonder: The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One via Kickstarter. As of this writing, it’s already reached over $1.8 million. The book is happening and will be published through Skybound Entertainment. Join the party in confidence.
We spoke with Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, and Lou Wilson about their love of comics and the delight they’ve discovered in watching Jadzia Axelrod and Sarah Webb bring their story to this medium. We relish the love evident in their play, found in every Worlds Beyond Number episode. We discuss nerdom not as a monolith, but as an endless pebbly beach.
This episode was a fantastic surprise, but not as big a surprise as the email we recently received that threw our lives into turmoil (which is the topic of today’s introduction). Friends, we’ve been through it. Thank goodness for our comic book pals.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Jadzia Axelrod on Justice League Dream Girls
- Comic Book Film Club: Punisher: War Zone at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 7/12 at 5:00 PM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.
If you are a fan of the legendary artwork of Michael Turner, you need to check out The DC Art of Michael Turner on Kickstarter from Clover Press and Aspen Comics. This oversized deluxe hardcover celebrates Turner’s unforgettable takes on Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, The Flash, the Justice League, and more, all packed into a massive 200-plus-page coffee-table art book. And if you back the Kickstarter, you can get exclusive editions and extras you can't find in stores, including slipcases, sketchbook editions, portfolios, and more. Michael Turner’s art defined an era of comics — and this is his definitive collection. Visit Kickstarter and search “The DC Art of Michael Turner” before the campaign ends on July 9th.
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
No hard sell required with this one. Operation: Iron Coffin #1 is in shops today, courtesy of IDW Publishing. It’s concocted by our new favorite comic book dynamic duo, Kenny Porter and Tyrell Cannon (with letterer Shawn Lee). In its pages, you’ll see Bram Stoker’s Dracula working for the Allies during World War II. Like a bomb, he’s dropped from a plane upon a secret Nazi gold train. He lands in the caboose. He proceeds to slaughter his way toward the engine. Many losers are torn limb from limb.
Folks have already compared its action to John Wick, but it’s more like Game of Death smashed with Snowpiercer. As Dracula works his bloody way down the train, new foes present themselves, boss-level style, and each one represents a different mindset or philosophy. Porter and Cannon excel in the excessive bodily harm, but simmering beneath the violence is a powerful reckoning with the human experience and the darkest depths our species can plunge.
In the last few years, we’ve spent a lot of time pondering vampires, mortals, and their relationship to the soul. How fun to have Kenny Porter and Tyrell Cannon on the podcast this week to discuss bloodsuckers, human monsters, evil, and capital E Evil. This is a full-spoilers conversation about Operation: Iron Coffin #1. Be warned. However, this is kind of an unspoilable book. Nothing we say in this podcast can rob the comic of its visual might. So, listen based on your own spoiler sensitivity. But, seriously, you should just grab the comic the next time you’re in the shop.
Follow Kenny Porter on Instagram and Bluesky. Follow Tyrell Cannon on Instagram and Bluesky.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Julio Anta and Daniel Irizarri on Beast of Borikén
- Previously on CBCC: Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones on Dracula: The Brides
- Comic Book Film Club: Punisher: War Zone at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 7/12 at 5:00 PM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
- Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.
If you are a fan of the legendary artwork of Michael Turner, you need to check out The DC Art of Michael Turner on Kickstarter from Clover Press and Aspen Comics. This oversized deluxe hardcover celebrates Turner’s unforgettable takes on Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, The Flash, the Justice League, and more, all packed into a massive 200-plus-page coffee-table art book. And if you back the Kickstarter, you can get exclusive editions and extras you can't find in stores, including slipcases, sketchbook editions, portfolios, and more. Michael Turner’s art defined an era of comics — and this is his definitive collection. Visit Kickstarter and search “The DC Art of Michael Turner” before the campaign ends on July 9th.
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
It’s fantastic when a comic gives you a jolt. Beast of Borikén, written by Julio Anta and illustrated by Daniel Irizarri, delivers a great prod, stimulating your brain to run numerous scenarios on and off the page. It’s the story of a people who’ve witnessed so much monstrosity at the hands of invaders. It’s a story of people finding strength in their neighbors, ancestors, and legends. The first issue is out now, from Dark Horse Comics and Tiny Onion, and we investigate it meaningfully with both storytellers.
Set in Puerto Rico, the main character is Loli, an activist protesting an incoming resort, the face of which is yuppy CEO Simon Hunt, who is using every slippery trick in the book to break ground despite opposition. Loli is incensed and focused on stopping the overdevelopment of her ancestral lands, but is her fixation in part because she is avoiding processing a horrendous grief, since her father died alone in a hospital during Hurricane Maria?
This week on the podcast, we speak with Julio Anta and Daniel Irizarri about Beast of Borikén, witnessing endless horror, and hope through collective action. We discuss the influence of The Creature from the Black Lagoon and the appeal of monsters. Also, what does it all have to do with Robocop 2? You’ll have to make your way through the intro to understand all that.
Beast of Borikén #1 is out now from Dark Horse Comics and Tiny Onion. It’s written by Julio Anta, illustrated by Daniel Irizarri, colored by Patricio Delpeche, and lettered by Lucas Gattoni. Follow Julio Anta on Instagram and Bluesky. Follow Daniel IriZarri on Instagram and Bluesky.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Frank Miller
- Comic Book Film Club: Punisher: War Zone at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 7/12 at 5:00 PM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
- Comic Book Club: The Complete Persepolis at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 7/5 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.
If you are a fan of the legendary artwork of Michael Turner, you need to check out The DC Art of Michael Turner on Kickstarter from Clover Press and Aspen Comics. This oversized deluxe hardcover celebrates Turner’s unforgettable takes on Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, The Flash, the Justice League, and more, all packed into a massive 200-plus-page coffee-table art book. And if you back the Kickstarter, you can get exclusive editions and extras you can't find in stores, including slipcases, sketchbook editions, portfolios, and more. Michael Turner’s art defined an era of comics — and this is his definitive collection. Visit Kickstarter and search “The DC Art of Michael Turner” before the campaign ends on July 9th.
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
No one is more surprised than we are. Frank Miller, the legendary comics maker behind Daredevil: Born Again, Ronin, Batman: Year One, Sin City, and The Dark Knight Returns, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year, joins us this week to discuss his career as he filtered it through his new memoir/self-help book, Push The Wall: My Life, Writing, Drawing, and The Art of Storytelling.
His latest creation floored us. Broken into sixteen lessons, Push the Wall sees Frank Miller excavate his past to understand his pursuit of storytelling. He attempts to explain his rebellious nature and a need to throw himself against opposing forces, but in the process, reveals the awesome, unbeatable power of change.
He treats the reader as his mentors did, like Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Push the Wall works not only as motivation for the struggling artist, but also for the struggling human. The aggression and fascination for violence are present, but more importantly, Push the Wall contains a great softness or vulnerability. Frank Miller is not a creator who doubles down on past mistakes; he admits regret and offers encouragement to everyone who must fail to grow.
We’re beyond delighted to have Frank Miller on the podcast. We discuss how “The City” was the first to change him, why The Dark Knight Returns should not be the template for all Batman stories, and whether or not Robocop 2 is an essential ingredient in his vocation.
Push the Wall: My Life, Writing, Drawing, and the Art of Storytelling arrives in bookstores everywhere on July 14th. Make sure you’re following Frank Miller on Instagram and his website.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Watch Matt Fraction in The Stacks
- Previously on CBCC: Klaus Janson on Daredevil, The Dark Knight Returns, and More
- Jim Rugg's 1986 Zine
- Comic Book Film Club: Punisher: War Zone at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 7/12 at 5:00 PM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
- Comic Book Club: The Complete Persepolis at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 7/5 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.
If you are a fan of the legendary artwork of Michael Turner, you need to check out The DC Art of Michael Turner on Kickstarter from Clover Press and Aspen Comics. This oversized deluxe hardcover celebrates Turner’s unforgettable takes on Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, The Flash, the Justice League, and more, all packed into a massive 200-plus-page coffee-table art book. And if you back the Kickstarter, you can get exclusive editions and extras you can't find in stores, including slipcases, sketchbook editions, portfolios, and more. Michael Turner’s art defined an era of comics — and this is his definitive collection. Visit Kickstarter and search “The DC Art of Michael Turner” before the campaign ends on July 9th.
Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!
The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!
With a little help from filmmaker Ben Wheatley, our 2000 AD obsession kicks into high gear this week. The filmmaker behind such brutally banger movies as Kill List, A Field in England, High-Rise, and this year’s Bob Odenkirk actioner, Normal, joins the podcast to discuss his eight-chaptered 2000 AD comic, Judge Dee, which recently wrapped in Prog 2487. Even better, Judge Dee is a sequel to an iconic Judge Dredd story from forty-two years ago, The Haunting of Sector House 9, which encouraged us to dig deep in the franchise’s history.
It’s only fitting that Wheatley layers his 2000 AD tale with a classic, 80s-era cinematic sub-genre, the buddy-cop adventure. It’s a little Lethal Weapon, but maybe even more Heart Condition, for those that can recall that complicated (ie problematic) Denzel Washington/Bob Hoskins ghost cop comedy. Ya see, PSI Judge Dee carries a secret. Wherever she travels, she’s got a demonic passenger with her, Klato.
However, this is not a case of a filmmaker making their way to comics for a little fun. Wheatley is a lifelong Prog reader. It’s been his dream to finally scrounge around Mega-City One and add a little lore to this massive universe. Given the opportunity, he knew he wanted to springboard from The Haunting of Sector House 9, pick up where that horror left off, only decades later, and deliver his unique, grotesque, and funky perspective.
This week, we’re talking Judge Dredd, binary thinking, buddy cops, and surviving the dystopian present with Ben Wheatley. Judge Dee is written by Wheatley, illustrated by Simon Coleby, colored by Jack Davies, and lettered by Simon Bowland. Judge Dee chapters one through five can be found in Progs 2467 - 2471, and Judge Dee chapters six through eight can be found in Progs 2485 - 2487. You can find them all on 2000AD’s website.
You can follow Ben Wheatley on Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This June, Top Shelf Productions is bringing you unforgettable stories from the deeply personal to the absolutely colossal. On June 2nd, discover We Are Pan, the powerful historical graphic novel from writer Andre Frattino and illustrator Yasmin Flores Montanez. Inspired by the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, the secret mission that evacuated over 14,000 Cuban children to the United States during Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Then, on June 23rd, buckle up for Minnie Pouches in the MicroRealm! From Caleb Goellner and Eric Lide comes a wildly imaginative all-ages adventure about a super-anxious super-strong girl battling pizza dinosaurs, laser robots, and floating nightmares across bizarre dimensions to rescue her pets and save her family.
The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Watch Matt Fraction in The Stacks
- Previously on CBCC: Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer Live From HeroesCon
- Comic Book Film Club: Supergirl at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 6/27 at 11:00 AM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
- Comic Book Club: The Complete Persepolis at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 7/5 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Live from HeroesCon 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina, we’re celebrating the beautiful kinship between cartoonists Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer, the industry’s most notable BFFs. Their meet-cute occurred ten years ago at HeroesCon, the most comic book comic convention in America, but it solidified during an adventure to claim a “Tiger Truck.” You can take a second to unpack that last sentence, or you can just go ahead and press play on this week’s podcast episode.
We discuss how a passion for comics, Kyle’s location, and its relation to a town where Chris collects his lumber brought these friends together. Eventually, this would lead to collaboration on books such as Rock Candy Mountain, Mars Attacks, 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, and Karate Prom. They are two singular creators with the determination to do things their own way, but somehow, through the bickering, they make magic.
It was a pleasure to sit across from these two while they regaled us, and a HeroesCon audience, with tales of triumph, defeat, and consternation. One’s a grump. One’s chill. One’s an optimist. One’s a realist. Who’s who might surprise you. We’re delighted to platform these comic book besties.
Recently, Kyle Starks wrapped up Wrestle Heist for Image Comics, and it will land in bookstores on August 4th. He also completed Where Monsters Lie: Dead End via Kickstarter and is currently writing the Vertigo Comics series, End of Life. Follow him on BlueSky, Instagram, Patreon, and his Website.
Chris Schweizer is weeks away from launching his next Kickstarter campaign for Outlaw’s Apprentice: Broken Blade, the first graphic novel in his Appalachian-inspired swashbuckling fantasy series. You can also read it on Webtoon and Patreon. Follow him on BlueSky, Instagram, and his Website.
This Week's SponsorsThe Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This June, Top Shelf Productions is bringing you unforgettable stories from the deeply personal to the absolutely colossal. On June 2nd, discover We Are Pan, the powerful historical graphic novel from writer Andre Frattino and illustrator Yasmin Flores Montanez. Inspired by the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, the secret mission that evacuated over 14,000 Cuban children to the United States during Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Then, on June 23rd, buckle up for Minnie Pouches in the MicroRealm! From Caleb Goellner and Eric Lide comes a wildly imaginative all-ages adventure about a super-anxious super-strong girl battling pizza dinosaurs, laser robots, and floating nightmares across bizarre dimensions to rescue her pets and save her family.
The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel * Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics * Previously on CBCC: Kyle Starks on Karate Prom * Previously on CBCC: Kyle Starks on I Hate This Place * Comic Book Film Club: Supergirl at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 6/27 at 11:00 AM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. * Comic Book Club: The Complete Persepolis* at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 7/5 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Look what the cat dragged in. Absolute Catwoman #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold, and we’re joined this week by co-writer Che Grayson to discuss the first issue in detail. Yes, this is another full spoilers conversation. So, if you haven’t read the comic yet, press pause, go do so, and hit us up when you're done.
You’ve previously heard Grayson’s co-writer Scott Snyder say on Comic Book Couples Counseling that Absolute Catwoman is the Batman of this universe. She’s got the money. She’s got the butler. She’s got the gadgets. And, now, with Absolute Catwoman #1, we see she’s got the Cat Family. How does that actually work, though? We get into it with Che Grayson.
But first, we must discuss Comic-Con season. It’s here. HeroesCon is this weekend. Not only can you attend and meet Che Grayson and Scott Snyder (as well as a whole bunch of other Absolute creators), you can also attend our Live Podcast Recording with Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer. We’ll be discussing their unique creative friendship as well as their collaborations (Mars Attacks, The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton). If you’re attending HeroesCon, make sure you’re in Room 207CD at 3:30 PM on Friday, June 12th. If you can’t attend, don’t worry, that event will arrive in your podcast feeds next Wednesday.
You may have heard that Absolute Catwoman #1 also serves as a springboard for the Absolute Cassandra Cain one-shot, also written by Che Grayson with art by Matias Bergara. Yup, keep your ears peeled to this week’s podcast, we talk all about Cain and how she fits into Selina’s Cat Family.
Absolute Catwoman #1 is in shops as of today. It’s written by Che Grayson and Scott Snyder, illustrated by Bengal, colored by Giovanna Niro, and lettered by Lucas Gattoni. Follow Che Grayson on Instagram and their Website.
This Week's Sponsors
The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This June, Top Shelf Productions is bringing you unforgettable stories from the deeply personal to the absolutely colossal. On June 2nd, discover We Are Pan, the powerful historical graphic novel from writer Andre Frattino and illustrator Yasmin Flores Montanez. Inspired by the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, the secret mission that evacuated over 14,000 Cuban children to the United States during Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Then, on June 23rd, buckle up for Minnie Pouches in the MicroRealm! From Caleb Goellner and Eric Lide comes a wildly imaginative all-ages adventure about a super-anxious super-strong girl battling pizza dinosaurs, laser robots, and floating nightmares across bizarre dimensions to rescue her pets and save her family.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman
- Previously on CBCC: Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque on Absolute Green Arrow
- Comic Book Film Club: Supergirl at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 6/27 at 11:00 AM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
- Comic Book Club: The Complete Persepolis at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 7/5 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It’s time to witness what you were previously denied as a reader. Jadzia Axelrod returns to the podcast, talking full spoilers about her new weekly DC Pride event series, Justice League: Dream Girls. Done in collaboration with co-writer Nicole Maines, illustrators Nicola Scott, J. Bone, Ted Brandt, Ro Stein, and a mess load of others, this series reunites superheroes Galaxy and Dreamer immediately after the harrowing events of Justice League Intergalactic. They awaken as princess and champion of the Amazons, rescuing someone who sure looks a lot like Steve Trevor before being propelled into a dramatically different, animated Gotham landscape. Reality and unreality blend together.
This week’s episode offers a perfect opportunity for reflection: Jadzia Axelrod contemplating the non-linear path that her precious character has taken from Galaxy: The Pretties Star to Hawkgirl to Galaxy: As the World Falls Down to Justice League: Dream Girls. We discuss why her Galaxy pairs so beautifully with Nicole Maines’ Dreamer, the tricky oppositions these two characters faced after Justice League Intergalactic, and how their trip through iconic DC storylines in Dream Girls reveals the brilliance and joy readers were previously denied in their comics.
Justice League: Dream Girls #1 is out now from DC Comics, with each issue in the four-issue event hitting every Wednesday in June. It’s written by Jadzia Axelrod and Nicole Mains, illustrated by Nicola Scott, J. Bone, Ted Brandt, and Ro Stein, colored by Marissa Louise and Dearbhla Kelly, and lettered by Jodie Troutman and Frank Cvetkovic. To continue this conversation with Jadzia Axelrod, make sure you’re following her Website and BlueSky.
This Week's Sponsors
This June, Top Shelf Productions is bringing you unforgettable stories from the deeply personal to the absolutely colossal. On June 2nd, discover We Are Pan, the powerful historical graphic novel from writer Andre Frattino and illustrator Yasmin Flores Montanez. Inspired by the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, the secret mission that evacuated over 14,000 Cuban children to the United States during Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Then, on June 23rd, buckle up for Minnie Pouches in the MicroRealm! From Caleb Goellner and Eric Lide comes a wildly imaginative all-ages adventure about a super-anxious super-strong girl battling pizza dinosaurs, laser robots, and floating nightmares across bizarre dimensions to rescue her pets and save her family.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Jadzia Axelrod on Hawkgirl
- Previously on CBCC: Nicole Maines on Dreamer
- Brad and Lisa on Near Mint Condition
- Comic Book Club: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
On the podcast, survival comes up a lot. Is it enough to just make it through one more day? Should we strive for more? This week, we’re pondering the artistic life alongside cartoonists Dave Baker and Nicole Goux. Their latest graphic novel, Punk’n Heads, features several characters encountering adulthood and navigating an active/inactive existence. All while screaming their souls into punk rock, connecting to an audience adrift.
Dave Baker and Nicole Goux are longtime collaborators, and Punk’n Heads represents years of artistic evolution. It’s about as personal a comic as they’ve ever made together; maybe even teetering on memoir. It’s an exhilarating coming-of-age story that showcases the medium’s power while never skimping on complex characterization. Comics can do the impossible, make music where sound doesn’t exist.
Punk’n Heads is out now in trade paperback from Top Shelf Productions. Make sure you’re following Dave Baker on Instagram and his website. Do the same for Nicole Goux, follow her on Bluesky, Instagram, and her website.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque on Absolute Green Arrow
- Brad and Lisa on Near Mint Condition
- Comic Book Club: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
First things first, have you got your copy of Absolute Green Arrow #1? Have you read it? Okay, good. You may proceed. This week, we’re going full spoilers with writer Pornsak Pichetshote and artist Rafael Albuquerque, discussing the person behind the Longbow Killer’s mask. We pitch our theories. Pornsak and Rafael hear them. We read their microexpressions for clues.
Absolute Green Arrow #1 hit comic shops today (Wednesday, May 20th). It’s bound to stir some serious conversation. Some folks will react with discomfort, and that discomfort is an invitation for consideration and conversation, a mode DC’s Absolute Universe excels in.
As Pornsak Pichetshote says during our chat, Absolute Green Arrow is an angry book. It’s a reflection of the world outside our window today, and it should get you thinking about life beyond the pages you’re holding. The extremity pursued in this book, and other Absolute titles, is about more than looking badass. It’s a way to capture an emotional truth we’re all experiencing in 2026.
This week, we talk Longbow Killer suspects. We discuss the Italian horror slashers that inspired their green hooded killer, how unhinged wealth dehumanizes everyone, and why serialization is superior to binge entertainment. Absolute Green Arrow #1 is a single issue that excels as a single issue.
The first chapter is out now. It’s written by Pornsak Pichetshote, illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, colored by Marcelo Maiolo, and lettered by Jeff Powell. Make sure you follow Pornsak Pichetshote on Bluesky and Instagram and Rafael Albuquerque on Bluesky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman
- Comic Book Club: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
The phone calls could be harsh. Daniel Freedman talked to a lot of shop owners. They told him anthologies didn’t sell. He explained that Stimulus was not an anthology; it was a short story collection. They continued to express cynicism. He went ahead and assembled an astonishing array of stories, galloping through numerous tones and showcasing an awesome stable of collaborators. Stimulus flaunts the heights that this medium can soar, and obliterates house style tastes. It’s on those LCS shelves now. Here’s your chance to prove the glass-half-empty folks that audiences crave structures free from corporate designs.
The comics in Stimulus should have your mouth watering. They’re science fiction and fantasy slanted idea outburts illustrated by - hold your breath - Robert Sammelin (Kali), Tomm Coker (Black Monday Murders), Filya Bratukhin(Nature’s Labyrinth), Amilcar Pina (Galactic), Dilraj Mann (Dalstron Monsterzz), Lorenzo Nuti (Dragonero/Conan), Arianna Farricella (College Apocalypse), Gavin Dias (PENTHOUSE Comics), Debbie Tsoi (Split Fiction), Stefano Realdini (Captain Gaia), Dan Morison (HELL-BENT), and Henrik Sahlstrom (Mirror’s Edge: Exordium).
This week, we had a blast chatting with Daniel Freedman about Stimulus. The short story collection spans more than ten years of his life, and each tale explores Freedman working himself out as well as the world he finds himself trapped in. We discuss the autobiographic nature of all storytelling, the power of a short story collection, and why comics allow him to create where other mediums do not.
And before all that, our kid on the beat cub reporter, Brad, regales Lisa with his journey to the Lower East Side and the Jack Kirby Way street-naming ceremony on May 11th. He discusses what and who he saw on Essex Street and even offers audio recordings of Jack Kirby Way presenters Roy Schwartz, NYC Council Member Christopher Marte, Tom Brevoort, Paul Levitz, and Jim Steranko. The King of Comics finally getting his name on an NYC street is a historic moment. Let’s all celebrate as comic book readers.
Stimulus is out now in trade paperback from Dark Horse Comics. Make sure you’re following Daniel Freedman on Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Todd McFarlane on Spawn
- Jack Kirby Way, as reported by The Beat
- Comic Book Club: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Well, this is a surprise. Todd McFarlane returns to the podcast to discuss why he’s suddenly switching up the creative rosters on several Spawn universe titles. Starting with issue 376, friend of the show Matthew Rosenberg will script alongside artist Stephen Segovia. Roseberg will also serve as writer on the sibling series, King Spawn, with Thomas Nachlik on art. In Gunslinger Spawn #54, writer Erica Schultz joins returning artist Carlo Barberi. And starting today, She-Spawn #1 launches with Gail Simone as writer and Ig Guara as artist.
He’s said it before, and he states it emphatically on this week’s show: Todd McFarlane sees Spawn as his creative child, and as all parents want for their kids, Todd hopes to see him live long after he’s gone. To secure that reality, he needs to let go of the reins. So, today, he’s reflecting on his favorite comics and how regime changes propelled those books into legend.
Before all that, however, we banter back and forth about this past weekend’s Free Comic Book Day, and the awe-inspiring Charity Sketch Cover Auction Four Color Fantasies pulled off on Saturday, raising nearly $12,000 for the Literacy Volunteers of the Winchester Area. We discuss how we took that radical energy and moved it into our Comic Book Club on Sunday, and then work both events into the theme of community and how it bolsters the comic book industry, which leads directly into what Todd McFarlane is doing with his baby, Spawn.
This week, it’s all about the power of comics. Todd McFarlane details why he’s always happy to have others play in his playground, how he still has an ending for Spawn even though he never wants to use it, and why there are nuances to that tired artist vs. writer debate.
Spawn #376 arrives in shops from Image Comics on June 3rd, with Final Order Cutoff happening this upcoming Monday, the 11th. If you want to continue our discussion with Todd McFarlane, you can find him on BlueSky and Instagram, as well as his Website.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Help Send Chris Hacker to SDCC GoFundMe
- Previously on CBCC: Todd McFarlane and the Secret to His Success
- Previously on CBCC: Todd McFarlane and the 10 Best Spawn Comics
- Comic Book Club: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
When mom and dad go to war, it’s the children who suffer the most. Family tension bleeds into every aspect of their lives, and frequently, they have nowhere to hide or even space to process the external and internal strife. As a kid, we fled to stories. Whether it was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or Mrs. Doubtfire, fiction helped us process the big emotions we witnessed flowing from our parents. This week on the podcast, we’re talking with collaborators Jimmy Gaspero and Amber Akin about their new all-ages graphic novel, Penny and the Yeti. It’s a comic designed to help kids navigate the world when the adult voices in their home get too darn loud.
Currently, divorce rates in America fall between 40 and 50 percent. Whether a kid is personally affected by this rate or not, they’ll certainly encounter divorce among friends. They will rely on stories like Penny and the Yeti to clarify this reality. And creating such stories bears an incredible responsibility.
With Jimmy Gaspero and Amber Akin, we discuss Penny and the Yeti’s origins, its ties to Gaspero’s own daughter, and the joys of visualizing cryptids. Why a Yeti? If you know Jimmy and his work as a podcaster and journalist, you know the answer already. And we get into that specific aspect of his life as well.
Penny and the Yeti is out now from Papercutz. It’s written by Jimmy Gaspero, illustrated by Amber Akin, color flatted by Charlie Akin, and lettered by Buddy Beaudoin. You can continue this conversation by following Jimmy Gaspero on Instagram and BlueSky and Amber Akin on Instagram and BlueSky.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun, and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Help Send Chris Hacker to SDCC GoFundMe
- Previously on CBCC: Kevin Alvir on Lisa Chees and Ghost Guitar Book 2
- Comic Book Club: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
We’re sure you can relate to this sensation. You finish reading a comic, and as you close the back cover, you look over your shoulder. Has the creator responsible for this book been living in your home? Have they been watching you when you weren’t looking? Cuz this comic seems made specifically for you. That’s certainly how we feel about Kevin Alvir and his latest graphic novel, Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar: The Rock God Complex, out now from Top Shelf Productions.
This second book in his Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar series sees Alvir upping his game. He’s perfectly smashed the indie comics world with the superhero fantasy. As we state on the back of the book, in the pull-quote we’re most proud of, “What if Jack Kirby tabled at @SPXComics? You’d get Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar!” If you understand that statement, you’re already in. You should put this book in your hands immediately.
Kevin Alvir masterfully blends the mundane with the extraordinary. His characters are struggling, but they’re fighting the good fight, and they will overcome their internal and external battles. In this week’s podcast, we discuss with the cartoonist how he leveled up for his sequel, the power of unhinged, righteous anger, and how reading and creating comics help you sort your stuff out.
Every character in Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar: The Rock God Complex is searching for something: from guitar strings to vampire teeth to self-respect. What they eventually find carves a path for the reader to follow. It’s a beautiful, affirming, human story with cybernetic unicorns, ghost guitarists, demons, and naysayers.
Continue the conversation with Kevin Alvir by following him on Instagram and BlueSky.
This Week's Sponsors
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun, and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Help Send Chris Hacker to SDCC GoFundMe
- Previously on CBCC: Kevin Alvir on Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar Book 1
- Comic Book Club: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
With social media splintering and websites chasing clicks, navigating the comic book industry has never been more challenging. Tiffany Babb and The Comics Staple are here to help, hopefully. If you have any interest in comics criticism, you’re probably already aware of who Babb is and what fight she’s fighting. Her latest project is a monthly black-and-white zine designed to be a tool for readers entering their local comic shop. Her roster of tastemakers will guide you through what’s hot, what’s not, and break beyond the publicity machine.
You have less than a week to back The Comics Staple on Kickstarter. It’s already reached well beyond its goal. This beauty is happening, and we can’t wait to get our hands on the first issue in September. As we’re attempting to balance our lives between the online space and “the meat space,” endeavors like The Comics Staple seem poised to help.
It’s always a pleasure to have Tiffany Babb on the podcast. This week, we discuss why she added The Comics Staple to her workload, how she assembled her creative team, why the physical media movement is gaining steam with younger generations, and who will benefit from a twelve-page comic book guide.
Find The Comics Courier Kickstarter here. Continue the conversation with Tiffany Babb by following her on BlueSky, Instagram, and her Website.
This Week's Sponsors
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Matttttttt on Blind Bags
- Previously on CBCC: Tiffany Babb on The Comics Courier
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on Event Horizon: Dark Descent
- Comic Book Club: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Paying For It on 4/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Before Christian Ward joins us for a full-spoilers conversation about Event Horizon: Inferno, we get lost in a lengthy discussion about Stephen King’s The Stand. We promise, however, that both stories tie nicely together and circle the vast concerns many of us are feeling in 2026. Event Horizon #1 is now available in comic book shops everywhere, thanks to IDW Publishing, and this week’s podcast is a full-spoilers conversation all about it, digging deep into modern anxieties while also celebrating kick-ass monsters and scary horror movie violence. As the solicits say for this surprise comic book sequel, Event Horizon: Inferno is indeed Aliens meets Dante’s Inferno. Get ready now.
Set 200 years after the film and its comic book prequel, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, Event Horizon: Inferno introduces a new crew of desperate humans and demonic antagonists. Christian Ward and artist Rob Carey (plus, colorist Xenon Honchar and letterer Alex Ray) profoundly expand the Event Horizon universe, taking it to realms barely hinted at in the original nineties scare fest. As Ward mentions, he’s giving Event Horizon the same treatment that Dark Horse Comics gave the Aliens and Predator franchises back in the nineties. If you remember those comics, damn, you’re probably pretty darn excited at the notion.
This week, we get ponderous about hell, heaven, and their servants. We dig into how this series demands expansion and the freedom in which the publisher and studio gave Ward and his collaborators. We consider how Event Horizon: Inferno reflects the world outside our window and what we can do to alleviate real-life dread. Buckle up, friends. We’re all on this ship together.
Again, Event Horizon #1 is out now from IDW Publishing. It’s written by Christian Ward, illustrated by Rob Carey, colored by Xenon Honchar, and lettered by Alex Ray. Variant Cover (see art above) by Eamon Winkle. Continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun, and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Watch Christian Ward in The Stacks
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on Event Horizon: Dark Descent
- Comic Book Club: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Paying For It on 4/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It’s a topic we discuss a lot. When you love comics, you eventually want to make them. Curt Pires heard Franklin Jonas professing his love for the medium on a podcast. Immediately, he recognized a kindred spirit. Pires invited Jonas to play. The result is the new Image Comics series Fireborn, spinning out of Pires’ massive comic book playground, Lost Fantasy.
Maybe you’ve already read the logline: Fireborn is Invincible meets How to Train Your Dragon meets Absolute Batman. Whoa, okay. That’s a lot, but what does that actually mean? On this week’s podcast, we get into it with Franklin Jonas and Curt Pires. We break down those other stories and consider what they owe to Spider-Man and his Amazing Fantasy #15 debut. Where do you begin when creating an F’d up Peter Parker?
And did we mention the hot takes? Franklin Jonas has them! We give the musician the space to profess his passion for comics, champion his all-time favorite Daredevil run, and explain why not enough of you are reading the current JSA monthly written by Jeff Lemire.
In Fireborn, Aaron Hillburg is a rich kid who runs face-first into Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. He answers the call to action, but when will he reject it? With great power there must also come great responsibility. One issue in, we got part one of that statement. Is part two coming?
Let’s geek out about what comics can do that no TV pitch can ever contain.
Fireborn #1 is out now from Image Comics. It’s written by Curt Pires and Franklin Jonas, illustrated by Patrick Mulholland, colored by Mark Dale, and lettered by Micah Myers. Make sure you’re following Franklin Jonas on Instagram and Curt Pires on BlueSky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill on Death to Pachuco
- The Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction
- The Literacy Volunteers of the Winchester Area
- Comic Book Club: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Paying For It on 4/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Comics don’t just happen. Artists will them from nothing. As you’ll hear from Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill in this week’s podcast, comics arrive at your local comic book shop through tremendous persistence and imagination. The next time you cross your shop’s threshold, possibly to grab a copy of Barajas and Merrill’s Death to Pachuco, out now in trade paperback from Image Comics, take a moment to thank the makers. Each book on the rack is a tiny miracle.
In Death to Pachuco, Barajas and Merrill tap into history, detailing the 1943 Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial and the Zoot Suit Riots. It’s a Chicano noir, heavily inspired by classic Hollywood tales, but springing from a perspective frequently silenced or ignored. Their private eye, Ricardo “Ricky” Tellez, fancies himself a Sherlock Holmes type, complete with a nearly debilitating drug addiction. He’s caught in the racial tensions boiling over during wartime Los Angeles, hunting for a killer, while navigating a femme fatale.
This week on the podcast, we chat with Barajas and Merrill about balancing fact and fiction, style and reality, and why humanity frequently allows fear steer its actions. We discuss the magnificent amount of will and persistence it took to materialize Death to Pachuco and how it feels to see it collected in trade paperback, finally.
Death to Pachuco is written and lettered by Henry Barajas, illustrated by Rachel Merrill, and colored by Lee Loughridge. The book featured several variant covers from folks like Sarah Gordon (see episode art), Tula Lotay, Ben Passmore, David Lapham, and others.
Make sure you're following Henry Barajas on BlueSky and Instagram, and Rachel Merrill on BlueSky and Instagram.
This Week's SponsorsThe Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel * Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics * CBCC on Word Balloon * Comic Book Club: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees* at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 5/3 at 3:30 PM * Comic Book Film Club: Paying For It on 4/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Here’s an episode we’ve wanted to have for a while. Zoe Tunnell joins the podcast this week to discuss her new IDW Crime series Seven Wives and examine how easy it is to fall into cult-like behavior. As massive fans of (fictional) crime, we’re excited for Zoe Tunnell and her comic book collaborators to launch the new IDW Crime imprint with a locked-room mystery. It gives us an excuse to rattle on about Agatha Christie, Knives Out, and our devilish, guilty pleasure, True Crime.
Seven Wives’ murderous opening features the Dunn family patriarch receiving forty-nine stab wounds at the altar of his Fundamentalist temple. The suspects, the titular wives, and maybe an offspring or two. Detectives Aguilar and Halwell get to work interrogating everyone on the compound, granting Seven Wives a killer structure, and a thrilling excuse for Zoe Tunnell to beef up her three-issue mini-series with a meaty, messy character study.
We’ve followed Zoe Tunnell for years, enjoying her comics criticism and her plunge into comic-making. We discuss how one skill prepared her for the other, her passion for crime stories and locked-room mysteries in particular, and the empathy required to understand cult stories. While we couldn’t have imagined the subjects we’d explore, we always knew Zoe Tunnell would find her way onto the show.
Seven Wives is written by Zoe Tunnell, illustrated by V. Gagnon and Maria Keane, and colored by Antonio Del Hoyo. IDW Publishing drops the comic in shops on May 20th. FOC (Final Order Cutoff) is Monday, April 13th.
Follow Zoe Tunnell on Instagram, BlueSky, and her Website.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Klaus Janson
- A SKTCHD Guide to Pronouncing Creator Names, Vol 1
- Read The Beat, Friends!
- Comic Book Club: My Boyfriend is a Bear at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Paying For It on 4/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Okay, it’s time to press pause on your life and press play on this week’s episode. Klaus Janson is an icon. He’s worked in comics for over fifty years, radically shaping characters like Daredevil and Batman, while working alongside other comic book greats such as Frank Miller, Dick Giordano, Gene Colan, Dennis O'Neil, Grant Morrison, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Michael Bendis, and many, many more. He’s worked within the medium from multiple angles as penciler, inker, colorist, writer, and teacher. By thriving through comics, he’s also collected a million stories to tell. We got a few out of him today.
We’re honored to have Klaus Janson join us for our 350th episode, especially during a time that sees his first North American art exhibit on display at the Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York City. You have until April 11th to witness more than one hundred Klaus Janson pieces, reflecting a lifetime of dedication to our favorite art form. If you’re looking to extend the 40th anniversary celebrations of The Dark Knight Returns, a book that continues to shape the entire industry and a few others as well, then you owe yourself a trip.
Klaus Janson takes us all the way back to his time before comics, and how two unique jobs prepared him for his life at the drawing board. We discuss his collaboration with Frank Miller on Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns, a few of the projects he’s proud of that don’t necessarily get the most attention, and how comics have shaped him as a person.
Also, we spend this episode’s introduction discussing our recent excursion to WonderCon in Anaheim, California. With multiple conventions fighting for your attention this weekend, we consider what WonderCon offers that other gatherings don’t, as well as some of the comic book news revealed across multiple panels. Absolute Crisis?
Please say Thank You to Klaus Janson by following his Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Everyone loves to talk and debate about comics, but few people get to see what it’s actually like behind the scenes. Now, IDW Publishing is changing that with the launch of IDW Studios. The first monthly show is CreatorxCreator, a free-flowing, fun and honest chat between two comic book creators as they discuss their craft, process, inspiration, and what life is really like as a creative. The second monthly show, Superlatives, brings IDW’s knowledgeable and spirited editors head-to-head to debate each of these categories, with another editor stepping in as the moderator to pick the winner once the pros have made their arguments.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Ethan Young on Demon Run
- Follow the Pop Culture Maven on YouTube
- Comic Book Club: My Boyfriend is a Bear at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Paying For It on 4/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
You love to see it. Cartoonist Ethan Young (Dragon Path, Nanjing: The Burning City) places a huge bet on himself. He’s reclaimed the rights to his main character from the graphic novel series The Battles of Bridget Lee, originally published at Dark Horse Comics, and planted her in a slightly altered landscape with a much more mature (i.e., violent) tone. The new comic is called Demon Run, and you have till April 3rd to make your orders for the first two issues on his website.
The Battles of Bridget Lee: Invasion of Farfall first hit stands in 2016. Ethan Young has made many more comics since then, worked extensively in animation (including Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man), and significantly evolved his style. Why is he going back to Briget Lee? Why is she battling demons now and not alien invaders? Why is Demon Runfilled with gnarly, grisly action and not sanitized for the YA market? Most importantly, why is Ethan Young taking on the burden of self-publishing?
All these questions and more are asked in this week’s Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast. We’ve admired Ethan Young’s comics for many years now. His appearance on the show is a long time coming, and we’re excited to see him morph Bridget Lee into the Demon Run concept. You’re damn right, we were two of the first to pre-order the comics via Young Illustrations.
In addition to bookmarking his website, make sure you’re following Ethan Young on Instagram and BlueSky.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: David Dastmalchian on Through
- Comic Book Club: My Boyfriend is a Bear at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
To create is to submit. Here’s my story, this is me. Filmmaker, actor, and comic book writer David Dastmalchian returns to the podcast this week. He’s discussing his new graphic novel Through, made in collaboration with artist Cat Staggs and letterer Adam Wollet. It’s a deeply intimate story about an orphan who cracks her head and enters a fantastical realm as a result. There are direct allusions to Lewis Carroll and several other classics and not-so-classics. However, ultimately, Through is David Dastmalchian revealing a piece of himself to the reader, and hoping the reader finds a piece of themselves within, too.
As with his films and the characters he inhabits, David Dastmalchian’s comics are acts of self-reflection. While telling an engaging, scary, thrilling adventure into wonderland, Through is also a chronicle of an anxious moment in Dastmalchian’s life. We’re grateful he was willing to join us for a thoughtful discussion about mental health and the pursuit of understanding via artistic expression. Not every creator wants to go there, but David Dastmalchian delights in the internal plunge.
On the show this week, we discuss David Dastmalchian’s inspirations, how Through differs from other comics work like Count Crowley, and what this medium offers that others do not. Through is currently available from Z2 Comics in multiple editions. Please, continue the conversation with David Dastmalchian by following his Instagram and Website.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: David Dastmalchian on Count Crowley
- Comic Book Club: My Boyfriend is a Bear at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
We’re all the product of our influences. Cartoonist Simon Roy, on this week's podcast discussing his new short story collection, A Star Called the Sun, refers to his influences as "foundational mulch." We dig into a bunch of them—everything from Jack Vance novels to Soviet comedies. Celebrating the shoulders he stands upon while building comics filtered through his imagination that feel and look unlike any others.
Each story in A Star Called the Sun exists within Simon Roy’s Altamira universe. It’s a post-human realm where many subgenres get to play alongside just as many different tones. If you’ve read previous Roy comics like Griz Grobus or Refugium, then you are well-traveled in Altamira, but if you’re unfamiliar with this strange domain, then there is no better place to start.
Beyond discussing the stories and creators who inspired A Star Called the Sun, we plunge into the themes that hop throughout the collection. How far can humanity stretch before it stops being humanity? What the heck is consciousness anyway? It’s all a matter of context.
A Star Called the Sun is now available in paperback from Image Comics. Make sure you’re following Simon Roy on BlueSky and Instagram. Be on the lookout for his next Kickstarter comic.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Comic Book Club: My Boyfriend is a Bear at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
When observing comic books, the miracles come in big or small ways. This week on the podcast, we’re discussing a resurrection we previously thought unimaginable. Stephen R Bissette, who gained legendary status working on titles like Saga of the Swamp Thing, crafted his masterpiece in the mid-nineties. Tyrant was meant to run fifty issues or more, but only four saw print before disaster struck the industry, and Bissette pulled up stakes, leaving comics to focus on family and a more financially stable situation.
We’ve spent years searching for Tyrant in the dollar bins, picking up an issue here and there. As much as we love Bissette’s work on Swamp Thing, Tyrant represents the artist at his purest, most thematically forward. Even at four issues, Tyrant is a masterpiece, expressing the agony and beauty of life, as we follow a Tyrannosaurus Rex from conception to birth. It’s easy to mourn the story we did not get, but we must also celebrate the story we did. It is enough, and thankfully, we’re not the only ones who thought so.
Chris Stevens, of the newly formed Lighthouse Press, convinced Bissette that now was the time to re-release Tyrant in both a Complete Edition and a Deluxe Artist Edition. Stevens also hired cartoonist Jim Rugg (who recently shot a Stacks video with us) to oversee the production of these new additions. Together, they’ll hopefully bring a massive new readership to Tyrant and give this lost masterpiece the recognition it never got.
We’re extremely happy to have Stephen R Bissette, Jim Rugg, and Chris Stevens on the podcast this week. Together, we place Tyrant in the context of its creation and explore why now is the time for its resurrection. We discuss the themes Bissette excavates in Tyrant and where the story was going before he had to pull the plug. We also discuss the heartbreak of pulling the plug and all the humanity within and without its pages.
The 90s comic book scene. You had to be there. The Image Revolution. Pouches. Rob Liefeld and Spike Lee making Levi's commercials together. The Death of Superman was going to pay Brad’s way into college somehow. The distribution implosion. The speculator flight. Devastation. Apocalypse. Something our earthbound dinosaurs also understood quite well.
Please recognize the miracle that is Tyrant’s resurrection by visiting the Lighthouse Press Kickstarter page and signing up for notification of its official launch. Also, follow Stephen R Bissette on BlueSky and Facebook. Follow Jim Rugg on Instagram. Follow Lighthouse Press on Instagram and BlueSky.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- CBCC on The Brave and The Boys
- CBCC on Dollar Bin Bandits
- CBCC on Pop Culture Squad
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England
- Comic Book Club: My Boyfriend is a Bear at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 3/15
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Here’s your first warning: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring spoilers ahead! Patrick Horvath returns for a full spoilers breakdown of the sequel series to IDW Publishing’s smash hit. Together, we consider the cartoonist’s joyous relationship with beauty and horror, where Monica the Duck finds herself in the last panels of the final issue, and why we were so wrong about George the last time we spoke with Horvath. Or, were we?
Sequels are a terrible, stressful thing to attempt, but we all know why they happen. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was too damn successful to be left alone, and thankfully, Horvath, the book’s shepherd, returned to his drawing table with passion and a mission for his characters. Rite of Spring is not only better than the original series, but it must also be considered as one of the best comic book sequels of all time. And it’s because it might leave certain readers fur-ious (sorry, not sorry) regarding where Horvath leaves (or drags) certain characters.
Patrick Horvath is not afraid to hurt his comic book kids. However, as we discuss, there is as much love and beauty in his series as there is grotesque horror. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring is a deeply human book, and as such, it stirs profound feelings within the reader. Also, yo, another sequel is coming. What can we expect? We put that question to Horvath, too.
All six issues of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring are out now from IDW Publishing. Continue this conversation with Patrick Horvath by following him on Bluesky, Instagram, and his Website.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- CBCC on The Beat: Why Comics Needs Its Own Criterion Closet
- The Ultimate Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees Spoiler-Filled Episode
- Patrick Horvath at NYCC 2024
- Our First Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees Episode
- AIPT reports on The Stacks
- CBCC on Dollar Bin Bandits
- CBCC on Pop Culture Squad
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England
- Comic Book Club: My Boyfriend is a Bear at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 3/15
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Friends, we’ve got a special episode for you today. Comic book icons Wendy Pini and Richard Pini join the podcast for the first time, and they hang out for a lengthy, deep dive conversation into Elfquest’s origins. Their romance began in the letters column of Silver Surfer #5 (1968), materialized as the result of a clandestine cross-country road trip, and solidified through creative collaboration, which would also challenge their partnership.
Elfquest is nearly fifty years old, but it's as vibrant and relevant as ever. These comics are waiting for anyone already caught up in the Romantasy BookTok discourse. It's a profoundly philosophical work, bashing against humanity’s great worries, ready to absorb those anxieties and potentially process them toward action. However, as much as you’ll find yourself in Elfquest, you’ll discover Wendy and Richard Pini, too. Like the best stories, it’s autobiography masked as fiction.
As new readers ourselves, we can guarantee Elfquest’s contemporary grip. Chief Cutter’s journey from the forest to the desert and the greater world beyond found us just when our lives were thrown in upheval. So, it was more than a pleasure to chat with Wendy Pini and Richard Pini about their great comic book saga, how it came to be, and why they continue as its shepherds.
Over the last few years, Dark Horse Comics has gathered Elfquest: The Original Quest into four beautiful hardcover collections. Recently, they also published Elfquest: The Final Quest in a glorious hardcover omnibus, and Elfquest: The Hidden Years will receive a massive Gallery Edition Hardcover in July. Call your local comic shops asap.
To stay abreast of everything Elfquest, make sure you’re following them on their website, Instagram, and Bluesky.
This Week's Sponsors
This February, Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer soars again in a brand-new story written by John Layman, the genius behind the foodie cannibal detective series Chew, and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, who drew Plastic Man: No More and has a very cool J. Bone/Darwyn Cooke style. The new series is called The Rocketeer: The Island. Our skybound hero, Cliff Secord, leads a dangerous search and rescue mission. Who’s he looking for? None other than Amelia Earhart! The first issue crashes into comic book shops on February 25th, courtesy of IDW Publishing.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- CBCC on The Beat: Why Comics Needs Its Own Criterion Closet
- AIPT reports on The Stacks
- CBCC on the Comics Matter Podcast
- CBCC on Escape the Mojoverse Podcast
- CBCC on The FAQS Project Podcast
- CBCC on The Pop Culture SquadCast
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England
- Comic Book Club: Batman: The Court of Owls at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 3/15
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
This week, comic shop employees from all over gather in Glendale, California. It’s time for ComicsPRO, the annual event designed to “promote the progress and development of comic book retailers and improve the condition of the comic book industry.” It’s one of our favorite times of the year as we eagerly sit by our computers waiting for announcements from publishers and the good word from our LCS pals. Sadly, we cannot be in person this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bring you exclusive information. Thanks to writer Zack Kaplan, who’s on the ground at ComicsPRO, we’re there by proxy. And he’s dishing on his big announcement, extending his partnership with Dark Horse Comics, bringing us the final chapter in Kill All Immortals and two more new titles, Only The Savage Are Left and The Smart Division.
Kill All Immortals is a nifty, nasty look at the boot standing on our necks: the billionaire class. The comic imagines a universe where various immortal clans have gobbled up control of the economy, but one is starting to crumble from within. Frey Asvald, daughter of Erik the Red, can no longer sit idly as her family consumes the planet. She wants to help us poor mortals, but in doing so, she exposes herself and others to tremendous violence. And can you really keep your hands clean when attempting global, capital G, Good?
On this week's podcast, we discuss the state of comic book retail, a bizarre occurrence involving our local shops, and the anxiety of putting new books into readers' hands. Zack Kaplan gives us the skinny on Kill All Immortals as well as his two new titles at Dark Horse. We dig into our collective billionaire woes and consider one particular violent action committed by Frey in Kill All Immortals Volume One.
Kill All Immortals is written by Zack Kaplan, illustrated by Fico Ossio, colored by Thiago Rocha, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Covers by Oliver Barrett (although the header image above is from variant cover artist Tula Lotay).
Make sure you’re following Zack Kaplan on BlueSky, Instagram, and his website.
This Week's Sponsors
This February, Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer soars again in a brand-new story written by John Layman, the genius behind the foodie cannibal detective series Chew, and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, who drew Plastic Man: No More and has a very cool J. Bone/Darwyn Cooke style. The new series is called The Rocketeer: The Island. Our skybound hero, Cliff Secord, leads a dangerous search and rescue mission. Who’s he looking for? None other than Amelia Earhart! The first issue crashes into comic book shops on February 25th, courtesy of IDW Publishing.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- CBCC on The Beat: Why Comics Needs Its Own Criterion Closet
- CBCC on the Comics Matter Podcast
- AIPT reports on The Stacks
- CBCC on Escape the Mojoverse Podcast
- CBCC on The FAQS Project Podcast
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England
- Comic Book Club: Batman: The Court of Owls at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Blade at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 2/15
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
The movie-to-comic path doesn’t always work out, but IDW Publishing is quickly proving itself to be the place to run to with your adaptation. Their latest cinematic comic book sidequel, A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, features script and layouts by industry veteran Phil Hester and pencils and inks by Ryan Kelly. Hester comes from that Alex Toth/Harvey Kurtzman tradition, embracing visuals and having faith that silence can carry as much story as 200 word balloons.
A Quiet Place stakes its narrative on silence. If you caught the first film in a theater, you undoubtedly remember the awkwardness of attempting popcorn consumption while Emily Blunt on screen quiveringly descends the basement stairs before OWWWWW! The nail in the foot! One may think removing audible sound from the equation would ruin the experience; however, Phil Hester did just that when he pitched his take to editors, adapting that scene specifically.
The stairway nail bit, told as a comic by Phil Hester, proved undeniable. He got the gig, and then he got to work formulating his spin-off characters and plot. As the first film took inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, so does his arc, pitting a small town politician against the local fire chief. This time, they’re also sister and brother, adding a dramatic sharpness that can only cut when family is involved. Of course, what does familial pride matter when creatures are raining from the sky?
Phil Hester joins the podcast for the first time this week. We discuss the challenges of adapting a cinematic concept to the comic book page, how he always embraces silence, and why Jaws is just the best damn movie ever made.
A Quiet Place: Storm Warning #1 arrives in comic book shops from IDW Publishing on March 11th. It's written by Phil Hester, illustrated by Ryan Kelly, colored by Lee Loughridge, lettered and designed by Nathan Widick, and edited by Heather Antos.
Make sure you’re following Phil Hester on Bluesky.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This February, Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer soars again in a brand-new story written by John Layman, the genius behind the foodie cannibal detective series Chew, and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, who drew Plastic Man: No More and has a very cool J. Bone/Darwyn Cooke style. The new series is called The Rocketeer: The Island. Our skybound hero, Cliff Secord, leads a dangerous search and rescue mission. Who’s he looking for? None other than Amelia Earhart! The first issue crashes into comic book shops on February 25th, courtesy of IDW Publishing.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- CBCC on the Comics Matter Podcast
- AIPT reports on The Stacks
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England
- Comic Book Club: Batman: The Court of Owls at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Blade at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 2/15
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
As far as mantras go, Street Sharks have one about as good as they come. They fight. They bite. They stand for everything right. You can read it on the opening page of each issue of the IDW Publishing series, and as we discuss with writer Stephanie Williams this week, given everything going on in the world, it’s worth repeating every time you crack open the comic.
Street Sharks may have begun as a cash grab in the wake of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ success. However, under Stephanie Williams’ direction, in collaboration with artist Ariel Medel, the comic book series distinguishes itself by embracing the Bolton brothers’ chill attitude amid abject horror. They’re Supergirl to TMNT’s Superman. They lived a life before their Krypton exploded. They know what they lost, they lived what they lost, and they still choose to direct their jawesome chompers toward villainy. It's pure superhero comics.
You might be thinking, what the Big Slammu are you talking about? Well, you just have to dig into this week’s episode to appreciate the comparison truly. We’re getting deep with Street Sharks this podcast, discussing community, reluctant heroism, and mob mentality with Stephanie Williams. Two weeks ago, our co-host Lisa didn’t know a thing about Street Sharks, but as of today, she’s INVESTED.
The first four issues of Street Sharks are now available from IDW Publishing. The fifth issue, concluding the first arc, swims into comic shops on February 18th. Street Sharks is written by Stephanie Williams, illustrated by Ariel Medel, colored by Valentina Pinto, and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.
Also, follow Stephanie Williams on Bluesky, Instagram, and her website.
This Week's Sponsors
This February, Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer soars again in a brand-new story written by John Layman, the genius behind the foodie cannibal detective series Chew, and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, who drew Plastic Man: No More and has a very cool J. Bone/Darwyn Cooke style. The new series is called The Rocketeer: The Island. Our skybound hero, Cliff Secord, leads a dangerous search and rescue mission. Who’s he looking for? None other than Amelia Earhart! The first issue crashes into comic book shops on February 25th, courtesy of IDW Publishing.
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel
- Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- CBCC on the Comics Matter Podcast
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England
- Comic Book Club: Batman: The Court of Owls at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Blade at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 2/15
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Friend, put your phone down. Quit doomscrolling. You owe it to yourself and everyone else who came before you. It’s time to get in the fight, and First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth by Angélique Roché, Alvin Epps, Millicent Monroe, and Bex Glendining is a comic designed to inject some serious motivation into your social media-addled, catatonic body.
The fight may be new to you, but it's been raging for centuries. That’s not a despairing thought; it’s an activating one, and once you stand on the shoulders of the heroes that came before, you’ll find the perspective required to block the hateful from gaining any more ground than they already have. As a comic book reader, you already have all the tools and knowledge to resist fascism.
On this week’s podcast, we chat with journalist, comic creator, and podcaster Angélique Roché. Once approached to write First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth, she threw herself into an intense research phase. We discuss the stress and excitement of the process, and the motivation she secured in telling Dr. Opal Lee’s life story.
Juneteenth was only recognized as a national holiday in 2021. It’s the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Day was signed into law in 1983. It never would have happened without Dr. Opal Lee and the lessons she learned from other warriors over her extraordinary lifetime.
First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth arrives in comic book shops and bookstores, thanks to Oni Press, on February 10th. Make sure you follow Angélique Roché via her website, Bluesky, and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
- Stand with Minnesota
- Buy Books from Greg Ketter and DreamHaven Books
- Daniel Warren Johnson on Absolute Batman Annual
- Comic Book Club: Black Arms to Hold You Up at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: Blade at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 2/15
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Those in the know have been (im)patiently waiting for The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery. Of course, no one has been waiting as long as the comic’s creators, Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips. The series originated when Condon was a student, determined to make the whole damn thing himself. Then, after discovering his That Texas Bloodcompatriot, Phillips, they did a draft for their Patreon, and even tried to manifest it into a legitimate Indiana Jones comics project. Their wishful thinking caught the attention of DC editor Chris Conroy, who suggested they make it part of their Vertigo Comics relaunch.
Folding The Peril of the Brutal Dark into the iconic imprint solidified the concept and encouraged them to push its noir/adventure core to its highest potential. The comic wears its hardboiled blockbuster influences on its sleeve, while maintaining an aggressive intensity familiar to the readers of Condon and Phillips. That Texas Blood, The Enfield Gang Massacre, these are comics made by folks grown on bloody pop culture, but propelled into thematic realms that are anything but dusty.
The Peril of the Brutal Dark is one of ten new titles launching within DC’s new Vertigo imprint, resurrected six years after it was initially put away. The comic gives us an excuse to revisit the importance of Vertigo Comics within the industry when it launched, discuss its legacy, and consider what a new iteration means in an era when “Suggested for Mature Readers” no longer carries the allure it once did.
We begin our conversation with Condon and Phillips by talking about their history with Vertigo Comics. How does The Peril of the Brutal Dark fit inside it? How has the comic evolved over the years? What separates their fedora-wearing hero, Ezra Cain, from the whip-cracking nazi-puncher that inspired him? If you think it's not punching nazis, you’re wrong. More nazis get punched, like all should be.
The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery #1 arrives in comic book shops from DC Comics on 2/25. It's written by Chris Condon, illustrated and colored by Jacob Phillips, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Final Order Cutoff (FOC) is Monday, February 2nd.
Follow Chris Condon on Bluesky. Follow Jacob Phillips on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part One)
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two)
- Read The Stampies on GlobalComix
- Previously on CBCC: Jacob Phillips on Megalopolis
- Previously on CBCC: Chris Condon on News from the Fallout
- Previously on CBCC: Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Enfield Gang Massacre
- Previously on CBCC: Jacob Phillip and Sean Phillips
- Previously on CBCC: Jacob Phillips on Everything Dead and Dying
- Previously on CBCC: Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on That Texas Blood
- The Oblivion Bar Comics Fantasy Draft with Brad and Sal
- Comic Book Club: Black Arms to Hold You Up at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom w/Billy Zane Virtual Intro at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 1/25
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Immediately after we recorded our last conversation with Brad Meltzer, we recorded a secret second episode. He was aching to discuss his next project, but he couldn’t quite let the cat out of the bag until Marvel Comics released its press release. Well, friends, today’s the day. The word is out: Brad Meltzer is writing the main story for the upcoming Spider-Man/Superman crossover. Now, we can release our secret conversation.
In this exclusive interview with Brad Meltzer, we discuss what these icons mean to the bestselling author and what he hopes to achieve by bringing them together. Meltzer lavishes praise upon his collaborator, artist Pepe Larraz, and assures us that their story will speak directly to the two unique heroisms Spider-Man and Superman practice. We also consider how their origins might cause friction within a team-up.
Our conversation with Brad Meltzer also provides another opportunity to debate those iconic words written by Stan Leein Amazing Fantasy #15: “With great power there must also come great responsibility.” We all know what those words mean, right? Right? Let’s get into it.
Spider-Man/Superman #1 will hit comic shops on April 15th. In addition to Brad Meltzer and Pepe Larraz’s story, the comic will feature backup tales by Dan Slott, Marcos Martin, Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, Louise Simonson, Todd Nauck, Joe Kelly, Humberto Ramos, Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, and more.
Make sure you head to your local bookstore to get your copy of The Viper, and follow Brad Melzer on Instagram and Bluesky.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part One)
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two)
- Read The Stampies on GlobalComix
- Comic Book Club: Black Arms to Hold You Up at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom w/Billy Zane Virtual Intro at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 1/25
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
No one makes comics like Dave Chisholm, and we don’t allow him to make one without first making a stop at the podcast. His latest, Is Ted OK?, reveals an artist pushing himself to his very limit, built on an incredible run of 2025 books, our favorite Limited Series from last year, Spectrum, and the gnarly haunted horror, Plague House. Not to forget his work on High Strangeness, which is still in process. Chisholm learns something about himself and the medium every time he steps up to his drawing board, allowing the next project to always top the last.
Is Ted OK? The title answers itself, but certainly not in the way you expect. Chisholm imagines a dystopian world, where Ted drones away as a graphic designer for a megacorporation owned by the world’s first trillionaire. He’s disconnected from those around him, friendly only with a cat, and plagued by horrendous night terrors. He’s also being watched 24/7 by Sarah, another employee tasked with monitoring his suicidal and homicidal tendencies. She’s concerned, she wants to help, and her first attempt to do so makes Is Ted Ok?’s first issue climax.
This week, we welcome Dave Chisholm back on the podcast. We spent six months with him last year on the show, meticulously dissecting Spectrum with his collaborator Rick Quinn. It’s fun to catch up. We discuss how his past work brought him to Is Ted OK? We talk about allowing comics to be comics and making sure that every panel carries story. In fact, we discuss how every element of a comic is a chance to carry story.
FOC (Final Order Cutoff) for Is Ted OK? #1 is Monday, February 2nd. The comic will eventually be available at comic shops on February 25th, thanks to Mad Cave Studios. Make sure you get your order in, and follow Dave Chisholm on Instagram and BlueSky.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part One)
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two)
- Read The Stampies on GlobalComix
- Previously on CBCC: Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm on Spectrum
- Previously on CBCC: Dave Chisholm on Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound
- Comic Book Club: Black Arms to Hold You Up at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom w/Billy Zane Virtual Intro at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 1/25
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
When you read The Viper, the new Zig and Nola novel from Brad Meltzer, it doesn’t take long to see how comics inform the author’s creativity. As he says during our conversation, “It’s Superman and Batman. It’s Spider-Man and Wolverine.” Meltzer grew up a comic book kid, and the ideas he found in Marvel Comics and DC Comics remain at the forefront of his imagination.
It’s been a minute since he’s played in our favorite medium, having written stellar runs on Green Arrow and Justice League of America, and we can never forget the monumental event that was Identity Crisis. However, he’s never been far from comics, and it's evident to anyone who’s experienced his Ordinary People Change the World series with Chris Eliopoulos and his novels.
The Viper, released this week from William Morrow, is Meltzer’s return to the thriller. It’s a zippy, twisty narrative about a dying man who delivers his suit to the funeral home tasked with handling his body, shortly before he’s murdered, advancing his earthly exit. The death quickly reunites Meltzer’s heroes from The Lightning Rod and The Escape Artist, Zig and Nola, his Superman and Batman, and plunges them into a conspiracy with ties to Nola’s past.
We got a lot from The Viper, and we bring it all to Brad Melzer on this week’s podcast. We discuss his life as a comic book kid, how he can’t escape comics, and what he might have on the horizon in terms of the four-color medium. Yes, his Ghost Machine collaboration with Geoff Johns and Gene Ha is coming, but there seems to be something else, too. We try to tease the news out of him.
Make sure you head to your local bookstore to get your copy of The Viper, and follow Brad Melzer on Instagram and Bluesky.
This Week's Sponsors
The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part One)
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two)
- Read The Stampies on GlobalComix
- Comic Book Club: Black Arms to Hold You Up at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM
- Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom w/Billy Zane Virtual Intro at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 1/25
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Welcome back, friend. Our end-of-the-year celebration concludes with The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two). If you missed the Part One party, click here, and discover the comics we considered the saddest of 2025, the most stylish, the most genre-bendy, etc, etc.
For this week’s second half award show ceremony, we’re tackling the more traditional categories of Best Limited Series, Best Ongoing, Best Original Graphic Novel, and more. We wrap it all up by anointing the Jesse Tapia II Champ Stamp in honor of our dear departed friend, and announce how we’ll be kicking off 2026 next week.
As was the case in our first half, The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two) features several guest-stars from folks across the industry. Each and every one of these cool cats is worth your attention, and we encourage you to follow their work and their socials listed below. This year produced too many dang great comics, but thankfully, these creatives helped us break beyond our limited perspective, and you benefit with even more titles to add to your ever-expanding to-read pile.
The Best Comics of 2025 Part One Guest-Stars:
- Gregg Katzman (Bluesky), IDW Publishing's Senior Publicity Manager.
- Owen (Bluesky), Owen Likes Comics.
- Tyler Crook (Bluesky), The Lonesome Hunters, Out of Alcatraz, etc.
- Avery Kaplan (Bluesky), The Beat, Star Trek, TCJ, etc.
- BJ Kicks (Bluesky), Comics Are Dope.
- David Brooke (Bluesky), Owner, Writer, Host at AIPT.
- Chris Condon (Bluesky), That Texas Blood, Green Arrow, Ultimate Wolverine, etc.
- Chris Piers (Bluesky), Host of ComicTropes.
- Christian Ward (Bluesky), Batman: City of Madness, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, Two-Face, etc.
This Week's Sponsors
GlobalComix is the all-in-one digital comics platform offering unlimited reading of thousands of titles from top publishers, indie creators, across comics, manga, and toons. With GlobalComix Gold, members unlock access to more than 100,000 books and genres - superheroes, horror, sci-fi, manga, fantasy, romance, and more. Right now, GlobalComix is running a special Holiday Gold promotion: when you sign up for a year of GlobalComix Gold for $69, you'll get a bonus premium comics bundle from Dark Horse, DC, Kodansha, and Marvel - included for free. This bundle is valued at $67, making the annual plan essentially pay for itself with the bonus alone. How to Redeem: Use the link https://globalcomix.com/holiday-bundle-2025 to sign up. The offer is live now and available for a limited time (through January 4, 2026). Once subscribed, the bonus bundle will be added to your GlobalComix library.
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This Winter, from IDW Publishing, the Heroes in a Half-Shell take on the King of the Monsters! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla #1 crashes into comic shops on November 12th. Written by Godzilla Kei-Sei Scribe Tim Seeley and illustrated by the brilliant Turtle artist behind the Nightwatcher series, as well as the Stranger Things/TMNT crossover, Fero Pe, this new series finally brings two of our favorite franchises together. How can this reptilian miracle be? Long before the organization was corrupted by Shredder, the Foot Clan’s original purpose was to save Japan from Kaiju! Now, in the present day, Godzilla and its fellow monsters have reappeared. Not only is the Foot not prepared to stop them…it would seem Shredder himself is behind the attacks! The Turtles are always crossing over into rad nerd realms, but this one might be the king crossover of them all.
The Best Comics of 2025 Part One Category Timestamps:
- Intro (New Year's Intentions) - 2:52
- Global Comix Gold Bundle - 12:23
- Best Sleeper Superhero Story - 19:16 - WINNER (TIE): Supergirl: Universe End and Two-Face: Trial Separation (DC Comics)
- Best Anthology - 30:45 - WINNER: Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch (Image Comics)
- Best Adaptation - 37:47 - WINNER: Dracula Book II: The Brides (Dark Horse Comics)
- Best Memoir - 44:26 - WINNER: The Ephemerata (Fantagraphics)
- Most Engaged Comic - 53:28 - WINNER: Black Arms to Hold You Up (Pantheon)
- Best Limited Series - 1:02:23 - WINNER: Spectrum (Mad Cave Studios)
- Best Ongoing Series - 1:13:18 - WINNER: Absolute Batman (DC Comics)
- Best Original Graphic Novel - 1:24:38 - WINNER: Drome (23rd St. Books)
- Cartoonist of the Year - 1:31:38 - WINNER: Patrick Horvath (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring)
- Jesse Tapia II Champ Stamp - 1:37:27 - WINNER: Randy Clute (Our Day)
- Lisa's Pick - 1:42:52 - WINNER: The Confessional (Silver Sprocket)
- Brad's Pick - 1:45:40 - WINNER: More Weight (Top Shelf Productions)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Friends, let’s celebrate. We’ve made it through another year, and no matter how you felt about the world outside your local comic book shop, you certainly read some great comics. Welcome to our annual award show, The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025. Part One.
Every year is a good year for comics. You just have to go out and read them. That’s the secret. We try not to imprison ourselves with characters, genres, publishers, or even our preferred tastes. As long as you’re only interested in good comics, you’ll find them if you read enough, and the brilliant thing about 2025 is that we read a lot, and found so many great comics, but we still didn’t read enough to read all the great comics.
Thankfully, we sent out the Comic Book Couples Counseling distress call, and a bunch of our friends from across the industry answered. Peppered throughout our Stampies ceremony are our podcaster, journalist, publicist, and creator friends, each offering their favorite comics from 2025. See a list of them below, and make sure you support their work and follow them on socials.
As we do every year, we select our favorite comics and then create the Stampies around them. This two-part episode reflects our weird, collective tastes as a couple. Listeners will recognize several of the titles, but hopefully, we’ve thrown in several surprises, too. You can also find the award categories and (SPOILERS) winners below, listed alongside their timestamps in case you want to hop around or revisit later.
For the first time ever, we’ve created physical Stampy Awards to be delivered to the creators. We’re only able to do this thanks to our new sponsor, Global Comix. The all-in-one digital comics platform is currently offfering a great comics bundle when you sign up for their Global Comix Gold program. Make sure you give them a click (more details below), then start browsing their incredible digital comics library.
The Best Comics of 2025 Part One Guest-Stars:
- Lance (Bluesky) and Jeremy (Bluesky) of Comic Book Keepers.
- Eamon Winkle (Instagram): The Principles of Necromancy, Geiger, etc.
- Jenna Anderson (Bluesky) of Phase Hero and Go Read Some Comics.
- Chris Hacker (Bluesky) and Aaron Knowles (BlueSky) of The Oblivion Bar Podcast.
- Ollie Kaplan (Bluesky) of Comics Beat, Prism Comics, etc.
- Barbra Dillon (Bluesky): Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press.
- David Harper (Bluesky) of SKTCHD and Off Panel.
- Patrick Horvath (Bluesky): Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees.
- Badr Milligan (Bluesky) of The Short Box Podcast.
This Week's Sponsors
GlobalComix is the all-in-one digital comics platform offering unlimited reading of thousands of titles from top publishers, indie creators, across comics, manga, and toons. With GlobalComix Gold, members unlock access to more than 100,000 books and genres - superheroes, horror, sci-fi, manga, fantasy, romance, and more. Right now, GlobalComix is running a special Holiday Gold promotion: when you sign up for a year of GlobalComix Gold for $69, you'll get a bonus premium comics bundle from Dark Horse, DC, Kodansha, and Marvel - included for free. This bundle is valued at $67, making the annual plan essentially pay for itself with the bonus alone. How to Redeem: Use the link https://globalcomix.com/holiday-bundle-2025 to sign up. The offer is live now and available for a limited time (through January 4, 2026). Once subscribed, the bonus bundle will be added to your GlobalComix library.
This Winter, from IDW Publishing, the Heroes in a Half-Shell take on the King of the Monsters! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla #1 crashes into comic shops on November 12th. Written by Godzilla Kei-Sei Scribe Tim Seeley and illustrated by the brilliant Turtle artist behind the Nightwatcher series, as well as the Stranger Things/TMNT crossover, Fero Pe, this new series finally brings two of our favorite franchises together. How can this reptilian miracle be? Long before the organization was corrupted by Shredder, the Foot Clan’s original purpose was to save Japan from Kaiju! Now, in the present day, Godzilla and its fellow monsters have reappeared. Not only is the Foot not prepared to stop them…it would seem Shredder himself is behind the attacks! The Turtles are always crossing over into rad nerd realms, but this one might be the king crossover of them all.
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
The Best Comics of 2025 Part One Category Timestamps:
- Intro (The Year that Was) - 3:51
- Global Comix Gold Bundle - 14:04
- The Style is the Substance Award - 22:15 - WINNER: News from the Fallout (Image Comics)
- Best Genre Mashup - 30:38 - WINNER: Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC Comics)
- Saddest Comic of the Year - 40:00 - WINNER: Everything Dead and Dying (Image Comics)
- Best All-Ages Comic - 49:29 - WINNER: The Cartoonists Club (Scholastic)
- Best Young Adult Comic - 55:17 - WINNER: Clementine Book Three (Skybound/Image Comics)
- Best Nonfiction Comic - 1:06:23 - WINNER: "Dr. Werthless" (Dark Horse Comics)
- Best Crime Comic - 1:17:49 - WINNER: Out of Alcatraz (Oni Press)
- Best Short Story - 1:27:40 - WINNER: "Untitled" from Absolute Batman Annual #1 (DC Comics)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
With the release of Absolute Batman #15 and the big reveal of Absolute Joker, we’re excited to welcome artist Jockonto the show for the first time. We would consider this comic an event even without the gnarly origin story at its center. This is also a big reunion for the artist and his writer collaborator, Scott Snyder. They’ve been delivering killer Batman comics since The Black Mirror, and have already re-invented the Joker concept in The Batman Who Laughs. However, the Absolute Universe allows them to swing for the fences in a way that the main continuity never could. And, as you’ll hear, this required a little recalibration from Jock.
Thankfully, Jock grew up consuming some of the most radical comics on the planet, 2000 AD. These Mega-City One stories, often featuring the iconic Judge Dredd, shaped Jock’s imagination and taught him the unique power of a visual narrative. They also revealed why we must never be too enamored of the characters and stories we adore.
Conformity is abhorrent. Toys are meant to be broken because that’s the direct result of good, continuous, serious play. If you keep them precious on the shelf, they get dusty and stiff. To understand characters like Batman and Judge Dredd, we must constantly redefine them, whittling them down to their defining characteristics.
We discuss with Jock how he had to recalibrate his idea of Batman and Joker before taking on Absolute Batman #15. We talk about his new 2000 AD release, The Art of Judge Dredd by Jock. We examine how 2000 AD continues to influence his work, including Absolute Joker, and how he crafts certain two-page spreads in this comic.
Absolute Batman #15 is out now from DC Comics. It’s written by Scott Snyder, illustrated by Jock, colored by Frank Martin, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. You can continue this conversation with Jock by following him on Blue Skyand Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This Winter, from IDW Publishing, the Heroes in a Half-Shell take on the King of the Monsters! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla #1 crashes into comic shops on November 12th. Written by Godzilla Kei-Sei Scribe Tim Seeley and illustrated by the brilliant Turtle artist behind the Nightwatcher series, as well as the Stranger Things/TMNT crossover, Fero Pe, this new series finally brings two of our favorite franchises together. How can this reptilian miracle be? Long before the organization was corrupted by Shredder, the Foot Clan’s original purpose was to save Japan from Kaiju! Now, in the present day, Godzilla and its fellow monsters have reappeared. Not only is the Foot not prepared to stop them…it would seem Shredder himself is behind the attacks! The Turtles are always crossing over into rad nerd realms, but this one might be the king crossover of them all.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson on Absolute Batman Annual
- Previously on CBCC: Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman
- Comic Book Film Club: 30 Days of Night at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 12/14
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Sorry to inform you, friends, but it’s December already. The gift-giving season is here, and with it, if you’re at all like us, a month filled with tremendous anxiety. We may love putting together a Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide, but we stress profusely over the actual process of selecting and distributing gifts to our friends and family. Thankfully, just in time, we spoke with Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell about his latest book, The Gift of Everything, which truly helped us center ourselves during a tumultuous moment.
Patrick McDonnell is one of our great living cartoonists. For more than thirty years, he has put everything of himself into his comic strip Mutts. It’s where he goes to understand the world around him, using characters like Mooch and Earl to contextualize what’s happening outside his panels and inside his very being. Reading his work, you get the impression that he’s figured something out that you have not, but is that actually the case? We get to the heart of everything in today’s conversation.
The Gift of Everything is out now from Little, Brown and Company. It’s a spiritual sequel to McDonnell’s The Gift of Nothing, which was published twenty years ago. It tells the desperate story of Mooch searching for the perfect gift for his pal Earl, and discovering exactly that, but not in the manner he expected.
Follow Mutts on Instagram, and sign up for the Daily Mutts strip HERE.
This Week's Sponsors
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This Winter, from IDW Publishing, the Heroes in a Half-Shell take on the King of the Monsters! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla #1 crashes into comic shops on November 12th. Written by Godzilla Kei-Sei Scribe Tim Seeley and illustrated by the brilliant Turtle artist behind the Nightwatcher series, as well as the Stranger Things/TMNT crossover, Fero Pe, this new series finally brings two of our favorite franchises together. How can this reptilian miracle be? Long before the organization was corrupted by Shredder, the Foot Clan’s original purpose was to save Japan from Kaiju! Now, in the present day, Godzilla and its fellow monsters have reappeared. Not only is the Foot not prepared to stop them…it would seem Shredder himself is behind the attacks! The Turtles are always crossing over into rad nerd realms, but this one might be the king crossover of them all.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- A CBCC Tribute to Lisa's Father
- Previously on CBCC: Patrick McDonnell on Guard Dog
- Watch Patrick McDonnell Inducted into the Harvey Hall of Fame
- Comic Book Film Club: 30 Days of Night at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 12/14
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
There are big swings, and then there are huge swings. Writer Adam Rose and artist Magenta King go for the fences with Huge Detective, a genre mashup mystery where giants roam the Earth and wind up dead like any other sacks of meat. The series was recently collected in a pretty trade paperback from Titan Comics, and it immediately had us craving sequels and sidequels. Where’s our Gyant/Bean romance? We’re ready for it.
We met Adam Rose earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con, and bonded quickly over our love for the eighties cartoon series M.A.S.K. After a few minutes of chatting, we knew we wanted to get him on the show, and after a few months of wrangling our schedules, we finally made it happen. Unfortunately, we did not spend the entire time discussing how Matt Trakker is currently running through the panels of Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly’s G.I. Joe comic. Next time, next time.
In this episode, we discuss Adam Rose’s love for fantasy and detective fiction. And we force him to choose his preferred genre. Our conversation explores the massive sandbox they’ve created in Huge Detective and the numerous other genres they could possibly explore in future comics. We make our case for romance. We consider Dollsville, too.
Huge Detective issues one through five are now available in trade paperback from Titan Comics. They’re written by Adam Rose, illustrated by Magenta King, colored by King and Minimone, and lettered by DC Hopkins. To continue this conversation, follow Adam Rose on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
This November, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, the terrifying comic book prequel series to the classic, 90s, hellraising sci-fi film, reaches its epic third issue, and if you always wanted to know the gory details about exactly what went down when the Event Horizon crew were transported to hell, this is the issue you cannot miss. From writer Christian Ward and artist Tristan Jones, Event Horizon: Dark Descent #3 lands in comic book shops on November 12th courtesy of IDW Publishing, with a killer cover by Jeffrey Alan Love and a variant cover by Chris Burnham. "The dead have appeared to me — and there is something else loose upon the ship. If you can hear me, it may be too late for you. LIBERA TE TUTEMET EX INFERIS!"
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- A CBCC Tribute to Lisa's Father
- Previously on CBCC: Grant Morrison on Batman/Deadpool
- Live at New York Comic Con: The Massive Comic Book Podcast Crossover
- Comic Book Film Club: 30 Days of Night at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 12/14
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Two weeks ago, Lisa lost her father. In August, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the last three months have been some of the most harrowing days we’ve ever experienced. While we’ve hovered around this topic in recent episodes, we’ve avoided discussing it outright. Today, we were compelled to put it into record.
We’re not sure how much you want to engage with this story. If you choose to skip this one, we totally understand. Publishing right on its heels is a much more typical Comic Book Couples Counseling episode with writer Adam Rose, discussing his exceptionally strange comic, Huge Detective. It’s a fun one.
Lisa’s earliest encounters with comics were a direct result of her father's love for the funnies. He and his father would mail comics to each other across state lines. They’d hang on the fridge for months until they were replaced with more comics. Lisa’s last text exchange with her father was a laugh over an Ellis Rosen cartoon. Lisa’s humor and heart came from him, and if you’ve ever enjoyed our show at all, it’s because of Dad.
Cancer sucks. It’s a horror show. However, it also revealed the tremendous love coursing through our two families and all our friends who came together to support Lisa’s father. These last few months overflowed with as much laughter as tears, and this episode perfectly represents that maddening and beautiful juxtaposition.
For November and December, we will donate all proceeds from our TeePublic Shop and Patreon to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. You can also donate directly to them here.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends. Whether you listen to this episode, skip directly to the next one, or do neither, know that we appreciate you profoundly. Thanks for spending your time with us.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Lisa's Father's Obituary
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Grant Morrison on Batman/Deadpool
- Live at New York Comic Con: The Massive Comic Book Podcast Crossover
- Comic Book Film Club: 30 Days of Night at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 12/14
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Toward the end of our last conversation with Grant Morrison, they mentioned how they would soon be returning to comics, writing a new Batman story. We were ecstatic to hear, but we could not have possibly imagined that the new Batman story would actually be a DC/Marvel Comics crossover featuring the Hollywood darling Deadpool. Even better, it’s a reunion between Morrison and his Klaus collaborator, Dan Mora, which also features numerous backup stories by other rad creators, including Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Hayden Sherman, Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Amanda Conner, G. Willow Wilson, and Denys Cowan. The comic is possibly the most surprising book of the year, but not as surprising as Morrison’s willingness to return to the show for an in-depth discussion all about it. You’re in for another treat, friends.
Our Grant Morrison Batman/Deadpool conversation is full-spoilers. You must read the comic before pressing play. If you read the book quickly, as our Brad did the first time, you’ll probably miss a great deal. The comic is crammed with Easter eggs and winks, many of which we eventually caught, and a few others we did not until Grant Morrison pointed them out to us.
Dan Mora and Grant Morrison’s Batman/Deadpool is very different from Greg Capullo and Zeb Wells’ Deadpool/Batman, which Marvel ran point on a few weeks ago. It’s a fun adventure, but it’s also a story commenting on comics, crossovers, and the writer/reader’s relationship with the fourth wall. Initially, the team-up between Batman and Deadpool felt a little cynical, and/or capitalistic - and it’s still that! However, given Grant Morrison’s relationship with Animal Man and smashing the fourth wall, Deadpool is kind of the perfect character for them. Batman/Deadpool also allows Grant Morrison to right a wrong that occurred in the pages of...well, read the comic first, will ya?
Dear listeners, welcome to Grant Morrisoin’s Revenge! We get into it with The Writer, discussing their initial idea for the crossover, their evolving relationship with the fourth wall, and what they hope for future DC and Marvel crossovers.
Batman/Deadpool #1 is out now from DC Comics. “The Cosmic Kiss Caper” is written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by Dan Mora, colored by Alejandro Sánchez, and lettered by Todd Klein. If you wish to continue this conversation with Morrison, follow them on their Website, Substack, Instagram, and Bluesky.
This Week's Sponsors
This November, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, the terrifying comic book prequel series to the classic, 90s, hellraising sci-fi film, reaches its epic third issue, and if you always wanted to know the gory details about exactly what went down when the Event Horizon crew were transported to hell, this is the issue you cannot miss. From writer Christian Ward and artist Tristan Jones, Event Horizon: Dark Descent #3 lands in comic book shops on November 12th courtesy of IDW Publishing, with a killer cover by Jeffrey Alan Love and a variant cover by Chris Burnham. "The dead have appeared to me — and there is something else loose upon the ship. If you can hear me, it may be too late for you. LIBERA TE TUTEMET EX INFERIS!"
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Grant Morrison on All-Star Superman
- Live at New York Comic Con: The Massive Comic Book Podcast Crossover
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
A podcast doesn’t last without the support of its friends. We’re beyond grateful to fellow comic book maniacs like Badr Milligan of The Short Box, Chris Hacker and Aaron Knowles of The Oblivion Bar, and David Harper of Off Panel. Hopefully, you already subscribe to these shows, and if not, after this week’s episode, you will. In October, we assembled in the Javits Center basement during New York Comic Con in an effort to share our four unique vibes with a single crowd. Weeks later, you can now experience the MaCoBoPoCro Event (or, Massive Comic Book Podcast Crossover Event).
And, guess what? If video is your thing, you can actually watch the event on the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube page.
This Week's Sponsors
This November, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, the terrifying comic book prequel series to the classic, 90s, hellraising sci-fi film, reaches its epic third issue, and if you always wanted to know the gory details about exactly what went down when the Event Horizon crew were transported to hell, this is the issue you cannot miss. From writer Christian Ward and artist Tristan Jones, Event Horizon: Dark Descent #3 lands in comic book shops on November 12th courtesy of IDW Publishing, with a killer cover by Jeffrey Alan Love and a variant cover by Chris Burnham. "The dead have appeared to me — and there is something else loose upon the ship. If you can hear me, it may be too late for you. LIBERA TE TUTEMET EX INFERIS!"
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- CBCC at NYCC: Michael Walsh and Tristan Jones
- CBCC at NYCC: Alex Firer and Fred C. Stressing
- CBCC at NYCC: The Doughboys
- CBCC at NYCC Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse
- Comic Book Film Club 11/16 at 5 PM EST: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp at the Winchester Alamo Drafthouse, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Every October, New York Comic Con (NYCC) rolls around. Normally, they don’t acknowledge their proximity to the spooky season, but this year, as crowds reached pre-pandemic sizes, they embraced Halloween. Cosplay took on a more deliciously grisly vibe, and we found ourselves feeling more ghoulish than usual, too. The conversations we sought ventured into bloodier tales of both good and bad natures.
Michael Walsh joined us in the Tiny Onion booth to explain the game design that birthed Exquisite Corpses, and how such play was influenced by his recent stint on Frankenstein. We met artist Tristan Jones upstairs in the infamous “Butter Corner,” where the IDW Publishing booth found itself this year. We discussed his collaboration with Christian Ward on the utterly surprising Event Horizon: Dark Descent series, and how he finally delivered what the movie only hinted at back in the nineties.
Exquisite Corpses Volume 1 is now available from Tiny Onion and Image Comics. Event Horizon: Dark Descent issues 1-2 are now available from IDW Publishing. Issue 3 arrives in comic book shops everywhere on November 12th. Follow Michael Walsh on Blue Sky and Instagram. Follow Tristan Jones on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
This November, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, the terrifying comic book prequel series to the classic, 90s, hellraising sci-fi film, reaches its epic third issue, and if you always wanted to know the gory details about exactly what went down when the Event Horizon crew were transported to hell, this is the issue you cannot miss. From writer Christian Ward and artist Tristan Jones, Event Horizon: Dark Descent #3 lands in comic book shops on November 12th courtesy of IDW Publishing, with a killer cover by Jeffrey Alan Love and a variant cover by Chris Burnham. "The dead have appeared to me — and there is something else loose upon the ship. If you can hear me, it may be too late for you. LIBERA TE TUTEMET EX INFERIS!"
Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on Event Horizon: Dark Descent
- The Comics Crossover Event with The Short Box, Oblivion Bar, Off Panel, and CBCC
- Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse
- Comic Book Film Club 11/16 at 5PM EST: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp at the Winchester Alamo Drafthouse, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
There’s zero doubt, Absolute Batman Annual #1 will be one of the year’s most talked-about comics. Featuring three stories by Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, James Harren, Dave Stewart, Meredith McClaren, and Clayton Cowles, this hefty comic centers on the early Absolute Universe adventures of Bruce Wayne, revealing how that chonky Batmobile came to be, and just how Black Mask’s party animals first encountered the Dark Knight. We read the comic a couple of weeks back, and the instant we flipped that last page, we were compelled to get Daniel Warren Johnson into a Zoom room. Thankfully, he obliged.
Johnson’s untitled story makes up the bulk of the Absolute Batman Annual. It propels Absolute Batman against a white supremacist horde, showcasing some of the most brutal action from the ongoing series so far, while doing so in a way that questions that violence’s effectiveness. As Daniel Warren Johnson has showcased in other comics like Murder Falcon, Do a Powerbomb!, and his recent run on Transformers, badass, jaw-dropping visuals are only half his might as a creator. DWJ breaks hearts as often as he breaks bones.
“It’s in my blood and it’s boiling, and I have to get it out.”
In an exclusive conversation with Comic Book Couples Counseling, Johnson explains how his tale in the Absolute Batman Annual came to pass. We discuss his reluctance to contribute to the world so expertly crafted by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, and how one single image eventually caused him to put everything he had into this character and universe. Daniel Warren Johnson tells us why supplying only compelling, catastrophic action isn't enough for him as a storyteller. He requires more than an exclamation point to climax his stories. He needs a question.
Absolute Batman Annual is now available from DC Comics. Make sure you're following Daniel Warren Johnson on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website.
This Week's SponsorsJudge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now or Never Comics
- Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson and Riley Rossmo on The Moon is Following Us
- Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson on Transformers
- Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson on Do a Powerbomb!
- Previously On CBCC: Daniel Warren Johnson on Beta Ray Bill
- Previously On CBCC: Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman
- The Comics Crossover Event with The Short Box, Oblivion Bar, Off Panel, and CBCC
- Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
We all crave a good meal. The challenge is savoring it once it's placed before you. Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner have wickedly, and delightfully, discovered a way to make Bram Stoker’s Dracula not one good dish, but three...and possibly four and five.
For the last several years, they’ve transformed the classic vampire novel into a feast impossible to gobble down in one sitting. By taking throwaway sentences in the book and building two graphic novels out of them (Dracula Book I: The Impaler, Dracula Book II: The Brides), they’ve miraculously extended their love affair with Vlad, and ours in the process as well.
Now, with Dracula Book III: The Count, which only has a week left on Kickstarter, Jones and Kelley properly excavate Bram Stoker’s book. This third entry tackles the iconic plot, but only from Count Dracula’s perspective. We all know this story from Jonathan Harker, Mina, and Van Helsing’s point of view, but how did the vicious beast at the center of their fear experience the whole endeavor? No more letters. Only the Count’s singular, hungry howl of self.
We’ve read and watched many Dracula adaptations, but none as exhaustive and creative as this. As a result, this week’s podcast had to match Jones and Wagner’s studious passion. All together, we dig deep into their previous entry, Dracula Book II: The Brides. We discuss how, in chaining themselves to Dracula’s perspective, they create unparalleled empathy for the monster and his godless pursuits. Is there danger in that?
Again, Dracula: The Count only has seven days left on its Kickstarter campaign. Please visit the crowdfunding project by clicking HERE. You can continue the conversation with Kelley Jones by visiting his Instagram. You can follow Matt Wagner on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.
Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Previously on CBCC: Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner on Dracula Book 1: The Impaler
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse
- NYCC 2025 Patreon Dispatch: Michael Walsh on Exquisite Corpses
- Grab Your Tickets for Addams Family Values on 10/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Transplanting the Doughboys from one medium to another demands collaborators with a firm grasp on both worlds. Podcasters Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger know their realm, but require a few comic book maniacs to hurl them confidently into the sequential playground. Enter writer Alex Firer and artist Fred C. Stressing (also, colorist Meg Casey).
Not only did Firer and Stresing grow up stewing in comics, but they’ve spent the last several years working together on the Rick and Morty books from Oni Press. They bring with them a strong passion for Harvey Kurtzman, Grant Morrison, and Krazy Kat. They’re equally pickled in Doughboys lore, and after a little back and forth with Mitch and Wiger, could decipher the podcast into the epic quest called Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths.
Last week, we spoke with Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger about how they found their way into a comic book, and this week, we’re speaking with Alex Firer and Fred C. Stresing about how they helped make that wild fantasy a reality. Also, as a result of hosting the Harvey Awards at New York Comic Con last weekend, we’re stewing in Harvey Kurtzman’s world ourselves, and his influence is easily identified in the Doughboys Comic Book. It’s a joy to discuss madcap comedy, especially the funny book variety, with these two.
Make sure you’re following the Doughboys on your favorite podcast app, or just click here. Follow Alex Firer on Blue Sky and Instagram. Follow Fred C. Stresing on Blue Sky and Instagram. You can purchase Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths on BeOurKids.com.
This Week's Sponsors
Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Watch The Harvey Awards on Popverse
- NYCC 2025 Patreon Dispatch: Michael Walsh on Exquisite Corpses
- Grab Your Tickets for Addams Family Values on 10/26 at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
The podcast crossover event no one was expecting is here. The Doughboys, Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger, arrive on Comic Book Couples Counseling ready to examine their feelings and suss out why they’ve propelled their podcast life into comic book form. Collaborating with writer Alex Firer, artist Fred C. Stresing, and colorist Meg Casey, Mitch and Wiger boil down their obsession with fast food and chain restaurants into a delicious four-color stew.
It’s a six-issue series called Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths. Everything you need to know about the vibe is right there in the title. The book is comic book-y, and a Where’s Waldoquest for Wednesday warriors, as well as longtime fans of the podcast. You can nab the first issue here.
For ten years, Mitch and Wiger have met weekly to battle it out over Red Lobster, Steak n Shake, and Taco Bell, usually inviting fellow comedy maniacs like Jon Gabrus or Lauren Lapkus to weigh in. The Doughboys comic book operates in a similar fashion, but cranks everything to eleven. Demonic and heavenly forces are at play here, friends.
We return from New York Comic Con with the perfect episode. We discuss with Mitch and Wiger what drew them to comics, what they’ve learned about themselves while spending years talking about food, and how insignificant you can feel when sitting in a football stadium or the New York Javits Center.
Make sure you’re following the Doughboys on your favorite podcast app, or just click here. You can also follow them on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's SponsorsLaunching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.
Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:* Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics * Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Weeks ago, we told you to keep an eye glued to the Macabre Valley #1 Kickstarter from writer Zack Quaintance and artist Anna Readman. Now, you have only one week left to back the project and secure yourself a copy of this fiendishly fun comic. Based on Quaintance’s own experiences reporting along the American/Mexican border, Macabre Valley tells a viciously recognizable story, energized by Anna Readman’s gnarly creature designs and trippy sequential storytelling.
You can even support the project knowing you’ll receive your comic soon, as Macabre Valley has surpassed its funding goal spectacularly. To celebrate and encourage last-minute stragglers, we’re thrilled to have Zack Quaintance back on the podcast this week to discuss the werewolf priest at Macabre Valley’s center, and he’s even joined this time by his talented collaborator Anna Readman (making her podcast debut, no less).
We discuss what makes the best werewolves and how both creators relate to the real-life horror that surrounds the fantastical horror throughout Macabre Valley. The conversation considers uniforms, from the lawful to the hirsute, and the influence they have on those who wear them. Finally, it leaves the listener imagining a wild, wonderful alternate reality where Cormac McCarthy wrote for EC Comics.
Again, Macabre Valley #1 is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. It’s written by Zack Quaintance, illustrated by Anna Readman, colored by Brad Simpson, and lettered by Becca Carey. Please follow Zack Quaintance on Blue Skyand Instagram, and follow Anna Readman on her Website and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Zack Quaintance on The Death of Comics Bookcase
- Watch The Harvey Awards 2024 via Popverse
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
When Francis Ford Coppola shoots you an email asking you to transform his new movie into a comic book, you say yes and worry about the details later. Chris Ryall got the email. Once he got over the shock ot it, he immediately knew who to contact next: Comic Book Couples Counseling regular, Jacob Phillips. They couldn’t have possibly understood what an undertaking they were committing to during those early days, but nearly five years later, they have the Megalopolisgraphic novel in their hands. It’s something special.
As you’ll hear on this week’s podcast, Francis Ford Coppola wanted Ryall and Phillips to make the comic their own. If that meant chopping up the script or fabricating the designs, so be it. Jacob Phillips approaches the likenesses the way he would any corporate comic character. If he were on Batman, he’d do his version of Batman. So, he’d apply the same logic to Adam Driver. The actor is the design, but the pencils and inks belong to Phillips. The magic is in how the movie and the comic, crafted independently of each other, aligned so well together.
Chatting with Ryall and Phillips allowed us to celebrate both artistic mediums. We discuss the challenges of translating cinematic ideas onto panels, the need for repertoire stories, and the hope within Francis Ford Coppola’s humanism.
Before all that, however, we also discuss the new documentary, Shopping for Superman. Directed by Wes Eastin, the film travels across America, from one comic book shop to another. It’s a must-watch for every comic book reader, as it honors the industry while contemplating where it’s all going in the wake of Diamond Comic Distributors' destruction.
Megalopolis, the comic, is published by Abrams ComicArts and arrives in shops on October 7th. Make sure you’re following Chris Ryall on his Substack, Instagram, and Blue Sky. Also, follow Jacob Phillips on Instagram and Blue Sky.
This Week's Sponsors
Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing's Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.
Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Not again! Chip Kidd and Michael Cho are the latest comic book creators to find their way, literally, into comics. The Avengers in the Veracity Trap, published as part of the Marvel Arts imprint of Abrams ComicArts, propels the titular superheroes from their dimension into ours, revealing that Kidd and Cho control their free will. The oversized original graphic novel is a stunning-looking comic, thanks to Michael Cho making magic with sequentials, taking a short break from his usual stellar cover work.
What is it about comics? Read enough of them, and suddenly you want to be in them. The medium invites invasion, calling folks like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and others to throw themselves upon the panels. Maybe it’s because, as children, we wrap this flatland universe around us like a blanket. It’s comfy and protective. It’s where we want to go when the third dimension reveals itself as too damn physical with our soft little bodies.
Chip Kidd joins the podcast this week to discuss how he once again wormed his way into comic book panels (yeah, this is not his first offense. See also, Batman: Death by Design and Alex Ross’s Marvelocity). We discuss how "The Veracity Trap" has become a valuable concept for us personally as we struggle with the strings that direct our movements these days. As usual, the conversation gets philosophical, breaking down free will and the troubled waters between artist and audience.
The Avengers in the Veracity Trap is now available wherever rad comics are sold. Make sure you follow Chip Kidd on Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10!
For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics
- Chip Kidd's Jurassic Park TED Talk
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Every few months, the discourse turns to comics journalism. What is it? What’s its value? Does it even exist anymore? Of course, if you read SKTCHD or listen to Off Panel every week, these questions are easy to answer. For years, David Harper has been our go-to source for what’s happening within the comics industry, and due to recent events in his own life, he’s upped his game and committed to comics journalism in a fashion he previously has not. Can the industry sustain him? That all depends on us.
This week, we chat with David Harper about his total immersion into SKTCHD/Off Panel. We confront him about his pivot to video, the state of comics journalism, and how he ignores the recurring Chicken Little screams of “The sky is falling.” It’s not all so dire, though. We also discuss his ideal comic book shop and the books he’s absolutely loving in 2025.
Stories and storytellers are vital to human existence, but for various, always frustrating, reasons, we must continually be reminded of this. You, dear listener, are already fighting the good fight, but how do we get others to join us? Share, baby, share. Below you’ll find links not only to David Harper’s good work, but also to the good work of others working within the field of comics journalism. Give them your clicks, give them your eyes, and maybe, just maybe, if you can afford to do so, give them your dollars.
Support Comics Journalism
- Subscribe to SKTCHD
- Become an Off Panel Patron
- Become a Patron of The Beat
- Become an AIPT Patron
- Get Your Copy of The Comics Courier
- Support a Journalist on his Journey to Creator
- Become a Comic Book Couples Counseling Patron
This Week's Sponsors
Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10!
For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Zack Quaintance on The Death of Comics Bookcase
- Tiffany Babb on The Comics Courier
- Chip Zdarksy on Zdarksy Comic News
- Brad and Lisa Guest-Star on Off Panel
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Toward the end of this week’s episode, Jesse Lonergan says, “With Drome, it feels like I’ve done...something.” Since he arrived on the scene, the cartoonist has bashed upon the medium, seeing if he’d be the one to break comics. The art form didn’t shatter; it became stronger under Lonergan’s pressure. Books like Hedra, Faster, Planet Paradise, and Man’s Best electrified readers, showcasing what could only be done in comics. Now, in Drome, Jesse Lonergan whales harder upon the medium than he ever has before, and the result is a smashing celebration of comics and creation. Jesse Lonergan has done...something. He is not the artist who started Drome. We are not the readers we were before the first page.
A quick flip through Drome and you’ll witness a civilization with champions of order raging against champions of chaos. The visuals recall Jack Kirby and Robert E. Howard. Gods watch their toys in their sandbox. Violence everywhere because life is a violent act. It’s the best-looking, sword-and-sandal fantasy adventure you can find at your local comic shop.
To begin and end your conversation about Drome with its plot is a catastrophic mistake. With Jesse Lonergan, process is the theme. The color story matters. Form is the point. So, let’s get real damn nerdy about it.
On this week’s episode, we excitedly welcome back Jesse Lonergan and, together, tear our way through one of the year’s best comic books. We discuss the first images that eventually became Drome. We talk about the CMYK color model. We embarrassingly reveal the names we gave his characters, and celebrate those other artists, such as Geoff Darrow and Matt Lesniewski, who seem to give everything they have to comics.
Drome is now available from 23rd St Books. Make sure you follow Jesse Lonergan on Blue Sky, Instagram, Patreon, and his Website.
This Week's Sponsors
Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10!
For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
“Do you see?” We never imagined discussing an Event Horizon comic on the podcast, but the moment the notion was floated, we were enthralled. The original 1997 movie, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, struck a chord back in the day, but it was also a movie that was obviously jumbled about and fumbled in the editing room. And since the story relied on the device of a spaceship lost in a black hole/literal hell for decades, it so easily allows for prequel expansion. All that’s required are the perfect creators to expand the material. Maybe even mend some of it.
Christian Ward and Tristan Jones are the perfect creators for Event Horizon. If you’ve read their work, especially Ward’s time on Batman: City of Madness and Jones’ time on Aliens, you’re probably already subscribed to the new prequel series from IDW Publishing. Event Horizon: Dark Descent tells the story of the original starship crew who ignited the Gravity Drive, popped into the space between spaces, and found their damnation in the abyss.
It’s always a pleasure to have Christian Ward on the podcast, but this week, that’s especially true because we’re all geeking out about the original movie, discussing how it influences all of his work, and why prequels are a damn good narrative delivery system. Yes, we talk about trauma and therapy, but also demons and personifying hell in the most joyful comic booky fashion. Event Horizon: Dark Descent is the best book you didn't expect in 2025. Let’s all go to hell together.
Event Horizon: Dark Descent is written by Christian Ward, illustrated by Tristan Jones, colored by Pip Martin, and lettered by Alex Ray. Variant Covers by Jeffrey Alan Love. Issue 1 is now available from IDW Publishing, and FOC for Issue 2 is Today (9/1/25). Call your shop and get subbed. Also, continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10!
For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic streets of Fission City as Ripster, Jab, Streex, and Big Slammu fight to protect their home against twisted experiments gone wrong, including muscle-bound mutant lobsters, ruthless squids, and deranged scientists.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 28th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Event Horizon, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Early on in Tillie Walden’s Clementine: Book Three, which represents the concluding chapter in her The Walking Dead trilogy, an expectant mother grabs our hero’s arm and gasps through the pain, “It’ll never end.” She’s so right, and we should all take those words to heart. Pain is never done with you. Run if you care to, but the worst life has to offer will always find you. The trick is acknowledging your relationship with it and fortifying yourself as a means of surviving until you don’t. Pain never ends. You will. Find your community and love them while you can.
We’ve adored Tillie Walden’s comics for quite some time. One of our earliest episodes was a deep dive exploration of her exceptional science fiction teen romance, On a Sunbeam. Her work is deeply personal, and Clementine: Book Three is no exception, with the narrative extending from recent events in her life.
In today’s podcast, we dig into the Clementine trilogy with Tillie Walden. We discuss how she finds herself in Clementine and how Clementine may find herself in Tillie. We talk about The Walking Dead franchise, how Clementine evolves from the Telltale game, and why horror is the most emotionally honest genre.
Clementine: Book Three is written, drawn, and lettered by Tillie Walden. Grey Tones by Cliff Rathburn. All three books are now available from Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics. Follow Tillie Walden through her website and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Chris Condon in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Toward the end of our conversation with Matt Fraction, he mentions how his upcoming Batman book with Jorge Jiménez represents where his Hawkeye series would have gone if he and David Aja had continued. What does that mean, exactly? It’s complicated, and you’ll just have to listen to this week’s podcast to fully understand. And that’s what we call in the biz, a big ol’ tease.
Our chat with Matt Fraction concludes our San Diego Comic-Con International coverage, and we’re so frickin’ excited that we get to do so with this writer and this creation. As longtime listeners know, Batman is one of our boys, and the character has never been in as many good hands as he is right now at DC. Beyond this new Batman relaunch with Fraction and Jiménez, we have stellar titles in Absolute Batman, Batman and Robin, Batman and Robin: Year One, Batman: Dark Patterns, and probably a half dozen books we’re forgetting about at this moment.
Batman, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published on March 30th, 1939. The character’s longevity makes him indestructible. He won’t break, no matter what Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez do to him. This comes with tremendous freedom, allowing Fraction and Jiménez to throw everything of themselves into the character, and their longevity on the line will ultimately be determined by us, the readers.
Having read the first two issues in the new series, we can happily report that Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s take on the character is very much our jam, and rather unique from the other excellent flavors you can find on the stand every month. Their Batman operates in a semi-one-and-done structure, embracing the medium of comics while still satisfying those who crave long-haul storytelling. Mostly, it’s a fun as hell ride that looks slick. These are superhero comics that are not afraid to be superhero comics. They’re damn proud of it, in fact.
However, before we dive into all the Batman talk with Matt Fraction, we must regale you with our recent comic shop road trip to Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia. We did it, gang. We’ve already completed our mission to visit fifty comic book shops in fifty-two weeks. We’ve learned a lot from this experiment, and we need to discuss both the wonderful and not-so-wonderful aspects we've observed in these stores. Strap in for some serious retail talk.
Batman #1 is written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Jorge Jiménez, colored by Tomeu Morey, lettered by Clayton Cowles, and published by DC. The first issue arrives in comic book shops on September 3rd.
Our SDCC Coverage:
- Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless"
- Alex Segura on Star Wars
- Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts
- Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans
- Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News
- Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now Or Never Comics
- Gene Luen Yang and Andrew Joustra on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our August 23rd Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart on the River Styx, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
The great thing about the zombie sub-genre is that every time you think it’s played out, a new creative team arrives to inject some fresh life into it. Everything Dead and Dying, the new Image Comics series by Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips, imagines the last living farmer on the planet, sitting satisfied on his homestead, surrounded by his dead and rotting loved ones. The corpses he once called friends and family are trapped in the routine of their last living day, performing mundane tasks such as delivering the mail and receiving a bedtime story. If he squints hard enough, the farmer, Jack Chandler, can soldier on as if each new day is as good as the old ones were.
Everything Dead and Dying is a deliciously, satisfyingly sad zombie story, and like the best entries in this sub-genre, it has a lot on its mind and heart. The first issue is easily one of our favorites of the year, and demands attention from those already fond of walkers or those who’d rather avoid them. Brombal and Phillips have constructed a perfect zombie gateway comic.
Having recently visited the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh, the site where George R. Romero shot the classic Dawn of the Dead, we were eager to chat with Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips about what drew them to this particular story engine. What do the undead offer us as metaphors, especially in a culture so near its own global catastrophe?
On this week’s podcast, we discuss their connection to zombies, why they previously never considered contributing to the sub-genre, and how Jacob Phillips built an entire town from scratch. Final Order Cutoff for Everything Dead and Dying#1 is Today (8/11), so call your comic book shop asap so you won’t miss out on reading this story when it arrives on September 3rd.
Make sure you're following Tate Brombal on Blue Sky and Instagram, as well as Jacob Phillips on Blue Sky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
For the past year, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been as exciting and essential as DC’s Absolute Universe or Skybound’s Energon Universe. Writer Jason Aaron and artist Juan Ferreyra have built an unmissable monthly comic, not to forget the numerous other splinter titles and crossover minis. Shortly before San Diego Comic-Con International, The Hollywood Reporter announced Aaron and Ferreyra’s departure, and we were a little heartbroken. Their time on the book was too brief, but if they must go, the news that cartoonist extraordinaire Gene Luen Yang and lifelong Turtle maniac Freddie E. Williams II eased the pain some.
One of our missions for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was to return with more news regarding the TMNT baton pass between Aaron and Ferreyra and Yang and Williams. After moderating IDW Publishing’s “The New Era of Turtle Power” panel, we retreated to the Hilton Bayfront, where we had a lengthy conversation with Gene Luen Yang about his passion for the Turtles and how he would apply it to the series, starting with issue thirteen.
Also discussed at San Diego Comic-Con, Andrew Joustra, the script coordinator for the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, will write an arc for the newly announced Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, bringing the iconic Fugitoid character to the latest iteration of the TMNT universe. As passionate fans of Fugitoid ourselves, we had to trap Joustra in a media room for a deep dive into his take on the character and why he put so much of himself into the troubled fugitive android.
Today, you get two podcasts for the price of one. With Gene Luen Yang, we discuss where we find the Turtles when his story begins, how they’ve grown throughout the Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra run, and why a certain new antagonist was necessary for his story. With Andrew Joustra, we explore the Fugitoid concept, his relationship with the Turtles through the various franchise incarnations, and why this story is so deeply personal.
Be sure to follow Gene Luen Yang on his website, Blue Sky, Instagram, and TikTok. Also, follow Andrew Joustra on his website, Blue Sky, and Instagram.
Our SDCC Coverage:
- Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless"
- Alex Segura on Star Wars
- Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts
- Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans
- Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News
- Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now Or Never Comics
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
As reported by The Beat, the Eisner-winning comics journalism website (hell yeah), Comic Book Couples Counselingkinda kicked off San Diego Comic-Con International this year with our Live Podcast Recording at Now or Never Comics in Downtown San Diego. On Tuesday, July 22nd, we invited superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson to chat with us after a signing at the shop. With The Moon Is Following Us recently concluded, his final issues of Transformerson their way, and the Kickstarter launch of his behemoth art book, we had a lot to discuss with DWJ.
Today’s episode presents the audio from our discussion in full, complete with questions from the audience, and a serious discussion of where The Moon Is Following Us took its readers, without spoiling the narrative for those who have not finished the comic. We also explore Daniel Warren Johnson’s relationship with comic book shops and comic conventions. What is his ideal store? Is San Diego different from the many other comic conventions across this country?
While our conversation with Daniel Warren Johnson may have launched Comic-Con for us, it represents the conclusion of our SDCC coverage. Please hit those links below to experience pop culture’s greatest gathering as we bring numerous other creator interviews to your ears.
Make sure you're following Daniel Warren Johnson on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website.
Our SDCC Coverage:* Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" * Alex Segura on Star Wars * Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts * Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans * Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News
This Week's SponsorsWe're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring#1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing.
This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:* Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks * Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics * Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Should Chip Zdarsky’s promotional magazine, Zdarsky Comic News, win an Eisner at this weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con International ceremony? We brought the question to him directly, and as you’ll hear, he rejected the whole notion of a nomination extremely quickly. Zdarsky is having a ball working on his free periodical every month. He puts tremendous time, energy, and thought into each issue. Still, as far as the category of Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism is concerned, he wants someone else to take home the statue, and “knows” that someone else will take home the statue. We shall see the results very soon.
Zdarsky Comic News began as a lark, as most things with Chip Zdarsky do. He turned his back on social media, adamantly believing it served no positive purpose, especially when it came to promoting his comics. Zdarksy Comic News’ primary mission was to inform folks in comic shops about what he was working on and give them a little chuckle in the process.
Since the first issue, however, Zdarsky Comic News has become its own unique monster. The cartoonist is slowly building a staff around himself, and it’s time to decide whether or not to kill the beast or let it grow into something larger and more significant. Through advertising, Zdarsky Comic News pays for itself, but it might need a little more to become the next Comics Journal, or its evil stepbrother.
Shortly before the 2025 Eisner Awards, we spoke with Chip Zdarsky about his free pamphlet, and that’s all we talked about, which seemed to surprise him. If you want more Captain America talk or Public Domain conversation, you'll have to go somewhere else. We were only interested in Chip Zdarsky’s mad side-hustle and what he thinks about the current state of comic book journalism.
You can find Zdarsky Comic News at your local comic book shop, and you should also consider subscribing to Chip Zdarsky’s Substack.
Our SDCC Coverage:
- Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless"
- Alex Segura on Star Wars
- Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts
- Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.
In stores this June, Oni Press proudly presents a science fiction icon’s unlikely return to existence in Benjamin #1 - a new, prestige format limited series from Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters and artist Leomacs. Do you remember the work of acclaimed novelist Benjamin J. Carp? Across more than 44 novels and hundreds of short stories, Carp established himself as a counterculture revolutionary. He died in 1982, after years of Southern Californian excess finally claimed his life...until 2025...when Benjamin Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel room on the fringes of Los Angeles. Explore the metatextual nexus between existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, this June in Benjamin #1 – only from Oni Press.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
You don’t need to be told this: San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic convention unlike any other in the world. As yearly attendees, it’s our favorite time of the year at our favorite place on the planet, but what does such a colossal gathering of geekdoms truly mean for a publisher, and how can a company raise its voice above a million other competing screams? We presented these questions to Oni Press Publisher and President Hunter Gorinson, as well as Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn. Somehow, they’re madly in love with SDCC, and we’re eager to share with you the Oni Press 2025 Comic-Con battle plan. From their words, you can form your path to conquering Comic-Con.
This year marks the third anniversary of Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn’s time at Oni Press. You’ve undoubtedly noticed, they’ve been extremely productive. Beyond recent partnerships with EC and the NacelleVerse, they’ve recently announced dealings with Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Josh C. Waller’s SpectreVision. High Strangeness is a five-part experiment in sequential storytelling, featuring firsthand accounts of real paranormal encounters, guided by creators such as Chris Condon, Christopher Cantwell, Christian Ward, Dave Chisholm, Zac Thompson, and Cecil Castellucci. Say no more, we’re in.
We also discuss the recently announced Crownsville from Rodney Barnes and Elia Bonetti. This supernatural twist on true-life horror is precisely what you want from the co-creator of Killadelphia, and it’s guaranteed to stir profound emotions in any contemporary reader. Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn are very excited for folks to discover what Barnes and Bonetti are brewing with this one.
Most importantly, our conversation puts you on the showfloor at San Diego Comic-Con as a publisher. The stakes are as high as the excitement that runs down every aisle. Whether you want to attend SDCC as a guest or a creator, our chat with Gorinson and Hahn will get you strategizing your own Comic-Con mission statement.
Make sure you’re following Oni Press on their Website, Blue Sky, and Instagram.
Our SDCC Coverage:
- Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless"
- Alex Segura on Star Wars
- Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring#1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing.
This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
If you’ve read comics from the Hivemind, aka Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, then you know their specialty. Everyone goes to therapy! Whether you’re Peter Quill, Bucky Barnes, or Brad and Lisa Gullickson, if you’re in a Hivemind comic, or reading a Hivemind comic, you’re entering some kind of therapeutic discussion. Kelly and Lanzing put their characters on the couch, asking them some tough questions and listening to their answers. The results are always compelling, especially if we examine their recent run on Marvel’s Thunderbolts.
Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing recently finished their time on Thunderbolts, wrapping up their even larger Bucky Barnes story, with Doomstrike, out now as a five-issue series. As part of our San Diego Comic-Con Internationalcoverage, happening all week long on Comic Book Couples Counseling, we put the Hivemind in session with our particular brand of armchair psychology. The result, we hope, is an engaging, thorough exploration of who Bucky Barnes was, is, and will be. Not to mention all the other beautiful “heroes” brooding their way through the Thunderbolts team.
We discuss their original plan for Bucky Barnes and how that evolved throughout Thunderbolts and the One World Under Doom event. We consider how Bucky’s time as The Revolution parallels Captain America’s time as Nomad, and why the character needed to become a cause rather than simply existing as a fist...or a trigger finger. It’s a heavy conversation at times, but also one packed with joy and excitement. Just like their Thunderbolts comic.
Thunderbolts: Doomstrike issues one through five are now available from Marvel Comics. They’re written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, illustrated by Tommaso Biachi, colored by Yen Nitro, and lettered by Joe Sabino. Make sure you’re following Collin Kelly on Blue Sky and Instagram, and Jackson Lanzing on Blue Sky and Instagram.
Our SDCC Coverage:
- Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless"
- Alex Segura on Star Wars
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.
In stores this June, Oni Press proudly presents a science fiction icon’s unlikely return to existence in Benjamin #1 - a new, prestige format limited series from Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters and artist Leomacs. Do you remember the work of acclaimed novelist Benjamin J. Carp? Across more than 44 novels and hundreds of short stories, Carp established himself as a counterculture revolutionary. He died in 1982, after years of Southern Californian excess finally claimed his life...until 2025...when Benjamin Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel room on the fringes of Los Angeles. Explore the metatextual nexus between existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, this June in Benjamin #1 – only from Oni Press.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Today, we begin our mission to bring San Diego Comic-Con International to you. That means four episodes in your podcast feed this week! First up is writer Alex Segura. He’s been handed the keys to the Star Wars kingdom, working on the new Marvel Comics ongoing series alongside artist Phil Noto and letterer Clayton Cowles. The new series fills the gaps between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The New Republic just slayed the Empire. Now what?
We chat with Alex Segura about his Star Wars origin, the responsibility of steering the ship during such a critical moment within the canon, and how he’ll test Luke Skywalker when he’s seemingly at his Jedi Knight peak. Some writers would throw all their childhood toys into the sandbox with a project like this one, but Segura is cautious not to stuff the story with wish-fulfillment. His Star Wars is a carefully considered narrative, beautifully realized by two top-tier collaborators.
As you’ll also hear, a franchise like Star Wars can be overwhelming for the audience as well. How do you push the envelope for diehard readers while not alienating potential new fans of the series? What’s that line in Hamilton? War is the easy part; governing is the hard part.
Star Wars is rolling out monthly from Marvel Comics. Make sure you keep up to date with everything Alex Segura has going on by following his Blue Sky, Instagram, and Substack.
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring#1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing.
This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
If you’re a comic book reader like we are, around the same time you learn about Batman and Robin, you’re introduced to the medium’s scariest boogeyman, Dr. Fredric Wertham. The publication of his Seduction of the Innocent in 1954 thrust Wertham into the popular consciousness, sparking hysteria and moral panic, hindering the medium’s growth, and significantly harming the artists who worked within it. We assumed that Harold Schechter and Eric Powell’s latest true crime collaboration would roast Wertham viciously, but Dr. Werthless is far too good a work to be an attack. Schechter and Powell reveal a much more complicated character, one who devoted years of his life to the Civil Rights movement and experienced tremendous horror while working with some of this nation’s most notorious human monsters.
Eric Powell, the creator of The Goon, knows a thing or two about this art form and how it can stir an intense reaction from “concerned citizens.” The era in which Wertham’s book dominated boob tube conversation does not feel too far away from 2025, as politicians charge against graphic novels and libraries. The concerns around what stories can be told and who should be telling them indicate their power to influence and broaden our perspectives beyond the tiny universe within our eyeline. The desire to police narratives stems from fear and a need to control. If someone tells you not to read a book or watch a movie, you must read that book and watch that movie.
As you’ll hear, we had a wonderful time chatting with Harold Schechter and Eric Powell about Dr. Werthless. We discuss comic books’ greatest boogeyman and all the complexities that brought him to write Seduction of the Innocent. We dig into this medium’s power, the artists who were hurt by Werthem’s attack, and how it all relates to what we’re seeing around us today. Also, we may argue about what is and is not a comic book. Fun stuff!
Dr. Werthless is now available as a hardcover from Dark Horse Comics. You can find more information on the comic by visiting Powell's site or Schecter's site. You can find Eric Powell on Bluesky and Instagram, and Harold Schechter on Facebook HERE.
This Week's Sponsors
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.
In stores this June, Oni Press proudly presents a science fiction icon’s unlikely return to existence in Benjamin #1 - a new, prestige format limited series from Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters and artist Leomacs. Do you remember the work of acclaimed novelist Benjamin J. Carp? Across more than 44 novels and hundreds of short stories, Carp established himself as a counterculture revolutionary. He died in 1982, after years of Southern Californian excess finally claimed his life...until 2025...when Benjamin Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel room on the fringes of Los Angeles. Explore the metatextual nexus between existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, this June in Benjamin #1 – only from Oni Press.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Not too long ago, the United States Government confirmed the existence of UFOs, but we had too much going on to care at the time. Maybe we needed more concrete evidence. What if ET arrived on our doorstep? But he was already dead? That's the premise of Alienated, the new Comixology Original written, colored, and lettered by Taki Soma, with art by John Broglia and covers by Michael Avon Oeming.
Alienated begins with one of our great mysteries solved, but done so in a horrifying, unsatisfying way. Alien arrival on Earth shakes society's core, spreading panic and existential dread...until people get distracted and move on to the next day's news cycle. There's only one problem: a single Alien survives, and it's on one disconnected family to keep them breathing.
We're ecstatic to have creative couple Taki Soma and Michael Avon Oeming on the podcast this week. We discuss how storytelling impacts every element of their relationship, their fascination with UFO mythology, and how Taki Soma's graphic novel memoir Sleeping While Standing impacted her method of creating fiction.
The first four Alienated issues are out now, and the fifth issue will arrive on August 5th. Please follow Taki Soma on Blue Sky and Instagram, and follow Michael Avon Oeming on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
This July, IDW Publishing's Eisner-nominated cozy horror hit series returns in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1. Superstar Cartoonist Patrick Horvath's delightfully twisted tale about an anthropomorphic serial killer bear is returning to comic shops for a new story that is guaranteed to shock readers. Return to the seemingly idealistic suburban town of Woodbrook as Samantha, the bloodlusting brown bear, got away with her crimes and is now the town's one and only serial killer. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is out now from IDW Publishing.
This July, one of the greatest creator-owned comic series of all time begins a powerful new chapter! From Oni Press, return to the Eisner-nominated world of The Sixth Gun as creators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt reunite for The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 – an extra-sized comics' event told across three prestige format issues. The Sixth Gun is about to be Reborn anew - as it has been countless times across the centuries. This time, however, a brigade of familiar fighters is ready and waiting to challenge a secret cabal. The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 23rd.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
A new phase of Comic Book Couples Counseling begins today with The Stacks, our new YouTube series where we trap comic book creators inside Third Eye Comics in Annapolis, Maryland, and force them to discuss their all-time favorite comic books. Time Watis collaborators and Mangasplaining co-hosts David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky launch the series. As you'll see, they enthusiastically tease each other while naming some of the most brilliant comic books ever published.
The first season of The Stacks will be published weekly for two months. We filmed each episode at Third Eye Comics, one of the country's GREAT comic book stores, and each guest approached the mission of highlighting their favorites in unique ways. In addition to David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky, season one will consist of Benjamin Percy (Predator vs. Spider-Man, X-Force), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Batman and Robin, The Incredible Hulk), Sanford Greene (Bitter Root, Doom), Chris Condon (Ultimate Wolverine, News From The Fallout), and Brad and Lisa Gullickson (hey, that's us!). Season One may include a few surprise guests, too. So, cross your fingers.
Here's what we need from you. If you dig this concept and you want to see more episodes with comic book creators standing in front of comic shelves yammering about their favorite comics, please, please, please share the video with your friends. Like, subscribe, and all that stuff you're tired of hearing about, but that's how the word spreads.
We're extremely excited about The Stacks and want to do a lot more of them, but we need an active and engaged audience to do that. Comic Book Couples Counseling listeners are some of the most dedicated comic book readers on the planet, and we know you have our back. Comics have deserved a format like The Stacks for a long time. Comics are the greatest storytelling medium on the planet. Let's show the world why and help find some new comic book readers in the process. Thank you, friends.
If you want to visit The Stacks in person, get yourself to the Third Eye Comics mothership in Annapolis, Maryland: 209 Chinquapin Round Rd, Suite 200, Annapolis, MD 21401. Phone: 410-897-0322. Email: info@thirdeyecomics.com.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:* Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel featuring The Stacks * Four Color Fantasies Eisner Nomination Video * BYoung Video * Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club * Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
We love a good comic book explosion. The Writer smashes superheroes, comic book history, Jewish Folklore, Indiana Jones, The Princess Bride, Mike Mignola, and a little Looney Tunes existential dread. It's born from a unique sibling collaboration between the Berkowitz Bros., Max and Ben, as well as actor Josh Gad, master illustrator Ariel Olivetti, and letterer Frank Cvetkovic.
At its center is the aggressively middle-aged Stan Siegel, a comic book writer avoiding life's next big chapter, who gets sucked into a supernatural battle with demons and nazis. And drags his mother and daughter into that war alongside him. The Writer is a meta feast for those steeped in comics and pop culture, nodding to the iconic and not-so-iconic characters who populate our collective imagination.
With the trade paperback now available from Dark Horse Comics, we were eager to have the Berkowitz Bros. on the show this week. We discuss their comic book origin stories, a particular Bob Kane painting, middle-aged hero worship, and celebrating family. The conversation stirs intense feelings about siblings and why they make the best and worst collaborators.
Also, during this week's introduction, we dive into our first HeroesCon experience. Did we meet all the creators we wanted to meet? Did we buy all the comics we wanted to buy? Are Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm as cool in person as they are in our six Spectrum podcast episodes? We get into it.
And don't forget to follow the Berkowitz Bros. on Blue Sky, Instagram, and their website.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks
- Brad and Lisa Gullickson Talk Heroes Con on The Short Box Podcast
- The Best Superman Comic for the Curious Reader
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Once again, fear and dread shroud the world outside our window. Chris Condon and Jeffrey Alan Love offer assistance with their terrifyingly relatable News from the Fallout, a zombie story that chews on the military-industrial complex, belief in apocalyptic certainty, and humanity's stumbling response. You can read their series as a scary, thrilling, atmospherically rich shock-fest or recognize its narrative as our past, present, but hopefully not future.
The zombie genre has served humanity well since Night of the Living Dead hit drive-ins in 1968. The Walking Dead subgenre allows creators to house all their political anxieties into a thrilling narrative, offering cathartic relief to their hungry audience. When there's no more doom to scroll, the dead will stalk your imagination.
Of course, News from the Fallout's shambling creatures is not necessarily zombies. They're the Rotten, poor fools who followed orders and got their face full of some unknown agent after a military test goes wrong...or right. Only Otis Fallows was smart enough to slap on a gas mask and flee across the Nevada desert. With beasts on his heels, the soldier finds solace in a diner full of patrons. They should all listen to reason and band together against a ravenous horde. Tune in next month for the second issue.
Until then, enjoy our hearty conversation with Chris Condon and Jeffrey Alan Love. We discuss George R. Romero's zombie legacy, the Criterion Collection, and how it feels to work in a terrifying narrative that doesn't look much different than what we see daily on TV and our phones. News from the Fallout looks unlike anything else in comic shops right now, thanks to Jeffrey Alan Love's incredible work, which embraces distortion and atmosphere to achieve emotional reality. So, naturally, we gotta dig into the whole look, too.
News from the Fallout #1 is out now from Image Comics. It's written by Chris Condon, illustrated by Jeffrey Alan Love, lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designed by Michael Tivey.
Follow Chris Condon on Bluesky. Follow Jeffrey Alan Love on Instagram and his Website.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- The Best Superman Comic for the Curious Reader
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our June 29th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It's really not right that Fell Hound has taken this long to find their way onto the podcast, but we're grateful they're here now, and we get to discuss with them such an exciting bit of comic book action romance like S.I.R. While the delay is entirely our fault, Fell Hound has been busy occupying our imaginations with comics like Commander Rao, an award-winning debut book that's pretty much dominated our thoughts and social media feeds since its release. They make damn fine comics, and they're impossible to ignore.
Published under the BOOM! Box imprint at BOOM! Studios, S.I.R. is a properly melodramatic romance set within the violent arena of collegiate motorcycle jousting. No mortal comic book reader can resist such a setup. Fell Hound delivers heartache, action, villainy, heroism, and lewks. My god, the designs in this comic are truly craveable.
Fell Hound wrote and drew everything while Eleonora Bruni provided S.I.R.'s colors with assistance from Freddie Tanto. Becca Carey designed the letters and logo. The new trade paperback from BOOM! is out now. Put your mitts on it.
Also, make sure to follow Fell Hound on Instagram and Bluesky.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- The Best Superman Comic for the Curious Reader
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our June 29th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Two hundred and ninety-nine episodes ago, we could not have possibly imagined George Takei appearing on the podcast. Some version of the actor has hung in our imaginations for most of our lives, and we spent many days of our early marriage obsessing over Star Trek, the original series, and its subsequent films. Thankfully, through this beautiful medium called comic books, our paths have crossed, and we get to celebrate our three-hundredth episode with one of our creative and cultural heroes.
Takei's latest graphic novel, It Rhymes With Takei, reunites him with the same creative team behind They Called Us Enemy: artist Harmony Becker and writers Steven Scott and Justin Eisinger. Together, they tell the rest of Takei's story, which includes his time in the Japanese American internment camps during World War II. It Rhymes With Takei explores the many lessons George Takei learned from that experience, how it shaped his activism, and gave him the courage to battle through the numerous other injustices he would face and fight for and alongside others.
The word "dystopia" gets thrown around a lot these days. It's certainly a go-to for us, and when you look outside your window or scroll through your phone, it's an easy, seemingly apt descriptor. Star Trek has started to feel like fantasy, not science fiction. However, George Takei encourages us to hang onto utopian possibilities. He asks us to accept the inevitability of change but strive toward a brighter, better future.
As the news continuously fills us with dread, we needed this conversation with George Takei, and we're grateful to share it with you, beautiful comic book friends. Thank you for spending your time with us over these three hundred (or so) episodes. Your presence gets us to our recording table every week, and you've given new meaning to our lives.
It Rhymes With Takei is out now from Top Shelf Productions. Get it wherever rad comics are found. Follow George Takei on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and his Website.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our June 29th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
When you love comics, you become comics. Denis Kitchen began as a self-published underground cartoonist in 1969, but he quickly sprang into other roles, all serving the medium that first called to him. A year later, he launched Kitchen Sink Press, which would house numerous pioneers from the industry (R. Crumb, Howard Cruse, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, etc). His role as publisher would eventually force him into the position of defender, fighting for the rights of his artists and creating the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Now, Denis Kitchen's career is the topic of a new documentary, Oddly Compelling: The Denis Kitchen Story, which is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. The film gathers an astonishing array of talent to praise Denis Kitchen and offer context to a life that has shaped all comic readers, whether they know it or not.
In this week's podcast, we sit down with Denis Kitchen for a long chat about making comics and serving comics. The artist is an icon, but a humble one. He kindly accepts adulation while dismissing it in the same breath. We discuss how comics are "just pictures on paper," but simple images can have a world-altering effect. If you want to fall deeper in love with the art form, this episode is for you.
Please find the Kickstarter for Oddly Compelling: The Denis Kitchen Story here. Follow Denis Kitchen on Instagram and visit his website.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our June 29th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It's always a sunny day when Patrick Horvath wanders into our Love Nest. Two years after his first appearance on the podcast, he's back with another first issue, and this time, it's the sequel to the comic that made him a sensation. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring takes us back to Woodbrook, years after the events of the original series, where Sam the Bear nearly lost control and many furry citizens lost their lives.
Sequels are scary. We crave them desperately, but too often, they leave us full of regret and not satisfaction. With our hands on our bellies, we grumble, frustrated at how we fooled ourselves into a second taste, knowing it could never be as delicious as the first. Patrick Horvath wickedly understands sour sequelitis and subverts its toxicity through revelation.
Danny the Duck, the first victim we saw Sam take in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, haunts every panel of Rite of Spring #1. His sister, Monica, takes center stage, as does her tremendous grief, which threatens to annihilate the person she was and the person she could have been. We didn't know it at the time, but Danny's death would slowly drill Monica toward Sam, and we both fear and delight at their eventual confrontation.
In this episode, we ask Patrick Horvath why he couldn't stay away from Woodbrook. We discuss the function of the time jump between the first series and its new sequel, Monica's prominence in Rite of Spring #1, Danny the Duck's vengeance, and the beauty of childhood cliches.
Final Order Cutoff (FOC) for Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 is Monday, June 2nd. The first issue will arrive in shops from IDW Publishing on July 9th. Continue this conversation with Patrick Horvath by following him on Bluesky, Instagram, and his Website.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- The Ultimate Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees Spoiler-Filled Episode
- Patrick Horvath at NYCC 2024
- Our First Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees Episode
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
After half a year, our Spectrum Book Club podcast series with collaborators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm finds its ending. It's bittersweet but equally exhilarating. The sixth issue in the Mad Cave Studios series lands the thesis, connecting every reader to every creator and revealing their powers in the process.
You. Yeah, you. You're probably a maker, whether or not you're actively aware of your creations, and your tiny results forever bind you to those who came before, those who surround you today, and those who will come after you. Through Spectrum 6, Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm plot a course through human history, and damn, we're super excited to follow.
Our final Spectrum Book Club session explores endings, forces our interpretations upon Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm, and sits in their squirmy silence as they let us hang with our unconfirmed story solutions. These episodes are a unique set within the Comic Book Couples Counseling catalog, and we're thrilled with those who have followed along from November 2024 to nearly June 2025. Even more exciting are those ears that will discover these conversations months and years from now.
All six Spectrum issues are currently available from Mad Cave Studios, and the trade paperback release is scheduled for July 15th. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quinn on his Website, Bluesky, and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- CBCC's Comic Shop Road Trip
- Spectrum Book Club Part One
- Spectrum Book Club Part Two
- Spectrum Book Club Part Three
- Spectrum Book Club Part Four
- Spectrum Book Club Part Five
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Everyone has a Batman opinion. Inside your imagination is a definitive Batman: a Batman who should behave this way, and a Batman who should not behave that way. Your tight grip on your Batman is why Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's carefully considered Absolute Batman works so damn well. They fully understand and appreciate how the character has congealed over the last eight decades into a rock-solid idea.
For the last eight months, alongside collaborators like Gabriel H. Walta, Marcos Martín, Frank Martin, Muntsa Vicente, and Clayton Cowles, Snyder and Dragotta have chipped away at the quintessential Dark Knight. They've altered elements of his origin, removed his social position, and rearranged his relationship with his rogues. Their Absolute Batman is a Bruce Wayne in motion, moving toward the impenetrable idea in your head, but struggling to match it. Here is a character growing into something, evolving into a recognizable hero for 2025.
After confronting Mr. Freeze in issues seven and eight and facing the final days of Matches Malone, Bruce Wayne must reassess his war on Gotham City crime. What lessons did he learn from that awful day at The Zoo? Do his nights as Batman honor his father's sacrifice? As he fights to find himself, a grotesque demonic doppelganger appears - Bane, the nineties sensation who once broke a bat from another universe.
FOC for Absolute Batman #9 is today (5/19/25)! Tell your retailers to order a copy for ya. With this comic, Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta have cooked an undeniable banquet. As the best alternate reality stories should, they've weaponized your knowledge of these characters against you, subverting in radically compelling ways, while delivering what should never be manipulated.
Today's podcast features two conversations. Up first, Scott Snyder joins us for a lengthy look back at the last eight months of Absolute Batman. We discuss Bruce Wayne's continuing development into the Dark Knight, his complex relationship with Joe Chill, his father's killer, and why Bane had to arrive sooner rather than later. Secondly, Nick Dragotta pops in for a conversation about his ultra chonky Bane design, and how what we've seen so far is only a hint of his true monstrosity.
Absolute Batman #9 will finally arrive in stores, courtesy of DC Comics, on June 11th. Follow Scott Snyder on Bluesky and Instagram, and subscribe to his Substack. Follow Nick Dragotta on Bluesky and Instagram.
This Week's SponsorWe're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:* Scott Snyder on CBCC: The First Absolute Batman Episode * Nick Dragotta on CBCC: The Second Absolute Batman Episode * Join Comic Book Club in Person * Patreon Exclusive: Married to Singles - Sarah Myer on The Duck Knight Returns * Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club * Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Kids can take it. You can coddle them. You can protect them with everything you have, but life is not simply coming for them; it already has them. Last year, Armored, the spectacularly spooky adventure story from writer Michael Schwartz and artist Ismael Hernandez, struck a deep emotional chord in us. The series seemingly came out of nowhere and walloped us with a powerfully relatable ghost story about family, loss, and perseverance. We gave it the Stampie for Best Surprise Comic, and the more times we re-read it, the more comfortable we are with that declaration.
Armored traffics in recognizable tropes, but executes them perfectly through a singular vision. At the story's core is Andy, a child forced into the foster system after his parents mysteriously vanish. He's planted in a home dealing with its own awful tragedy, which propels him into a confrontation with a haunted suit of armor. With the ghostly Sir William by his side, Andy seeks to solve the disappearance of his folks while stumbling into battle with ancient evil.
Having devoured the single issues from Clover Press, we patiently awaited word of a proper hardcover collection. Friends, we're ecstatic to be the first to tell you this: the Armored hardcover is almost here, and its Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page is already up and running (CLICK HERE AND GET NOTIFIED).
Not only that, but we also have the first look at the new Armored hardcover collection artwork by artist Francesco Tomaselli. Please bask in its beauty while you listen to this week's podcast with author Michael Schwartz discussing Armored, how the theft of his comic book collection only intensified his comic book addiction, and why kids need stories with emotionally dark realities.
Armored is published by Clover Press, written by Michael Schwartz, illustrated by Ismael Hernandez, lettered by Ferran Delgado, and edited by Chris Stevens.
To continue this conversation, follow Michael Schwartz on Bluesky and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man
- Spectrum Book Club with Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm
- Join Comic Book Club in Person
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
With the Invincible animated series propelling more and more fans to the comic books, now is the perfect time for Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley to reteam on a new series. In a universe populated with numerous rich, wild characters, they could have revamped an infinite number of ideas. They chose Battle Beast, the white lion-like humanoid cursed with an unquenchable rage, and in doing so, Kirkmann and Ottley create an opportunity to reframe the character's original narrative.
Battle Beast first appeared in Invincible #19 (2004) and did not return until Invincible #55 (2008). Between those comics is a massive swath of time, and the new series, Invincible Universe: Battle Beast, will explore it fully. The first issue arrives in comic shops next Wednesday. If it's any indication, when this series is over, it will radically alter our understanding of Battle Beast's narrative and its place within the larger Invincible storyline.
This week, we trap Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley in our Zoom room. We examine how this first issue challenges our previous interpretation of the title character, the pain at Battle Beast's core, and the brilliant action that erupts from it. Having built a utopia on his homeworld through violent combat, Battle Beast seeks an end through a worthy opponent. You should know that this episode ventures into conversations about suicide and mental health crises.
Helplines are available if you do not already have a support system. For the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - dial 988 or visit www.988lifeline.org to chat with someone online. You can reach the Mental Health Hotline in Virginia by dialing 1-866-903-3787 or CLICK HERE.
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1 is written by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Ryan Ottley, colored by Annalisa Leoni, and lettered by Rus Wooton. It's published by Skybound Entertainment, operating in partnership with Image Comics.
To continue this conversation, follow Robert Kirkman on Bluesky and Instagram. Also, follow Ryan Ottley on Blueskyand Instagram.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Robert Kirkman on CBCC: The Energon Universe
- Robert Kirkman on CBCC: Invincible
- CBCC on Invincible: Modern Family
- CBCC on Invincible: Reboot?
- CBCC on Invincible: Full House
- CBCC on Invincible: The End of All Things
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our May 11th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of DREDD, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
First issues are hard. Last issues are hard. Second-to-last issues are hard. Maybe...all issues are hard? Book Club is back in session with creators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm, discussing Spectrum #5, the penultimate issue in their brilliant Mad Cave Studios series.
With the end just around the corner (the final issue arrives in shops on May 21st, as does our final Book Club episode with Quinn and Chisholm, so mark your calendars), Spectrum #5 must elevate and explode a bunch of grandiose ideas about art that the comic has so far been teasing or suggesting. Spectrum #5 is a BIG comic following two central characters while traversing multiple timelines and encountering alternate-dimension stand-ins for iconic cultural figures and places from our world.
Quinn and Chisholm might not say it, but we will: PBGBs is CBGBs, and Gloria Bell is Patti Smith. Half the pleasure of reading Spectrum is tracking their sci-fi alternatives of real-world legends, which recalls similar joys had when devouring Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. However, as Spectrum #5 ramps toward its fiery conclusion next month, the fervor with which Quinn and Chisholm explore vital artistry is the ultimate appeal.
Why do humans sing? Why do they paint? Why do they tell stories to one another? During a moment when artistic expression is recklessly dismissed or downright eradicated, Spectrum #5 shows its readers how they're constantly engaged with creative expression and why only the most vile and pathetic people are detached from it.
Last month's Spectrum Book Club was extremely process-heavy in its conversation. Now, for the penultimate issue, it's time to dig into the thematic weeds, have a serious chat about human connection, and worry not about labels of pretension. We're all friends here.
Spectrum 1 - 5 are currently available from Mad Cave Studios, and the final issue will arrive in shops on April 21st. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quinn on his Website, Bluesky, and Instagram.
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Spectrum Book Club Part One
- Spectrum Book Club Part Two
- Spectrum Book Club Part Three
- Spectrum Book Club Part Four
- Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
June. 1962. Two men do the impossible: break Out of Alcatraz. The legendary escape almost immediately caught the public's imagination, becoming fodder for TV, film, and prose. Maybe you've encountered a few of these stories; maybe you haven't. Whatever the case, you certainly have not read an interpretation like the Oni Press comic from Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook.
Their Out of Alcatraz begins in the crashing waters outside the prison. From there, it dips into a storm of speculation, terror, and hope. Through their story, Cantwell and Crook explore a critical moment in the American narrative. The Civil Rights movement hasn't quite popped off. John F. Kennedy still stands righteously in the White House. The confidence of Post-war America is about to burst. Three criminals taste freedom with all its bitterness and desperately attempt to choke it down.
This week's podcast considers the American story and those who were left out of it or forced from it. We chat with Cantwell and Crook about the real men who broke free from Alcatraz and the fictional men they became in Cantwell and Crook's imaginations. We discuss the allure of prison narratives and the cells we all find ourselves in at some point.
Issues one and two of Out of Alcatraz are now available wherever rad comics are sold, and issue three will arrive in shops on May 21st.
Continue this conversation by following Christopher Cantwell on BlueSky and Tyler Crook on BlueSky, Instagram, and his Website. Also, you can listen to his music through his Bandcamp page (although it's also available on Spotify, Apple Music, and the like).
This Week's Sponsor
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Tyler Crook on CBCC: The Ultimate Lonesome Hunters Interview
- Tyler Crook on CBCC: Mage - The Hero Discovered
- Brad Appears on The Oblivion Bar to Review Sinners and Warfare
- Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Surprise, friends. Grant Morrison joins the show for Superman Day! As the writer behind the seminal All-Star Superman, which observes its 20th anniversary this November, we cannot think of a better person to help us celebrate the Last Son of Krypton on his 87th birthday. Action Comics #1, featuring the first appearance of Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, hit newsstands on April 18th, 1938. It is the source of everything you love about superhero comics.
When Action Comics first arrived, America was in economic ruin. The world was about to enter its second great war. Despair was easily accessible, but two Jewish kids from Cleveland imagined a Man of Steel who could do the impossible and would act for those who could not act for themselves. As we look outside our windows in 2025, we see an incredible darkness, but we strive for a future beyond it. We can imitate the devils in the dark, or we can seek Superman, who reflects the best version of ourselves.
Like most people, probably, we first encountered Superman through television and film; it was the All-Star Superman comics by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Jamie Grant, Phil Balsman, and Travis Lanham that solidified our passion for the character. Those twelve issues showcased the joyous, awful, absurd, and adventurous universe Superman populated, making us fall in love with it and our own realm in return. As Morrison writes in Supergods, we are the stories we tell ourselves. In Superman, we see who we've been, who we are, and who we could be.
We're positively chuffed to chat Superman with Grant Morrison. We discuss their approach to the character in All-Star Superman and how it differs from the version they wrote in JLA, Action Comics, Final Crisis, and other stories. We discuss the significance of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and what it means for Grant and others to extend their great idea. We talk about Lois and Clark, Lex Luthor, Samson, and Atlas, and Grant Morrison reveals their next big comic project somewhere along the line.
Continue our conversation with Grant Morrison by visiting their Website, Substack, Instagram, and Bluesky.
This Week's Sponsor:
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Dan Slott and Mark Waid on Action Comics #1
- Joshua Williamson, Dan Slott, and Mark Waid on Summer of Superman
- Missing Frames: Celebrating Superman
- Geeksplained: All-Star Superman - Chapter 3 w/CBCC
- CBCC on Grant Morrison's New X-Men
- Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
If you listen to comic book podcasts beyond Comic Book Couples Counseling, you've probably already encountered Aubrey Sitterson. The writer has been making the rounds, discussing his radical new science fiction series Free Planet, made in collaboration with artist Jed Dougherty, colorist Vittorio Astone, letterer Taylor Esposito, and designer Mark Kaufman. Sitterson LOVES comics, and he LOVES talking about comics. He's spent years percolating in the medium, absorbing the code of how to make the best comics in the best way possible for his particular talents.
Aubrey Sitterson has developed something he calls "The Approach." It's a new method of storytelling discovered during the making of other such comics as The Worst Dudes, No One Left to Fight, and Savage Hearts. Sitterson is not just design-focused; he's design-obsessed, and it was a delight to chat with him about this intensely, carefully sharpened obsession.
We're in the weeds this week. We wanted to double down on a comics-making meal, possibly inspired by the last episode's heavy process conversation with Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm about Spectrum #4. Aubrey Sitterson appears reinvigorated by Free Planet, and his enthusiasm for the craft is infectious and should encourage your leap into storytelling.
Final Order Cutoff for Free Planet #1 is Monday, April 14th (That's Today!), and Image Comics will finally drop the first issue in shops on May 7th. It's not a title you want to sleep on. Everyone involved is going for it, swinging for the fences. You can view the Preview Pages here, which are overwhelming in the best way possible.
Follow Aubrey Sitterson on Bluesky, Instagram, Substack, and his Website.
We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode
- Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
There are not many opportunities like this one. Every month, we devour the latest Spectrum comic and then jump on the phone with creators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm. It's an intimate, super nerdy book club, and you're all invited. But you gotta bring your own wine. With issue four, we're more than halfway through the series, but we're just getting started regarding a thorough excavation into their creative process.
Spectrum #4 is the most dense chapter in the series so far. Multiple threads weave the narrative, and several of those introduce new concepts and characters. We travel to "The Twilight of the Gods," witnessing a massive mythology dump while our heroes Melody and Ada traverse time through song. We witness the beginning of everything and must prepare for its end.
This week's podcast starts with Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm taking ownership of the Book Club, wrestling the reins from us, and guiding us to the discussion topics they want to tackle. We discuss how the series has swerved unexpectedly, resulting in radical issues like Spectrum #4. We got tangents and anecdotes, wild theories, and sidequests.
But before all that, we must discuss our recent WonderCon excursion, offering a little recap on dollar bins and panels. The Anaheim convention rests in the shadow of Disneyland, offering a unique vibe from other comic cons. It was Lisa's first time. Will she return?
Spectrum 1 - 4 are currently available from Mad Cave Studios, and the fifth issue will arrive in shops on April 23rd. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quinn on his Website, Bluesky, and Instagram.
You wake in a hospital bed. Your hand feels heavy, there’s a ringing pain in your head. Machine parts have replaced what could not be repaired with flesh. Did the doctors save you, or strip you of your humanity? This is the question facing Adam in Futility Shapes, a one-shot comic live on Kickstarter now! Created by Edward Kane and Dave Fowler. Futility Shapes is a weird blend of The Terminator, The Machinist, and Mass Effect. What shapes you? Visit EdwardKane.net.
We're also sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Spectrum Book Club Part One
- Spectrum Book Club Part Two
- Spectrum Book Club Part Three
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/13 at 5:00 PM for Robert Altman's Popeye, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
A year ago, Scott Morse found himself adrift, severed from a stable income and a defined creative path. Panic was an option. So was fear. Instead, he chose collaboration and creation. This Ink Runs Cold: Short Stories from the Space-Crime Continuum smashes two of his favorite genres between its pages. It's an anthology of one-page pulp stories written by 89 different writers, all drawn by Scott Morse and colored by José Villarrubia.
Many of these writers are seasoned comic veterans, animators, and filmmakers. The table of contents includes Mike Allred, Brian Michael Bendis, Jorge Gutierrez, Derek Kirk Kim, Dave McKean, Fábio Moon, Scott Mosier, Eric Powell, Stan Sakai, and on and on and on. Even better, for our purposes anyway, This Ink Runs Cold includes numerous comic book newcomers, including us - Brad and Lisa Gullickson!
As of this writing, This Ink Runs Cold has one week left on Kickstarter. Scott Morse and Allen Spiegel Fine Arts offer two editions: the Full-Color version featuring José Villarrubia's wizardry and the limited Black and White Noir version, showcasing Scott Morse's beautiful brushwork. Having knocked out some stretch goals, those backing the Bookplate and Noir/1-2 Punch tiers will get an extra book, The Brush-Offs. This is a 24-page bonus book featuring unused art, abandoned pages, scripts, an alternate prologue/epilogue, and an analysis of this unique writer/artist collaboration.
We're beyond honored to contribute one page to This Ink Runs Cold; we're practically in disbelief. Today's podcast is the first time we have featured a story we helped create, and it's an incredibly emotional experience. We're grateful to Scott Morse for coming on the show, explaining how This Ink Runs Cold grew from a mini-devastation, and why this intense injection of collaboration reinvigorated him.
We also had the opportunity to explain what our short story "The ADHD P.I." means to us and how it helped us process some anxiety and self-loathing. Working with one page was ridiculously challenging, and what's most exciting is seeing how 88 other writers tackled that challenge and used that finite space in infinite ways.
We also start this week's episode with our recent trip to WonderCon and an LAX nightmare we will never forget. If you're here only for the Scott Morse chatter, we won't begrudge you for skipping ahead, but you'll miss out on another outlandish story.
This Week's Sponsors:
You wake in a hospital bed. Your hand feels heavy, there’s a ringing pain in your head. Machine parts have replaced what could not be repaired with flesh. Did the doctors save you, or strip you of your humanity? This is the question facing Adam in Futility Shapes, a one-shot comic live on Kickstarter now! Created by Edward Kane and Dave Fowler. Futility Shapes is a weird blend of The Terminator, The Machinist, and Mass Effect. What shapes you? Visit EdwardKane.net
We're also sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
Plus, the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.
Other Relevant Links:
- Patreon Exclusive: Read The ADHD PI Script
- Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/13 at 5:00 PM for Robert Altman's Popeye, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
If you're not reading Juni Ba comics, you're missing out on a living legend pushing the form to its extreme potential. Since Djeliya, we haven't missed a panel from the cartoonist, and we've watched him develop into an undeniable talent, producing one essential comic after another. Just when we think he can't possibly top himself (seriously, did you read Mobilis: My Life with Captain Nemo and The Boy Wonder?), he drops Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch, his sequel to the Image Comics anthology series. It's a radical, rageful commentary on the world we're all trapped on, but it contains profound joy through its creation.
THIS. IS. COMICS.
Today's podcast is a thorough conversation with Juni Ba about Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch. Why did he adopt a new aesthetic for this series? Is it too hopeless to be considered dystopian? What does Britney Spears have to do with Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch? We dig in and chow down.
The first issue of Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch is now available wherever rad comics are sold. The second issue will arrive on April 2nd. We're begging you not to let this series, destined for legendary status, slip through your fingers. Be sure to continue this conversation with Juni Ba by visiting his Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter.
This week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Juni Ba on CBCC: Djeliya
- Juni Ba on CBCC: Mobilis
- Juni Ba on CBCC: Nightwatcher
- This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter
- Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It's not about the plot. That's why Matthew Rosenberg was not worried about spoiling it all in the solicits for We're Taking Everyone Down With Us, his new Image Comics series done in collaboration with artist Stefano Landini, colorists Roman Titov and Jason Wordie, letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designer Becca Carey. For the writer, the comic is everything surrounding the narrative: character, emotion, theme, style, etc. AKA, the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling comic.
The first issue of the new sci-fi spy thriller releases this Wednesday (March 26th) and celebrates numerous influences, but it's sharpened into something extraordinarily fresh. The tropes will be familiar to any James Bond obsessive, but We're Taking Everyone Down With Us shifts the perspective from problematic double o to the child of one of his greatest mad scientist rivals.
Thirteen-year-old Annalise merely wants more time with her father, but he's too busy plotting earthly destruction in his lab. So, she's stuck with her robot babysitters. We're Taking Everyone Down With Us starts with a bang, and it reveals a whole new world to the child, and that revelation will become quite the problem for any wannabe James Bond lurking in the plot.
Matthew Rosenberg makes his CBCC podcast debut, and we're eager to discuss the inspirations behind We're Taking Everyone Down With Us and his relationship with super spy melodrama. We also discuss the personal saga behind the story, our frustration with spoiler culture, and why no artistic expression feels as good as comic book collaboration.
Stay current on Matthew Rosenberg by following his Substack, Podcast, Bluesky, and Instagram.
This week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- We Should Improve Society Somewhat by Matt Bors
- How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine
- This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter
- Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Popeye, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
With Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums, Stan Sakai enters his forty-first year as the rabbit ronin's chronicler. Each decade represents about a year in the title character's life, which you can track if you're paying attention to the seasons surrounding Usagi's adventures. If you're paying even closer attention, you can map his footsteps across sixteenth-century Japan and anticipate his next conflict or reunion, but don't worry if you lack such concentration. As you'll hear in today's episode, Sakai certainly does not.
Usagi Yojimbo Ten Thousand Plums begins with a fox spirit and her daughter struggling to survive. Sickness has taken the child, and the mother seeks help from a nearby village. They reject her despite having access to the Shogun's prized plum orchard and the healing umeboshi (pickled plums) it produces. By the time Usagi, his cousin Yukichi, and the bounty hunter Gen arrive, fury has rained down upon the town, creating a dangerous suspicion of outsiders.
With Ten Thousand Plums, Stan Sakai continues to explore the themes of deceptive appearances, selflessness, and selfishness, which he thoroughly dug into with the previous Usagi Yojimbo storyline, The Crow. We chat with Sakai about this current preoccupation, how it challenges Usagi and Yukichi, and where it could lead the cousins. No major spoilers lie within our conversation, but Stan Sakai does tease a few things that will undoubtedly spark intense curiosity for longtime Usagi Yojimbo readers. The Sword of Narukami is in play. Could another famous sword re-appear, too?
Following Ten Thousand Plums' first three issues, a new story entitled "Tabo" should prove to be Stan Sakai's most personal comic yet. It was written shortly after his younger brother Kenneth passed away, and Sakai kindly expands on what this tale means for him and his family. You'll hear how "Tabo" places Usagi and Yukichi on a pilgrimage in search of the miraculous goddess called "The Mother," forcing Usagi to confront his skepticism in ways he never has before.
The first issue of Usagi Yojimbo Ten Thousand Plums is now available from Dark Horse Comics and Dogu Publishing. The second issue will arrive on April 16th, and we have an exclusive preview of its first five pages on the Comic Book Couples Counseling website.
Make sure to keep up to date on all things Usagi Yojimbo by visiting Stan Sakai's website and Instagram.
This week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Stan Sakai on CBCC: Samurai Rabbit
- Stan Sakai and Julie Sakai on CBCC: Ice and Snow
- This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter
- Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Reading Judge Dredd in 2025 is a helluva thing. The gap between Anycity USA and Mega-City One shortens seemingly with every passing second, causing us to re-evaluate dystopia's purpose. A Better World, the latest 2000 AD collection from writers Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt, featuring gorgeously gnarly art from Henry Flint, Boo Cook, Jake Lynch, and Jim Boswell, is a vicious mirror to gaze into. And anxiety rests in what to do after you pull your head away.
The story begins with Judge Maitland discovering the impossible amongst her accounts. If the Chief Justices would allow her to reallocate a few resources, say feed money into education and a few other social services, crime in Mega-City One would likely plummet. They give her a sector to manage, and her theory becomes reality. Oh, no.
Judge Dredd: A Better World knocked us flat when we first read it last year. We, and a lot of other comic lovers, ranked it as one of 2024's best stories. Now that it's properly collected, we were eager to get Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt on the podcast to break it down and challenge our understanding of Mega-City One's top cop and the people he polices.
We discuss how and why they brought Judge Maitland to her findings, how she relates heavily to Dredd, and why he responds so warmly to her. Or as warmly as Dredd possibly can. Our conversation dips into the joys of dystopia as well as the danger that can occur when folks give it a light reading. The trick being to make light readings impossible.
Follow Rob Williams on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter. Follow Arthur Wyatt on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.
Yes, this week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.
We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Rob Williams on Judge Dredd: End of Days
- This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter
- Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)
- Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Today's podcast with Tom King is a conversation we eagerly anticipated the moment we finished the first issue of Helen of Wyndhorn. From its earliest panels, illustrated brilliantly by Bilquis Evely, colored by Matheus Lopes, and lettered by Clayton Cowles, we knew this saga of grief, self-discovery, magic, and adventure would occupy large, permanent portions of our imaginations. We merely waited for it to conclude, reveal its full magnificence, and find a proper hardcover release worthy of its contents. We then needed to dissect everything with Tom, our friend and frequent guest.
Dark Horse Comics has now collected Helen of Wyndhorn into a hefty hardback that will undoubtedly lure new readers to its sumptuous narrative, and we're ready to dive into its pages and go full-spoilers with its author. Before we even hit record, Tom King was happily pouring over this story with us, recalling his initial intentions for the tale and comparing them to his current perspective.
Helen of Wyndhorn reteams King with his Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow cohorts, but it's a saga that took almost three times as long to complete, and that effort proudly reveals itself in every line, word, and pixel. The book is often sold as "Conan the Barbarian meets The Wizard of Oz." Sure, those influences are preset, and we discuss them, but it's a book that thrives on gothic romance and real-life heartache, too.
When we first meet the title character, she's more than adrift; she's devastated and on the verge of destruction. Her father, pulp author CK Cole, is dead and gone. Her grandfather hires a governess to drag her back to his estate. What she discovers there will change everything she knows about her father as well as reality itself. And her journey toward purpose awoke something in us. Something that's evolving even as we write these words. How big or significant must an action be for it to be heroic?
To continue this conversation beyond the podcast, follow Tom King on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Tom King on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
- Tom King and Ryan Sook on Black Canary: Best of the Best
- Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)
- Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
The horror genre occupies an important moment in our romantic relationship. We started dating nearly eighteen years ago. Our earliest outings were at the theater, watching one mediocre to terrible horror film after the other. As you'll hear in this week's episode, those violent excursions caused us to sharpen our ideas of who we are. Gosh, we sure could have used The Matron back then.
Comic creators David Bowles, Drew Edwards, and Monica Gallagher join us to discuss their new slasher comic, The Matron. It's a distinct, bloody trip across multiple generations. While it began as a thought experiment related to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it quickly transformed into a rich, thoughtful exercise in how the slasher story can contain and process profound human anxiety.
Fifty years after her great-great-grandmother slaughtered her way into infamy, Roz desperately wants to find space on this planet away from her family's murderous past. Mostly in the arms of her girlfriend, Samantha. However, as winter sweeps across the Texas town of Ascuas, celebrations centered around the original Matron's killings begin. As do a new set of killings.
The Matron allowed us to discover our history with the slasher and our love for it. While these musings tend to occur around the Halloween season, the first two months of 2025 have proved to be the perfect moment to seek solace in characters like The Matron, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and other masked maniacs.
The Matron is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. As of this writing, they have sixteen days left on the campaign. CLICK HERE to explore this unique slasher further. You can follow David Bowles on Instagram. You can follow Drew Edwards on Instagram. You can follow Monica Gallagher on Instagram.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)
- Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
We try not to gatekeep. We try to resist nostalgia, but on some days, we feel the purest expression possible in comics can only occur through monthly serialization. Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm return to the podcast for the third month, discussing Spectrum #3, the latest entry in their magical, sci-fi tour through an alternate musical history.
As you'll hear Rick Quinn say at some point in our conversation, Spectrum #3 is not their "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Hey Jude." It's twenty-two pages; it's their three-minute pop song, and nothing is more simplistically significant than a three-minute pop song. Lives are often altered within those beautiful constraints.
We're halfway through the Mad Cave Studios series and our monthly Book Club discussion of it. Feel free to jump on board here, but also, catching up won't take you long. Find the links to those conversations below.
Spectrum #3 introduces more characters and artistic mediums for our heroes and readers to consider. Last month, we explored how fine art interacts with music, and now, through the character of Walton Naves, we look at photography's relationship to sound. What separates the "click" from the picture triggered by it?
As always, Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm are more than willing to travel deep with us into Spectrum. This time, they're packing their own notes! We discuss how the third issue still reveals their discovery of the material and how next month's comic will show them confidently accepting its mission. Between the pages, lives were literally born, and perspectives radically transformed. Can you find the page created between childlessness and fatherhood? Just look for signs of exhaustion and obsessive detail.
Spectrum 1 - 3 are currently available from Mad Cave Studios, and the fourth issue will arrive in shops on March 19th. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quinn on his Website, Bluesky, and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Spectrum Book Club Part One
- Spectrum Book Club Part Two
- Ask Your Spectrum Book Club Questions
- Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
They couldn't let go. Thomas Jane and Mike Carey resurrect The Lycan, a comics project languishing for over fifteen years. Jane and screenwriter David James Kelly initiated the concept and hired Carey to write the script. An artist was also hired. That artist disappeared. An opportunity arose years later, and a new artist, Diego Yapur, finally materialized this ruthless tale of adventure and horror.
The North Sea. 1797. A ship shatters on the shore of a Scottish isle. The hunters within spill upon the sand, encountering a Red Coat regiment and a Convent-turned-Fortress. The three factions mistrust each other but must find unity if they're to defend themselves from a hirsute plague.
The Lycan recalls the gnarliest stories in the best comic book anthologies: Twisted Tales, Creepy, Vault of Horror, etc. Yet, it's given the space that writers like Bruce Jones were never afforded. Thomas Jane and Mike Carey are confident storytellers who've spent a lifetime consuming this beautiful medium and know they can let the title and the many engaging characters below it do the work.
The beast is coming, but in The Lycan #1, the horror explored is utterly, painfully human. With the French Revolution on the horizon, paranoia grips everyone, and the faith carried by pirates, soldiers, and nuns is challenged and found fractured. How can they possibly fight their doggie dinner destiny?
The Lycan allows our podcast conversation with Thomas Jane and Mike Carey to travel into various caves and crannies. We dig into their passion for the comic book medium and how it differs from movies (The Punisher) and novels (The Girl With All The Gifts). We discuss the comic's complicated origin and the challenge of collaboration, as well as the powerful, relatable themes at this book's center. Fear, paranoia, and faith - who needs a werewolf to do you in?
The Lycan #1 is now available on ComiXology but will eventually see physical release through Ablaze. Continue this conversation with Thomas Jane by following him on Instagram. And follow Mike Carey on Twitter.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man
- Spectrum Book Club with Dave Chisholm and Rick Quinn
- The CBCC Newsletter - Our Psychic Rapport
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Always challenge certainty. The moment you know, watch out. Clay McLeod Chapman arrives with another spooky story to confront your perspective, if not outright shatter it. His latest comic, Seance in the Asylum, done in collaboration with artist Leonardo Marcello Grassi, colorist Mauro Gulma, and letterer Frank Cvetkovic, propels us back into our past when science sought belief to cure the mad.
It's 1865. America sits soaked in blood after the Civil War. The Ashcroft Hospital is bursting at the seams with an influx of patients, and Doctor Templeton believes spiritualism could form the spine of a radical new therapy. Unfortunately, Alicia Wilkinson, the medium he hired for the job, is a fake. But how does that explain all these ghosts appearing after she's committed her little act?
All lovers of storytelling should make themselves aware of Clay McLeod Chapman. Check his website and follow his footsteps. If he's speaking at a film festival, a bookstore, or a comic shop near you, ensure you're there. His readings are kinetic events powered by passion and imagination, and he brings all that to this week's podcast conversation.
We discuss the deep research he brought to Seance in the Asylum, his take on science versus belief, and how he and his collaborators found a unique way to depict possession—oh, and ectoplasm. We talk a lot about solid, not at all wet, architectural ectoplasm.
All four issues of Seance in the Asylum are out now from Dark Horse Comics, and the trade paperback will hit shops on June 3rd. Continue our conversation with Clay McLeod Chapman by following him on Bluesky and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Patreon Exclusive: Clay McLeod Chapman on Extreme Carnage
- The CBCC Newsletter - Our Psychic Rapport
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies
- Patreon Exclusive: Eamon Winkle on Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol. 2 #33
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
After doing a stint on Conan the Barbarian for Marvel, Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar aimed to keep their collaboration roaring. They loved their time in Hyperborea but also wanted a realm to claim as their own and one where they could unleash their most vicious instincts. Bug Wars, their latest partnership, published at Image Comics, is the beautifully brutal saga of "The Yard." Here, in the tall grass, below teenager Slade Slaymaker's home, Beetle Clans rage against the Ant Imperium while the Systers of the Spyder whisper of a coming storm.
We're excited to have Jason Aaron back on the podcast, this time bringing Mahmud Asrar with him. We discuss their fascination with "Oh, No! I'm Shrunk!" stories and why their version required a bloody battleground. Our conversation also ventures into why Bug Wars may be one of Jason Aaron's most personal stories and how Mahmud Asrar challenged some legitimate creepy crawly phobias to bring this tale to the page.
This week's podcast begins with a discussion about our "Comics Will Mend Your Heart" 2025 theme and how it relates to the famous Jack Kirby quote, "Kid...comics will break your heart." When and where did Kirby first say it, and what was the quote's original context? We get into it.
Bug Wars #1 arrives in comic shops on February 12th. It's written by Jason Aaron, illustrated by Mahmud Asrar, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered and designed by Becca Carey, and edited by Heather Antos.
Consider continuing this conversation with Jason Aaron via his Substack, Instagram, and Bluesky. Please do the same with Mahmud Asrar via his Instagram and Blueksy.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- The Beat: Did Jack Kirby Really Say, "Comics Will Break Your Heart, Kid?"
- The Beat: Kirby's Warning: How Comics Will Break Your Heart
- Mark Evanier's News From ME: Quotable Kirby
- Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies
- Patreon Exclusive: Eamon Winkle on Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol. 2 #33
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/09 at 5:00 PM for Conan the Barbarian, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Time is inescapable -- as if we need to explain that to anyone living in January 2025. However, our listeners who've been paying attention to our podcast this past month know the tyrannical clock is particularly present in our imagination. This preoccupation began with this week's conversation about Ripperland with John Harris Dunning, which we recorded in December last year and has been informing nearly every episode we've released since.
Dunning co-wrote Ripperland with Steve Orlando, and it's illustrated by Alessandro Oliveri, colored by Francesca Vivaldi, and lettered by Fabio Amelia. The comic is set in 2188, three hundred years after Jack the Ripper terrorized London. In exchange for financial and military aid, England has given itself over to America, transforming into a gargantuan Victorian theme park. While no dinosaurs go on a rampage, a Jack the Ripper impersonator does. Enter American Special Agent Jesse Holden and local British Police Detective Edwin Fogg.
Ripperland is a cracking good time but carries a sharp, damning wit. For as obsessed about Jack the Ripper as we are, we don't really understand or appreciate the reality surrounding the horrific murders that occurred in Whitechapel in 1888. It's a vicious, societal spook story in which storytellers of every medium - prose, song, cinema, comics - return repeatedly and readers hungrily accept. What does that say about the giver and the receiver?
We discuss Jack the Ripper's hold on our planet with John Harris Dunning and how exploring the past from a position of the future creates a tantalizing mental exercise. Does fate damn us to repeat our mistakes, or are we just too stupid to learn?
Ripperland #1 is currently on sale from Dark Horse Comics, and issue two will arrive in shops on February 26th. To continue this conversation with John Harris Dunning, follow him on Instagram and Bluesky.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Patreon Exclusive: John Harris Dunning on Spider-Woman #50
- Patreon Exclusive Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Married to Singles: Tyler Crook on Mage: The Hero Discovered #5
- Spectrum Book Club with Dave Chisholm and Rick Quinn
- Buy eBooks via Bookshop.org
- The BINC Foundation
- Introducing Sweet Shop
- The Beat Reports on Sweet
- "Comics Will Mend Your Heart" by Kevin Alvir Merch (Benifitting BINC)
- Funny Business: An Insider's Look at the Art of Cartooning
- The Art of Richard Thompson
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/09 at 5:00 PM for Conan the Barbarian, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
They're back! Writer Rick Quinn and artist Dave Chisholm return to the podcast to discuss Spectrum #2, the second issue in their science fiction tour through an alternate musical history. As the plot reveals itself, adding new elements and several more splash pages, we dig deeper into its characters, emotions, and references. Adding this conversation atop our previous one about the first issue, we're building something grand - a comic book dissection as we've never done before - so we might as well officially make it a Book Club and invite everyone listening to join in on the comics summit.
Have you read Spectrum #1? Have you read Spectrum #2? Do you have any thoughts? Do you have questions? We want to hear them! CLICK HERE and drop them into the comments. Next month, when we return to the podcast with Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm, we'll work our way through them on the show. This is your chance to shape the conversation and connect with the big ideas about art these creators are exploring.
Spectrum #2 introduces Ada Latimer, the retail warrior trying to keep her Unpopular Pop record store afloat. Within the comic's first few moments, she meets the reality-bending Melody from issue one and has a cosmic encounter that would curl Jack Kirby's toes. A quest is discovered, one that will slam Ada and Melody together as they search for a mythical music producer while battling a creature of song called Echo.
Now, more than ever, community offers relief. We must find our people and love and fight by their side. For us, we feel the most connected when we're engaged with art, whether it takes the form of music, movies, or comic books. Creating a book club, determined to cover this series for the next five or so months, is an act of hope and optimism. And so is joining one.
Spectrum #2 is now available from Mad Cave Studios, wherever rad comics are sold. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quinn on his Website, Bluesky, and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Spectrum CBCC Book Club #1 with Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm
- "Comics Will Mend Your Heart" by Kevin Alvir Merch (Benifitting BINC)
- Patreon Exclusive Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club
- Married to Singles: Tyler Crook on Mage: The Hero Discovered #5
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/26 at 5:00 PM for Speed Racer, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
In 2024, we published 58 Comic Book Couples Counseling episodes. However, that was not the total Comic Book Couples Counseling experience. Over on our Patreon, we published an additional 61 episodes, including our Married to Singlesseries, where we talk with comic book creators about their favorite single issues. In 2025, we'll make these a regular thing, starting with Tyler Crook this week, diving deep into his cherished Mage: The Hero Discovered #6.
Crook has appeared on the podcast multiple times, mostly exploring his exceptional Dark Horse Comics series, The Lonesome Hunters (links to those episodes below). He's a passionate, enthusiastic champion of this medium, and that devotion began at a very young age thanks to books like Mage: The Hero Discovered. We enjoyed this conversation with Crook about this comic so much that we've decided to drop it into the main podcast feed to entice some of you over to the CBCC Patreon, which we consider one of the most welcoming, loving comic book communities on the internet.
Published by Comico in March of 1985, Mage: The Hero Discovered #6 landed just as the industry shifted. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 arrived the year before, while Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns were just on the horizon. Comics were ready to celebrate themselves as thematically rich, adult entertainment. NOT. KIDS. STUFF.
Mage: The Hero Discovered #6 was written and illustrated by Matt Wagner and features additional inks by Sam Kieth. The series follows Kevin Matchstick, who is basically a stand-in for Wagner, as he tumbles into a fantasy adventure where each obstacle represents some issue or situation from his own life. Be warned, our conversation with Tyler Crook spoils the entirety of the sixth issue, as well as some critical plot points from the rest of the series. Although, knowledge of those plot points won't ruin your overall reading experience if you decide to read after you've listened to the episode.
We make the Comic Book Couples Counseling Patreon as cheap as we can. Our "Smitten Kitten" level costs only a dollar and gives you access to all the Patreon episodes. Our "Dearly Beloved" tier is $5, which grants you access to our Slack community. For the month of January, we're donating all proceeds made by our Patron to BINC (The Book Industry Charitable Foundation). They're helping all the bookstores and comic book shops affected by the LA Wildfires, and Bookshop.org matches all donations up to $10,000.
If you would prefer to support another charity aiding in the wake of the LA Wildfires, here are a few that we'd recommend:
- The Red Cross Wildfire Disaster Relief
- LA Food Banks Assisting After Fires
- The LAFD Foundation
- World Central Kitchen Help provides fresh meals to communities in need in California
- The California Community Foundation
- Pasadena Humane Helps with Animal Rescue and Care
- Baby2Baby Provides Essential items such as diapers, food, formula, and hygiene products for children and families in Los Angeles.
At least three comic creators lost their homes to the fires. Click on their names below to find their GoFundMe pages:
- David Booher
- Steven T. Seagle
- Andrew Robinson
Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Tyler Crook on The Lonesome Hunters
- Tyler Crook on The Lonesome Hunters: Chapter One
- Patreon Exclusive: Daniel Warren Johnson on The 'Nam #9
- Patreon Exclusive: Jason Ayers on The Uncanny X-Men #183
- Patreon Exclusive: Christian Ward on Arkham Asylum
- Patreon Exclusive: John Harris Dunning on Spider-Woman #50
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/26 at 5:00 PM for Speed Racer, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
New Year's always has us looking inward, hoping for a fresh start. Creating resolutions, however, causes too much pressure, so we prefer to announce our intentions and free ourselves from potential regret if/when we don't achieve them. Helping us through the yearly reboot process in 2025 are Chip Zdarsky and David Brothers, whose new DSTLRYcomic Time Waits, done in collaboration with artists Marcus To and Marvin Sianipar, colorist Matt Wilson, letterer Ariana Maher, and editor Allison O'Toole, is the perfect excuse to contemplate our past, present, and future.
The comic centers on Blue, who only wishes to tend his garden, love his wife Grace, and finally adopt Duke as his son. Unfortunately, Blue is a man out of time, and the future he came from is desperate to reclaim him and the items he stole. Time Waits delivers on John Wick levels of action and Primer levels of paradox paranoia without skipping heaps of human relationship drama.
Chip Zdarsky and David Brothers are one half of the Mangasplaining podcast team, and we are delighted to discuss how their online comics discussions have shaped their comics-making process. Given the time of year that this episode arrives in, we found ourselves being even more introspective than usual, and Zdarsky and Brothers were more than happy to follow us into such philosophical quandaries.
The first two issues of Time Waits are now available from DSTLRY, while the third and final issue will arrive in comic book shops on 1/22. Also, make sure you're following them online by subscribing to Mangasplaining.
Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:
- Mangasplaining co-hosts Deb Aoki and Christopher Woodrow-Butcher on CBCC
- Chip Zadarksy and Jason Loo discuss The All-Nighter on CBCC
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/26 at 5:00 PM for Speed Racer, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
We made it. Another trip around the sun. Congratulations, everyone. Let's celebrate with our final episode of the year, The Stampies: Best Comics of 2024 (Part Two).
In our final episode of 2024, we name the Best Comic of 2024 as well as several other cherished awards: Best Ongoing Series, Best Limited Series, Best Relaunch, Writer of the Year, Artist of the Year, etc. Maybe most significantly, we award the second annual Jesse Tappia II Champ Stamp Award, named after our good friend who no longer walks the Earth with us but certainly remains in our hearts as we cherish and promote this astonishing medium called comics.
As in Part One, we asked journalists, podcasters, retailers, and creators to help us through the ceremony by selecting their favorite comics of 2024. You can just hit play and be surprised by who pops up, or take a quick scroll below and spoil yourself. Either way, make sure you follow them on their socials and partake in their good work. Also, thank them for joining in on our end-of-the-year shindig. It was super cool of them.
2024 was jammed with good books. Naming all the good ones in two episodes proved impossible. Watch this space because we'll publish the big list: The 50 Best Comics of 2025 at the very end of the year.
The Best Comics of 2024 Part Two Timestamps:
- Writer of the Year - 11:02
- Artist of the Year - 19:56
- Best All-Ages Comic - 27:50
- Best Young Adult Comic - 34:43
- Best Limited Series - 40:46
- Best Relaunch - 49:36
- Best Ongoing - 58:52
- Best Original Graphic Novel - 1:10:06
- Best Digital Comic - 1:17:54
- The Jesse Tappia II Champ Stamp Award - 1:20:43
- Bonus Awards/"Rapid Fire" Round - 1:34:39
The Best Comics of 2024 (Part Two) Guest-Stars:
- Kat Calamia (Bluesky) of Comic Uno.
- Steve Anderson of Third Eye Comics.
- Badr Milligan (BlueSky) of The Short Box Podcast.
- Jadzia Axelrod (BlueSky): Galaxy - The Prettiest Star, Hawkgirl - Once Upon a Galaxy.
- Chris Hacker (Bluesky) and Aaron Knowles (BlueSky) of The Oblivion Bar Podcast.
- Chris Condon (Bluesky): That Texas Blood, The Enfield Gang Massacre
- Jenna Anderson (Bluesky) of Phase Hero and Go Read Some Comics.
- Lance (BlueSky) and Jeremy (Bluesky) of Comic Book Keepers.
- David Harper (BlueSky) of SKTCHD and Off Panel.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support The Trevor Project.
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/26 at 5:00 PM for Speed Racer, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Comics will mend your heart. That's the energy we're taking into the new year and the thought we carried as we assembled The Stampies, our end-of-the-year award show celebrating The Best Comics of 2024 - ahem - (Part One). Over the last six years, we've turned to comics to understand ourselves and the world around us better. They've guided us through tumultuous times, and we know we'll need them even more in the coming months and years.
Our award show is very much OUR award show. We have peculiar tastes, and our favorite comics reflect that. Some categories stuck around from last year's ceremony, but with this episode in particular, you'll find several new ones, also. Next week's Part Two will be stacked with the more traditional Best Original Graphic Novel, Best Limited Series, Best Ongoing, etc. For The Best Comics of 2024 (Part One), we get a little more cutesy with Best New Superhero and Best Murder Mystery, plus categories like Best First Issue and Best Single Issue.
As has become tradition, we've asked our friends in journalism and podcasting to name their favorite books of the year. New to our 2024 celebrations, however, we've also asked a few retailers and comic book creators to contribute their favorite books. If you want to be spoiled about who will be guest-starring in today's podcast, scroll below. Please thank them by following their work and social media handles (and letting them know how much you enjoyed their contributions to the podcast).
2024 was another banger of a year regarding comics. Highlighting our favorites was more challenging than ever. The Stampies contain sixteen categories, with a few extra surprise categories tossed in during next week's show. That's simply not enough space to name all "the best" books from the year. So, keep your eyes trained on the Comic Book Couples Counseling website. At the very end of the year, we'll unleash our massive 50 Best Comics of 2024 list.
The Best Comics of 2023 (Part One) Category Timestamps:
- Best Comic Book Couple - 12:14
- Best Murder Mystery - 18:18
- Best New Superhero - 25:54
- Best Adaptation - 32:29
- Best Collaboration - 40:07
- Best Short Story - 47:33
- Best First Issue - 56:43
- Best Single Issue - 1:05:05
The Best Comics of 2023 (Part One) Guest-Stars:
- Erik C. Jones (Bluesky): Manager at Four Color Fantasies.
- Tiffany Babb (Bluesky): Poet, Essayist, and Culture Critic.
- Dan Gvozden (Bluesky): Co-Host of The Amazing Spider-Talk Podcast
- Zack Quaintance (Bluesky): Comic Book Writer, Part-time Editor at The Beat
- Christian Ward (Bluesky): Batman: City of Madness, Spectregraph, Two-Face, etc.
- Chris Piers (Bluesky): Host of ComicTropes.
- David Brooke (Bluesky): Owner, Writer, Host at AIPT.
- Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Instagram): Writer, Producer, Host, RexCo Comics Studio.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/26 at 5:00 PM for Speed Racer, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It's easy to claim your comic as "Evil Dead for Blerds," but accomplishing the cheeky elevator pitch is far more complex. Writer J. Holtham and artist Michael Lee Harris grab their inspiration from the iconic Sam Raimi splatstick horror franchise but do so in service of an entirely different purpose. Motherfukin Monsters* rages with a political fire, throwing their protagonist into a university setting shrouded with white faces. Their JJ eagerly wants to find his place within this system, while his family stands skeptical, waiting for it to reveal a devilish intent. Of course, JJ's kin thought metaphorically, not the literal ghouls that quickly hunger for their flesh.
Our conversation with J. Holtham and Michael Lee Harris begins with their love of Evil Dead, or Evil Dead II, more specifically. We start by exploring what the film does so well, for what reason, and why they were compelled to plant their mission atop it. Motherfukin Monsters is one helluva ride, filled with chills and thrills, but from page one, the comic also makes its anger known. J. Holtham and Michael Lee Harris, like all The Horizon Experiment* stories, speak to the moment. Our hope is everyone reading is listening to what's on the page.
In addition, our discussion addresses the economic realities of comics-making and comics-shopping in 2024. The Horizon Experiment's pilot system still raises eyebrows in comic shops, but by embracing experimentation, the series removes one of the veils between creator and consumer. Honesty is the best policy, and we need to buy the comics we want to see in the world. It's cold, hard math...er, capitalism.
So, remember, Motherfukin Monsters* arrives in stores on December 18th, courtesy of Image Comics. Continue the conversation with J. Holtham by following him on Instagram. Also, follow Michael Lee Harris on Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC/The Horizon Experiment: Pornsak Pichetshote and Terry Dodson on The Manchurian
- CBCC/The Horizon Experiment: Vita Ayala and Sklar Patridge on Finders Keepers
- The CBCC TeePublic Page
- The CBCC Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 12/15 at 4:00 PM for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
It belongs in a museum? On this week's podcast, we chat with friends and collaborators Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridgeabout their new comic, Finders Keepers, and why they were compelled to tell a "reverse Indiana Jones." Like the other comics in The Horizon Experiment, Finders Keepers flips a classic genre trope on its head and knocks the dust and cobwebs from a well-trodden idea. The hook is powerfully compelling, but as you read through the one-shot, the reader also begins to understand there is much more to the concept below that initial subversive thrill.
Robbing from colonizers and returning artifacts to their culture and context, but doing so with all the trappings of a great Indiana Jones story requires a deft hand with multiple genres. Given The Horizon Experiment's pilot program, Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge must also establish the concept and offer a grand promise of the story's possible future in just a few short pages. However, this challenge is not really different from any other comic book gig. The Horizon Experiment is merely more honest about these commercial practicalities.
This week, we dig into all the demands of an Indiana Jones riff. We discuss with Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge their collaborative process, the thrill of museum heists, and the difficulties of loving classic Hollywood adventure. FOC for Finders Keepers is TODAY (12/9), but the issue will arrive in comic book shops on January 15th.
Continue this conversation by following Vita Ayala on Bluesky and their website. And follow Skylar Patridge on Bluesky, Instagram, and their website.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC/The Horizon Experiment: Pornsak Pichetshote and Terry Dodson on The Manchurian
- The CBCC TeePublic Page
- The CBCC Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide
- Brad on the 2000AD Thrill-Cast
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
After working through most of the Teen Titans, author Kami Garcia and artist Gabriel Picolo have finally reached the Tamaranean superhero, Starfire. Their latest collaboration finds Kori struggling to find her place amongst her peers while her sister Kira thrives in the environment. Kori strives for the stars above, but feels trapped in her Summer job and her body, especially after her Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) diagnosis.
On this week's podcast, we chat with bestselling author Kami Garcia about Teen Titans: Starfire, how she found herself in the character, and why that allowed her to embrace her past and present self. Famously, Garcia began her writing career as a dare from her students, picking up the pen and proving to them (and herself) that she could tell a darn good story. We discuss the details of that dare, how her teaching life factors into her writing life, and why young adult fiction often becomes necessary all-ages fiction.
Teen Titans: Starfire is now available wherever good comics are sold. You should follow Kami Garcia on Instagram, Bluesky, and her website.
However, before we dive into our Teen Titans conversations, we discuss the impending holiday season and the gift-giving stress that comes with it. We believe wholeheartedly that there is a comic for everyone in your life, and the trick is figuring out what that comic is. In an effort to help you and us, we've assembled our annual Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide. We discuss our philosophy around comic book gift-giving and a few of our favorite items from the list.
Other Relevant Links:
- The CBCC TeePublic Page
- The CBCC Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
We don't know how to feel about violence as sports entertainment, but we cannot deny how much we love stories that center their emotional conflicts inside a ring. With their new series, Black Canary: Best of the Best, Tom King and Ryan Sook join the long tradition of tearing into internal torment by subjecting protagonists to regulated gladiatorial combat. Dinah Lance versus Lady Shiva, let's get ready to rumble.
The first issue of the new series arrives in stores Wednesday (11/27). We won't spoil it here, but those pages will reveal some of the motivations for why Dinah, the second-best fighter in the DC universe, would subject herself to the fists of the single-best fighter. It has something to do with the first woman to don the Black Canary mantle - her mother. Yup, this is a Tom King comic, so you know Black Canary: Best of the Best must feature a twisty, prickly core relationship.
This week's episode explores why the ring is such a compelling story engine. We discuss how Tom King was initially enticed to place Black Canary alongside other brutal fictional bouts like Rocky, Raging Bull, The Set-Up, The Big Blow, and yeah, Best of the Best. Ryan Sook takes us through his process of understanding the physicality of boxing, wrestling, and MMA while contemplating their bloody nature. And why has it taken King so long to tackle the mother/daughter dynamic?
To continue this conversation, follow Tom King on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram. Follow Ryan Sook on Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- The CBCC TeePublic Page
- Tom King on CBCC: All In Special and Wonder Woman
- Tom King on CBCC: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow - Full Spoilers
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Art finds us when we need it most. Spectrum, the new Mad Cave Studios series from creators Dave Chisholm and Rick Quinn, is an astonishing sci-fi saga that begins inside the Seattle WTO protests of 1999 and propels its characters into a realm where music grants flight. The central character, Melody, can't quite discern what's real and what's not - a sensation you may very well be familiar with at this moment - seeing impossible beings floating amongst the crowds. Powers from within and without compel her on a journey that operates as the best geeky musical Where's Waldo for the reader who is willing. Y'all ready for the MTV version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Y'all remember MTV?
We're already so obsessed with Spectrum that we've committed to a series of six podcast episodes, one for each new issue. Thankfully, Dave Chisholm and Rick Quinn are also up for this pop culture plunge. They join us for an excavation of sound and a discussion on the song's importance in our daily lives and how they miraculously transplanted one artistic expression into another.
Spectrum is waiting for your eyes. You merely need to put them upon it and join this book's inevitable cult following. Make sure to alert your comic shop of its existence. Slap it in your pullbox. Be part of this book's success, as it's unlike anything else on the stands. Here's your chance to be the snooty person in the shop, claiming your crown as one of Spectrum's first converted followers.
The first issue arrives on 11/20, and the second drops on 1/8/2025. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quin on his Wesbiste and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- The Trevor Project or call 1-866-488-7386 for gender-affirming and queer-friendly support.
- Dave Chisholm on CBCC - Talking Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound
- The CBCC TeePublic Page
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
What a difference a week can make, huh? When we recorded our conversation with Kelly Sue DeConnick, we were still weeks away from the American election, but now, here we are, living in its aftermath. We couldn't have been the only ones with three little letters rattling around our brains these last batch of days. FML. You're damn right.
Kelly Sue DeConnick's new comic, done in collaboration with artist David López, colorist Cris Peter, and letterer Clayton Cowles, is very much about managing your life and your family's lives while the world around you burns. What was once relatable has suddenly transformed into our bloody lifeline. Call it a coincidence. Call it fate. Whatever, we needed this comic at this moment.
FML #1 hit shelves last week, courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. At its center is teenager Riley, a heavy metal monster movie maniac eager for his journey to begin as the pandemic and rampaging forest fires threaten to snuff it out. His mom, Patty, used to be cool, but now she's just a mom - going through her own existential crisis. The everyday world is hard enough for them, but then a ritual during a party goes sideways, and suddenly, witchcraft and monsters are no longer so fanciful.
Kelly Sue DeConnick is an artist we've admired for years. We never miss a comic with her name on it, and we get an extra buzz of excitement when it's a creator-owned expression. FML is a deeply personal narrative mirroring DeConnick's experience, but it's not a replica. We dive into the challenges of springboarding fiction from reality, discussing how her family responds to her fiction and how FML became a necessary endeavor. Be sure to follow her Instagram.
In our introduction, we also discuss how art can shape action and how action absorbs anxiety. All we have is each other. We must watch our backs and stand when it feels so easy to lie down. Democracy is a fragile notion, but there are organizations that are built to fight alongside us.
Please consider these charities:
- The Trevor Project
- RAINN
- American Library Association
- NAACP
- The Hero Initiative
If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out:
- The Trans Lifeline is available 24/7. Run by Trans People for Trans People - Call 1-877-565-8860
-
The LGBT National Help Center
- Youth Talkline (Ages 13 - 25) is 1-800-246-4564
- The National Hotline (All Ages) is 1-888-843-4564
- Senior Hotline (Ages 50+) is 1-888-234-7243
- The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - dial 988 or visit www.988lifeline.org to chat with someone online.
- You can also call The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 for gender-affirming and queer-friendly support.
Other Relevant Links:
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Two weeks later, we're still recovering from New York Comic Con 2024. This may have been our third year attending, but we've never experienced a comic convention quite like this one, and it may take a few more months before we've actually processed everything that happened. A major factor differentiating this event from any that came before was our new gig hosting the Harvey Awards.
So, we spend the first half of today's episode taking you behind the scenes of this event, detailing what you can't see when you watch the ceremony online (via Popverse). We're talking wardrobe malfunctions, deodorant hockey play, iPad snafus, and the delightful success of celebrating the best the comics medium has to offer while doing so during Harvey Kurtzman's centennial.
Within the episode's back half, we're diving deep into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees. We chat with artist Cliff Chiang about his time on the recent third issue. We explore Leonardo's existential crisis in India, Spaghetti Western action, and whether or not we can expect Cliff Chiang back on the book.
Jason Aaron also returns to the podcast, but this time, he's brought the recently announced artist for the arc following "Return to New York" with him, Juan Ferreyra. As we gaze over Ferreyra's pages for issue six, we detail the perfect TMNT New York City, the heartbreak coming the Brothers's way, and the gauntlet they'll run upon their return to the Big Apple.
Patrick Horvath is also back to close out the show. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is one of the comics' recent great successes, and few have hit the comic convention circuit as hard as Horvath. We chat about his time on the road, what he can teach us about con life, and what we can expect from the upcoming Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Seessequel, Rite of Spring.
Make sure you're following all these folks on their respective social media platforms. Find Cliff Chiang on Twitter, Instagram, and on the website. Find Jason Aaron on Twitter, Instagram, and his website. Find Juan Ferreyra on Twitter and Instagram. Find Patrick Horvath on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Cook Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- Watch The Harvey Awards
- Bruce Guthrie's Harvey Awards Photography
- Jason Aaron goes full-spoilers on TMNT #1
- Patrick Horvath goes full-spoilers on Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees
- CBCC on TMNT's 40th Anniversary
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
It doesn't take long to recognize pop culture's influence on the work of Michael Allred. Whether we're talking Madman, X-Statix, or Silver Surfer, his comics radiate his passion for music, art, and life. Some references are easy to spot, a few a little trickier, and others impossible unless you know the man personally. For us, his comics mostly equal comfort, a place to rush into and join for an hour or a bit longer.
We adore many of Michael Allred's influences. So, our primary mission on this week's podcast was to dig thoroughly into one particular shared obsession, the nineteen-sixties boy band sensation, The Monkees. If you know Lisa, you're not at all surprised. If this is your first time listening to Comic Book Couples Counseling, you may need a touch more context. We'll get into it.
Clover Press is currently crowdfunding The Marvel Art of Michael Allred on Kickstarter (Click Here To Check It Out). It's an enormous hardcover book showcasing Allred's greatest achievements within the House of Ideas, including our beloved Silver Surfer, but it's also peppered with pieces you may have missed over the years. As an avid art book collector, Michael Allred knows what fanatics like himself crave in such tomes, and he was determined to deliver the goods to the like-minded.
Today's episode is a conversation we never imagined having when we launched the podcast, but considering how our show began with Norrin Radd and Dawn Greenwood, this surprise actually feels like the logical next chapter in our weird relationship experiment. It's even more special when, halfway through our conversation with Michael Allred, we're joined by his loving wife and collaborator, Laura Allred.
We discuss how The Monkees simmer within every Michael Allred panel, the long-lasting effects of his collaboration with Dan Slott on Silver Surfer, how Michael and Laura learned to work together, and what an art book can mean when constructed with passion and thoughtful consideration.
As of this writing, The Marvel Art of Michael Allred has seventeen days left in its Kickstarter campaign. Act quickly. Also, be sure to follow Michael Allred on Twitter, Instagram, and his website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Cook Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- The Comics Courier Kickstarter Page
- Dan Slott on CBCC: The Ultimate Silver Surfer Interview
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Dracula permeates everything. Before we're five years old, we know his story. It's baked into the cultural imagination. However, if you were to hold that story up to the light, you'd immediately notice a lot of holes. In Bram Stoker's iconic work, Dracula appears less frequently than you would think, and his backstory is referenced in short bursts and shrouded in mystery. His tale is perfect fodder for artists Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner to sink their teeth into.
Last year, they published Dracula - Book One: The Impaler through Orlok Press via Kickstarter. The hardcover has spent months in the hands of readers (ours included), and its trade paperback release from Dark Horse Comics is set for October 22nd. With the first chapter complete, exploring Dracula's pre-vampire days, set primarily during his time at the Scholomance, aka his unpaid internship with the devil, Jones and Wagner are ready to unleash volume two, Dracula: The Brides.
Their latest entry covers centuries, focusing on how Dracula came into contact with the iconic trio, who get pages in Stoker's book but have seared their way into every adaptation. Who are they? What do they mean to Dracula? What happened to the fourth Bride?
Dracula: The Brides will take Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner right up until the moment Bram Stoker's novel begins. This means their next chapter dissects the classic and exposes what the Impaler was up to when the other characters were not paying attention.
We happily dig into Dracula with Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner on the podcast. We discuss the title character's relationship with romance, women, and blood. We uncover Jones and Wagner's compulsion to tell this story and why comics were always the best fit for it.
Dracula: The Brides has fifteen days left on its Kickstarter campaign. Please visit the crowdfunding project by clicking HERE. You can continue the conversation with Kelley Jones by visiting his Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Matt Wagner on Twitter and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Cook Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- The Comics Courier Kickstarter Page
- Brad and Lisa on Off Panel
- Brad and Lisa on Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner
- Brad and Lisa Interview on ComicsXF
- Brad and Lisa on BIf Bam Pow
- Brad and Lisa on Derby Comics
- Brad and Lisa on Joe Talks Comics
- Pots and Panels Press Release on AiPT
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Hey, you. Stop doom scrolling. You've landed where you belong. Ben Clarkson and Matt Bors return to Comic Book Couples Counseling with another Justice Warriors book, Vote Harder. And they're back just when we need them most, weeks away from a critical, very American election.
As in the best romantic comedies, Swamp Cop and Officer Schitt are torn apart early on in Justice Warriors: Vote Harder. Bubble City embarks on its first-ever election, and it's doing something strange to its populace. They're trapped with a ballot George Orwell wouldn't wish on his most hated dystopia, and the city's most horrendous Bad Boys are the only ones who can save the day. Best of luck, citizens.
Justice Warriors: Vote Harder is another vicious satire skewering contemporary society while highlighting the damned, nothing-new, never-ending cycle of corruption. Do you think your hell is the most hell that's ever hell'ed? Nah. It's the same old hell. It's only new to you.
Eagerly, we lean into Ben Clarkson and Matt Bors, trying to discern any wisdom they've gained by plunging themselves into the world of Justice Warriors: Vote Harder. We continue to explore satire's purpose, why two dumb protagonists are the heroes we deserve, and how The Matrix Reloaded deserves a second viewing, if not a third, fourth, and fifth.
Justice Warriors: Vote Harder is now available in trade paperback from Ahoy Comics. Follow Matt Bors on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Follow Ben Clarkson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Cook Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- The Comics Courier Kickstarter Page
- Ben Clarkson and Matt Bors on Justice Warriors Vol. 1
- Brad and Lisa on Off Panel
- Brad and Lisa on Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner
- Brad and Lisa Interview on ComicsXF
- Brad and Lisa on BIf Bam Pow
- Brad and Lisa on Derby Comics
- Brad and Lisa on Joe Talks Comics
- Pots and Panels Press Release on AiPT
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
In this article, the top ten reasons why reading comics criticism will increase your sex drive. Yeah, that's right, we need your clicks! We live in an apocalypse where thoughtful online comics criticism decreases in value every minute. However, you know comics criticism is essential to the industry's ecosystem and community because you're an intelligent person. All we need is a champion to keep this art form alive, and it is an art form, and she has arrived - Tiffany Babb. She's shaking The Comics Courier from every street corner in every neighborhood.
The new tabloid-sized newspaper is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. Within it are essays and reviews from critics Douglas Wolk, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Tiffany Babb, Dave Baker, Carrie McClain, Sean Dillon, Kat Calamia, Liam McGuire, Jim McDermott, Lillie Hochwender, Lisa Gullickson and Brad Gullickson. Oh, yeah, we're in this beauty too, and we're honored to participate in Tiffany Babb's first Comics Courier because we believe so firmly in its existence.
Even more exciting, Babb joins us on today's episode to discuss The Comics Courier, what compelled her to bring it into our reality, the value of comics criticism, and the future she imagines for it. The Kickstarter has already more than doubled its funding, but that doesn't mean you should miss your chance to be a part of this historic moment.
Find The Comics Courier Kickstarter here. Continue the conversation with Tiffany Babb by following her on Twitter, Instagram, and her Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- Brad and Lisa on Off Panel
- Brad and Lisa on Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner
- Brad and Lisa Interview on ComicsXF
- Brad and Lisa on BIf Bam Pow
- Brad and Lisa on Derby Comics
- Brad and Lisa on Joe Talks Comics
- Pots and Panels Press Release on AiPT
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
It's been a trip to get to this moment. Since we saw Nick Dragotta's design for Absolute Batman, an intense anticipation took hold of us. However, if you think it's been a long journey from our Batman AF introduction at San Diego Comic-Con, it's been an even longer and more thoughtful one for Dragotta and his collaborator Scott Snyder. They've noodled over this new DC pocket universe for over a year, and now that we're all holding the first issue in our hands, we can take comfort in knowing these two have thoroughly considered, plotted, and designed the character and his world.
Before you press play on today's episode, you must read Absolute Batman #1. Our conversation with Nick Dragotta is full-spoilers. Yes, we discuss the changes made to Batman's origin and the issue's final page with its revelatory inversion. We dig into how the Absolute updates better reflect contemporary society while still showcasing what makes Batman Batman.
Once again, we're asking, if you tested this Batman's DNA, would it match the main continuity Batman? If the form is the same, and the function is different, how do Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta maintain what's essential about the character? When does a Batman cease being a Batman?
Before all of that, we also explore Nick Dragotta's ideal Batman. Where and how did he first meet the character? Who does Batman better than anyone else? Was David Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One Artist Edition an emergency purchase?
Continue this conversation with Nick Dragotta by following him on Instagram. The first issue of Absolute Batman is now available from DC Comics. The second issue will arrive in comic book shops on November 13th.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- The Comics Courrier Kickstarter Page
- Scott Snyder on CBCC: Absolute Batman
- Brad and Lisa on Off Panel
- Brad and Lisa on Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner
- Brad and Lisa Interview on ComicsXF
- Brad and Lisa on BIf Bam Pow
- Brad and Lisa on Derby Comics
- Pots and Panels Press Release on AiPT
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
This week's episode is a full-circle moment. We began our podcast five years ago, discussing the romantic entanglements between Scott Summers and Jean Grey as depicted in The Dark Phoenix Saga. Now, we're honored, and in a bit of disbelief, to welcome writer Chris Claremont onto the show. His contributions to the medium have been some of the most significant to our collective imagination, and they directly inspired the personal journey the two of us have been on these last handful of years.
Today's conversation directly results from our new partnership with The Harvey Awards, one of the comic industry's oldest and most prestigious ceremonies. As we announced a few days ago via various social media channels, we will host The Harveys this year at the New York Comic Con on October 18th. As individuals who see themselves as champions of comics and those who make them, we're thrilled to accept the responsibility and honor this institution's great work of recognizing outstanding achievement in our most beloved art form.
After we got the assignment, The Harveys asked if we wanted to speak with last year's Hall of Fame inductee, Chris Claremont. Never have we answered "Yes!" so quickly. Claremont's time is precious. We caught him in the middle of some serious travel plans and even more serious comic deadlines, but he was gracious enough to find a few minutes to squeeze us into his schedule: seventeen minutes and forty-three seconds, to be precise.
With time limited, we set forth on a mission to discuss his thought bubble philosophy. The conversation, however, steers almost immediately into a creator's unique relationship with their creation. We discuss Chris Claremont's evolution as a writer, how he sees the reality of the job, and what he ultimately wants to accomplish with his words.
You can stay updated with all things Chris Claremont by following him on Instagram and through his website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- The Pots and Panels Website
- The Comics Courrier Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page
- The Harvey Awards 2024 Nominations
- X-Men's Chris Claremont Knows How Hard It Is To Say Goodbye
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
If you think comic books and their audience resist continuity changes, you must consider the death grip comic strips have on their characters. Charlie Brown was never allowed to kick the football and was also denied a wardrobe. His life sentence was that yellow shirt. Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell accepts the pressures of his medium and believes there is nirvana in its structure. However, in the case of certain characters, he knew he had to free them of their decades-long consistency. Guard Dog needed off his tether, and Doozy needed Guard Dog in her home.
As Mutts reached toward its 30th anniversary, Patrick McDonnell plotted Guard Dog's freedom. Over seven weeks, the story played out in the papers and it's now collected by Abrams ComicArts in the new hardcover Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story. McDonnell saw how denying Charlie Brown satisfaction caused pain for his friend Charles M. Schulz, and he did not want that for himself. With Guard Dog released, he can tell new stories and create new missions for his characters and readers.
This week on the podcast, Patrick McDonnell joins us for a Mutts celebration. We discuss why it took him so long to unite Guard Dog and Doozy. He explains the power of long-form storytelling in comic strips and the spirituality the practice of daily creating awoke in him. We found the conversation vital and are eager to share it with you.
Follow Mutts on Twitter and Instagram, and sign up for the Daily Mutts strip HERE.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Page
- The Pots and Panels Website
- The Comics Courrier Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Racing on the heels of Batman Day, we celebrate eighty-five years of the Caped Crusader by finally digging into one of our recent favorite Dark Knight stories, Batman: City of Madness by Christian Ward. Technically, this is our third conversation with Ward about this particular story, but it's the first one where we can dig into it page-by-page, going full spoilers and properly exploring its characters and themes. The hardcover is now available from DC Comics, so please grab your copy, snuggle up with it, and venture into the Gotham Below with us.
Batman: City of Madness spent years percolating inside Christian Ward's imagination. It extends from his infatuation with an iconic work, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth. It operates like a spiritual sequel but comes jammed with personal touches that only Ward could contribute.
Our worst selves will argue for their survival. That's just one revelation we land upon while chatting with Christian Ward in this episode. We discuss the initial Gotham Below concept by starting at its end, the purpose of mirroring Batman and his rogues, and how it ideologically prepares readers for his newly announced Two-Face series, which will drop on December 4th.
Continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Twitter and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Our First Chat with Christian Ward About Batman: City of Madness
- Patreon Exclusive: Christian Ward on Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on A Serious Earth
- The Comics Courrier Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page
- The Pots and Panels Website
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The instant the internet glimpsed Nick Dragotta's bold, BIG design for Absolute Batman, it lost its mind. Since the initial San Diego Comic-Con reveal, emotions have intensified around it, and the fan art has flowed like a dam burst. The first issue is still weeks away, but Final Order Cutoff is here (TODAY!), and Scott Snyder joins the podcast to discuss why they had to go thicc with the Bat.
Absolute Batman is a radical reimagining based on the way our world is now. Bruce Wayne has no fortune in this new alternate timeline, which spins out of Absolute Power and The All In Special. This Batman's origin is familiar but has shifted just enough, so Snyder and Dragotta can speak to contemporary fears. How we observe the gun in 2024 differs significantly from how we observed it in 1939 when Batman first appeared. The same goes for billionaires and how they spend their money.
What if Batman is what Joker always claims to be? The agent of chaos, born from horror to disrupt a corrupt order. The DNA is the same as the Bruce Wayne stalking the shadows in the main continuity, but the circumstances diverge drastically. Absolute Batman strips the Dark Knight of his financial crutch and, in doing so, highlights his essential truth.
We begin our conversation with Scott Snyder by discussing how the Absolute Batman launch is similar to and different from The New 52 reboot. We question whether Batman is Batman without his money and why Bruce Wayne's relationship with his rogues also had to diverge from the usual continuity. Does Dick Grayson get mentioned? How about Batgirl? Joe Chill? Yes, yes, and yes.
The first issue of Absolute Batman, published by DC, written by Scott Snyder, illustrated by Nick Dragotta, colored by Frank Martin, and lettered by Clayton Cowles, hits comic book shops on October 9th. Follow Scott Snyder on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to his Substack.
Other Relevant Links:
- Previously on CBCC: Scott Snyder on We Have Demons
- Previously on CBCC: Scott Snyder on Canary
- Previously on CBCC: Williamson, King, and Sampere on DC's All In
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page
- The Pots and Panels Website
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 9/21 at 4:00 PM for Batman Forever, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Sneak into any comic book geek's home, and you'll probably find copies of Marvels and Kingdom Come. What about Uncle Sam, though? The series hit shops in 1997 from DC's Vertigo label, and it sparked provocative thought from those who read it, but for whatever reason, it did not resonate as soundly within the direct market crowd as Alex Ross' more recognizably superheroic collaborations.
It's time to reconsider Uncle Sam, just in time. We're months away from a critical American election as of this writing. The stakes are high. Our fears are even more so. Democracy is under threat and as fragile as it always has been. There is the America we tell people about and the America we actually live inside. There is the dream, and there are the dreamers. Uncle Sam, written by Steve Darnall and illustrated by Alex Ross, challenges its readers to accept our America and its violent history while encouraging us to shape it into what we want it to be.
Yes, it's depressing to encounter a tale published in 1997 that's relevant to 2024 readers. The depression is the point. Democracy is a neverending battle; the only cure for exhaustion and apathy is action. Uncle Sam is what filmmaker Boots Riley would call a "rallying cry." Let's circle it, make community, and do something. Hope is not passive; it's active.
We're beyond delighted to have Alex Ross back on the podcast this week. This time, he's joined by his writing partner, Steve Darnall, and we dig deep into Uncle Sam. What was their compulsion to explore this icon, why are they fighting to bring their book back into bookstores, and how would they write Uncle Sam today?
In our introduction, we also celebrate the life of artist John Cassaday, who left us far too soon at 52. Cassaday profoundly impacted our early comic reading relationship, bringing us together and launching our Graphic Novel Book Club, which we consider Comic Book Couples Counseling Version 1.0. The artist represents the best of what this medium can do, and his legacy lives on in us, his readers, and those who create in his wake. Our heart breaks for his friends and his family, and we offer them our love and gratitude for sharing John with us while they could.
Uncle Sam is now available from Abrams Comic Arts and DC's Black Label.
You can find Alex Ross on his Website, Twitter, and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Alex Ross on Fantastic Four: Full Circle
- Pots & Panels: A Comic Book Anthology Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 9/21 at 4:00 PM for Batman Forever, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When cartoonists like Daniel Warren Johnson and Riley Rossmo come together, the rest of us better take notice. The Moon Is Following Us drops its first issue on September 18th, and it's a jam comic with a fierce narrative engine and an even more assertive take-notice paint job. Set within the waking and sleeping worlds, Johnson handles the former while Rossmo takes the latter. The relationship between the two creates an electric reading experience not found anywhere else on the stands.
From a script by Johnson, The Moon Is Following Us sees young Penny fall into a sleeping sickness. She won't wake. Her parents, Duncan and Sam, plunge into her dreams and wage war against the Cascade, an evil, unknowable force. However, what these beasts are really doesn't matter. All Duncan and Sam need to know is that they stand in the way between them and their child.
In this week's podcast, we chat with Daniel Warren Johnson and Riley Rossmo about their new collaboration, why it's been in the works for a very long time, and what creatures they're fighting on the page every day. We uncover secret connections to a beloved children's series, discuss humanity's relationship with dreams, and the most anxiety-inducing comics that neither Johnson nor Rossmo have been able to shake.
The Moon Is Following Us #1 arrives from Image Comics on 9/18. Be sure you're following Daniel Warren Johnson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Follow Riley Rossmo on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC on Martian Manhunter by Riley Rossmo and Steve Orlando
- Daniel Warren Johnson on Beta Ray Bill
- Daniel Warren Johnson on Do a Powerbomb!
- Daniel Warren Johnson on Transformers
- The Moon Is Following Us Mini Doc Episode 1
- The Moon Is Following Us Mini Doc Episode 2
- The Moon Is Following Us Signing at Third Eye Comics
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 9/21 at 4:00 PM for Batman Forever, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We did it. We've completed our San Diego Comic-Con coverage. Twelve podcasts in August. Too much? Maybe, but no regrets, and there is no better way to wrap up our Comic-Con celebrations than with Star Trek group editor Heather Antos and superstar writer Ryan North discussing Star Trek: Lower Decks and its new mission at IDW Publishing.
Since its streaming premiere, we've championed Star Trek: Lower Decks as the most human Trek. While it's wickedly funny, frequently teasing the ultra seriousness in which we hold the franchise, Lower Decks laughs with the characters and concepts, never at them. The show and its showrunner, Mike McMahan, have tremendous reverence for the Star Trekthat's come before, and his love for it shines through every frame.
The upcoming fifth and final season, which begins on October 24th, has us feeling a little weepy. However, there's no reason to fret. IDW is relaunching the Star Trek: Lower Decks comic book series with a new number one on November 13th, and on October 22nd, there will also be a brand new graphic novel called Warp Your Own Way. Both are written by Ryan North (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Fantastic Four), and IDW Star Trek group editor Heather Antos oversees it all.
At San Diego Comic-Con, we sat down with North and Antos to discuss our mutual admiration for Star Trek: Lower Decks. We talk about its placement within the franchise, what they can do in the comics that McMahan and company cannot accomplish on television, and where this series may take the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos. Also, how does contributing to Star Trek affect their perspective as creators and, well, just as humans?
Continue this conversation by following Heather Antos on Twitter, Instagram, and her Website, as well as Ryan North on Twitter, Instagram, and his website.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joshua Williamson, Tom King, and Daniel Sampere Go All In
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Juni Ba on TMNT: Nightwatcher #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Ram V on The New Gods
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Mark Waid and Mariko Tamaki
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: James Tynion IV
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: JP Ahonen on Belzebubs
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Pornsak Pichetshote and Terry Dodson
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 9/21 at 4:00 PM for Batman Forever, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Hey, don't tell us. We'll tell you. The suits who bankroll the industry think they know what we want to read. They have no idea. Marginalizing voices is an active pursuit where financial concerns are frequently used as an excuse. The Horizon Experiment has faith in us, placing its future in our wallets, betting we'll support originality in genres gatekept by the fearful. Their first one-shot, The Manchurian, carries an irresistible premise steered expertly by Pornsak Pichetshoteand Terry Dodson.
Published by Image Comics, The Manchurian lands in comic book stores on September 25th (its FOC is September 2nd). The elevator pitch champions a Chinese James Bond. Look at the header image above. Terry and Rachel Dodson are going full-Daniel Craig in Casino Royale or Ursula Andress in Dr. No. We've read the first issue and can confirm fashion, sex, violence, and unconquerable charisma. However, beyond the Bond basics, The Manchurian follows a perspective never explored by 007: corporate espionage as handled by Chinese Communist agents.
Just as all of us were recovering from San Diego Comic-Con, we spoke with Pornsak Pichetshote and Terry Dodson about The Horizon Experiment, their twist on the spy sub-genre, and the four other radical one-shots riding on their heels. We discuss the pilot program The Horizon Experiment employs and how it's not really different from how comics always operate. We chat about capturing the Bond vibe without being chained to it and how competition amongst peers is as much a trap as anything else.
Make sure you continue this conversation by following Pornsak Pichetshote on Twitter and Instagram. Also, follow Terry Dodson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Pornsak Pichetshote and Jesse Lonergan on Man's Best
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joshua Williamson, Tom King, and Daniel Sampere Go All In
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Juni Ba on TMNT: Nightwatcher #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Ram V on The New Gods
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Mark Waid and Mariko Tamaki
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: James Tynion IV
- CBCC on Pat Chat - SDCC Hangover
- CBCC on Bif! Bam! Pow!
- Brad on Missing Frames, Talking Godzilla
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 9/21 at 4:00 PM for Batman Forever, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Once upon a time, cartoonist JP Ahonen fell out of love with his art. He'd reached a wall. It was burnout. He'd lost the joy found in creation. Then, he just started to doodle, and an Inktober project became a runaway success. Belzebubs, the saga of a black metal family, significantly inspired by Calvin and Hobbes, sprung from his brain, and there is no stuffing it back in.
These odd little outsiders reignited something inside Ahonen, but more importantly, Belzebubs ignited something in its readers. The audience appeared quickly and grew even faster. The webcomic has crossed over into other mediums and will soon be an animated series. Top Shelf Productions published two beautifully bound hardcovers, and we've latched onto them, proclaiming ourselves as rabid groupies.
Every San Diego Comic-Con introduces us to some new passion; this year, it's Belzebubs. After devouring the two hardcovers, inside the Hilton Bayfront, we eagerly chatted with JP Ahonen about his Belzebubs origins. We discuss how these characters came to him at a critical moment in his life and taught him to love comics again. And then, they took on a life of their own.
Now, it's your turn to join the cult. Follow JP Ahonen on Instagram and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joshua Williamson, Tom King, and Daniel Sampere Go All In
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Juni Ba on TMNT: Nightwatcher #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Ram V on The New Gods
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Mark Waid and Mariko Tamaki
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: James Tynion IV
- CBCC on Pat Chat - SDCC Hangover
- CBCC on Bif! Bam! Pow!
- Brad on Missing Frames, Talking Godzilla
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 9/21 at 4:00 PM for Batman Forever, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
In a few short years, James Tynion IV has become a beacon within comics. When you walk into a shop, you don't have to look long before you stumble upon one of his comics. He's seemingly everywhere, spreading beyond the four color realm, and no matter the title he's attached to, it's worth a perusal.
Back in July, at San Diego Comic-Con, we sat down with Tynion inside the Dark Horse Comics booth to discuss the unique collaborative process that birthed The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos. The conversation serves as a springboard to more significant topics, primarily the mission of his Tiny Onion label. How does Tynion feel about the industry today, and where would he like to see it go in the future?
We discuss Christopher Chaos' origins, his creative relationship with Tate Brombal and Isaac Goodhart, and what this book offers that seemingly similar stories don't. We talk about his recent short film Room Service and why he was compelled to make it alongside Elsa Charretier and others. James Tynion IV is a profoundly passionate artist who'd rather speed up than slow down.
Continue this conversation with James Tynion IV by following him on Instagram, Twitter, Substack, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds on CBCC
- Cecil Castellucci - I Am The Comic Book
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joshua Williamson, Tom King, and Daniel Sampere Go All In
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Juni Ba on TMNT: Nightwatcher #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Ram V on The New Gods
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Mark Waid and Mariko Tamaki
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC on Pat Chat - SDCC Hangover
- CBCC on Bif! Bam! Pow!
- Brad on Missing Frames, Talking Godzilla
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 9/21 at 4:00 PM for Batman Forever, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, the family was at the forefront of DC creators' minds. We couldn't escape the topic when discussing superheroics. Plus, we've been pretty anxious on the podcast, contemplating the ramifications of city saviors placing their loved ones above the citizens of Gotham City and Metropolis. Does the person on the street want Superman to have a son? A wife? A cousin? Thankfully, we can corner Mark Waid and Mariko Tamaki at the DC booth and force them to process our ridiculous worries.
In October, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee return to the early days of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in Batman and Robin: Year One. The twelve-issue maxi-series promises to delve into their unique relationship, revealing how Bruce Wayne learned to parent while keeping Joker behind bars. During the same month, Waid and Mariko Tamaki will share Action Comics as the Superman ongoing goes weekly. Waid, alongside artist Clayton Henry, will focus on Kal-El's problems post-Absolute Power while Mariko Tamaki and artist Skler Partridge continue their deep dive into Supergirl's inner life.
For the first half of today's episode, we speak with Mark Waid two-on-one, digging into Bruce and Dick's getting-to-know-you phase. We discuss Bruce's lack of familial role models, his inability or unwillingness to see Alfred as a father, and how he wanted Absolute Power to speak to the moment. In the back half, we have both Mark Waid and Mariko Tamaki on our microphone. We then focus on the Superman family, paying particular attention to Supergirl and the secrets Tamaki is unveiling to her readers.
The first issue of Batman and Robin: Year One lands in comic shops on October October 16th. Mark Waid and Mariko Tamaki join Action Comics on issue 1070, which arrives on October 9th. Continue our conversation by following Mark Waid via his Website. Follow Mariko Tamaki on Twitter and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Mark Waid on Lazarus Planet
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joshua Williamson, Tom King, and Daniel Sampere Go All In
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Juni Ba on TMNT: Nightwatcher #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Ram V on The New Gods
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC on Pat Chat - SDCC Hangover
- CBCC on Bif! Bam! Pow!
- Brad on Missing Frames, Talking Godzilla
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
This year's San Diego Comic-Con brought a lot of news. Possibly the most surprising and easily the most exciting was DC's announcement that The New Gods were coming back to comic shops and that their latest saga would be steered by writer Ram V and artist Evan Cagle. While these characters loom large over the DC universe, they've rarely carried a solo book for any significant amount of time. One reason for that might be that they're such pure Jack Kirby creations, and following in the King's footsteps is more than a challenge.
If anyone is up for such a task, it's Ram V. The writer's first work within DC was on Swamp Thing, and he easily proved he could step into a beloved property and add a little of himself to it. He recognizes fans' preciousness toward Jack Kirby's Fourth World, but he equally understands how The New Gods could speak very much to the moment.
We met with Ram V atop the DC booth on Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con. We begin our conversation with our love for all things Kirby and move toward parenthood, specifically fatherhood, and how it will thematically propel his take on The New Gods. What has Scott Free learned from his two dads, Darkseid and Highfather?
The New Gods will land in comic book shops in December, but make sure you catch up on the cosmic imbalance that launches their story by picking up The All In Special on October 2nd. To continue this conversation with Ram V, follow his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Ram V and Dan Watters on The Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joshua Williamson, Tom King, and Daniel Sampere Go All In
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Juni Ba on TMNT: Nightwatcher #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC on Pat Chat - SDCC Hangover
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Last year, cartoonist Juni Ba had an epic Fall, releasing multiple all-timers in one month. We had him on the show and told him the output would be difficult to top in 2024, and he humbly said he had a few projects already lined up and would do his best. With The Boy Wonder about to wrap and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #1 hitting stands today, Juni Ba reveals how he still has numerous killer comics inside him.
Ba returns to the podcast this week for a lengthy discussion about Nightwatcher. We go full spoilers, beginning with the person under the helmet and why there was no other option for the vigilante. We also consider how Nightwatcherthematically links to The Boy Wonder and possibly several other projects on the horizon. Nightwatcher is the first comic Ba has tackled solely as a writer, watching in wonder as artist Fero Pe delivers one astonishing page after another. The sensation is strange for Juni Ba, but he's getting used to it and digging into it.
With Jason Aaron and his cadre of collaborators developing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their new ongoing, Juni Ba is left alone to develop a unique corner within the IDW TMNT universe. The Nightwatcher persona first appeared in the 2007 TMNT animated film, but they functioned in an entirely different manner than the character as depicted by Ba and Pe. Has the fandom already created expectations around Nightwatcher? Will they allow these artists to attempt something a little different, adding a new layer to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles landscape? Juni Ba has some anxiety around the reaction to this comic, and we dig into those worries, too.
Continue this conversation with Juni Ba by visiting his Instagram and Twitter.
Other Relevant Links:
- Juni Ba on Mobilis: My Life with Captain Nemo
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Josua Williamson, Tom King, and Daniel Sampere Go All In
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
In October, DC asks its creators and readers to go All In regarding a new status quo. No matter their history with these characters or their knowledge of them, readers can pick up any single issue on the stands, begin a new adventure, and easily comprehend the event and its possibilities. It starts with The All In Special, released on October 2nd, written by Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder and illustrated by Daniel Sampere and Wes Craig. While ongoing stories like Wonder Woman, written by Tom King and illustrated by Sampere, won't reboot with a new number one, they will launch a new storyline considerate of the potential fresh eyes upon it.
This year, at San Diego Comic-Con, we climbed atop the DC booth for a discussion with writers Joshua Williamson and Tom King, as well as double-duty artist Daniel Sampere. Absolute Power, All In, Superman Energy, Darkseid Energy -- we get to the heart of what DC is attempting with this massive line-wide initiative that feels reminiscent of the New 52 without mimicking it. How will Williamson's current Superman run and King and Sampere's Wonder Woman storyline navigate the event, which includes the creation of Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's Absolute Batman, Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval's Absolute Superman, and Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman's Absolute Wonder Woman?
What's easily discernable is the enthusiasm these artists have for The All In Special, the equally bombastic response the news got from San Diego Comic-Con attendees, and the larger online reaction as well. Joshua Williamson believes he's exploring an aspect of Superman that Clark and previous creators on the book have never contemplated. Tom King and Daniel Sampere explain their hopes for Wonder Woman and their plan to stay on board for many more issues. As he states emphatically, King has not left comics for Hollywood.
Keep up to date on all things Joshua Williamson by following him on Twitter, Instagram, and Substack. Continue this conversation with Tom King via Twitter, Threads, and Instagram. Follow Daniel Sampere on Twitter and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell on Superman
- Tom King on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron on TMNT #1
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman on The Pedestrian
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
As San Diego Comic-Con began its last day, we met with Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman in the Hilton lobby to thoroughly discuss their brand-new superhero, The Pedestrian. Just when you dismiss the genre's ability to create or support a new spandex character, architects like Esposito and Von Gorman come around to rejuvenate the space with an absurd concept told earnestly. Imagine if Bruce Wayne patrolled Twin Peaks rather than Gotham.
We discuss the character's origins, the massive lore they're building around The Pedestrian, and why Magma Comix was the only home for their series. The Pedestrian represents the small good guys who come into our lives just when we need them and stand against the ancient systems designed to control our future. Playing Robert Altman, Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman populate Summer City with numerous characters, promising a massive universe beyond this first issue's twenty-four pages. The genius is how the comic uses established iconic images that we all interact with daily to propel us through new genre avenues.
The Pedestrian's first issue is now available in comic book shops everywhere. Make sure you're following Joey Esposito on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Also, follow Sean Von Gorman on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Wes Craig on Kaya
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We're mostly unpacked from San Diego Comic-Con, and we begin this week's podcast by discussing the show's big highlight. No, it's not RDJ as Doctor Doom. After working through the con highs and lows, we invite cartoonist Wes Craig into our Zoom room for the first time so we can thoroughly investigate his all-ages epic, Kaya.
In an era where publishing beyond six issues seems nearly impossible, Wes Craig has already knocked out 20 Kaya comics, equalling three trade paperbacks, and promises five more. Where does this compulsion to tell a long-form story originate, and more importantly, how can he make it happen? Some of the answer rests with us, his audience, but most of it rests with him and his compulsion.
Kaya is one of the best comic books on the stands. It's the story of two unique and complicated siblings, alone in a violent, fantastical world, bonding on the road to somewhere kinder while their faith see-saws back and forth. Wes Craig is living his fantasy, writing and drawing the saga that's lived within him for years. He just needs to get it out.
We chat with the cartoonist about his mission, characters, and universe. We explore the perils of the Chosen One trope, tease Kaya's big Empire Strikes Back moment, and consider the ultimate destination. And, yeah, we get into all his influences as well. Some you may already be aware of, but several others, probably not. Stand by Me? The Wonder Years?
The first three Kaya trade paperbacks are now available from Image Comics. Issue twenty arrived in comic shops today. Make sure you're following Wes Craig on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Jason Aaron
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
- Maria Bamford and Scott Marvel Cassidy on Hogbook and Lazer Eyes
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Hopefully, you've had some time with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 by Jason Aaron and Joëlle Jones. The record-breaking comic seemingly found its way into everyone's pullbox last week. Despite San Diego Comic-Con taking over much of the discourse, the IDW Publishing relaunch snatched tremendous attention and fueled equal excitement. As promised, it's a comic for the loyal continuity consumer, curious first-timer, or once-upon-a-time Mirage Studios loyalist.
Months back, shortly after he was announced to be on the book, we spoke with writer Jason Aaron about his plans for the brothers. He couldn't reveal much, but we nourished ourselves on a few clues. Now that the first issue is out there, and folks have properly devoured it three or four times, we're stoked to have Aaron back on the podcast, and this time, we can go full-spoilers regarding his first twenty-two pages of TMNT.
Our conversation occurred two days into San Diego Comic-Con, enclosed within a spacious conference room at the Hilton Bayfront. Only days before, Aaron and Joëlle Jones signed their first copies of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. The reaction was immediately positive, and the glow still hung around the author. Together, we discuss why the new series had to begin with Raphael and why he had to be trapped behind bars. We explore the "Return to New York" and the city as both a literal and metaphorical place. Again, our chat goes full spoilers. Please read the issue before pressing play.
Of course, we must also discuss San Diego Comic-Con itself—the behemoth—and how we had to adjust our coverage of it in ways we've never had to deal with before. Did CBCC hosts Brad and Lisa have a come-to-Jesus feud in the middle of Preview Night? Yes. Yes, they did. Lessons were learned.
Keep your eyes glued to the IDW Publishing page as more and more Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary celebrations are revealed, and make sure to follow Jason Aaron on Twitter, Instagram, and his website.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Hall H with Bryan Young (Patreon Exclusive)
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Gail Simone
- CBCC at SDCC 2024: Early Released, Unedited Interviews (Patreon Exclusive)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Reporting live from San Diego Comic-Con, we're chatting with Gail Simone about everything she has going on at the moment, including the incredible Misty 2024 Special from Rebellion Publishing. When editors first approached her with the project, she'd never read the previous British series. However, after a few issues, Simone was hooked and saw her way into Misty's world, so some updates would have to occur.
The Misty 2024 Special features three tales written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Carola Borelli, Aly Fell, and Marianna Ignazzi, plus a final story scripted and drawn by Letty Wilson. Each short takes on a different perspective and message, but all are snuggled comfortably within the horror genre. Simone is a thematically forward writer, and it was a treat to dig into her mission for each of these macabre yarns.
Initially created by Pat Mills and published in 1978, Misty was designed to appeal to women, but male readers came along for the ride (and the pretty pictures). Gail Simone modifies Misty's thematic and narrative points of view, basically doing what she did for Birds of Prey and the superhero genre, but for Misty and horror.
The Misty 2024 Special is currently available across the pond and will arrive on American shores on August 21st. Wrapped with a gorgeous Tula Lotay cover, this item is not to be missed. Also, as announced at San Diego Comic-Con, Gail Simone is writing more Misty stories. So, it's best to get aboard as soon as possible.
Follow Gail Simone on Twitter and Instagram.
And be on the lookout for our future San Diego Comic-Con coverage. We're talking to folks like Jason Aaron, James Tynion IV, Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Daniel Sampare, Tom King, Mariko Tamaki, Ram V, and more.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
It's easy to despair. Fear and frustration spread quickly, and their hold has hooks hard to shake. Don't fall into the discourse trap; free yourself by following the light radiating from the medium's champions. Find folks like Deb Aoki and Christopher Woodrow-Butcher and grab firm. Through their Mangasplaining podcast (co-hosted with David Brothersand Chip Zdarsky), they've become beacons of what the sequential art form can offer the human experience, and recently, they've taken their passion one step further (maybe several steps further) and actually manifested great comic works.
Mangasplaining, in partnership with Fantagraphics, first brought Susumu Higa's Okinawa into American comic shops and bookstores. Now, they're switching gears quite drastically, offering Atsushi Kaneko's radical reconsideration of Osamu Tezuka's iconic Dororo, Search and Destroy. The comic shifts the original story from feudal Japan to an apocalyptic future where machines enhance themselves using pieces stolen from a mysterious young woman. While they taste life with her tongue, she trudges across the sci-fi hellscape, sharpening her rage into a propulsive attack.
As we prepare for this week's San Diego Comic-Con International, we revel in the gifts all comics provide their readers. We chat with Deb Aoki and Christopher Woodrow-Butcher about their Mangasplaining origin, how it evolved into a comics delivery system, the types of conversations we should have about manga away from American Comics, and the conversations we should have about manga with American Comics. If you're looking for inspiration before America's biggest comic book convention takes over this week's discourse, this Comic Book Couples Counseling episode is ready to serve.
Relevant Links
- Search and Destroy - Fantagraphics
- Atsushi Kaneko on Twitter
- Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography - Udon Mangasplaining Announcement
- Giga Town Amazon Pre-Order Link
- Okinawa - Fantagraphics
- Free Chapter on Mangaspaining Extra, plus links to other MSX manga, including Search and Destroy
- Surviving San Diego Comic-Con Tips and Tricks
- Maria Bamford and Scott Marvel Cassidy on CBCC
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 8/18 at 4:00 PM for our Atomic Blonde screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
There is power in putting your life on the page. Cartoonist Maurice Vellekoop discovered it when making the internal external, crafting a massive graphic novel memoir over eleven years. I'm So Glad We Had This Time Togethergorgeously and nakedly splays his experience for EVERYONE to consume, and while his audience could/should find it healingly reflective, the act is entirely selfish. He's found the shape of his journey and solidified it. If only we could all be so fortunate.
Maurice Vellekoop is the youngest of four children, raised by a distant father and a magical mother in the Toronto suburbs. His family stewed in the arts, but young Maurice was drawn more to boob tube icons like Carol Burnett and would rather play with Barbies than read a book. Through his strict Calvinist upbringing, Maurice Vellekoop sensed vicious judgment toward the person he was becoming. I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together charts an epic struggle with depression, loneliness, and a violent, intolerant world.
On this week's podcast, Maurice Vellekoop joins us for a thorough conversation about the power found within memoirs, how depicting the most beautiful and horrid moments in his history created an aesthetic challenge and his complicated relationship with Disney animation. The conversation stands apart from other Comic Book Couples Counseling episodes, just as his book stands apart from other comics released this year. I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together demands your attention, and you should move it immediately to the top of your to-read pile.
I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together is now available from Pantheon Books. Please follow Maurice Vellekoop on Instagram and his Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Karl Stevens on CBCC
- The 30 Best Comics of 2024 (So Far)
- Surviving San Diego Comic-Con Tips and Tricks
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Cook Book Anthology
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When it comes to cool collaborators, Matt Kindt has had quite a few. He partnered with CBCC all-star Matt Lesniewski on Crimson Flower. He and David Rubin gave us the blazing sci-fi adventure Ether. And with Ron Garney and Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt birthed the This Is Spinal Tap version of Conan the Barbarian. Don't deny it: BRZRKR is proudly cranked to eleven.
The partner from Hollywood might attract the most mainstream attention, and it's an alliance that may have paved the way for Kindt's most crucial collaborator yet -- his mother. As a lifelong fan of whodunits, Margie Kraft Kindt has already taken it upon herself to scribble some stories, but she wasn't sure she could manage one with her son. However, the collaborative style Matt Kindt established with Keanu Reeves on BRZRKR cracked the code on how he would work with Margie. With a process in place, Gilt Frame, the latest entry under the Dark Horse Comics imprint Flux House, flew out of them pretty quickly.
Their story focuses on a somewhat different but kind of similar familial dynamic between an aunt and a nephew. Sam and Mary have already built a reputation as dynamite detectives, solving cases that span the globe. They're due for a little Parisian vacation, but fate won't allow it and drops a body at their feet. Back on the case, they get to work.
This week's podcast begins with celebrating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' 40th Anniversary as we describe our pilgrimage to Dover, New Hampshire, the site of the original Mirage Studios. We discuss the various TMNT landmarks we witnessed, the comic book shops we visited, the fights we had, and the comic script we wrote while there. If you haven't clocked it already, our theme for this episode is collaboration.
Gitl Frame will be available in comic shops on August 7th. Our conversation is process-focused and spoiler-free. Press play with pleasure. Also, ensure you follow Matt Kindt on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC on TMNT: 40th Anniversary
- Sean Phillips and Jacob Phillips on CBCC
- The 30 Best Comics of 2024 (So Far)
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Cook Book Anthology
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Are you ready to meet our new favorite henchman, Barfly? Jordan Blum, Patton Oswalt, Kyle Starks, and Ryan Browne are eager to make introductions. Their new series, spun "from the world of Minor Threats," drills even deeper into the philosophical pursuit initiated by the original run that began two years ago. The lowliest punk in Twilight City has a rich inner life, and he'd love to share it with you if you can set aside your primordial revulsion toward sh*teaters.
You don't need to browse long on the rack before encountering another comic deconstructing the superhero genre. Ever since 1986, every creator, it seems, wants to put forth their subversive effort, but Minor Threats avoids the usual cynical choices, embracing Silver Age nonsense and the joys that come with it. Minor Threats and its latest spin-off, Barfly, showcase tremendous humanity, using absurdity to expose genuine pain and triumph. The sincerity marks Minor Threatsas the most exciting superhero universe since Astro City.
We're downright chuffed to have Jordan Blum, Patton Oswalt, and Kyle Starks back on the podcast. Together, we question the name thrust upon our protagonist, his possible desire to be more than a henchman, and whether those seeking to be masterminds are driven or simply delusional. Also, does Superman go to the bathroom? At least one participant in our conversation has powerful feelings about that.
From the World of Minor Threats: Barfly #1 is published by Dark Horse Comics and arrives in comic shops on July 10th. It's written by Jordan Blum, Patton Oswalt, and Kyle Starks. Ryan Browne illustrated and colored it, and Nate Piekos lettered it.
Continue this conversation by following Patton Oswalt on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Follow Jordan Blum on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Kyle Starks on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and by visiting his Website HERE.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt on CBCC, Talking Minor Threats
- Kyle Starks on CBCC, Talking Karate Prom
- Subscribe to the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast
- Subscribe to This Comic Cooks
- Subscribe to Wizards: The Podcast Guide to Comics
- Watch The Fanbase Press Countdown to the Eisners
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Green Lantern screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
What's the ideal environment for making a comic? We toss the question to Sean Phillips and Jacob Phillips, and they ponder it for a moment. They've never experienced it, and they're not sure it's possible, or if it was, that they'd want it. Deadlines loom over all, making every comic an emergency. This urgency helps them accomplish their craft, and it must be working since, undoubtedly, everyone reading these words is craving their next collaboration, Houses of the Unholy (out August 14th from Image Comics).
The father/son duo first worked together on the Criminal novella, My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, written by longtime writing partner Ed Brubaker. Initially, Sean was set to color the book, and he knocked out a couple of pages, but the deadline demanded an alternative strategy. He called on his son for assistance, and since then, Jacob Phillips has colored all the Brubaker/Phillips joints.
For Father's Day, we asked Sean Phillips and Jacob Phillips to sit down with us and discuss their creative origins, collaborator origins, what Ed Brubaker expects from them these days, their need for affirmation, and why every book must be a race to the finish. Also, has Sean Phillips read The Enfield Gang Massacre yet?
We begin this week's podcast by interrogating the dad holiday, relating our recent parental celebrations, and discussing our attendance at Washington, D.C.'s second annual DC/DOX Film Festival, where we saw Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which included a moving and memorable conversation with Reeve's daughter, Alexandra Reeve Givens. Somehow, the recent season of MasterChef factors in as well.
Please ensure you're following Sean Phillips on Instagram, Twitter, and his Website and Jacob Phillips on Instagram, Twitter, and his Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Brad and Lisa on Free With Ads, Talking Tank Girl
- Subscribe to the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast
- Subscribe to This Comic Cooks
- Subscribe to Wizards: The Podcast Guide to Comics
- Watch The Fanbase Press Countdown to the Eisners
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Green Lantern screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We get serious with Jordan Morris, whether he wants us to or not. He returns to the podcast with his new graphic novel, Youth Group, done in collaboration with artist Bowen McCurdy. It's a wickedly winky narrative about a young goth girl named Kay reluctantly following her mother's instructions to join a Christian youth group and discovering that they actually battle demons. Morris returns to the nineties in an effort to better understand his brief flirtation with religiosity, which left him with warm but complicated feelings.
Youth Group arrives from First Second Books on July 16th, and it's packed with jokes, we promise. However, Jordan Morris has found himself once again trapped with Comic Book Couples Counseling, and we need to work out the weird feelings and memories his book awoke in us. Where does the metaphor begin and end with God? The question has been on our minds a lot lately, and we take it to Morris as filtered through Kay's clash with Hell's best betas.
In this week's episode, we travel back in time, exploring Jordan Morris' past youth group experiences as well as our own. We consider the anxious feeling ignited when connecting the personal with the absurd and the shocking healing that can occur on both sides of the page. For the artist and for the reader.
You can track down Jordan Morris via his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Brad and Lisa on Free With Ads, Talking Tank Girl
- Jordan Morris and Tony Cliff on CBCC
- Subscribe to the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast
- Subscribe to the Vactor-Verse
- Subscribe to Wizards: The Podcast Guide to Comics
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Green Lantern screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
How you define your relationship determines its trajectory. If you see your romance as a triumph over adversity, you will triumph. This is one of the many lessons we took from our long ago exploration of Drs. John and Julie Gottman, and we discuss their philosophy thoroughly on this week's podcast with Maria Bamford and Scott Marvel Cassidy. Their new graphic novel from Fantagraphics, Hogbook and Lazer Eyes, details their complicated coupling, all told through the eyes of their various elder pugs.
When Maria Bamford and Scott Marvel Cassidy were at their lowest, they signed up for the dating website O.K. Cupid, using the handles "Hogbook" and "Lazer Eyes." One date became two, which became three, then four. Their compatibility was less than a sure thing, but as they persisted, their connection solidified. Something about the other stirred understanding in themselves, and witnessing that epiphany through their canine housemates cleverly, maybe magically, creates profundity.
After the Gottmans, we discuss the other classic texts that shaped our understanding of relationships: Dan Slott and Michael Allred's Silver Surfer. As we've previously covered on the show, entering a marriage is to engage with "The Infinite All-In." In a best-case scenario, one of you will leave the other to wallow in grief. As you'll hear, for Maria Bamford and Scott Marvel Cassidy, "the 50/50 risk" gives value to the partnership.
As longtime admirers of Maria Bamford's standup comedy and television work and Scott Marvel Cassidy's comics and artistry, it was more than a joy to chat with them about Hogbook and Lazer Eyes. Discussing romance and collaboration with another creative couple helped us more clearly define our desires and wants for the future. Is a puppy on the horizon? Possibly.
To continue this conversation online, follow Maria Bamford on Twitter, Instagram, and her Website. Follow Scott Marvel Cassidy on Instagram and his Website. Hogbook and Lazer Eyes is now available from Fantagraphics. Find it wherever fine comics are sold.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Brad and Lisa on Free With Ads, Talking Tank Girl
- Subscribe to the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast
- Subscribe to the Vactor-Verse
- Subscribe to Wizards: The Podcast Guide to Comics
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Green Lantern screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The Gill-man just does it for us. Or Lisa, more specifically. You can have your Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Wolf Man, and Invisible Man; we'll take the wet and wild one off your hands any day of the week. Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! And no more ravishingly than in our hearts.
Where other Universal Monsters stem from rich, lurid literature and folklore, the Creature is a far more contemporary cat...er, fish. His origins are chained to the 1954 film, its few sequels, and the morality of that brief timeline. While we've seen artists offer some spins on the design here and there, for the most part, it's been a long time since anyone's properly played in the Creature's intoxicating fish tank.
As part of Skybound Entertainment and Universal's recent partnership, writers Ram V and Dan Watters (The One Hand, The Six Fingers), along with artist Matthew Roberts, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer DC Hopkins, continue the Gill-man's saga, some indeterminate time after the movie climaxed. Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! begins with a journalist tracking a serial killer to the Amazon.
We're so darn pleased to have Ram V and Dan Watters on the show this week, talking about Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!, what the Gill-man represents culturally and thematically, and why we have a Kate this time around and not a Kay. Also, which Universal Monster is the most sexy? We get into it whether anyone else wants to or not.
The first two issues of Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! are currently available from Skybound. The third issue will land in comic shops on June 26th.
To continue this conversation with Ram V, follow his Twitter, Instagram, and Website. To keep chatting with Dan Watters, follow his Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds on Dracula
- Pots and Panels: A Comic Cook Book Anthology
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Green Lantern screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
It's been a week. You've had a minute. The sixth and final issue of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is out there, living its life, rattling around our collective imaginations. We need to talk about it. You need to talk about it. Let's talk about it together. And drag cartoonist Patrick Horvath into the chat, crack his melon open, and root around in all of his delicious secrets. Yep, it's time to go full spoilers with this comic.
When Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees first landed in shops, it hooked its first readers in a profound way. The elevator pitch was beyond infectious; it was powerful. Mesmeric, maybe. The first issue transformed us into evangelists, preaching the good (grotesque) word of Sam the Bear and her sleepy Woodbrook community. Perhaps we glimpsed ourselves within her, as troubling as that was, and that caused us to seek new readers to share in our compelling confusion.
Half a year later, with the whole story inside us, we can confidently declare that we had no real idea where Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees would take us. Go back and listen to our first conversation with Patrick Horvath. We had an inkling but not a clue. Now, our perceptions are (semi)clear, and we need to run them through Patrick Horvath himself. Plus, go on a rant about Australian Traitors season two and make a few parallels between Sam the Bear and Sam the Sheriff.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was a smash hit for Patrick Horvath and IDW Publishing. Each of the sixth issues caused a stir, and we're extremely excited about how its recent Eisner Awards nomination and upcoming trade paperback release (September 17th) will attract even more new, unprepared readers. Hopefully, folks will also run toward Patrick Horvath's current Zoop campaign for Free For All, his Eat the Rich, dystopian, gladiatorial relationship drama. (CLICK HERE NOW)
Continue this conversation with Patrick Horvath by following his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Our Review of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #1
- Our First Convo with Patrick Horvath
- Patrick Horvath on his Favorite Comic Book and Movie Endings
- The 2024 Eisner Awards Nominations
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
He's back—like you've never seen him before. Kyle Starks, the writer behind I Hate This Place, Peacemaker Tries Hard!, and Where Monsters Lie, just released an original graphic novel at First Second that's all-ages and without swears. Karate Prom is a heart-forward action adventure about two teens who find love in the ring, or after it, when Sam knocks Don "TheDragonWilson" Jones out cold.
As Starks puts it in our conversation, he's entered his "two people who just love the sht out of each other phase." And how could Comic Book Couples Counseling* not celebrate? Conflict is necessary and inevitable, but it's nice to witness a couple find it outside their relationship and in the forms of terrifying exes, a global crime cartel, and an onslaught of ninjas.
Karate Prom also offers us an opportunity to relive our squidgy high school rituals and force Kyle Starks to do the same. Who was the biggest player in high school: Brad, Lisa, or Kyle? The answer may surprise you. Or not...probably not.
Be sure to stay current on all things Kyle Starks by following him on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and by visiting his Website HERE.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Kyle Starks on I Hate This Place
- Kyle Starks on Old Head
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Batman 35th Anniversary Screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
March 5th, 1984. Forty years ago, three thousand copies of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 hit the newsstands. The title was impossible to ignore. Born from a joke between fresh collaborators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, it sparked an instantaneous passionate response. Many quickly dismissed the concept or rolled their eyes, but those who actually read that first issue recognized the love for the medium within. Eventually, cartoons and toys would follow, and a phenomenon occurred that truly has not been replicated in the comics space since.
This week's podcast is our "Thank You" to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. We return to those Mirage Studios' early years, examining three critical comics that would shape and define the characters: the Leonardo micro-series one-shot and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issues ten and eleven. These stories would form the climax of the 1990 movie adaptation and propel the brothers into a momentous clash with The Shredder in "Return to New York" and its "City at War" aftermath.
No Love Expert guides our hands this week as we draw lessons directly from the comics. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird poured so much life into their stories, and the result is a beautiful mirror reflecting our hopes and fears. In these pages, the reader exists already; they merely must find themselves.
Mirage Studios published these comics between December 1986 and June 1987. They were written and penciled by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, inked and toned by Eastman, Laird, Stephen R. Bissette, Michael Dooney, and Ryan Brown, and lettered by Steve Lavigne. You can currently read them via IDW Publishing's massive Compendium Vol. 1.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Jason Aaron on CBCC
- Kevin Eastman on CBCC
- The TMNT CBCC Counseling Sessions
- An Era of Struggle for (Comics) Journalism
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Batman 35th Anniversary Screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
For this week's podcast, we're digging out a treasure from the CBCC Patreon Feed: our deep-dive conversation with Daniel Warren Johnson about The Nam # 9. This thorough discussion launched our "Married to Singles" Patreon exclusive series, where we examine the favorite single issues of various comic book creators and critics. It's one thing to dissect an artist's work alongside or in front of them, as we often do, but it's an entirely different thing to scrutinize an artist's work with another artist.
Daniel Warren Johnson is a can't-miss cartoonist. If he's on a book, you want that book in your pullbox. Extremity, Murder Falcon, Do a Powerbomb!, and Transformers are essential reads for those obsessed with the comic form. If you want to understand what DWJ does so well, our conversation with him about his passion for Michael Golden gives you another angle.
As Johnson remarks in our chat, Michael Golden in The 'Nam # 9 does things he would never do, and those choices mystify and compel him. Johnson came to the Marvel series late in his comic reading history, picking up the first two issues and enjoying them but only coming across the rest of those Golden books years later at C2E2. He profoundly appreciates all those early 'Nam issues, but the ninth one just hits differently. Why? We get into it.
After you enjoy our conversation with Daniel Warren Johnson, consider digging into the rest of our "Married to Singles" episodes. We have thorough inspections with Jason Ayers on Uncanny X-Men # 183, Christian Ward on Arkham Asylum, and more. The CBCC Patreon costs as little as $1 a month or $12 a year. You can also purchase these episodes individually, without joining the Patreon, for $3 an episode via our Online Shop.
The 'Nam # 9 was originally published by Marvel Comics on May 19, 1987. It was written by Doug Murray, penciled by Michael Golden, inked by John Beatty, and lettered and colored by Phil Felix. G.I. Joe mastermind Larry Hama served as editor, while Jim Shooterwas Editor-in-Chief.
You can continue this conversation by following Daniel Warren Johnson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Robert Kirkman, Joshua Williamson, and Daniel Warren Johnson at SDCC
- Appreciating Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers, an essay
- Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly on Duke
- The Ultimate Do a Powerbomb! Daniel Warren Johnson Interview
- The Ultimate Beta Ray Bill Daniel Warren Jonson Interview
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 5/19 at 4:00 PM for our Batman (1989) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
When people dare to complain about modern Transformers stories, they often single out the human characters and how they drag the spotlight away from the glorious Cybertron titans they paid their money to see. Optimus Prime is enough. Bumblebee is enough. We don't need Spike or Sparky to stretch the narrative. Just give us the 'bots.
And yet, Daniel Warren Johnson, the virtuosic cartoonist behind Extremity, Murder Falcon, and Do a Powerbomb!, could not imagine telling his Transformers story without Spike and Sparky. Why? The humans are at the forefront of this week's podcast as we reflect on Daniel Warren Johnson and colorist Mike Spicer's first six issues and their catastrophic climax.
Johnson sees Optimus Prime as the ultimate dad, and he wants to tell his ultimate dad saga while simultaneously reintroducing the Autobots and the Decepticons to Image Comics readers. His Transformers create a significant branch in Skybound's ever-expanding Energon Universe, which includes other titles like Void Rivals, Duke, and Cobra Commander. Telling an emotional and singular story while supporting the most exciting event in comics is a herculean task, and thankfully, for all his readers, Johnson is absolutely up for it.
After we pour ourselves over Transformers issues one through six, we invite Daniel Warren Johnson onto the show for a hearty debrief. We discuss the humanity at the core of his story, why Sparky was always Optimus Prime's parallel figure, and what we can expect after the heroic and tragic events of the sixth issue.
Transformers 7 is currently on comic stands, while the trade paperback collecting the first story arc will arrive on May 21st. Catch a preview of Transformers 8 on Skybound's website. You can continue this conversation by following Daniel Warren Johnson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Robert Kirkman, Joshua Williamson, and Daniel Warren Johnson at SDCC
- Appreciating Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers, an essay
- Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly on Duke
- The Ultimate Do a Powerbomb! Daniel Warren Johnson Interview
- The Ultimate Beta Ray Bill Daniel Warren Jonson Interview
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/21 at 4:00 PM for our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
How many words belong on a page? How many panels? In this week's podcast, we uncover the answers by chatting with Pornsak Pichetshote and Jesse Lonergan about their new Boom Studios series, Man's Best. It's a radically personal work about three emotional support animals lost in space, and it forced its creators to rethink their collaborative impulses to achieve the best comic possible. And we're excited to report they pulled it off. Man's Best is, without doubt, one of the year's best comics.
In our conversation, before we dig into the craft and math behind the comic, we challenge the themes Pichetshote and Lonergan are exploring with Man's Best. It's a saga born out of crisis, and it required the artists to adopt one of the most tried-and-true fictional devices: anthropomorphization. We consider the intrinsic value of placing animals in harm's way and how it immediately - and perilously - heightens an audience's emotions. One dog dies, and we're happy to watch John Wick eradicate a hundred goons. It's not a vice-versa situation.
The first issue of Man's Best is out now, and the second issue will arrive in comic shops on April 24th. You can continue this conversation online by following Pornsak Pichetshote on Twitter and Instagram, as well as Jesse Lonergan on Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Jesse Lonergan on CBCC, Talking Miss Truesdale
- SKTCHD's Exploration of the Connection Between Comics and Podcasts
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/21 at 4:00 PM for our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We've dreaded this moment for more than a minute. The Death of Comics Bookcase is here. Journalist Zack Quaintance has assembled a mighty fine coffin in the form of a comic book and put his old self into it. Having written for his old site, we'll miss him, but we also recognize this death as a rebirth loaded with possibility, and we can't help but be excited, too.
Having dipped his toes into comic-making with Next Door, Zack Quaintance now plunges all the way in with his latest project. The Death of Comics Bookcase is an anthology featuring various rad artistic talent: Nick Cagnetti, P.J. Holden, Luke Horsman, Ryan Lee, Anna Readman, Pat Skott, and more. With stories like "The Werewolf Priest" and "The Responsibili-Teen," the book surfs through numerous genres, playing with our love of the medium while crafting a profoundly personal pseudo-biography.
On this week's podcast, we grab Zack Quaintance for an intimate discussion regarding his need to make comics after spending so many years writing about them. We discuss the necessary death of his old self and his hopes for the new one. We chat about the various doors he's closed in his life and how he was able to kick down the one that blocked his path to becoming a comics creator. If he can do it, you can too. Prepare yourself for inspiration.
The Death of Comics Bookcase is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. The project is already complete; we've read it and backed it ourselves. You can also continue this conversation with Quaintance by following him on Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- WonderCon with The Geekly Grind Part 1
- WonderCon with The Geekly Grind Part 2
- WonderCon with The Geekly Grind Part 3
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/21 at 4:00 PM for our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
A story is never one story. A story is several stories. It's the story imagined by its author or authors, as is often the case in comics, and it's the story imagined by its many readers. They can be similar or significantly different, but none of them are the same. Never have we been more aware of this phenomenon than when we were talking to Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay about their new comic, Somna.
The DSTLRY series gripped us immediately. One issue in, we found ourselves challenged, wrestling with how these witch trial stories typically propel themselves. Fear and hate are the enemy, but what happens when the paranoia is justified? Both of us interpreted the story differently, but our interpretations differed slightly from Becky Cloonan's headcanon, and hers differed slightly from Tula Lotay's headcanon. Fascinating.
We can agree on Somna's plot. Ingrid is unhappily wed to the town bailiff, who succeeds by sniffing out witches and bringing them to a cleansing fire. His work consumes him, drying his desire for Ingrid and leaving her open to shadowy whispers from a potentially demonic phantom. Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay trade pages throughout, setting barriers between dream and reality before breaking them down in tremendous fashion.
Somna's third and final issue arrives in shops today. It's the culmination of a decade-long journey for Cloonan and Lotay, and they're eager to share their inspirations, interpretations, and intentions with us. Our conversation is spoiler-ish -- we HAD to talk about that last panel, so it's best if you're caught up on the series before diving into our episode.
To continue this discussion, you can find Becky Cloonan on Twitter and Instagram, and Tula Lotay on Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/21 at 4:00 PM for our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Walk into your local comic book store and give it a good browse. These days, you won't find too many Western comics. When a publisher like Image Comics grants a person the opportunity to make one, they must seize it and run wild. Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips cram The Enfield Gang Massacre with everything they love about the genre. It's got bank robberies, shootouts, and Gatling guns, oh my.
When Condon and Phillips last appeared on the podcast, we speculated that The Enfield Gang Massacre and its sibling series That Texas Blood were their Hellboy saga. Within this massive, time-spanning tale, they can go anywhere and explore anything, as long as it speaks to the lowercase evil and the uppercase Evil that frequently corrupts humanity's heart.
However, with that conversation, we had only read The Enfield Gang Massacre's first issue. This time, we've devoured the whole darn thing, and we had to go full-spoilers with the creators. We start at the end with the new six-page prequel story appearing in The Enfield Gang Massacre's trade paperback (out April 9th). We consider how this short story reworks our understanding of what Condon and Phillips are building with their Western and discuss just how far back they could go with That Texas Blood.
You can continue this chat with the That Texas Blood creators by following Chris Condon on Twitter and Instagram and following Jacob Phillips on Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Enfield Gang Massacre
- Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on That Texas Blood
- Andrew Cumming on Out of Darkness
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/21 at 4:00 PM for our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Who are we? Who do we want to be? Sometimes, the truth is a lie well told. Tom King returns to the podcast for his most in-depth conversation, breaking down the themes of his iconic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow run and why so much of his personal history wound up within it.
Explore no further if you have not already read Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. We spoil everything. We've wanted to have this conversation with Tom King since we read the first issue, and it became utterly vital for our well-being after we read the last issue. We begin with the title and its significance at the start of the project versus its significance at the halfway point. From there, we consider Supergirl's quest alongside the vengeance-seeking Ruthye, how both characters are changed by the other, and just exactly what we're supposed to take away from that final page.
A comic like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow doesn't come around too often. Every creator involved, from King to artist Bilquis Evely to colorist Matheus Lopes to letter Clayton Cowles, is operating at the height of their powers. It seems impossible to replicate, yet the entire team returns to comic shops this week with Helen of Wyndhorn. And yeah, we've read the first issue, and we're already in awe of what they're cooking inside this Wizard of Oz meets Conan the Barbarian tale.
Special Bonus! Learn Tom King's Secret Comic Book Couples Counseling origin. We'll say no more here, but it's a fun tidbit for podcast trivia seekers.
Finally, we begin our episode celebrating this year's Awesome Con experience and the first-ever CBCC panel held on March 8th at 8:30 PM in Room 206 of the Washington DC Convention Center. Our thanks to everyone who came out for our counseling session.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was originally published between August 2021 and April 2022. It's currently available in trade paperback from DC Comics, but a new Deluxe Hardcover edition will arrive on July 24th. Find it wherever rad books are sold.
Continue this conversation with Tom King via Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!
Other Relevant Links:
- Tom King and Elsa Charretier on Love Everlasting
- Tom King and Mitch Gerads on Batman: The Brave and the Bold
- Tom King on Danger Street
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/17 at 4:00 PM for our Hellboy (2004) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
This week's episode is the conversation we've wanted to have with Tyler Crook from the moment we first read The Lonesome Hunters. Despite already having two wonderful chats with Crook on the record, we couldn't let him rest there. After Dark Horse Comics released the second volume, The Wolf Child, we needed to go full-spoilers, and it appears Tyler Crook needed to do the same thing. We start at the end and work our way back to the beginning, picking through the comic's various themes and how they got there.
All of that is to say that you've been warned. If you have not read The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child, please do so immediately. While not centered on a romantic couple, it's the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling comic, a place where the reader can go to find themselves as Tyler Crook has put everything of himself into it. The book's central protagonists, Howard and Lupe, are thrust onto a road with an undercurrent of magic. One has avoided it for most of their life; the other desperately clings to it in hopes of relief.
When a comic like this one comes around, you must celebrate. The Lonesome Hutners: The Wolf Child is the purest of expressions, written, illustrated, colored, and lettered by Tyler Crook. It's a human bound in pages, and the result is something so painfully, beautifully relatable.
Our previous conversations with Tyler Crook will contextualize some of this interview. Please hit the links to those episodes below. It's always lovely to chat with Crook. We dig as deep into The Lonesome Hunters' mythology as the artist will allow at this point. We tell him what we think the comic is about, and he encouragingly responds to those interpretations.
The Lonesome Hunters The Wolf Child is now available from Dark Horse Comics, wherever fine comic books are sold. You can continue your conversation with Tyler Crook via his Blue Sky, Instagram, and Website. Also, you can listen to his music through his Bandcamp page (although it's also available on Spotify, Apple Music, and the like).
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!
Other Relevant Links:
- Our 1st Tyler Crook Conversation
- Our 2nd Tyler Crook Conversation
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
- Our Recent Appearance on My Marvelous Year (Convincible)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/17 at 4:00 PM for our Hellboy (2004) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Some birthdays are bigger than others. To properly celebrate the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hitting their forties this year, IDW Publishing is determined to make a fuss regarding our favorite comic book siblings, including, but not limited to, inviting heavyweight scribe Jason Aaron onto their flagship title. The main monthly comic will relaunch with a new number one in July but remain faithful to IDW's continuity, all one hundred and fifty issues of it.
This week on Comic Book Couples Counseling, Jason Aaron reveals the title of his run's first storyline, how it's layered with meaning, especially for fans of the original Mirage Studios stories, and why it was necessary to collaborate with such wickedly cool stylists like Joëlle Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Cliff Chiang, and Chris Burnham. We also discuss why he's starting his saga with four solo adventures, with each of the first four issues focusing on a specific brother, and how June's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha #1 one-shot will set the stage and tone for what's to come.
Once upon a time, a young Jason Aaron purchased Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 and had his little mind melted. He wants to bring the same punk rock energy to his series that the original creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, brought to every one of their comics. We return to this headspace with Jason Aaron, revisit a few of our favorite Ninja Turtle comics, and speculate on what we may see on the page in the very near future.
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: there is no better time to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. All rapidly on their way, we have a new monthly series written by Jason Aaron, another series titled TMNT: Mutant Nation, Juni Ba and Fero Pe's Nightwatcher spin-off, a Saturday Morning Adventures TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo crossover one-shot, and the artist showcase anthology, TMNT: Black, White, and Green. So, yeah, we had to take a moment and break all that down too. OH! And remember, The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution hits shops on March 6th!
Keep your eyes glued to the IDW Publishing page as more and more Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary celebrations are revealed, and make sure to follow Jason Aaron on Twitter, Instagram, and his website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!
Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!
Other Relevant Links:
- Kevin Eastman on CBCC
- TMNT x CBCC
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
- Jason Aaron on comicbook.com
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/17 at 4:00 PM for our Hellboy (2004) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
All biography is autobiography. Nowhere is this more evident than when discussing Tom Scioli's back-to-back books, Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics and I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee. Since his earliest works, Scioli has found himself through his reverence, study, and subversion of the King. Kirby's collaborations with Stan Lee shaped much of our current cultural imagination, and they absolutely reworked Scioli's DNA and continue to do so with each passing day.
During our first conversation with Tom Scioli, done shortly after he completed his Jack Kirby biography, he seemed hesitant to the idea of tackling Stan Lee next. Three years later, he's done so, but he did it in an unexpected way, skipping the interior path into his subject and embracing the exterior. After all, there are so many more interviews, articles, biographies, and documentaries on Stan "The Man" Lee than Jack Kirby, and it was much easier to source the events described in I Am Stan. Hell, the appendix to the comic is almost as richly readable as the comic itself.
I Am Stan's front cover and first two pages establish a challenging position, especially for those who've adored Stan Lee in a particular fashion for so many decades. We're grateful to have Tom Scioli on the podcast this week to discuss those opening blows and the sympathy and love he still carries for the man who many believe built Marvel Comics. We discuss how his approach to Stan Lee differed from Jack Kirby's and how both books combine to form a third narrative.
I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee is now available from Ten Speed Press. Make sure to follow Tom Scioli on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and on Patreon HERE.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!
Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!
Other Relevant Links:
- Tom Scioli on Jack Kirby
- Tom Scioli on Fantastic Four: Grand Design
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/25 at 4:00 PM for our Meteor Man screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
What's in the box!? Scott Summers invites Emma Frost into his mind palace and shows her his special black cube, constructed with a little help from his ex. Gulp. This week, we reach the halfway point in our ScEmma Counseling Session series, discussing Dark X-Men: The Confession as well as Uncanny X-Men issues 518 and 519, which mark the height of their functionality. Yup, it's the top of their hill, and we're not ready to look on the other side.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, let's revel in their achievements as they recognize each other's authentic selves while casting off their conditioned selves. Namor, Tony Stark, the X-Force kill squad. Forget about them. Scott and Emma, you're two desperate, hyper-vigilant people pleasers who can forget their shady past sins and embrace their sexy present sins.
Helping us navigate Scott and Emma's multiple psychic revelations is Dr. Nicole Lepera and her book, How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace and Heal Your Relationships. Together, we explore the seven conditioned selves, consider which apply to Scott and Emma, and wonder whether Psylocke was the right choice for Professor X's surgical assistant.
Dark X-Men: The Confession was published by Marvel Comics in September 2009. It's written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, penciled by Bing Cansino, inked by Roland Paris, colored by Edgar Delgado and Brian Reber, and lettered by Rob Steen.
Uncanny X-Men issues 518 and 519 were published between December of 2009 and January of 2010. They were written by Matt Fraction, penciled by Terry Dodson, inked by Rachel Dodson, colored by Justin Ponsor, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!
Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!
Other Relevant Links:
- ScEmma - New X-Men: The Psychic Affair Episode
- ScEmma - New X-Men: Here Comes Tomorrow Episode
- Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/25 at 4:00 PM for our Meteor Man screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The initial mission was to create a character who would outlast him. Todd McFarlane stared down Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. He knew he had a character within him that could last beyond his own lifetime; he just had to pull him out. Spawn might not have outlived his maker yet, but he has survived and thrived these last thirty-plus years. As has Todd's action figure empire, McFarlane Toys, celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year.
Next month, Spawn continues its record-breaking run, reaching a milestone of three hundred and fifty issues. The comic promises to answer questions that have been building for years while laying the groundwork for a Spawn Universe explosion: seven new Spawn-related titles will hit shelves throughout 2024.
You might think Todd McFarlane would be preoccupied with everything happening in his world in 2024, but he's already scrawling out his 2025 plans. Longevity is the great, underrated value in business. As is the importance of a thick back catalog ready to exploit when the spotlight falls upon it.
This week, Todd McFarlane returns to Comic Book Couples Counseling for the fourth time, and it's our longest and most in-depth conversation so far. We ask him about the lessons we could all learn from the four decades he's spent in the comic book trenches. While he's initially resistant to accept that there are any lessons to grab, he generously opens up and shares his various philosophies. These are the secrets to Todd's success.
Spawn #350 arrives from Image Comics on February 21st. If you want to continue our discussion with Todd McFarlane, you can find him on Twitter and Instagram, as well as his Website. Follow McFarlane Toys through Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!
Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website,shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!
Other Relevant Links:
- Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo on Batman/Spawn
- Todd McFarlane at San Diego Comic-Con
- The Ten Best Spawn Comics According to Todd McFarlane
- Scott and Emma: New X-Men - Here Comes Tomorrow
- Subscribe to the FREE CBCC Newsletter
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/25 at 4:00 PM for our Meteor Man screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, onInstagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Today, we get serious about ScEmma. After years of teasing it, we're finally tackling the complicated romance between the X-Men's Scott Summers and Emma Frost. It's a relationship born out of pain and surprise. Maybe it was not meant to last, but we can't ignore the lessons found within their passion.
We begin our counseling session at the end of Grant Morrison's iconic New X-Men run, discussing the Assault on Weapon Plus, Planet X, and Here Comes Tomorrow storylines (issues 142 - 154). The psychic affair is known, out in the open for every X-Man and reader to judge. Scott and Emma are thrown apart, and their reunion must wait until Magneto's done with Manhattan. Once face-to-face, the riddle of their relationship could be the answer behind an apocalyptic future. What's Jean got to say about it all?
Helping us navigate possible romantic catastrophes is Dr. Nicole Lepera and her book, How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace and Heal Your Relationships. What hope does ScEmma have if Scott and Emma are alienated from their authentic selves? Can any relationship survive when one or both parties feel broken?
New X-Men issues 142 - 154 were published by Marvel Comics between June 2002 and May 2003. They were written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Chris Bachalo, Phil Jimenez, and Marc Silvestri. They're inked by Tim Townsend, Al Vey, Aaron Sowd, Andy Lanning, Simon Coleby, BATT, Joe Weems, Billy Tan, and Eric Basaldua. The colorists were Chris Chuckry, Steve Firchow, John Starr, Matt Milla, Beth Sotelo, and Brian Buccellato. The letterers were Chris Eliopoulos and Rus Wooton.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!
Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
Other Relevant Links:* #ScEmma CBCC 5th Anniversary Episode
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/25 at 4:00 PM for Meteor Man screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Regret is a poison we too often sip from in our lives. Resisting its toxin should be easy, but it's a practice we must continuously endure. Thankfully, we have writers like Jadzia Axelrod, who offer stories as gauntlets for us to charge through in our imaginations. Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy, the latest saga from Axelrod and artist Amancay Nahuelpan, forces Kendra Saunders to reflect on her life and the many past lives that came before and embrace the choices they made as the villainous Vulpecula suggests disastrous shortcuts.
This week's episode is a conversation we've wanted on the record for some time. Axelrod's Galaxy: The Prettiest Star, done in collaboration with Jess Taylor, profoundly rattled our perception of what was capable within the DC Comics universe. The comic was astonishingly additive, something you don't often see these days, and we were eager to experience where such a story would travel next. The recent six-issue Hawkgirl series delivers on that book's promise in a big, big way and then dares to add a little more.
We chat with Axelrod about her commitment to continuity even when tempted by a retcon. Axelrod explains her passion for fairytales and why they offered Hawkgirl's Kendra Saunders the firmest footing to stand upon. We also discuss Galaxy's perfect pairing with Kendra and why her story suggested relief for both heroes as well as those reading their adventures.
Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy is currently available in six glorious single issues, but it will soon be collected in trade paperback on June 4th. You should definitely pre-order the book, but you shouldn't wait either. Jump on those floppies, as our conversation with Jadzia Axelrod is full-spoilers. There is simply too much happening in this series for any elements to be left off the mic.
Continue our conversation with Jadzia Axelrod by following her Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!
Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/21 at 4:00 PM for our Hulk (2003) screening, featuring The Incredible Hulk writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson in person and co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Ninety years after his creation, Flash Gordon continues to soar in syndication. Helping us celebrate Alex Raymond's fearless champion this week is current Flash Gordon cartoonist Dan Schkade. Together, we explore why the confident space jock remains relevant and why the electric sexuality associated with the eighties cinematic adaptation is simply an extension of the raw heat present in Raymond's original strips.
Since his birth, numerous stylists have had their way with Flash Gordon. He's been the subject of serials, movies, cartoons, and comic books. In his current strip, syndicated by King Features, Dan Schkade honors the eclectic creators who came before him, paying homage to their versions while filtering them through his unique perspective. This is your dad's Flash Gordon, but also yours and your brother's and your sister's. He belongs to every single one of us!
What is the appeal of the square-jawed hero? In the wrong hands, such conviction could read as dull or false. Excitement ignites through the scenarios in which Dan Schkade erects around his can't-miss crusader. Each plot is a puzzle, not for the reader to crack, but for the character and the joy occurs in witnessing Flash Gordon solve it.
Follow Dan Schkade on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Dan Schkade's 90th Flash Gordon Celebrations Begin
- Dan Schkade's 1st Flash Gordon Strip
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2023 (Part One)
- The Stampies: Best Comics of 2023 (Part Two)
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/21 at 4:00 PM for our Hulk (2003) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We can't put 2023 to bed without releasing our very last episode of the year, The Stampies: The Best Comics of 2023 (Part Two). Continuing the celebration from last week's Part One, we push into several other major categories, highlighting the exceptional art birthed into the universe by this beautiful medium. Aiding our love-in our numerous friends from the comics journalism and podcasting community. Frankly, too many wonderful comics were released in 2023, so it's always a blessing to have friends champion so many other titles.
In this episode, we also unveil the first annual Jesse Tapia II "Champ Stamp" to a comics creator deserving of wider recognition and acclaim. This particular Stampie is offered in loving memory of our friend Jesse Tapia II, who sadly passed away in late 2023. Jesse was a magnificent and passionate comic book advocate, bringing joy and a comic recommendation to everyone he interacted with. We hope to live up to his tremendous enthusiasm for the art form.
As we welcome a new year, we must thank every one of our listeners. You enriched our lives in ways that are hard to put into words. Five years ago, we started this podcast in the hope that there were a few others like us out there, eager to approach comics from a place of love and self-introspection. Finding you validated that dream. Thank you. We love you. Let's keep on' keepin' on in 2024. Read more comics. Make more comics. Love more comics.
Part Two Category Timestamps:
- Writer of the Year - 20:50
- Artist of the Year - 32:08
- Best International Release - 40:30
- Best Ongoing Series - 52:15
- Best Limited Series - 1:03:11
- Best Original Graphic Novel - 1:11:53
- The Jesse Tapia II Champ Stamp - 1:17:36
- Best Horror Series - 1:26:17
- Best Grindhouse Experience - 1:28:10
Celebrity Guest Stars:
- David Brooke (@NoSocialize) from AIPT
- Kat Calamia (@ComicUno) from Comic Uno
- Christian Holub (@cmholub) from Entertainment Weekly
- Troy-Jeffrey Allen (@TJAComics) from RexCo and PreviewsWorld
- Jessika (@jessikawitha) and Mike (@vansau) from Ten Cent Takes
- Dallas (@dallas_comics), Anne (@AnneComics), and Lexi (@lexilou_comics) from The Comics Collective
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we highlight all the rad 2023 comics you can find in their shop. These titles are not to be missed. Remember, if you've got a screen, you've got a comic. Go get one. Or two. Or a dozen.
This year, our two-part Stampies episodes picked up an additional sponsor: Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia. Their epic post-Christmas sale will occur on January 6th, but if you're not within driving distance, you'll still want to track them down via their Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Their annual Sketch Cover Charity benefitting the Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area will next occur in 2024, and it's your chance to win some Sean Phillips, Charlie Adlard, and other rad creators' original art.
Other Relevant Links:
- Most Anticipated Comics of 2024
- Scott and Emma: New X-Men
- Support Jesse Tapia II's GoFundMe Campaign
- Ray Ellis & The Girl with the Peach
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/21 at 4:00 PM for our Hulk (2003) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
It's here - The Stampies: Best Comics of 2023 (Part One)! For the last two months, we've scrambled to read all the comics we missed during the year and compiled a gargantuan list of favorites. As far as the comics medium was concerned, 2023 was an impressively massive year for quality books. And once again, squeezing the best comics into one CBCC episode proved impossible.
Of course, we couldn't read all the comics. So, if there is a personal favorite you see missing from our Stampies, please let us know. We're in this for discovery and want to read the comics you loved the most in 2023. Thankfully, we invited several colleagues to jump on the phone with this love-in and name their 2023 faves. You better get some scrap paper because you'll want to tally these books up on your own to-read list.
Below are the timestamps for our categories and links to our most generous guests. Please take a moment to browse their good work and support this beautiful comics community.
Part One Category Timestamps:
- Best Comic Book Couples - 14:04
- Best Superhero Series - 19:25
- Best All-Ages Comic - 28:24
- Best Memoir - 36:23
- Best Digital Comic - 46:53
- Best First Issue - 55:33
- Best Single Issue - 1:04:10
Celebrity Guest Stars:
- Sal (@SalSaysWhat) from Comic Pop
- Vactor (@Vactor) from The Vactor-Verse
- Aaron (@betteractions) and Chris (@chacker41) from The Oblivion Bar
- Oliver Sava (@OliverSava) from Vulture, Polygon, etc.
- Robyn Warren (@geekgirlstrong) from Geek Girl Strong
- Aeric Azana (@thatdaringman) from Geeksplained
- Chris and Lance (@CBKast) from The Comic Book Keepers
- Badr Milligan (@TheShortBoxJax) from The Short Box: A Comic Talk Show
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
This year, our two-part Stampies episodes picked up an additional sponsor: Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia. Their epic post-Christmas sale will occur on January 6th, but if you're not within driving distance, you'll still want to track them down via their Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Their annual Sketch Cover Charity benefitting the Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area will next occur in 2024, and it's your chance to win some Sean Phillips, Charlie Adlard, and other rad creators' original art.
Other Relevant Links:
- Most Anticipated Comics of 2024
- Scott and Emma: New X-Men
- Support Jesse Tapia II's GoFundMe Campaign
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/21 at 4:00 PM for our Hulk (2003) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
A powerful imagination can be as burdensome as it is liberating. Born in South Korea and adopted at birth by a white couple, Sarah Myer struggled with identity in their rural and frequently antagonistic Maryland community. Cartoons, comics, and cosplay were their escape, but they could also cause Sarah to internalize their emotions.
Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story is Sarah Myer's attempt to document their childhood and teenage years, where Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sailor Moon offered them flight from bullies inside and outside their school. The comic is raw, beautiful, and incredibly vulnerable. Also, it's easily one of the best books published in 2023.
This week, we're joined by Sarah Myer to discuss Monstrous. We chat about their early connection with comics and cartoons, their triumphant ascent to professional Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist, and the challenges of putting your life out there for all to read. While Monstrous has a conclusion, Sarah Myer is still going, and they have more lessons to learn and stories to tell.
Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story is now available from First Second. Follow Sarah Myer on Instagram, Twitter, and their Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Most Anticipated Comics of 2024
- An Emetophobe at the Cinema by Lisa Gullickson
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/21 at 4:00 PM for our Hulk (2003) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
This week, we got to get tough - Yo Joe! - with Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly, the creative team behind the new Energon Universe series, Duke. The Man of Action experienced something unexplainable in Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers #2, which rewired his purpose. Now, the Real American Hero is slipping into a "Walking American Nightmare," and General Hawk is concerned. We should all be concerned.
Duke #1 lands in shops on December 27th from Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment. It's an exhilarating action-fueled outburst, showcasing two creative talents operating in top form. Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly trickly navigate the needs of the Hasbro license while challenging nostalgic notions and delivering a compelling, spikey narrative. This is not the beige-colored toy you remember from childhood.
Williamson and Reilly's Duke engages a transformative (pun totally intended) decision and there is no stepping back from it. We chat with the creators about their mission statement, how they reduced Duke to his raw essence, and how a childhood fascination with Cobra compelled them toward this comic's execution.
While the Transformers and Void Rivals universes are quickly filling up with recognizable characters, the GI Joe comics realm may take more time to shape into your favorite military-based collectible toy line. Also, you might be a little nervous when Tom Reilly states, "Maybe when Snake Eyes shows up, he'll get shot in the face too." Got to get tough indeed.
Oh, and you'll get a surprise cameo appearance from Robert Kirkman, too!
Follow Joshua Williamson on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Tom Reilly on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Stay up to date on all things Energon Universe via the Skybound Website.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Support Jesse Tapia II's GoFundMe Campaign
- Our Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide
- Karen Charm's Shop
- Larry Hama and Chris Mooneyham on GI Joe
- CBCC Celebrates the Energon Universe
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Five years ago, we launched this podcast with Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Back then, our conversation concluded with a tumultuous debate surrounding Grant Morrison's New X-Men and the complicated three-way that seemingly shattered an iconic Marvel Comics romance. With so much life lived since those early podcasting days, we return to New X-Men issues 127 through 141, this time examining them through the lens of Scott Summers and Emma Frost. Are they the one true pairing? Is the question even fair?
Once again, we use The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman as our relationship guide, exploring Scott and Emma's Love Tank levels and considering how each could benefit from recognizing the other's Love Language. By shifting our relationship focus and surviving five strange years on this planet, our response to Morrison's New X-Men is totally different from how we previously reacted. Our hearts are open in new ways, but are we ready to declare ourselves #TeamScemma?
We celebrate and reflect on five years of Comic Book Couples Counseling. Thanks to all of you reading this post and listening to our episodes, we've managed to grow our show and ourselves tremendously. We owe you. We love you.
Also, we're joined this week by several artists and listeners who steadied themselves and braved our CBCC Hotline. These creators offer their good wishes, delivering some much-needed Words of Affirmation and absolutely filling our Love Tank. Please reach out to them online, say "Thank You," and buy their art.
New X-Men issues 127 - 132 and 134 - 141 were published by Marvel between June 2002 and May 2003. They were written by Grant Morrison, penciled by John Paul Leon, Igor Kordey, Phil Jimenez, Keron Grant, Frank Quitely, inked by Bill Sienkiewicz, Igor Kordey, Andy Lanning, Tim Townsend, and Avalon Studios, colored by Hi-Fi Design, Dave McCaig, and Chris Chuckry, and lettered by RS and Comicraft's Saida, Jimmy, Wes, and Albert!, and VC's Chris Eliopoulos.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Support Jesse Tapia II's GoFundMe Campaign
- Our Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide
- Karen Charm's Shop
- Larry Hama and Chris Mooneyham on GI Joe
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Peanut butter and chocolate. Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Two great tastes that taste great together. Whether you first encountered their delicious collaboration through Daredevil, Moon Knight, Scarlet, or whatever, once experienced, you must gorge on the rest. And it's an event - an emergency feast - whenever they reunite.
Hitting shops on December 13th, Masterpiece from Dark Horse Comics is the next irresistible banquet from Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. In the solicits, you can see a few hallmarks you've come to expect from the two. However, we've read the first issue, and we assure you that this new crime series allows them to play in ways you haven't seen them do before. Bendis back at the drawing table? Yuuuup.
Emma is a smart cookie. Her inventions and webcomics have paid her way through the fanciest schools. The sixteen-year-old seems like she's got it all figured out. Until a shady billionaire darkens her doorway, telling tales about her supposedly world-famous master criminal parents. Now, Emma has to put a squad together, uncover her genetic origins, and navigate a rich jerkwad's vengeance scheme.
On this week's episode, we chat with Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev about their long-lasting friendship and how it has fed their creative partnership and vice versa. We discuss what makes a Bendis/Maleev joint, their secret and not-so-secret Todd McFarlane origins, and how both had to adjust their working habits to aid the other. And we dig deep into Masterpiece and how it was born from generational tension. Are JNCO jeans really back???
Keep up to date on all things Brian Michael Bendis by subscribing to his Substack. You can also track him down via Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Do the same for Alex Maleev by following his Website, Twitter, and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Also, listen to Bendis' previous appearance on Comic Book Couples Counseling, discussing Phenomena Book One alongside André Lima Araújo.
Other Relevant Links:
- Support Jesse Tapia II's GoFundMe Campaign
- Our Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 12/3 at 4:00 PM for our Flash Gordon screening, co-hosted by Psycho Cinema, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies, and benefitting The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We invite Tom Taylor onto the show this week to discuss all the tasty relationship dynamics he's been exploring with the Titans ongoing series and why it's taken decades for these twenty-something superheroes to nab their first major DC Comics event book, Titans: Beast World. For too long, the world has relied on Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, but their decrepit Boomer attitudes won't save the day this time. Everyone, please shut up and listen to Beast Boy.
The Titans may no longer be teenagers, but they still struggle with the generational divide. Amanda Waller carries no weapon deadlier than her rapid-fire eye rolls. And Bruce Wayne isn't much better with his brutal absolutes and dismissive hand gestures.
Is this generational battle essential to the Titans concept? Can they ever pull themselves out of the Justice League's shadow? These questions beat at the heart of our conversation with Tom Taylor, and it was a delight to explore what makes these unique DC characters so compelling. The Necrostar is a gnarly concept to tangle with, but its threat is secondary to how it affects the internal life of our beloved Titans.
Titans: Beast World #1 hits shops on November 28th. Issue five of the Titans ongoing just dropped this week. Stay abreast of all things Tom Taylor by following his Twitter and Instagram.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Other Relevant Links:
- Support Jesse Tapia II's GoFundMe Campaign
- Listen to CBCC on Spec Tales
- Purchase Your Copy of Ba^m^n: Year Wha?!
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 12/3 at 4:00 PM for our Flash Gordon screening, co-hosted by Psycho Cinema, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies, and benefitting The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Dedicated to Jesse Tapia II. "What are you picking up today?"
At some point, we all meet Captain Nemo. He's an icon: a literary legend, a Disney villain, and a comic book mainstay. As with Batman, Superman, or any other decades-old character, you probably have your favorite interpretation. Thanks to Juni Ba, there's a new version loose on the planet, and he may very well be our favorite one so far. That's a bold proclamation, but it's Ba, so hyperbole usually quickly transitions into stone-cold reality.
Mobilis: My Life with Captian Nemo, published by TKO Presents, is a coffee-table-sized masterpiece that slaps ya in the face with nearly every page turn. One day, a young girl named Arona awakens aboard the Nautilus. She's greeted by a chipper, morally-centered robot and told the planet she once knew is destroyed and to stay away from the captain. Also, they have cookies.
Juni Ba takes his lifelong passion for Nemo and Peter Pan and slathers it atop our environmental crisis with a heavy dose of anxiety, concern, and beauty. We've lost the world, but maybe the one that comes after is not so bad for those who inherit it. Change is change; removed from our perspective, it's not good or bad.
The cartoonist returns to Comic Book Couples Counseling to discuss his Nemo obsession, the panic that birthed Mobilis, and what it's like to drop this graphic novel chunk during the same month as his other glorious creation, The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber, co-created with Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and published by Dark Horse Comics. He also grills us on what the book says about humanity. The conversation is a dream come true for Lisa, certainly.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Keep up to date on all things Juni Ba by visiting his Instagram and Twitter. Both Mobilis: My Life with Nemo and The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber are now available wherever rad comic books are sold.
Also, CLICK HERE and listen to Juni Ba's previous CBCC guest appearance, talking about Djeliya.
Other Relevant Links:
- Support Jesse Tapia II's GoFundMe Campaign
- Listen to CBCC on Spec Tales
- Purchase Your Copy of Ba^m^n: Year Wha?!
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 12/3 at 4:00 PM for our Flash Gordon screening, co-hosted by Psycho Cinema, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies, and benefitting The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
At five years old, Jeff Smith brought Fone Bone to life. Immediately enthralled by the characters of Walt Kelly, Charles M. Schulz, Walt Disney, and others, the kid desperately sought to contribute his own creation. While most abandon their childhood ideas, Smith carried Fone Bone into his teenage years, college life, and adulthood. Why?
The question rests at the core of this week's episode. We chat with Jeff Smith about his nearly lifelong relationship with Fone Bone and how it evolved from a cartooning challenge into an elaborate comic strip for his college paper and then radically expanded into the bestselling Bone saga. Even after concluding that twelve-year journey, Smith can't shake Fone Bone and his cousins.
Scholastic's Graphix recently published Bone: More Tall Tales, an anthology jammed with Smith's peers (Tom Sniegoski, Stan Sakai, Katie Cook, Matt Smith, and Scott Brown), all giving their spin on the Bone universe. Especially noteworthy, Jeff Smith and Cartoon Books have launched a new Kickstarter, gathering the early stories that would ultimately shape Bone - Thorn: The Complete Proto-Bone College Strips from 1982 to 1986 and Other Early Drawings.
Whatever glimpses we've previously seen of these Proto-Bone strips were brief and relatively limited. Having the chance to read them offers tremendous insight into our Bone obsession and into the artist that birthed it. Here is a Rosetta Stone of sorts.
Some cartoonists might shiver at the thought of their readers encountering such early attempts, but Jeff Smith embraces the opportunity. As some might be aware, he recently suffered a debilitating heart attack. He's in a reflective state, and Smith looks upon his early work with a new perspective and consideration. And he's more than happy to share it with us.
The new Thorn Kickstarter is an essential read for fans of Bone, and we believe this conversation with Jeff Smith is equally so. Join us as we travel back to the early days when a kid found himself in a cartoon and dragged that doodle through adolescence and into the various weird stages adulthood also offers.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the app that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Keep up to date on all things Jeff Smith by visiting his Website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Find the Thorn: The Complete Proto-Bone College Strips from 1982 to 1986 and Other Early Drawings on Kickstarter.
Listen to our previous Jeff Smith conversation, discussing Tuki: Fight for Fire and Tuki: Fight for Family.
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)
Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop!
Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 12/3 at 4:00 PM for our Flash Gordon screening, co-hosted by Psycho Cinema, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies, and benefitting The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We've wanted to have this conversation with Chris Samnee and Laura Samnee from the moment we read the first issue of Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters. Sure, we've had them on before talking about their beautiful comic celebrating sibling relationships, but we only had half the story. Now the comic is complete and contained in a gorgeously crafted new Deluxe Edition hardcover from Oni Press, and we can go full-spoilers, friends. Don't press play unless you're ready for a proper Comic Book Couples Counseling excavation.
What is your responsibility to your siblings? Is the bond between you as sacred as we're raised to believe? Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters presents a world as terrifying as it is often hopeful. Trapped atop it are sisters Rainbow and Jonna, diametrically opposed in most aspects but bound together through familial obligation. And love, maybe?
The comic represents a decade of Chris and Laura's life. We explore their earliest memories of Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters and how doodles in 2014 grew into their most personal work. It's a love letter to their children and a narrative that might never be topped, even if they have a few other ideas rattling around their imagination.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you jump to the Omnibus digital shop, you'll find them readily available there.
Stay up to date on all Samnee family projects via their socials. Follow Chris Samnee on his Website, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow Laura Samnee on her Instagram. Purchase the limited slipcase hardcover edition of Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters on the Oni Press website.
Other Relevant Links:
- The Samnees on CBCC (First Appearance)
- Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross
Final Round of Plugs (PHEW) Now Open - the CBCC Digital Shop! Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY! Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 11/5 at 4:00 PM for our History of Violence screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. Get your Flash Gordon tickets for our 12/3 screening.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
This week's episode has all the toppings. Kevin Eastman, Jeff Rowe, Tom Waltz, Gavin Smith, Vincenzo Federici, Sarah Myer, Ben Bishop, Esau Escorza, and Isaac Escorza. If you're a shellhead, you're already flipping out. If you're not, you soon will be.
There is no better time to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. No matter your favorite iteration, there is a comic, cartoon, or movie for you. Brought forth from the sewers nearly forty years ago by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, the Ninja Turtles have since been filtered through numerous creative minds. From the moment the first toy was conceived, reinvention became critical to their success, and with each new interpretation, something radical was injected into their DNA.
Currently, we have a new movie (TMNT: Mutant Mayhem) streaming on Paramount+, the monthly ongoing IDW series, the Saturday Morning Adventures spin-off, and several gnarly crossovers, including encounters with Stranger Things and Street Fighter. In February, The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution will hit comic book shops, satisfying a ravenous craving we've been holding onto since the first bestselling series dropped.
We transformed New York Comic-Con into a TMNT expedition. First, we spoke with Kevin Eastman one-on-one, navigating his experience with outside creative influence and exploring exactly how he felt about the changes and additions made to the lore in TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. Second, we moderated the big Saturday panel, "TMNT: The Next Mutation of Turtle Power from IDW Publishing," which featured all the totally tubular people listed in the first paragraph above.
Today's episode gets into everything that's cooking over at IDW, from exclusive details about The Last Ronin II to Sophie Campbell's historic climax on the main IDW line to director Jeff Rowe's dreams for a Mutant Mayhem sequel. We've discussed the Ninja Turtles several times before (see the links below), and it's all been building toward this episode.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the app that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Keep up to date on all things Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by visiting the IDW Publishing page. And track all the creators through the various social media channels:
- Kevin Eastman (Website, Twitter, Instagram)
- Jeff Rowe (Twitter, Instagram)
- Tom Waltz (Twitter, Instagram)
- Gavin Smith (Twitter, Instagram)
- Vincenzo Federici (Twitter, Instagram)
- Sarah Myer (Website, Twitter, Instagram)
- Ben Bishop (Website, Twitter, Instagram)
- The Escorza Brothers (Instagram)
Other Relevant TMNT Links:
- Erik Burnham on CBCC
- CBCC covers TMNT
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 11/5 at 4:00 PM for our History of Violence screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We return from New York Comic-Con, bursting with stories and conversations. We've never had a show quite like this one, where every corner revealed some incredible new encounter and discussion. Cartoonist Kevin Alvir was there, sliding his way through artist alley, riding high, after recently launching his new graphic novel Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar: Attack of the Snack.
Having barely absorbed all that we did, we try to put it on the record in this episode, recapping as much as we could while still teasing future CBCC sessions. We discuss the creators we hobnobbed alongside, the comic book podcasters we finally met in person, and all the weird food we jammed into our bodies.
Most importantly, we hang out with Kevin Alvir. Our chat delves into his first-time experience with an editor, how he arrived at his Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar aesthetic, and why punk rock feeds a need that concerto piano never will. And, by the way, neither is better or worse than the other.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles available on the app that satisfyingly align with this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Continue the conversation with Kevin Alvir by following him on Instagram and Twitter. Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar is currently available from Top Shelf Productions, wherever fine comic books are sold. You can find your nearest shop here.
Other Relevant Links:
- Kyle Starks Draws Comic Book Couples Counseling
- "The Awesome Power of Comic Book Podcasts" at NYCC
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 11/5 at 4:00 PM for our History of Violence screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Good evening, boils and ghouls. Welcome to a spooktacular conversation with comics scribe David Dastmalchian, discussing his devilishly delicious and wickedly personal horror comic Count Crowley. Currently, two volumes are available from Dark Horse Comics (Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter and Amateur Midnight Monster Hunter), and a third chapter is nearly upon us (Mediocre Midnight Monster Hunter hits the comic shops and graveyards on November 8th).
To celebrate, Dastmalchian pulled up a coffin and put it all out there in our Zoom room. From the moment we first read Count Crowley, we were hooked. Obsessed. Not so much by its clever twist on the late-night horror host trope and its loving tributes to B-movie monster mashes (although we adore them too), but by the excavation of its central character's complicated inner life. We see so much of ourselves in Jerri Bartman, and, as David Dastmalchian states in the first paperback afterward, we could sense the author's life in her, too.
We discuss his unique collaboration with artist Lukas Ketner and editor Megan Walker and how the lessons they taught him apply to the world outside of comics. David Dastmalchian ruminates on vulnerability and the anxiousness he experienced when crafting Count Crowley. Putting so much of yourself into a book is a precious thing and requires tremendous commitment, strength, and trust.
However, before we get into it with Dastmalchian, we review our recent trips to the Fantastic Fest and Lost Weekend film festivals. We marvel at the lunacy of consuming so many movies in such a short time, detail our experience with living legend Malcolm McDowell, and select the best movies we saw and which ones you need to be on the lookout for next year.
As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles available on the app that satisfyingly align with this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to the books.
- Brad's Referral
- Lisa's Referral
Continue the conversation with David Dastmalchian by following his Instagram and Website. Purchase the Count Crowley books at your local comic book shop. Find the nearest one to you HERE. Stay up to date on all things Count Crowley via Dark Horse Comics.
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Don't take candy from strangers. Did you ever ask your mom or dad, "Why?" Or were you too afraid? Were you already too good at actively imagining what those strangers would do with you once they got you in the van? Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath brushes against that very particular dread, playing with your nostalgia and injecting grotesque horror into your picturesque youth.
Sam the Bear appears as the ideal small-town neighbor. She runs the local hardware store. She has a kind word for everyone who walks through her doors. And sometimes, she makes trips to the city where she can slaughter a stranger and bury their parts in the woods.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees smashes serial killer iconography with an impeccably illustrated children's tale. When people talk about this comic, they will mention Richard Scarry. They will mention Dexter. The comparisons are obvious and accurate, but Horvath creates something far more tantalizing than genre fusion.
Brad wrote in his review that the comic would only work if both elements were executed flawlessly. Patrick Horvath melds both worlds masterfully, creating a fantastically looking realm where its fears are tangible and utterly relatable. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is easily the most enjoyably upsetting comic you'll read all year.
In this week's episode, we chat with Horvath. Our conversation begins with colliding these disparate worlds before exploring our childhood encounters with stranger danger lore. We discuss what Sam the Bear sees in the woods and why it sparks an existential crisis in the reader, and we cover how the comic's final two pages upend everything.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #1 hits shops on October 18th from IDW Publishing. It's written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath, lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and features a variant cover by Riley Rossmo.
Continue this conversation with Patrick Horvath by following his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
This episode continues our year-long partnership with Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader. Each episode from now on will feature our new "Referrals" segment, sponsored by them, where we recommend other comics titles for those wishing to explore this week's themes and concepts further. CLICK HERE to learn more and explore Omnibus' unique, browsable space.
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Every accomplished creative work is miraculous. Bringing anything over the finish line should be celebrated. However, even rarer are the projects that find their way to the artist whom no one else could compete with regarding that project. Dave Chisholm was seemingly born to adapt Miles Davis' life into comic book form. Holding a doctorate in jazz trumpet from the Eastman School of Music, Dave Chisholm better understands Miles Davis than most cartoonists. The icon has haunted Chisholm since youth, and he's been attempting to translate Davis' vibe into visuals for nearly as long. After successfully capturing the audible into the sequential with three previous graphic novels (Instrumental, Chasin' the Bird, Enter the Blue), Dave Chisholm got the call. THE. CALL. Z2 Comics, Chisholm's previous publisher, would partner with the Miles Davis Estate on an original graphic novel, and they wanted Dave Chisholm to make it a reality. The pressure was on, but we're here to report that Chisholm rose to the occasion. Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound is what happens when the perfect subject meets the perfect creator. When such an event occurs, all should take notice. Whatever your relation to Miles Davis, you need this comic in your hands. For the uninitiated, it's a gorgeously illustrated plunge into a genius' mind. For the faithful, Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound cleverly pursues the trumpeter's interior life, using his autobiography as the narrative backbone. We meet Davis after a severe car accident when a doctor suggests he start scribbling as part of his rehabilitation. The scrawls become our gateway into his history as Davis revisits the critical moments that made him. Along this journey, we encounter the legendary events and reflect on the divergent points that suggest a radically different path for Davis. And through it all, you sense Dave Chisholm celebrating and challenging the Miles Davis who helped shape him. On this week's episode, Dave Chisholm returns to Comic Book Couples Counseling. Together, we explore how Miles Davis molded his imagination and the pressure he felt to shape his massive life into one complete comic book saga. We discuss his joy toward the accomplished work and why he knows Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound is the best thing he's ever done. With such a feat behind him, does he worry about the empty road ahead? Afterward, continue this conversation with Dave Chisholm by visiting his Website and following his TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. Most importantly, pre-order Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound via Z2 Comics. It's set for release on November 7th. Can't wait? Grab his other comics immediately. This episode continues our year-long partnership with Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader. Each episode from now on will feature our new "Referrals" segment, sponsored by them, where we recommend other comics titles for those wishing to explore this week's themes and concepts further. CLICK HERE to learn more and explore Omnibus' unique, browsable space. FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW): SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
A particular story has rattled around Christian Ward's imagination for years. It's been there since childhood, really. Since he first encountered Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth. Last year, he sent out a Tweet, taunting the universe to grant his wish - to tell his cosmic Batman saga. Now, we're weeks away from the cosmos' answer.
Batman: City of Madness #1 lands on shelves from DC Comics on October 10th. It's a real humdinger, a comic that feels unlike any other Bat-book that has come before but is absolutely in conversation with the stone-cold classic mentioned above. Christian Ward explores the questions that probably nag every artist who tackles the Bat, but he does so in ways that spark new ideas and new queries.
After catching a sneak preview of the first issue, we were eager to get the writer/artist in our Love Nest Zoom room. We discuss his relationship with Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth and how it evolved into Batman: City of Madness. We consider Bruce Wayne's relation to his rogues and what does and does not separate him from so-called villains like Joker and Two-Face. As we do every time the caped crusader comes up on the podcast, we challenge his role as Gotham's vigilante while also addressing how much fun it is to watch him punch punks in the face.
However, before we dig into City of Madness and the terrifying Batman Below that lurks underneath our favorite wretched city, we reflect on our Baltimore Comic-Con/Small Press Expo double-header weekend, including the world premiere of Married to Comics. We review these events and consider what makes each con so unique and why we could never give up one for the other.
This podcast continues our year-long partnership with Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader. Each episode from now on will feature our new "Referrals" segment, sponsored by them, where we recommend other comics titles for those wishing to explore this week's themes and concepts further. CLICK HERE to learn more and explore Omnibus' unique, browsable space.
Also, make sure that you keep abreast on all things Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Twitter and Instagram.
In a few weeks, Christian Ward will appear in our Patreon feed, conducting a page-by-page breakdown of Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth. Join now for just one dollar, and listen to the previous entry in our comic creator series where artists celebrate their favorite single issues - Daniel Warren Johnson on The 'Nam #9.
If you missed our previous conversation with Christian Ward, talking about Blood Stained Teeth, you can find it HERE.
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 17th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screenings of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Episode 200! Light Carries On by Ray Nadine refuses to allow death to get in the way of a little life-changing romance. We go into session with Leon and Cody, two souls in stasis, unsure how to move forward and afraid their future won't hold happiness. Together, they uncover the beauty they're already living or un-living.
You may think you know where Light Carries On will take you, but Ray Nadine blissfully subverts genre convention and delivers a genuinely original ghost story. Only in the last moments does clarity strike, and through Leon and Cody's revelations, we find a few for ourselves as well.
This week, we turn to Dr. Terry Singh's TEDx Talk, "How to Get Unstuck," for expertise and guidance in navigating Leon and Cody's complicated relationship. Throughout our lives, we encounter various moments of stuckness. During these periods, catastrophic doubt and fear can creep inside. Dr. Singh gives us (and our comic book subjects) a few tools to free ourselves.
After nearly five years of Comic Book Couples Counseling, we still find new methods and narratives to unlock self-inspection and create growth. The hope we found within this episode's conversation was rejuvenating. We hope it offers you a similar relief.
Helplines are available if you do not have a support system. You can reach the Mental Health Hotline in Virginia by dialing 1-866-903-3787 or CLICK HERE. Not in Virginia? CLICK HERE.
Light Carries On was released earlier this year and is published by Dark Horse Comics. It's written and illustrated by Ray Nadine, edited by Konner Knudsen, designed by May Hijikuro, and assisted by Digital Art Technician Josie Weaver.
Episode 200 also begins a year-long partnership with Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader. Each episode from now on will feature our new "Referrals" segment, sponsored by them, where we recommend other comics titles for those wishing to explore this week's themes and concepts further. CLICK HERE to learn more and explore Omnibus' unique, browsable space.
Other Relevant Links:
- Read Lisa's Light Carries On Review on Women Write About Comics
- Our guest appearance on The Amazing Spider-Talk
- Brad's guest appearance on The Oblivion Bar
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our September 17th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screenings of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We close our San Diego Comic-Con International coverage with an epic roundtable conversation with Energon Universe shepherds Robert Kirkman, Sean Mackiewicz, Joshua Williamson, and Daniel Warren Johnson. As you have undoubtedly heard, Skybound Entertainment is the new G.I. Joe and Transformers license holder. They recently launched their shared universe with a new comic book series called Void Rivals, written by Kirkman and illustrated by Lorenzo De Felici, and we think it's the most exciting event in comics.
And that's based on only a tiny taste from Skybound. So far, we've read three Void Rivals issues, a three-page preview of Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers, a Tom Reilly cover for Williamson's Duke #1, and an Andrea Milana cover for Williamson's Cobra Commander #1. Before we plunge into the chat, we dive deep into reviewing these early peeks, consider the cultural apocalypse on the brink within Void Rivals, and how it may ripple into the Transformers and G.I. Joe books.
We find beginnings to be the most exciting moments in stories. In these early stages, characters (and their creators) determine their principles. What do the G.I. Joes stand for in 2023? What does Cobra stand for? How will the Autobots' interaction with humanity alter their already well-established mission? We bring these questions to the creators, whose answers give you some idea of how the Energon Universe will stand apart from previous interpretations.
We did not steer this conversation alone. We were joined by a few other reporter friends: Lance from Comic Book Keepers, Jeremy from The Geekly Grind, Jace Milam from The Comic Source, and Gerard "HipHopGamer" Williams. Please take the time to visit their sites and support their work, as their perspectives created a unique collaboration for this episode.
Also, listen to our guests' previous appearances on Comic Book Couples Counseling: Robert Kirkman on Invincible, Joshua Williamson on Superman, Daniel Warren Johnson on Beta Ray Bill, and Daniel Warren Johnson on Do a Powerbomb!
Skybound is set to release Transformers #1 in October, Duke #1 in December, and Cobra Commander #1 in January. Keep up to date on the Energon Universe by visiting their website and pre-order the comics through your local comic book store. What shop is closest to you? Find out by clicking HERE.
As we discuss toward the end of this week's episode, cartoonist extraordinaire Jeff Smith recently suffered a cardiac arrest and was forced to cancel his "Dawn of Man" book tour. This means he won't be able to promote new books like Tuki and Bone: More Tall Tales. It's on you and us to get the word out. Help an artist who brought joy to our lives by nabbing his new comics for yourself and your friends. Visit Boneville HERE.
Make sure that you follow Robert Kirkman on his Twitter. Follow Sean Mackiewicz on Twitter and Instagram. Keep up to date on all things Joshua Williamson by following him on Twitter, Instagram, and Substack. And follow Daniel Warren Johnson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Listen to Danie Warren Johnson discuss The 'Nam #9 in detail, breaking down the single issue with us panel-by-panel on our Patreon.
Other Relevant CBCC at SDCC Links:
- Todd McFarlane on Todd McFarlane
- Nicole Maines on Dreamer
- Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman, and Karl Stevens on Mother Nature
- Erik Burnham on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai on Usagi Yojimbo
- Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Enfield Gang Massacre
- Adrian Tomine on Shortcomings
- Paul Cornell on Con and On
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our August 27th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of The Mask, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies and featuring a Tradd Moore in-person introduction.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Moving one character from one medium to another is a complex task. Nicole Maines was desperate to see her Dreamer fighting alongside the other DC Comics superheroes. However, when she pitched the idea to the publisher, she didn't expect them to ask her to participate in that process. Quickly, Maines found herself as writer of Dreamer's destiny, and such responsibility was as thrilling as it was daunting.
Already, Dreamer has appeared in Superman: Son of Kal-El and the DC crossover event, Lazarus Planet. She's rapidly becoming an essential element within the comics universe. Next year, she'll get some serious space to explore with the original graphic novel Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story, written by Nicole Maines and illustrated by Rye Hickman.
At the San Diego Comic-Con International, we sat down with Maines to discuss her hopes and dreams for Dreamer. She reveals the critical advice that fellow comic scribe, Tom Taylor, delivered when her stress levels were high. Nicole Maines also reflects on how moving Dreamer through the comic book medium revealed unique aspects about the character she had not considered previously.
Maines has been bitten by the comic book bug. She's here to stay, and she's delighted about the possibilities - for herself and Dreamer.
If you haven't already, listen to Nicole Maines' previous appearance on Comic Book Couples Counseling, talking about Lazarus Planet alongside Mark Waid and Leah Williams.
Remember, you can now pre-order Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story at your local comic book shop. Not sure how to locate your closest comic book shop, CLICK HERE to find it. Also, be sure to follow Nicole Maines on Twitter and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Todd McFarlane on Todd McFarlane
-
Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman, & Karl Stevens on Mother Nature
-
Erik Burnham on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai on Usagi Yojimbo
- Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Enfield Gang Massacre
- Adrian Tomine on Shortcomings
- Paul Cornell on Con and On
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask cool comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our August 27th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of The Mask, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies and featuring a Tradd Moore in-person introduction.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
During this year's San Diego Comic-Con International, finding someone working harder or as urgently as Todd McFarlane would be difficult. He was everywhere, announcing numerous projects one after the other. His partnership with Warner Bros. shows no signs of weakening as they unveiled numerous DC Multiverse figures, including a definitive cinematic Batman six-pack. McFarlane and Count Crowley creator David Dastmalchian revealed their Knights vs. Samurai series. He announced not one but five new Spawn comic book titles. And, yeah, he promised some big future news regarding his original character's big screen return.
We were prepared to break it down with McFarlane when we met him inside the Image Comics booth on Saturday. He was probably excited to do the same, but something immediately shifted as we sat across from each other. He leaned into the Comic Book Couples Counseling concept and got vulnerable with us.
Undoubtedly, you've read some Spawn comics. You know the character; you know his deal. You may not know or appreciate the philosophy driving the creation, however. Todd McFarlane puts it all out there in our conversation, leading to unexpected avenues regarding "chaos and consequence" and why he's so often disappointed by other comic books.
We reflect on Marvel's Silver Age and Stan Lee's "The World Outside Your Window." Todd McFarlane challenges our idealized notions of this classic era and explains what he believes catapulted those characters into the public consciousness they preoccupy today.
This episode is one of those episodes you wish could go on for a few more hours. There's never enough time. Maybe he'll join us again, and we can further follow these threads. Perhaps he won't. We're eager for you to hear this chat, though, and we think you haven't heard one quite like it from Todd McFarlane before.
If you want to continue this discussion with McFarlane, you can find him on Twitter and Instagram, as well as his Website. Follow McFarlane Toys through Twitter and Instagram.
Listen to our previous conversation with Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo talking all things Batman/Spawn HERE.
Other Relevant Links:
-
Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman, & Karl Stevens on Mother Nature
-
Erik Burnham on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai on Usagi Yojimbo
- Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Enfield Gang Massacre
- Adrian Tomine on Shortcomings
- Paul Cornell on Con and On
- The Amazing Spider-Talk Podcast
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask cool comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our August 27th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of The Mask, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies and featuring a Tradd Moore in-person introduction.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The path Mother Nature took to its sequential form is beautifully compelling. When Jamie Lee Curtis was nineteen, an angry story of global catastrophe and corporate greed took root. Time would pass, and along with her co-writer Russell Goldman, she would mold it into a potential movie. Her eventual friendship with New Yorker cartoonist (and former CBCC guest) Karl Stevens would ultimately yield the new graphic novel from Titan Comics.
Curtis never imagined herself as a comic creator, but here she is, and she couldn't have been more thrilled to attend the San Diego Comic-Con International as one. We spoke with all three Mother Nature collaborators on the convention's second day. They were eager to share the book with us, making sure we had a physical copy in our hands, not satisfied with our PDF preview experience. It's one thing to see a comic on a screen; it's another to hold within your mitts.
Mother Nature is a violently urgent comic. It's a supernatural revenge story in which a young woman goes on the attack against the oil organization that casually killed her father. Stevens illustrates numerous bits of bloody gore, and we chat with the creators about why this story had to be as gnarly as it is.
The world is on fire, and she's furious. Don't believe the corporate narrative, maternity is defensive, and when it needs to be, it's vicious. While we devour the ground beneath our feet, the ground retaliates, and Earth's vengeance is as brutal as anything you've seen in a horror movie.
Also, in this episode, we discuss our time inside the San Diego Comic-Con Museum, reviewing the current Animation Academy and Stan Lee exhibits. We extensively discuss our time outside the convention, visiting the best comic book shops in San Diego.
Mother Nature arrives in comic shops on August 8th. You can find your nearest store HERE.
You can find Karl Stevens on Twitter HERE and on Instagram HERE. Jamie Lee Curtis is on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can find Russell Goldman on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Check out our previous conversation with Karl Stevens HERE, discussing his graphic novel, Penny.
Other Relevant SDCC Links:
- Erik Burnham on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai on Usagi Yojimbo
- Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on The Enfield Gang Massacre
- Adrian Tomine on Shortcomings
- Paul Cornell on Con and On
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask cool comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our August 27th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of The Mask, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies and featuring a Tradd Moore in-person introduction.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
For most of us, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series is where our shellshocked obsessions began. Now, IDW Publishing returns to this glorious era with their Saturday Morning Adventures offshoot with writer Erik Burnham and artists Tim Lattie, Jack Lawrence, and Dan Schoening busting out all the best Playmates action figures. The new series tickles nostalgic pleasures while keeping itself grounded in the now.
Last week, we unleashed an onslaught of creator content to coincide with the San Diego Comic-Con International. And we are not done. On the west coast, we spoke with numerous comic artists about an eclectic batch of titles. This episode with Erik Burnham is part one, recapping our unique Comic-Con experience while also celebrating Turtle Mania 2023 with IDW and the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem film leading the charge.
Burnham has worked in the Turtle trenches for years, but operating within the Saturday Morning Adventures realm is a tricky balancing act. In addition, since many found their Turtle love with the cartoons, there's an extra sting of responsibility that comes with it. From inside the SDCC IDW Booth, we chat with Erik Burnham about the joys and burdens of playing with these particular toys. We also discuss his new, secret TMNT project and what he'd still love to do within this universe.
We adore any chance to dig deep into the mythology built by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. This chat is just the next chapter in an ongoing Comic Book Couples Counseling/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles conversation, one that began with our Kevin Eastman interview and hit hyperdrive with our sibling counseling sessions. CLICK HERE to find all those CBCC/TMNT episodes.
You can continue this conversation with Erik Burnham by following his Twitter, Instagram, and Website. Saturday Morning Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is now available in comic book shops. Find your local store HERE.
As mentioned above, this episode is part of our San Diego Comic-Con International celebration. Listen to our Day One episode with Paul Cornell HERE. Listen to our Day Two episode with Adrian Tomine HERE. Listen to our Dary Three episode with Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips HERE. Listen to our Day Four Episode with Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai HERE.
And get ready for our upcoming discussions with Jamie Lee Curtis, Karl Stevens, Todd McFarlane, Robert Kirkman, and more. You better get subscribed to Comic Book Couples Counseling.
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask cool comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
In September, Usagi Yojimbo returns to Dark Horse Comics with the new mini-series Ice and Snow. However, that's just the warm-up. Stan Sakai and Julie Sakai have massive plans for their Dogu Publishing imprint, and we're eager to break it all down with them.
Their creative partnership began on a short strip featured in Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz. We go back to their beginning and trace a path to where they are today, creatively and as a romantic couple. How did they know they would work well together? How do they navigate two unique perspectives to produce a singular work?
Dogu Publishing is a family affair, and that larger collaboration kicked off with Chibi Usagi's publication. Previously, we've dismissed this offshoot as cute and clever. However, upon re-examination this week, we discovered it's an essential entry in the Usagi Yojimbo story. And, yeah, it's brilliantly connected to the Usagi-Verse, which includes Space Usagi and a few other splinters you may still need to be aware of.
This episode is part of our more extensive San Diego Comic-Con coverage, and since we're releasing on Sunday, we can reveal some new Usagi Yojimbo stories here. You should know, though, that at the 41:18 minute mark, we spoil a critical element from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: Wherewhen #4. We've dropped a warning within the audio, don't worry.
Usagi Yojimbo: Ice and Now #1 hits shelves on September 9th. We did get a preview of that issue, expect a review on the site very soon. Make sure you have it in your pull box at your local comic book store. If you don't have a local comic book store, you can find the nearest one HERE.
Follow Stan Sakai on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Follow Dogu Publishing on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Most importantly, visit www.stansakai.com and get yourself some comics.
Listen to our previous Stan Sakai episode, discussing all things Samurai Rabbit.
As mentioned above, this episode is part of our San Diego Comic-Con International celebration. Listen to our Day One episode with Paul Cornell HERE. Listen to our Day Two episode with Adrian Tomine HERE. Listen to our Dary Three episode with Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips HERE. Next week, we'll return with some in-person interviews, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Karl Stevens, Todd McFarlane, Robert Kirkman, and more. You better get subscribed to Comic Book Couples Counseling.
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask cool comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC Counseling Invincible's Mark & Eve
- Shannon and Luke Lieberman on Red Sonja
- Tyler Crook on The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child
- Our Conversation with Gene Luen Yang
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
When we first started That Texas Blood by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips, we enjoyed it as a nifty, nasty, clever Western Noir. Now, we're three trade paperbacks in and one issue into their spin-off series, The Great Enfield Gang Massacre, and we think we're reading an epic mythology saga exploring notions of lowercase evil and uppercase Evil. Friends, this is their Hellboy, whether they want to admit it or not.
The Enfield Gang Massacre #1 hits shelves courtesy of Image Comics on August 9th. If this is your first entry into their world, it works magnificently as a Western mystery exploring the sins of a "Print the Legend" history. If you've read every issue of That Texas Blood, it works on a whole other level.
Condon and Phillips' spin-off returns readers to Ambrose County 150 years ago, when outlaw Montgomery Enfield and his gang are accused of a grotesque murder. In issue one, the posse forms and comes gunning for these criminals. They'll find a fight on their hands. Maybe.
In this episode, we chat with Condon and Phillips about the types of evil they're examining in The Enfield Gang Massacre and That Texas Blood. We consider how their brains morph to meet the needs of this particular story and why it demands a different aesthetic than their previous collaborations. We also consider together just how far back they can explore regarding the Ambrose County land. Cave dwellers and dinosaurs? Yes, please.
You can continue this chat with the That Texas Blood creators by following Chris Condon on Twitter and Instagram and following Jacob Phillips on Twitter and Instagram.
This episode is part of our San Diego Comic-Con International celebration. Listen to our Day One episode with Paul Cornell HERE. Listen to our Day Two episode with Adrian Tomine HERE. Tomorrow, Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai will be on the podcast talking about Usagi Yojimbo and all things Dogu Publishing. A week later, we'll return with some in-person interviews, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Karl Stevens, Todd McFarlane, and more. You better get subscribed to Comic Book Couples Counseling.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC Counseling Invincible's Mark & Eve
- Shannon and Luke Lieberman on Red Sonja
- Tyler Crook on The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Most people cringe a little when they look at their younger selves. Cartoonist Adrian Tomine certainly doesn't love revisiting his older work, but he was challenged to do so when adapting his own graphic novel, Shortcomings, for director Randall Park. We're ecstatic to have Tomine on the podcast today, discussing his recent revisitation of a work that gripped both of us when we cracked the page. The creator is generous with his time, process, and internal life.
Shortcomings is - what did TNT use to call them - a new classic. It focuses on Ben Tanaka, a viciously judgemental twenty-something whose long-time relationship has suddenly erupted into uncertainty. Hit up your Google machine and find a classic review; no doubt the critic tackling the comic will address the likability issue. We certainly bring it up with Adrian Tomine in our conversation, and his answer is so beautifully Comic Book Couples Counseling.
After this conversation, be sure to follow Adrian Tomine on his Instagram and through his Website. Purchase Shortcomings via Drawn & Quarterly or wherever fine comic books are sold. You can find your local shop HERE. The Shortcomings movie arrives in theaters on August 4th from Sony Pictures Classics.
This episode is part of our San Diego Comic-Con International celebration. Our chat with Adrian Tomine aligns with Day Two. Listen to our Day One episode with Paul Cornell HERE. Tomorrow, Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips will join us to discuss The Enfield Gang Massacre. On Sunday, Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai will be on the podcast talking about Usagi Yojimbo and all things Dogu Publishing. You better get subscribed to Comic Book Couples Counseling.
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask cool comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC Counseling Invincible's Mark & Eve
- Shannon and Luke Lieberman on Red Sonja
- Tyler Crook on The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child
- Brad gust-stars on the Missing Frames podcast
- Adrian Tomine on Recommend If You Like
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The San Diego Comic-Con International is back, and just like last year, we're determined to bring the celebrations to our Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast feed. Whether you're attending the show or not, we aim to bring the con experience to your ears. All week long.
Every day of the con, we're dropping one new, rad creator conversation episode. We're kicking things off strong today (Thursday), chatting with celebrated science fiction, television, and comics writer Paul Cornell. His new Ahoy Comics series, Con and On, is the perfect concept to launch our Comic-Con festivities as it celebrates and challenges everything we love about convention culture.
Paul Cornell's new book focuses on the Vista Al Mar Comics Festival over five years, spanning three decades. Each chapter in the series covers a different year, returning to various characters as they succeed and fail in the industry. You'll recognize some faces, cheer at their victories, and cringe at their losses.
Con and On pulls no punches, but it's not a heavyweight bloodbath either. Only someone who loves this world as much as Paul Cornell could write this book. While there is comedy and heart throughout, there is some anger, frustration, and a drive to advance beyond the tired, old ways.
You can follow Paul Cornell on Blue Sky, Instagram, and his Website. Also, check out his Hammer House podcast.
Make sure you're subscribed to the Comic Book Couples Counseling feed. Tomorrow, Adrian Tomine joins us to discuss his classic graphic novel Shortcomings and its upcoming adaptation directed by Randall Park. On Saturday, Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips return to the pod, breaking down their new That Texas Blood spin-off series, The Enfield Gang Massacre. Finally, on Sunday, Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai arrive on the pod and show all of us creative couples how to do collaboration right. These convos are the best panels around, and no standing in line is required.
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask cool comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC Counseling Invincible's Mark & Eve
- Shannon and Luke Lieberman on Red Sonja
- Tyler Crook on The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child
- Lisa's Dear Rosie Review for The Beat
- Decoder Ring Parmasean Cheese Episode
- Our Victoria Grace Elliot Interview
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
With four Mark Grayson and Atom Eve counseling sessions already behind us, we finally reach a conclusion regarding their Invincible relationship. In this episode, we discuss the final two trade paperbacks in Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cory Walker's superhero masterpiece, The End of All Things Parts One and Two. While their ending is definitive, their story seemingly remains ongoing. We must reckon with what we're given and how far these characters have and have not grown since we first met them one hundred and forty-four issues ago.
Also, in this conversation, we establish our last thoughts about our chosen love expert for Mark and Eve, Dr. Marc Brackett, and his book, Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive. Certainly, we'll apply numerous elements from this book to our partnership, but not everything jives with our current journey. Mood meters and meta-emotions, you're absolutely going into our utility belt.
Invincible: The End of All Things contains nothing but Big Emotions, and they're somehow even larger than the usual Big Emotions the series throws at its characters. It's all in the title, and stress levels are extra high when facing oblivion. How do we challenge/embrace life's greatest threats? What can we learn from how Mark and Eve handle them?
Our final Comic Book Couples Counseling Mark and Eve sessions also signify the start of a week-long San Diego Comic-Con International celebration. As you're listening to this episode, we're already traveling to the west coast.
On Thursday, join us back here for an in-depth conversation with writer Paul Cornell, discussing his Comic-Con satire, Con and On. On Friday, we're chatting with Adrian Tomine about his classic graphic novel Shortcomings and the upcoming movie adaptation. On Saturday, Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips return to the show, teasing their new That Texas Blood spin-off series, The Enfield Gang Massacre. Finally, on Sunday, we were joined by Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai, giving us the scoop on all things Usagi Yojimbo and Dogu Publishing.
And, if you haven't already, now's the time to join our Patreon, where superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson just recorded an epic chat with us about his favorite single-issue comic, The 'Nam #9. It's all part of our new Patreon podcast series, where we ask rad comic book creators to choose their favorite floppy comic.
Invincible issues covered in this episode: 133 - 144, published by Image Comics through the Skybound Entertainment imprint between February 2017 and February 2018. The comic was written by Robert Kirkman, penciled by Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker, inked by Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker, Dexter Vines, and Mark Morales, colored by Nathan Fairbairn, and lettered by Rus Wooton.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC Mark & Eve Episode 1 - Robert Kirkman programs our sessions
- CBCC Mark & Eve Episode 2 - Modern Family
- CBCC Mark & Eve Episode 3 - Reboot?
- CBCC Mark & Eve Episode 4 - Full House
- Shannon and Luke Lieberman on Red Sonja
- Tyler Crook on The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child
- Lisa Guest-Stars on Spec Tales
- Brad Guest-Star on Missing Frames
- CBCC Guest-Stars on Comic Book Keepers
- CBCC Guest-Stars on The Amazing Spider-Talk (Patreon)
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Nearly to the day, Tyler Crook returns to Comic Book Couples Counseling to discuss The Lonesome Hunters, this time digging into its follow-up series, The Wolf Child. As he proved during his last session, Crook is eager to crack open his story and root around inside. There is life here, and we need to know what makes it tick.
Centered in this conversation is a paraphrased Jack Kirby quote. In these notes, we'll present it in full as it was spoken during an interview on The Masters of Comic Book Art, introduced by the equally radical Harlan Ellison. You can watch the whole thing HERE.
"I'm a guy that lives with a lot of questions. I say, 'What's out there?' and I try to resolve that. And I never can. I don't think anybody can. Who's got the answers? I sure would like to hear the ultimate one. But I haven't yet. And so I live with a lot of questions. And I find that entertaining...If my life were to end tomorrow, it would be fulfilled in that manner. I would say, 'The Questions have been terrific.'"
Tyler Crook's comics, especially these first two Lonesome Hunters volumes, are all about scratching at those questions and bumping against unknowable answers. The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child #1 is Tyler Crook on a plate. His script, his art, his letters, his everything.
The comic is an out-there horror/fantasy adventure with a powerfully compelling intergenerational friendship at its core. You can read it as straight escapist entertainment, but it invites you to press down a little deeper and consider your reflection within its pages. Yes, it's absolutely a Comic Book Couples Counseling book.
We're extremely thankful to Tyler Crook for joining us once again on the show and being so generous with his process and philosophy. Our conversation is about as in-depth as you can get without spoiling every little detail about the narrative. However, we'll probably need Crook back on the podcast so we can have one of our epic Ultimate breakdown conversations about The Lonesome Hunters.
The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child #1 is now available from Dark Horse Comics, wherever fine comic books are sold (Click HERE to find the nearest one to you). You can continue your conversation with Tyler Crook via his Twitter, Instagram, and Website. Also, you can listen to his music through his Bandcamp page (although it's also available on Spotify, Apple Music, and the like).
If you haven't already, you can listen to our previous Lonesome Hunters conversation HERE.
Technically, this episode is Part Two of our two-week-long San Diego Comic-Con celebration. Click HERE to catch up on Part One: our chat with Shannon and Luke Lieberman, the Red Sonja licensors.
Other Relevant Links:
- Lisa Guest-Stars on Spec Tales
- CBCC Guest-Stars on Comic Book Keepers
- CBCC Guest-Stars on The Amazing Spider-Talk (Patreon)
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we re-launch Married to Singles, episode 1: Daniel Warren Johnson on The 'Nam #9.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Let the festivities begin! This year, Red Sonja celebrates her fiftieth anniversary, and as caretakers and licensors of the character, Shannon and Luke Lieberman are determined to transform 2023 into a massive birthday bash. A movie is on the horizon. Gail Simone has penned a new book, and a comics series is launching with a new number one written by Torunn Grønbekk and illustrated by Walter Geovani. It's set to release next week (7/19), which just so happens to coincide with the San Diego Comic-Con.
Red Sonja, Shannon, and Luke Lieberman will be in attendance in San Diego in a major way, hosting a fiftieth-anniversary panel on Friday at 11:30 AM in Room 5AB. Joining them will be Amy Chu, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Dan Panosian, Mark Canton, and several other significant Red Sonja creators.
Do you know who else will be at Comic-Con next week? Comic Book Couples Counseling! In fact, this week's episode launches our San Diego Comic-Con podcast blowout! As you'll hear within, we have some major plans for this year's convention, and our feeds will be stacked for the next two weeks.
It all starts here with Shannon and Luke Lieberman discussing their unique relationship with Red Sonja, the responsibility they wield as legacy caretakers, and the special set of skills they both bring to this fascinatingly creative task. And, of course, we chat about the challenges and joys of working alongside your romantic partner.
Stay up to date on all things Red Sonja by following them on Twitter, Instagram, and their Website. Also, be sure to check out our previous conversation with Luke Lieberman discussing his graphic novel collaboration, Alliances: Orphans.
If you're attending San Diego Comic-Con, come find our Lisa Gullickson on the Comics Journalism: Looking at Panels Beyond the Page panel on Thursday at 4:30 PM in Room 24ABC. She'll be joined by Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Jimmy Aquino (Comic News Insider), Brett Schenker (Graphic Policy), Avery Kaplan (The Beat), and Chris Arrant (Popverse).
Other Relevant Links:
- Lisa Guest-Stars on Spec Tales
- CBCC Guest-Stars on Comic Book Keepers
- CBCC Guest-Stars on The Amazing Spider-Talk (Patreon)
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we re-launch Married to Singles, episode 1: Daniel Warren Johnson on The 'Nam #9.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
For two years, we've discussed The Sandman on our Patreon, one episode at a time, one issue at a time. Periodically, we've dropped certain conversations into the main Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast feed, but it's been a while. Since we're nearly reaching the end of Neil Gaiman's original 75-issue run, we felt compelled to pull a Patreon conversation to all our wonderful listeners' attention.
Our "Sleepwalking Through Sandman" Patreon series is an extremely vulnerable experience for us. Lisa read these comics in college, but her memory is foggy and mutated by time. For whatever reason, Brad never read The Sandman when it was initially on comic shop stands. Now, every week, we stumble through this iconic comic book series, desperately trying to absorb what Gaiman and his astonishing collaborators put down on the page.
Frequently, we interpret things way off base, but thankfully, our Patrons guide us along and clue us into what we're missing. The result is episodes unlike any other shows Comic Book Couples Counseling produces. We're pretty darn proud of them.
The Sandman #70 is the beginning of the end. Is it an epilogue, or is it the climax? Panel by panel, we debate the possibilities as we approach the original Sandman's final issues. A small select group gathers within the Dreaming to pay their last respects to Morpheus while a new (?) Dream works on rebuilding what was lost during the battle with the Furies.
For as little as $1 a month (or $12 a year), you can access all our Sandman episodes and hundreds of other bonus podcasts. After finishing our Sandman #70 conversation, you can jump right on into our Sandman #71 conversation, already posted in our Patreon feed HERE.
In this episode, we also announce a new Patreon podcast series. It's a show concept we don't see anywhere else online, and we think our listeners will be excited about it. Stay tuned for more information, and join up before San Diego Comic-Con if you want access to that particular comic book party.
Sandman #71 was published by DC Comics with a cover date of August 1995. It's written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Michael Zulli, colored by Daniel Vozzo, seps by Digital Chameleon, lettered by Todd Klein, edited by Karen Berger, associated by Shelly Roeberg, and features a cover by Dave McKean. Sandman created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg.
Relevant Podcast Links:
- Patreon Preview: Sandman #17
- Patreon Preview: Sandman #1
- Lisa's Spec Tales Secret Invasion Guest-Star
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Steel yourself. My Adventures with Superman is the Superman story you've been waiting for, friends. The new animated series (set to premiere on Adult Swim on July 6th and on Max the next day) is a joyful exploration, digging deep into what it means to be super. Not just from Clark Kent's perspective but also from Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane's points of view.
My Adventures with Superman is a vibrant, radical, and passionate outburst. The cartoon is a relationship saga, beginning just as these three wannabe reporters find each other and as Superman bubbles into a glorious idea. The show is also the best Superman adaptation we've seen since the 1978 movie. Those are big words, and we don't type them carelessly.
MY Adventures with Superman. Noodle on the title's first word. The creators are considering a lot more with this show than just killer anime-influenced animation, fight scenes, and reinterpretations of classic comic book concepts. They're going inward, encouraging self-reflection, and inspiring us to think a little differently about these characters we've loved for so long.
In this week's episode, we discuss DC Comics' long, magical history with animation. Our conversation begins with celebrating Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which we just screened at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. We then review My Adventures of Superman, carefully avoiding spoilers while contemplating its thematic connections to Bruce Wayne's unique superhero journey.
Ultimately, we chat with producers Brendan Clogher (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), Josie Campbell (New Champion of Shazam), and Jake Wyatt (Steven Universe) before conversing with the actors portraying Lois Lane (Alice Lee) and Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid). What responsibility do these creators carry as caretakers for such titanic characters? Why does the world need another take on Superman? We get into it.
Again, My Adventures with Superman arrives on Adult Swim on July 6th at midnight before hitting Max the next day. You can find Josie Campbell on Twitter and Instagram. You can find Jake Wyatt on Twitter and Instagram. You can find Brendan Clogher on Instagram. You can find Alice Lee on Instagram. You can find Ishem Sahid on Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Richard Donner Discusses Superman: The Movie
- Our Review of the new Superman 4K collection
- Our Review of the new Fleischer Superman cartoons collection
- Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell on the new Superman comic
- Dan Jurgens on The Death of Superman
- Our celebration of Superman: The Movie w/Shawn Eastridge
- Our Mark & Eve Counseling Sessions
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Don't forget to grab your tickets for our July 30th Alamo Drafthouse Winchester screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we wrap up our 75-episode series on Sandman's first 75 issues.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
It's not up for debate. American Born Chinese, now streaming on Disney+, is 2023's best comic book adaptation. The streaming series miraculously transforms Gene Luen Yang's iconic graphic novel into something unique without betraying the book's characters or core emotions. You can experience both separately from each other or in conversation with each other; they're doing their own thing.
On this week's episode, Gene Luen Yang joins the show to discuss the adaptation process and how it somewhat represents how he would tackle the material today in sequential form. When he looks back at the cartoonist who produced the comics in 2006, does he recognize him? The answer may surprise you.
We chat about a few significant changes made to the narrative and why they were necessary. We discuss the impact stories have on our lives, and Yang details the specific tales that influenced his creative imagination. A few CBCC favorites delightfully appear.
The American Born Chinese adaptation consumed Gene Luen Yang's attention, distracting him from his many deadlines. He's cooking up a lot of comics at the moment, and he's eager to put new stories out into the universe. We run through a few and predict a couple of our own comic book desires.
You can watch American Born Chinese on Disney+ now and purchase the original graphic novel, published by First Second Books, from your local comic book shop.
Be sure to follow Gene Luen Yang on his website, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
Other Relevant Links:
- Our Stan Sakai Conversation
- Our Mark Waid Lazarus Planet Conversation
- Our Mark & Eve Counseling Sessions
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we wrap up our 75-episode series on Sandman's first 75 issues.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
You rarely encounter an accurate depiction of social anxiety in art. At least an accurate depiction that reflects our experience. We found ourselves in Turtle Bread, the new graphic novel from former Great Britsh Bake-Off contestant Kim-Joy. The discovery was thrilling, emotional, and somewhat hard to believe. Here we are, wrapped up inside a gorgeous baking comic wondrously illustrated by Alti Firmansyah. It's a gift we're eager to hand to friends, family, and strangers. Look inside and see the weird doubt and negative self-talk we struggle against daily.
However, Turtle Bread also taught us that our social anxiety might not be the hindrance we sometimes label it as. Our anxiety may come with benefits. In fact, our anxiety may be a superpower unto itself.
This week, Kim-Joy joins the podcast to discuss her experience with social anxiety and how writing Turtle Bread in collaboration with Firmansyah allowed her to consider her inherent gifts. We discuss vulnerability, her time in the spotlight, and how anxiety makes every situation a nightmare, but in doing so, it minimizes the agony nightmares can have on you.
Turtle Bread is now available from ComiXology and will see print via Dark Horse Comics on October 4th. Be sure to stay up to date on all things Kim-Joy by following her on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and her website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Get Tickets for our Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Alamo Drafthouse Screening
- Get Tickets for our Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Alamo Drafthouse screening
- Read Lisa's Turtle Bread review
- Awesome Con "Writing Comics with Purpose" Panel
- Liz Reed & Jimmy Reed on CBCC
- Our Super Secret Across the Spider-Verse Episode
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we wrap up our 75-episode series on Sandman's first 75 issues.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
"This is not my beautiful house! This is not my beautiful wife!" Mark Grayson returns from his Rebooted life to find Atom Eve fully embracing that alien lifestyle and their daughter Tera well into childhood. He's missed so much but doesn't have time to cry about it. Thragg and his brood armada are on the march and thirsty for Grayson blood.
We return to Invincible this week and our ongoing Mark and Eve counseling session. We are so close to the comic's climax and freaking out a little. Creators Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker slam the Grayson family through the grinder, attacking them from within and without. Our loving couple has survived a lot, but the Full House arc threatens to tear everything asunder. Most notably, Lisa's emotions, as she's reeling after nearly every page turn.
Our heroes are bottling their feelings, struggling to express themselves to each other, creating opportunities for violent outbursts. Complicating everything is Tera, their little one, racing to experience life in a universe out to destroy her. Can Mark and Eve reveal their deepest fears to each other when they have to throw up protective walls for their daughter's sake?
Helping us navigate this tumultuous time between Mark and Eve is Dr. Marc Brackett and his book, Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive. We've reached the portion detailing the dangerous game of expressing yourself. You must put yourself out there, but you cannot control how the person across from you will react. What do you do when your partner's emotional response clashes with your vulnerable unveiling? Brackett might not have a solution for you, but maybe we do. Maybe.
Helplines are available if you do not have a support system willing to hear you out during these vulnerable moments of expression. You can reach the Mental Health Hotline in Virginia by dialing 1-866-903-3787 or CLICK HERE.
Issues covered in this episode: Invincible 127 - 132, published by Image Comics under the Skyboud Entertainment imprint, released between April 2016 and February 2017. The comic was written by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Cory Walker, colored by Nathan Fairbairn, and lettered by Rus Wooton.
Other Relevant Links:
- CBCC Mark & Eve Episode 1 - Robert Kirkman programs our sessions
- CBCC Mark & Eve Episode 2 - Modern Family
- CBCC Mark & Eve Episode 3 - Reboot?
- Get Tickets for our Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Alamo Drafthouse Screening
- Get Tickets for our Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Alamo Drafthouse screening
- Read Lisa's Turtle Bread review
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we wrap up our 75-episode series on Sandman's first 75 issues.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Woe unto the city where the sidekick dies. In Minor Threats, Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt plunge into the chaotic relationship dynamics that fuel the best spandex stories, shifting the microscope toward the C-list, well, maybe the D-List "super" crooks that frequently fall under the boots of top-tier heroes and villains.
Kid Dusk is dead. The sinister Stickman pulled the trigger. Now, The Insomniac is on a rampage to secure justice...vengeance...payback. Tomayto, tomahto. Hoping to restore normalcy and score a little promotion, a group of small-time henchmen seeks the bounty on Stickman's head.
Minor Threats is a dense four-issue series from Dark Horse Comics, beautifully illustrated by Scott Hepburn. The three artists create a massive canvas with endless possibilities. Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt pick at these niggling strands that have teased their imaginations since childhood. Their comic celebrates everything we love about superhero stories while classically exploring the world outside our windows. They're merely following in the footsteps of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Joe Simon.
Chatting with Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt this week was a giddy pleasure. The conversation splinters into numerous directions, at once continuing our seemingly never-ending CBCC Batman discourse while considering the cathartic and bleak comedy found within Biggie Smalls' lyrics. Our discussion covers a lot of ground, Wyatt Earp, The Wire, Sergio Aragonés, Grant Morrison, and more. You are in for a serious geeky treat.
Minor Threats is now available in single issues, but the trade paperback will arrive in comic book shops on June 21st. You can find your nearest comics retailer HERE.
Continue this conversation by following Patton Oswalt on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Please follow Jordan Blum on Twitter and Instagram. And watch Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. now streaming on HULU.
Other Relevant Links:
- Tom King and Mitch Gerads on Batman: The Brave and The Bold
- Tom King on Danger Street & Batman
- Get Tickets to our Alamo Drafthouse TMNT 1990 Screening
- Get Tickets to our Alamo Drafthouse Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Screening
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we wrap up our 75-episode series on Sandman's first 75 issues.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Once upon a time, in a far-off kingdom, Tom King returned! In this episode, we go into the woods and down the dell; the path is straight toward Danger Street! We're talking with the creator about his utterly absurd and equally delightful maxi-series, illustrated by Jorge Fornés, colored by Dave Stewart, lettered by Clayton Cowles, and currently on the stands from DC Comics.
What's the tougher task - knocking out another Batman story or creating a narrative where twenty-three random superhero rejects make perfect inhabitants? Tom King takes us through Danger Street's creation, the mission he's hoping to accomplish with it, and how these characters have caused him to reconsider other staples from the DC Comics stable.
Our conversation also allows us to delve into our recent obsession with comic book dollar bins, an obsession that Tom King most definitely shares. Within those glorious longboxes, you never know what you'll find; for Tom, they might be the basis for his next weirdo spandex drama.
Most importantly, Danger Street radically aligns with a larger conversation that we've been having at Comic Book Couples Counseling. The tiniest acts, the tiniest kindnesses, can have the most massive of impacts on our larger society. Sometimes, the greatest superpower is your availability. Showing up for others and showing up for yourself can save the day.
This episode covers Danger Street's first six issues, but it's not spoiler-heavy. Our hope is that the conversation will encourage new readers to jump onto the title, so we're not looking to ruin anyone's good time.
Follow Tom King on Twitter and Instagram. Find your local comic book shop to nab all his comics.
Other Relevant Links:
- Tom King and Mitch Gerads on Batman: The Brave and The Bold
- Tom King and Elsa Charretier on Love Everlasting
- CBCC Counseling Session on Mister Miracle
- CBCC Counseling Session on Batman: The Best Man
- CBCC Counseling Session on The Vision
- Daniel Warren Johnson on Beta Ray Bill and Wonder Woman: Dead Earth
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we wrap up our 75-episode series on Sandman's first 75 issues.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We get highfalutin with Mitch Gerads and Tom King, discussing their latest Dark Knight collaboration, "The Winning Card," as it appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1, out now from DC Comics. The longtime collaborators continue to test each other, pulling the very best from one another and delivering a Batman tale unlike any other.
It's Year One for both Bats and Joker. They're looking to prove themselves. They're looking to sell themselves to Gotham City. And sell themselves as something beyond the mere mortals that they are.
Or are they? Is there something more to their masks, their supernatural charade? Tom and Mitch have their perspectives on what it means to be superhuman, and yeah, so do we, especially Lisa.
The hot takes are flying fast and furious this week as we dig into Bruce Wayne's mission to fix Gotham, dissect the scariest Joker in ages, and what propels Mitch Gerads and Tom King to collaborate. This episode is Part One of a Two-Part DC Comics celebration. Please return in just a few days to hear us go further down the highfalutin boom tube rabbit hole as Tom King sticks around the Love Nest, chatting about the ultra-rad and rather incredible Danger Street miniseries.
Follow Mitch Gerads on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Tom King on Twitter and Instagram. Find your local comic book shop to pick up Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1.
Other Relevant Links:
- Tom King and Elsa Charretier on Love Everlasting
- CBCC Counseling Session on Mister Miracle
- CBCC Counseling Session on Batman: The Best Man
- CBCC Counseling Session on The Vision
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON before we wrap up our 75-episode series on Sandman's first 75 issues.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We celebrate Free Comic Book Day with Jesse Lonergan and Steve Anderson from Third Eye Comics. Our first-ever spectacular promoting the annual event where comic readers collide to nab free comics but, more importantly, buy comics. Free Comic Book Day is a shop appreciation day, not a customer appreciation day. So, be kind, say thank you, and discover a new universe of titles and characters. Exploration is your mission.
In our first portion, we chat extensively with Steve Anderson about his new Buys and Bargains Third Eye Comics location in Annapolis, Maryland. What purpose does this particular store offer that the others don't? What goodies did we come away with during our little shop preview? What does the retailer of one of the country's best comic shops think about the industry today, and what are the comics he's most excited to read? We get into it.
In our second half, we speak with cartoonist extraordinaire Jesse Lonergan about his new Mike Mignola collaboration, Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea, published by Dark Horse Comics. For Hellboy fans, this is an essential entry, further detailing the ancient mythology that frequently steers Anung Un Rama's fate. We discuss the responsibility of working with such precious characters and why Lonergan was such a natural fit. We also get into the weeds of pacing, time, and who controls what within the comics medium. It's another can't-miss conversation.
There are few days of the year we enjoy more than Free Comic Book Day. We all owe a lot to Joe Field, the Flying Colors comic shop proprietor who originated the concept. If you would like to know more about the event's origins, be sure to listen to The Short Box podcast. The latest episode features an extensive interview with Field.
You should also check out the Comic Book Couples Counseling Free Comic Book Day PSA!
Most importantly, visit Third Eye Comics! Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
You can also keep track of Jesse Lonergan on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Wait, there's more! You should listen to our other Mignolaverse celebration with creators Rob Williams and Warwick Johnson-Cadwell.
FINAL ROUND OF PLUGS (PHEW):
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON and watch Brad and Dolph Lundgren celebrate 1989's The Punisher movie for seven whole minutes.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing return to Comic Book Couples Counseling, discussing their longstanding Star Trek obsession and how they transformed it into a propulsive narrative for the rest of us to enjoy. Their latest IDW Publishing series picks up where Star Trek: Deep Space Nine left off, fulfilling Benjamin Sisko's promise to his son. The Emissary returns from the Wormhole on a mission to halt a God-killing entity while reconnecting with an emotionally anxious Jake Sisko.
As longtime Sisko stans ourselves, we've been itching to discuss our favorite Star Trek captain. As a father, he serves a function unlike any other lead character. His priorities create a unique relationship with Starfleet and the Federation, and it's a joy to see how that tug-of-war continues beyond the sevens seasons we consumed on television.
Partnering with artists Ramon Rosanas, Oleg Chudakov, Joe Eisma, and Erik Tamayo (not to forget amazing variant cover artists like friend-of-the-pod Christian Ward - peep that gorgeous episode art), Kelly and Lanzing have carved a living universe for Star Trek comics. Their story is free to explore new areas along the timeline; untouched by the live-action iteration. Truly, they're boldly going where no one has gone before.
The first six issues in their Star Trek series are currently available and will be collected in the "Godshock" trade paperback on July 18th.
Also discussed in this week's episode is the new Guardians of the Galaxy series spearheaded by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly. Part one in the "Grootfall" storyline is now available from Marvel Comics. Mystery surrounds their Space Western, but within this episode, you'll learn how these creators won't leave you stressing for too long.
GofG, Star Trek, Captain America, Batman Beyond. These two have a lot going on. Keep up to date by following their socials. Hit up Collin Kelly on Twitter. Find Jackson Lanzing on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out our previous episode with the Hivemind, talking about One Bad Day: Clayface. And listen to our Tom Brevoort chat regarding Fantastic Four's sixtieth anniversary.
Also, JOIN OUR PATREON and watch Brad and Dolph Lundgren celebrate 1989's The Punisher movie for seven whole minutes.
Don't forget! Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
You got comedy in my dystopia! You got dystopia in my comedy! Two great tastes that taste great together! In our latest Creator Cranny conversation, we chat with Pulitzer Prize finalist Matt Bors and Adult Swim filmmaker Ben Clarkson about their righteously hilarious buddy cop sci-fi satire, Justice Warriors.
The new book from Ahoy Comics is a viciously funny tale about two Bubble City law enforcers maintaining the peace of the Uninhabited Zone. At the same time, their mayor desperately tries to up his album sales. Prepare yourselves before entering these pages, as what you'll find within is painfully silly and horrifyingly recognizable as our own dystopian present. Justice Warriors sparked a fire in us, and we were more than excited to have Matt Bors and Ben Clarkson in our Love Nest continuing to stoke the flames.
Justice Warriors is one of our favorite comics of 2023. The book is biting, absurd, and frickin' hysterical, and the art is astonishingly beautiful. Gaze upon these panels and marvel. Ben Clarkson tortured himself to put these characters and hyper-detailed backgrounds together. Justice Warriors is busting with visual gags, demanding a second, third, and fourth read.
In this conversation, we explore the nature of speaking to the moment, the purpose of art, and the many, many influences that fueled Justice Warriors (does anyone else remember C.O.P.S., the animated series?). Of course, we never let ourselves get too serious either, and it's impossible with Bors and Clarkson around.
This year has already proven to be an exceptional year for comics, so don't let Justice Warriors slip past your radar. Jump over to the Ahoy Comics website and give these pages a gander. They're irresistible.
Also, follow Matt Bors on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Follow Ben Clarkson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Listen to the Missing Frame Interview with Richard Donner
- Read Brad's Film School Rejects Interview with Phil Tippett
- Bid on Matt Bors' Spawn Cover on the Four Color Fantasies Facebook Page
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When is a reboot not a reboot? When Robert Kirkman and Invincible are involved. We've reached the halfway point in our Mark and Atom Eve counseling sessions, delving into one of their relationship's most complicated and gut-wrenching moments. Surviving this moment is absolutely critical for themselves and the fate of the universe, and possibly the romance between the two podcasters making this episode!
If you could go back in time with the knowledge you possess today, would you do better, be better? You'd like to think so, but living in the now is the only path forward. That path, however, is always difficult, and there are no shortcuts.
Helping us navigate this tumultuous time between Mark and Eve is Dr. Marc Brackett and his book, Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive. To properly enjoy this episode, you'll want access to The Mood Meter, which you can find HERE or HERE. You may also want the Jim Varney Mood Meter too, which you can find HERE.
Issues covered in this episode: Invincible 121 - 126, published by Image Comics under the Skyboud Entertainment imprint, released between July 2015 and December 2015. The comic was written by Robert Kirkman, penciled by Ryan Ottley, inked by Cliff Rathburn and Ryan Ottley, colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and lettered by Rus Wooton.
Catch up on our previous Invincible conversations. Check out our chat with Robert Kirkman and hear him program our Mark and Eve counseling sessions. Listen to our first session with Mark and Eve, discussing the Modern Family storyline.
Other relevant links:
- Get your tickets for our Superman: The Movie Alamo Drafthouse Screening.
- Get your tickets for our Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut Alamo Drafthouse Screening.
- David Harper interviews Robert Kirkman
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Thirty years ago, Milestone Media dropped into comic shops. Their books were almost unrecognizable next to the other comics being published at the time. They were politically charged, radically motivated, and bursting with boundless creative energy. Founded by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle, Milestone Media changed the game and delivered iconic characters like Static, Hardware, Blood Syndicate, Rocket, and, yeah, Icon.
If you want to understand the context surrounding Milestone's creation and its profound impact on the industry, you need to check out the documentary Milestone Generations, currently streaming on HBO Max. Our guest this week, Evan Narcisse, worked extensively on the film. He's also been cranking out rad comics like Wildstorm vs. Waller and the short story "Universal Beings," which appeared in DC Comics' recent Milestone 30th Anniversary Special.
"Universal Beings" is a magnificent tale, a catastrophic tiny epic that smashes the original Milestone Universe from 1993, with the updated version dominating comic shops today. Inspired by the classic multiversal comic "Flash of Two Worlds," Narcisse's story allows him to confront contemporary notions of progress while supplying a kickass superhero adventure. What would 1993's Static think of 2023's Static, and vice versa? The conversation is thematically charged like all good Milestone books.
Narcisse also takes a moment to celebrate the genius of Dwayne McDuffie and all the eclectic voices that pulled Milestone out of nothingness and gifted the world the Dakotaverse, an unparalleled comics arena. In addition to relaunching these classic characters, DC Comics recently published two massive compendiums collecting the nineties Milestone stories. They are worth your attention.
Also, be sure to follow Evan Narcisse on Twitter.
Before Evan Narcisse joins the show, Lisa suffers through Brad's long-winded review of his 2023 WonderCon experience. You're paying attention if you can sense a little jealousy in that last sentence. Or is that envy? You'll have to listen to next week's podcast to answer that last question. Just know this, Brad had an amazing time in Anaheim, filled with all manner of creator interactions, panels, and comics purchasing.
The WonderCon Review ends at the 21:56 minute mark.
If you want to hear a more immediate review of WonderCon Day 1, check out The Geekly Grind podcast. And while you're at it, follow our friend Lance's adventures at Comic Book Keepers.
Other Relevant Links:
- Daniel Warren Johnson on CBCC, talkin' Beta Ray Bill
- Daniel Warren Johnson on CBCC, talkin' Do a Powerbomb!
- Robert Kirkman on CBCC, talkin' Invincible
- Get your tickets for our Superman: The Movie Alamo Drafthouse Screening.
- Get your tickets for our Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut Alamo Drafthouse Screening.
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Few comics feel as epic as Invincible by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley. As such, it presents an incredible challenge for Comic Book Couples Counseling. Where do we start if we want to properly analyze the complicated romantic relationship between Mark Grayson and Samantha Eve Wilkins? For years, the question has gotten in the way of programming our Invincible counseling sessions, but last week, Robert Kirkman himself came to our rescue.
We've said this on the podcast before, but we didn't really know each other until we were a few years into our marriage. With that in mind, Kirkman suggested we start our counseling sessions later in Mark and Eve's romantic timeline, just after they became parents. In this massive episode, we begin our new counseling series by jumping into Invincible almost toward its end.
Invincible: Modern Family finds Earth thriving under a dictatorship. SPOILERS for those that have not read the entire Invincible saga - Robot has taken over, and his tyranny seems horrifyingly logical. Mark and Eve cannot throw themselves into combat as a new family, choosing to leave Earth behind and make a life amongst the stars. However, are they proactively prospering as a badass superhero couple, or are they stuffing their emotions and hiding from those dark thoughts that reside within?
Helping us navigate this tumultuous time between Mark and Eve is Dr. Marc Brackett and his book, Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive. Get ready to challenge your meta-emotions, friends.
Issues covered in this episode: Invincible 115 - 120, published by Image Comics under the Skyboud Entertainment imprint, released between September 2014 and May 2015. The comic was written by Robert Kirkman, penciled by Ryan Ottley, inked by Cliff Rathburn and Ryan Ottley, colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and lettered by Rus Wooton.
A word of caution about today's episode. Our conversation briefly touches upon sexual assault. We don't get into the details, but if this is a sensitive subject for you, please feel free to skip it and we'll catch you next week. If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, you can call 1-800-656-4673 and you'll be routed to a local sexual assault service provider in your area.
Other relevant links:
- Get your tickets for our Superman: The Movie Alamo Drafthouse Screening.
- Get your tickets for our Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut Alamo Drafthouse Screening.
- Follow Four Color Fantasies on Facebook.
- Follow Four Color Fantasies on Twitter.
- Tour the Bruce Lee Foundation.
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Twenty years ago, Robert Kirkman unleashed Invincible upon the planet. The comic represented an opportunity to do everything he ever imagined a superhero comic was capable of doing. Through Image Comics (and what would eventually develop into his own Skybound Entertainment), the comic creator found a narrative freedom that previously proved impossible at the big two comic companies. In the process, he also created an utterly compelling romance that took significant time to develop, causing profound melodramatic tension in his audience.
We're positively giddy to welcome Robert Kirkman onto the show this week. For years, we've wanted to cover Mark Grayson and Atom Eve's relationship. Invincible is such a massive story, and we needed to figure out where to begin and how to cram it all into four Counseling Session episodes. Thankfully, Kirkman knew exactly how we could pull it off and was happy to help us through our programming.
Before we meet up with Kirkman, however, we run down our recent Seattle trip and review the magnificent Emerald City Comic Con. As first-time attendees, we were overwhelmed with everything the convention offered, from in-depth panels to an endless array of comic artists. All cons have their own vibe, and ECCC was no exception. You may want to add this show to your yearly schedule. Access to Lola pancakes might be reason enough.
Our Seattle review concludes at the 18:19 minute mark. You can skip it if all you're here for is the Robert Kirkman talk, but then you'd miss out on Lisa's hairdo debacle, which would be a terrible shame.
Our chat with Robert Kirkman does drift into a little Fire Power celebration. We couldn't help ourselves, especially when we considered how that comic's central romance sorta operates as a spiritual sequel to the one shared between Mark and Eve. We don't go into any major spoilers. So, if all you've seen is the Invincible television series, this episode is a safe space.
Make sure that you follow Robert Kirkman on his Twitter and through the Skybound Entertainment website. Invincible recently published an anniversary facsimile edition, a stripped-down black and white number one, and a new deluxe edition compendium. Seek those out at your local comic shop.
Other relevant links to this week's episode:
- Read Lisa's Do A Powerbomb! Comics Beat Review
Join us on March 12th at 4:00 PM at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia for ourLone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies, the Eisner-nominated comic book shop.
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, Brad's Picks the 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023, HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Few comics operate like Do A Powerbomb! Cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson does his thing (along with genius colorist Mike Spicer), pulling you in with the most incredible, kinetic, and badass panels while slowly engaging your heart and soul. When the comic reaches its jaw-dropping climax, you're shook and probably requiring a little alone time to get all those uncontrollable tears out of your system.
Since the very first issue, we've been championing Do A Powerbomb! We've folded the comic into our all-time favorites, reaching into it and finding ourselves over and over again with every re-read. Daniel Warren Johnson always delivers a wallop with his comics, and yet, we're still surprised when he lands a new blow.
In this episode, we drag DWJ into our ring. The conversation is full-spoilers. So, please, read Do A Powerbomb! in its entirety before venturing any further. We would feel absolutely awful if your experience was spoiled in any way by this discussion. Having once read the comic, we believe our chat with Daniel Warren Johnson will elevate your appreciation for the book. We dig into every aspect of the comic, and Dan is extremely generous with his time and consideration.
We examine Do A Powerbomb!'s unique origins, tied to Johnson's late-in-life discovery of professional wrestling. We talk about how it initially seeped into his Beta Ray Bill mini-series for Marvel Comics and why he was compelled to smash it into this particular familial saga. And, yeah, we go deep into the comic's absolutely bonkers climax and just how the hell he came up with that epic final confrontation. Oh, and we get some cool future book-related news out of Dan as well. Stay tuned for that.
Be sure to follow Daniel Warren Johnson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Do A Powerbomb! is now available in comic shops from Image Comics. It will be available in bookstores everywhere on March 7th.
Relevant Links to our Do A Powerbomb! Convo:
- Daniel Warren Johnson on CBCC, talkin' Beta Ray Bill
- The Best Comics of 2022 (Part Two)
- The CBCC Patreon Exclusive Do a Powerbomb! Extended Cut Interview
Join us on March 12th at 4:00 PM at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia for ourLone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies, the Eisner-nominated comic book shop.
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, Brad's Picks the 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023, HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
INT. CLAYFACE - DAY/NIGHT/WHATEVER. There are two wolves (desperation and artistic integrity) tearing into each other. The disgraced Basil Karlo will do anything to get his face (or someone else's face atop his face) on the screen again. Unfortunately, even after cheating and slaughtering his way to his goal, Karlo's damn creative principles threaten to ruin his bright lights, big city dreams.
Batman: One Bad Day - Clayface #1 is a sensational trip into the murderous mudsliding thespian's soul. Told brilliantly and empathically by the writing duo Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, the DC Comics one-shot offers an authentic and horrific insight into the creative pursuit. Considering our own history of artistic failure and success, Kelly and Lanzing tap into something deeply personal, delivering a dreadfully relatable Hollywood saga.
Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing join us this week to discuss their passion for the shapeshifting monster and how they found themselves in Clayface's agonizing artistic integrity. Their One Bad Day slides perfectly alongside the rest of the DC Comics line exploring Batman's many rogues but also stands out as something brutally additive. Their Clayface is the one many of us first encountered in Batman: The Animated Series, but speaking to the moment, the right now.
Batman: One Bad Day - Clayface #1 takes on power imbalance culture and the poison that infects the eager, and the desperate. We chat about their own La La Land experiences and whether they took this opportunity as a moment of exorcism. We also dive into Xermánico's insanely rich illustrations fueling the narrative, as well as those evocative colors provided by Romulo Fajardo Jr. How could you not, right? This comic is gorgeous.
Continue this conversation with Collin Kelly by following his Twitter. Track down Jackson Lanzing via his Twitter and Instagram. Most importantly, seek out Batman: One Bad Day - Clayface #1, now available wherever fine comic books are sold.
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, Brad's Picks the 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023, HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Nothing has a greater influence over your life than your thoughts; rather they are negative or positive. This is true for Superman, Lex Luthor, Brad Gullickson, Lisa Gullickson, Joshua Williamson, and Jamal Campbell. On this week's podcast, we chat with the two comic creators about Clark Kent's impact on their lives as well as his impact on the greater DC Comics universe. Their Superman #1 hits comic shops this Tuesday, and with it comes an exciting new take on the character and those that flock around him.
Williamson and Campbell's narrative positions the Clark Kent/Lex Luthor relationship forward without side-stepping those other supporting roles we adore. The first issue actually opens with Pete Ross's influence on a young Clark and examines how that friendship lingers into Superman's adulthood. How these relations shape each other allows us to consider the power friends and strangers have on us, and beautifully, Williamson and Campbell were willing to go there with us.
Our conversation also considers Superman's importance as a cultural icon, and we dig into the difficulty of steering such a symbol. We explore whether there is a romance between Lex Luthor and Clark Kent while teasing out some details as to where Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell are possibly pushing their caped crusader. Also, what kind of tunes does Pete Ross place on a mixtape for a young Clark Kent? Williamson has definite opinions. So do we.
Keep up to date on all things Joshua Williamson by following him on Twitter, Instagram, and Substack. Follow Jamal Campbell through his Twitter, Instagram, and Website. Superman #1 from DC Comics arrives on 2/21.
Other Relevant Links:
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania CBCC Patreon Episode
- Superman: The Movie w/Shawn Eastridge
- Dan Jurgens on The Death of Superman
- Mark Waid, Nicole Maines, & Leah Williams on Lazarus Planet
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, Brad's Picks the 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023, HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Hang on! Dan Slott joins Comic Book Couples Counseling for an epic, in-depth conversation about his Silver Surfer run, which he did in collaboration with Mike Allred and Laura Allred. No other comic has had as profound an impact on our relationship as this one, especially when you consider that Dawn Greenwood and Norrin Radd were the inspiration for the podcast. In many ways, we've spent our entire time on this show preparing for the deep-dive chat you're about to hear.
In creator corner conversations, we usually do our best to avoid spoilers. However, this is an intensive exploration of the Slott/Allred Silver Surfer run. We encourage you to read the entire thing before venturing within as we start with the end and work our way backward. We promise you that Dan Slott has never discussed this series in this much detail or from this particular angle.
Slott offers a second opinion on the Dawn & Norrin romance. We throw at him the lessons we learned throughout our five previous Silver Surfer episodes, and he reflects a few ideas and rejects some others. He walks us through his emotions while creating the series, and his dreams for what more he could have said if given a few extra issues. Yes, we discuss several deleted scenes.
A new printing of the Silver Surfer omnibus from Marvel Comics arrives on March 7th. Make some space on your bookshelf, because you don't want to miss out on this one like you did the first one.
Make sure to follow Dan Slott via Twitter and Instagram.
Previous CBCC Silver Surfer Episodes:
- Episode 1 - A New Dawn
- Bonus Episode - Norrin, Dawn, & Groot
- Episode 2 - Worlds Apart
- Episode 3 - Last Days
- Episode 4 - A Power Greater Than Cosmic
Other Relevant Links:
- Brad Talkin' The Last of Us on A Bite Of
- CBCC on The Short Box Podcast
- Brad Talkin' the DCU on The Oblivion Bar
- Brad Talkin' 2023's Most Anticipated Movies on The Oblivion Bar
- Subscribe to The Comics Collective for More Norrin & Dawn
- Ride the Omnibus
- Lisa Writes About Dawn Greenwood for Comics Bookcase
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, Brad's Picks the 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023, HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We bring our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series to a close with the final Turtle story as envisioned thirty years ago by the original TMNT creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. In The Last Ronin, we find the last living Ninja Turtle marching into a Foot Clan-occupied New York City, determined to end the fight that consumed his family. He's beaten, bruised, and maybe a little deluded. After all, the spirits of his three dead brothers haunt his waking world.
As discussed in our Martian Manhunter episode, grief builds a monument in our hearts. His brothers are gone, but their lives still influence the remaining turtle's path. For better and for worse. The Last Ronin exposes a darkness fueling the family's mission and allows us to discuss aspects of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that our previous episodes denied.
Helping us understand the TMNT familial dynamics is Dawn Huebner, Ph.D., and her book "The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun with Your Brothers and Sisters, illustrated by Kara McHale.
Comic issues covered in this episode: The Last Ronin 1 - 5, produced by IDW Publishing from October 2020 to April 2022. It's based on a story by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and Tom Waltz, with scripts written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz. The comic is illustrated by Esau Escorza, Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, and Kevin Eastman. Layouts by Kevin Eastman. Colors by Luis Antonio Delgado with color assists by Samuel Plata and Ronda Pattison. Letters and design by Shawn Lee.
Previous CBCC TMNT Episodes:
- CBCC Interviews Kevin Eastman
- CBCC on TMNT: The Movie w/Bryan Young
- CBCC on TMNT: The Mirage Studios Years
- CBCC on TMNT: The Archie Years
Other Relevant Links:
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline
- Lone Wolf and Cub at the Alamo Drafthouse
- Howard the Duck Patreon Episode
- Chip Zdarsky Howard the Duck Intro
- If Books Could Kill: The Game
- The Last Ronin Patreon Episode
- The Last Ronin Oral History on Inverse
- Lisa talkin' Twilight on Comics Collective
- Brad talkin' The Last of Us on A Bite Of
Don't forget! Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, Brad's Picks the 10 Best Movies of 2022, HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The latest DC Comics event is here - Lazarus Planet! Spearheaded by Mark Waid and Gene Luen Yang and carried forth by writers like Nicole Maines and Leah Williams, the crossover radically alters DC's science-based and magic-based heroes. Chaos rains, and chaos reigns.
Heroes transformed. Secrets revealed. Powers unleashed. As seen in Batman vs. Robin #4, Lazarus Island has exploded. Dangerous, magical chemicals spread across the globe, catastrophically changing the atmosphere and the heroes who fight below it. The DC Comics Universe will never be the same again. And you will absolutely become a fan of Monkey Prince, Dreamer, and Power Girl if you're not already.
On this week's episode, we're extremely excited (and we do mean extremely) to have Mark Waid back on the show, this time talking about our favorite father/son caped crusaders, Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne. We break down where various DC characters fall on the magic/science spectrum and where Mark Waid falls too.
We're also thrilled to have Nicole Maines and Leah Williams on the podcast, discussing their contributions to the Lazarus Planet: Assualt on Krypton one-shot. The book establishes a new world order for their characters, Dreamer and Power Girl. Folks who will become increasingly essential in the wake of the Lazarus Island eruption.
Maines and Williams also consider their relationship with science and magic and how it informs their roles as creators. Maines obviously has a unique bond with Dreamer, having performed as her on the CW's Supergirl. We chat about that responsibility and why it's important for her to be the character's caretaker in the comics.
Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton is Leah Williams' introduction to DC Comics work. She's positively giddy about pushing Power Girl through the wringer in the upcoming issues of Action Comics, and she assures us that the Kryptonian's journey begins right here with the Lazarus Island fallout. The changes experienced in the one-shot forever mutate our understanding of Power Girl; she's not just a fringe universe Supergirl.
Both Lazarus Planet: Alpha and Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton are currently available wherever fine comics are sold. Make sure to follow Mark Waid on Twitter and through his Website. Follow Nicole Maines on Twitter and Instagram. And follow Leah Williams on Twitter and Instagram.
Listen to our previous Mark Waid conversation HERE.
Check out the latest episode of The B&B Show, Brad's Picks for the 10 Best Movies of 2022, HERE.
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We like big worlds, and we cannot lie. We like them, even more, when they come packed in extra thick premiere issues. Black Cloak #1 from creators Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClaren is the first event comic of 2023. It presents a massive, fantastical world jammed with magic, mystery, and mermaids. One part procedural, one part political intrigue, all parts pointedly compelling and weird as hell.
After devouring the first three issues, we came away from Black Cloak wickedly captivated and brimming with curiosity. And yes, we had plenty of questions too. Thankfully, Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClaren agreed to come on the show and break them down with us.
In this week's episode, we chat with Thompson and McClaren about the bottled anxiety they've created in their powder keg city, Kiros. We discuss why they structured the book the way they did, why McClaren is as in the dark about the city's future as we are, and why confusion is a mighty weapon in winning over your audience. Also, we consider whether or not Black Cloak's comparisons to Saga are fair or accurate.
Relevant Links to this Week's Discussion:
- Watch The B & B Show via PGCTV
- Listen to our previous Rogue & Gambit episode
- Listen to our previous Mr. & Mrs. X episode
Black Cloak #1 is currently available from Image Comics. Keep up to date with everything going on in Kiros via Kelly Thompson's Substack. Follow Kely Thompson via Twitter and Instagram. Follow Meredith McClaren on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We can't quit vampires. Just when you think you've seen every mythological iteration, a creator comes along with a new take on the bloodsuckers. Blood Oath by Alex Segura, Rob Hart, and Joe Eisma arrived before our eyeballs at the perfect moment.
The vicious vampire twist that plops our favorite fanged beasts amongst the gangs puppeteering the Prohibition era was the most delightful way for Lisa to extend her current undead obsession, ignited mostly by her recent Twilight re-read. She will not accept any comments on that sparkly infatuation at this time, although we do get into it during this week's opening banter.
The ComiXology original Blood Oath joyfully adds a new element to the seemingly tired monster mash concept. We chat with Alex Segura about what he hoped to accomplish with his take on the creatures. We also discuss why our culture, and most other cultures, can't shake these particular monsters either. Also, how do you like your damnation? With or without God involved?
Of course, Segura is an incredibly busy writer these days, and 2022 proved to be a stupendously successful year for him as well. In addition to Blood Oath, we talk about his vigilante/journalism thriller The Black Ghost and his award-winning new novel, Secret Identity. Look no further if your hustle needs some inspiration.
Blood Oath and The Black Ghost are available from ComiXology, and The Black Ghost's first two trade paperbacks are available from Dark Horse Comics.
Keep track of all those mighty fine Alex Segura stories via his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Determining the Best Comics of 2022 requires more space than the usual Comic Book Couples Counseling conversation. More space and several more voices!
In Part Two of our epic year-end celebration, we invite another cool cadre of guests on the show to name their favorite books from the previous year. Several titles you may expect, but a whole bunch of others should come as a surprise. We're not NPR, we're not IGN. We're the CBCC Podcast!
If you missed last week's selection of great books, click HERE to catch up. With those goodies firmly locked in your brain, let's move to the biggest categories featuring the year's biggest winners. Somewhere below, you'll find the real-deal Best Comic of 2022. Any guesses? You're probably right.
Part Two Timestamps:
- Writer of the Year - 12:24
- Artist of the Year - 21:58
- Best Superhero Comic - 29:51
- Scariest Comic - 44:47
- Best Digital Release - 53:31
- Best Ongoing Series - 1:01:22
- Best Original Graphic Novel - 1:12:06
- Best Limited Series - 1:23:19
Celebrity Guest Stars:
- Dallas (@dallas_comics), Anne (@AnneComics), and Lexi (@lexilou_comics) from The Comics Collective
- Jessika (@jessikawitha) and Mike (@vansau) from Ten Cent Takes
- Dan Gvozden (@SupSpiderTalk) from Amazing Spider-Talk
- Guido (GuiAlexSan) and Rob (@robertribar) from Dear Watchers
- Vactor (@Vactor) from Comic Book Kaiju
- Adam Reck (@arthurstacy) from Battle of the Atom and ComicsXF
- David Brooke (@nosocialize) from AIPT
- Kat Calamia (@ComicUno) from Comic Uno
- Aaron (@betteractions) and Chris (@chacker41) from The Oblivion Bar
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
Also, find your nearest Little Free Library HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
HAP...PY NEW YEAR! We close out December doing what we love most: rambling about comic books! And this year, we're joined by a bevy of guests who help us recognize the Best Comics of 2022.
We've scurried and scrambled during the last several weeks, racing to read and re-read as many comic books as possible. 2022 was a banner year for the industry, certainly in terms of quality. Narrowing our two-part end-of-the-year extravaganza down to a few handfuls of books proved nearly impossible. Thankfully, our celebrity callers, springing from the best podcasts and websites, were eager to jump in and champion the comics we missed out on.
In Part One of our Best Comics of 2022 episode, we finally decided on a moniker for our Comic Book Couples Counseling awards. We won't spoil it here, but we hope you're as happy with it as we are. We kick off the festivities commemorating the year's best cat comic before diving into some brilliant nonfiction work, then some single-issue celebration, and finally closing out our show with the best All-Ages and Young Adult graphic novels.
Part One Category Timestamps:
- Best Cat Comic - 8:07
- Best Memoir - 17:10
- Best First Issue - 27:03
- Best Single Issue - 36:12
- Best All-Ages Comic - 44:41
- Best Young Adult Comic - 56:34
Celebrity Guest Stars:
- Nathan Simmons (@whatastorynate) from AIPT
- Badr Milligan (@TheShortBoxJax) from The Short Box: A Comic Talk Show
- Chris and Lance (@CBKast) from The Comic Book Keepers
- Zack Quaintance (@ComicsBookcase) from The Beat
- Christian Holub (@cmholub) from Entertainment Weekly
- Jamie Garner (@jamiegeeksout) from For Everyone Media
Remember, this episode is only Part One of our Best Comics of 2022. Return next for Part Two, featuring an even weirder and wilder collection of comics. Plus, more celebrity appearances!
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Close your eyes. Picture the longest strand of regret dangling in your memory. Want to clip it? What would your life be like if you could go back in time and fix that one annoying problem?
In G.I.L.T. (the Guild of Independent Lady Temporalists), writer Alisa Kwitney proposes the possibility for at least one woman to repair her calamitous history and, in the process, drop an unwitting sidekick into the tricky solution as well. The acerbic science fiction adventure from Ahoy Comics is one of the most delightful books of the year. G.I.L.T. triggers passionate conversation between us, and we were honored to have Kwitney on the show to break down our feelings regarding her characters and our own wobbly past. As always, we get vulnerable. Just in time for New Year's!
Done in collaboration with the artist Mauricet, G.I.L.T. challenges societal notions of shame, guilt, and happily ever after. Kwitney tells us how her heroines, Hildy and Trista, allowed her to look backward and inward. The sci-fi engine operates as a cathartic excavation, offering relief to her and a willing reader.
Do we also talk The Sandman? Well, we couldn't have a former Sandman assistant editor on the show and not dish a little about our pal Morpheus. Make sure you stick to the end for that giddy bit of FMK.
Most importantly, seek out G.I.L.T. from Ahoy Comics, available wherever the finest graphic novels are sold. Follow Alisa Kwitney via her Twitter and Website.
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
'Twas the week before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring - EXCEPT Two-Gun Khamen, the rootinest, tootinest cowboy mummy this side of the Pecos. This week, we're dipping into young Billy Coates' wild imagination as he regales his folks with a rip-roaring adventure saga, which serves as the backbone for That Texas Blood #20, the second twisted Christmas Special from comic creators Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips.
Billy's strange tale is a most excellent jumping-on point for new readers but also operates as a sweet epilogue for those who survived That Texas Blood's most recent arc involving the nightmarish Red Queen Killer (RQK). Within the holiday one-shot, we see what Sheriff Joe Bob Coates is fighting for month after month, terror after terror. There's something wicked flowing through Ambrose County, and he's the last line of defense.
We're stoked to have Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips on the show this week, psyching us up for the Christmas season while also spilling the hot goss from our favorite Texas county. We begin our conversation with the function of Christmas Specials and how this latest one fits neatly as a climax to the RQK narrative. We consider That Texas Blood's future as well as its past, the evolution of Joe Bob Coates, and the mythological power that its titular state holds on all of us.
That Texas Blood remains one of our most obsessive reads. Whenever the latest issue drops, we have to fight each other over who gets to consume it first. Condon and Phillips have crafted an addictive thriller stuffed with numerous compelling relationships that get our blood pumping something hot.
You can continue this chat with the That Texas Blood creators by following Chris Condon on Twitter and Instagram, and following Jacob Phillips on Twitter and Instagram. That Texas Blood #20 is now available from Image Comics, as are the first two trade paperbacks. The third storyline, involving the RQK, is currently available as single issues, and the trade will release on 1/24/23.
Other Relevant Links:
- Our Previous Chris Condon Conversation
- Our TMNT: Archie Era Episode
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon erupted in popularity, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird required a comic book that kids could flock toward, which could not be their original hyper-violent Mirage Studios series. In 1988, they partnered with the industry's most wholesome brand, Archie Comics, launching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures.
The second TMNT comic series began with strict adaptations of the cartoon but quickly swerved down far weirder avenues. Under the guidance of Ryan Brown and Stephen Murphy (aka Dean Clarrain), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures tackled prescient environmental issues while testing the boundaries of what's acceptable as "all-ages" entertainment.
In this week's episode, we jump into the far future, where the four brothers are no longer teenagers but Cyber Samurai Ninja Turtles! The Shredder poses no threat. Instead, the brothers must face off against Verminator-X, Craniac, and the disembodied brain of history's most wretched dictator.
The "Dreamland" storyline in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures reveals a family unit operating at peak form, but when danger reaches a crescendo, two brothers will be tested. Our heroes have aged, but they still fall into the same roles we've come to expect.
The question becomes, are we forever shackled to the sibling roles we took on as children? Can our relationships with others break us free from deep-seated family tension?
Helping us understand the TMNT familial dynamics is Dawn Huebner, Ph.D., and her book "The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun with Your Brothers and Sisters, illustrated by Kara McHale.
Comic issues covered in this episode: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures issues 62 - 66, published by Archie Comics between November 1994 and March 1995. These comics were written by Stephen Murphy and Chris Allan, penciled by Chris Allan and Gray Morrow, inked by Brian Thomas and Jon D’agostino, colored by Barry Grossman, and lettered by Gary Fields.
Relevant Links:
- CBCC Interviews Kevin Eastman
- CBCC on TMNT: The Movie w/Bryan Young
- CBCC on TMNT: The Mirage Studios Years
- We Wish You A Turtle Christmas
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We've waited a long time for this one, but maybe not as long as our guest spent percolating on his subject. Alex Ross exhausted years thinking and rethinking the Fantastic Four. He desired a graphic reinterpretation of the characters that launched the Marvel Comics universe. A new coat of paint that would highlight what was so incredible about the sixties space race characters without tethering them to basic nostalgia.
Fantastic Four: Full Circle spins directly from Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's iconic run, picking up story threads long dismissed by everyone except Alex Ross. The story resurrects a few old villains, plunging the team into the Negative Zone. The story works as a celebration and a blueprint for other creators to follow if they choose.
We're ecstatic to have Ross on the podcast this week, digging into why he was compelled to shepherd Full Circle into reality. Blissfully, this conversation also works as a second opinion to our own CBCC sessions on Reed and Sue from last year. Like us, Ross has strong opinions about their romance and how they should interact as a couple. He's the biggest Fantastic Four fan of them all.
Kevin Feige, do you have your copy yet?
Fantastic Four: Full Circle is the first treasury-sized book in the new MarvelArts line, a unique collaboration between Marvel Comics and Abrams ComicArts. Find it wherever rad comics are sold, or just click HERE.
You can find Alex Ross on his Website, Twitter, and Instagram.
Other Relevant Links:
- Our 60th Anniversary Fantastic Four Celebration
- Our Reed & Sue Counseling Session One
- Our Reed & Sue Counseling Session Two
- Our Reed & Sue Counseling Session Three
- Our Reed & Sue Counseling Session Four
- The Brad and Bryan Movie Review Show
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Stan Lee's 100th birthday is next month, and we're getting a jump on the celebrations. Joining us on the show this week are comic creators Luke Lieberman, Ryan Silbert, and Bill Sienkiewicz, discussing their collaboration on Alliances: Orphans. The new graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment springs from Lee's imagination and is further shaped into reality by Lieberman and Silbert.
The comic is a cosmic adventure following the Orphans, a ragtag band of desperados who found each other after the alien Hive eradicated their families. After rescuing an earthling named William Ackerson, they discover an equally bizarre and unique stowaway. Together, these heroes challenge the universe and, in the process, save it from blinking out of existence.
Alliances: Orphans recalls the grand ideas and characters that shaped the Marvel Universe while never falling into poisonous nostalgia. Lieberman, Silbert, and Sienkiewicz (with additional artist Szymon Kudranski) are extremely aware of the legacy they're shepherding. They want to live up to Stan Lee's mythology, and part of that is knowing when not to be precious. They'll kill an idea as quickly as they come up with it. They learned from the best.
We begin our conversation with these artists by celebrating Stan Lee. From there, we dig into their collaboration's early days and how Alliances: Orphans is unlike any other project they've worked on. We get philosophical; we get vulnerable. It's a proper Comic Book Couples Counseling session.
Alliances: Orphans is currently available from Dynamite Entertainment. You can find Luke Lieberman on Twitter and Instagram. You can find Ryan Silbert on Twitter, Instagram, and the Origin Story Website. You can find Bill Sienkiewicz on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Don't forget! We're screening Howard the Duck on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Done in collaboration with the Four Color Fantasies comic book shop. Get your tickets HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Thirty years ago, Superman died. Then, he came back. We remember the event as a gimmick done to boost sales. Sure. Okay. However, the storyline had a massive impact on the readership, including our young Brad. Today, DC Comics recalls the fictional catastrophe in The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special, exploring the lingering trauma of Kal-El's death.
We chat with Dan Jurgens, the original Death of Superman co-architect, about what it was like to kill the Man of Steel, resurrect him, and revisit the narrative thirty years later through the eyes of Superman's son, Jon Kent. In his story, "The Life of Superman," Jurgens reveals how Superman's demise at the hands of Doomsday continues to affect Metropolis as well as Kal-El and his family.
Jurgens recalls his earliest Superman memories, the George Reeves television icon of his youth. He considers the character's impact on the culture and the stress and joy it was to challenge such an image in 1992. We worm our way through his emotional experience, contemplating those long-ago feelings ignited while steering the splash page apocalypse that was Superman #75 (Volume 2). We work out our own fee-fees regarding the eradication of the Man of Tomorrow.
The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special is now available wherever fine comic books are sold. Along with Dan Jurgens, the book features the work of Brett Breeding, Roger Stern, Butch Guice, Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Jerry Ordway, Tom Grummett, Glenn Whitmore, Doug Hazelwood, and more. It's a who's who of the Superman offices; and an incredibly thoughtful reflection on the nineties event to end all nineties events.
Be sure to follow Dan Jurgens on Twitter and Instagram, and keep up to date on his work through his website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Our previous Superman: The Movie episode
- '92 news segment featuring Don Allen and the Death of Superman
- Headline News segment on the Death of Superman
- Our Mirage Studios TMNT episode
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Nearly forty years ago, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sprung from the Jack Kirby and Frank Miller-obsessed brains of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Pop culture was forever altered. For the better.
In this week's episode, we continue to explore the sibling dynamics between the four mutant brothers: Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael. This time, however, we go back to the beginning, flipping through the pages of the first seven Mirage Studios issues. What we find within feels familiar and unfamiliar simultaneously. It's an emotionally rich and turbulent saga, an immigrant story involving revenge, mad scientists, and aliens. Not a single slice of pizza is present.
Helping us understand the TMNT familial relationships is Dawn Huebner, Ph.D., and her book "The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun with Your Brothers and Sisters, illustrated by Kara McHale.
Before we dig into this thick turtle soup, we must celebrate this year's Baltimore Comic-Con, our last convention of the season. We discuss the friends we caught up with, the past guests we finally met in person, the artists we stood in line for, and the comics we purchased. Every con has its unique vibe, and there is no other place on Earth like Baltimore Comic-Con. The two-dollar bins alone should entice your curiosity.
Relevant Links:
- CBCC on TMNT: The Movie w/Bryan Young
- CBCC Interviews Kevin Eastman
Comic issues covered in this episode: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1 - 7 and the Raphael one-shot. All were written, illustrated, and toned by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Issues 1 - 4 were lettered by Eastman and Laird, issues 5 - 7 were lettered by Steve Lavigne. The comics were originally published by Mirage Studios between May 1984 and March 1986.
Be sure to follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
There are event comics, and then there are EVENT comics. This December, Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo reunite for the new Batman/Spawn crossover, a comic book clash two decades in the making. It's a rematch many thought would never occur, but its possibility put every reader on notice. No one wants to miss out on this back alley rumble.
Equally as legendary as the icons squaring off against each other are the creators themselves. McFarlane and Capullo's partnership solidified during Spawn's early years, and since then, it's developed into a sincere and loving friendship. Whether they were making comics together or not, they were never too far apart, and now that they're back on a book, we will benefit from their brotherhood. The Batman/Spawn pages radiate the profound creative joy of their makers.
McFarlane and Capullo join us this week to discuss their return to the Batman and Spawn universes and the resulting reality-smashing brawl. We chat about how this book fits or doesn't fit into the original nineties Batman/Spawn battle. We dig into the energy created by comparing and contrasting the two characters and why McFarlane and Capullo are busting their butts to get this book done. Most importantly, we are Comic Book Couples Counseling, the two creators contemplate how their reunion rejuvenates their artistic drive and what they hope to pull from the experience.
Batman/Spawn's FOC (final order cutoff) is 10/23 and will ultimately release on 12/13. The trade paperback release of Batman/Spawn: The Classic Collection will hit shelves and digital on 11/15. Find more details about the publications via DC Comics.
Stay in touch with Todd McFarlane through his Twitter, Instagram, and Website. Follow Greg Capullo via his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We've attended many comic conventions, but none quite like the New York Comic-Con. In this week's episode, we plunge into our #NYCC experience, detailing how this convention differentiates from other shows like San Diego and Baltimore. We run you through the show floor, the many eating options, the glorious cosplay, and the never-ending artist's alley.
Returning CBCC guest Matt Lesniewski also joins us for an in-depth discussion about his new comic book, Faceless and the Family. As he tells us, he's never thrown himself into a work as hard as he has with Faceless, and this passion is awesomely apparent on the page. No one is making comics like Matt Lesniewski.
Faceless and the Family is a rare gem, a comic written, drawn, and hand-lettered by Lesniewski. It focuses on a group of "strange and loveable" misfits wandering the Hand Planet, an apocalyptic sci-fi landscape that demands your eyes upon it. The book is currently running a campaign on Zoop and already blowing past its initial financial objective. Now, we're rooting for those stretch goals.
Our conversation with Lesniewski travels into some heartfelt and unguarded spaces. As longtime Lesniewski readers, we throw heaps of praise upon the artist while digging into his process and varied narrative themes. We get a little vulnerable. He gets a little vulnerable. It's the kind of chat that can only be had on Comic Book Couples Counseling.
Be sure to follow Matt Lesniewski on Twitter and Instagram. Most importantly, however, jump over to Zoop and explore the Faceless and the Family campaign.
Also, if you haven't already, check out our previous conversation with Lesniewski about his Dark Horse Comics series, Static.
Other Relevant Links:
- Dear Watchers' Post-NYCC Con Report
- CBCC on TMNT: The Movie w/Bryan Young
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We promised on the last episode that we would return from the Fantastic Fest film festival with some seriously cool filmmaker conversations, but we had no idea we would come back with these two rad discussions. We're thrilled to have Michael Giacchino and Andy Park on the show this week, chatting about their Marvel Studios experiences and how they're transforming their childhood comic book obsessions into a live-action reality. These two geeks have done so much good for their nerd community.
Up first, we chat with director/composer Michael Giacchino about Werewolf by Night, the first-ever Marvel Studios "Special Presentation," set to air on Disney+ this Friday (10/7). We were lucky enough to catch the Werewolf by Night Fantastic Fest Secret Screening, and we're delighted to report that the film is spooktacular. While it feels and looks unlike any other entry in the franchise, Werewolf by Night contributes tremendously to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Giacchino tells us about his earliest experiences with the Werewolf by Night comic books and how his passion for them extends from his passion for Universal monster and Hammer horror movies. These influences are readily apparent in his adaptation, shot lovingly in black and white, and performed by incredible actors (Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly) who are locked into a similar, nostalgic spirit.
In the episode's second half, we speak with Andy Park, Marvel Studios' Director of Visual Development. Our first encounter with the MCU's live-action characters frequently occurs through his artwork. Neither of us will forget the first time we saw Park's concept art for Captain Marvel projected in Hall H, and we're still reeling from how his Thunderbolts piece roared through the D23 Hall in Anaheim.
Park discusses the challenges of adaptation, knowing when to deviate from comic book designs and when to adhere to them strictly. As a massive fan of these characters and as a comic book artist himself, Park strives to replicate the look and tone of these iconic costumes. This passion is most notable when explaining why the Scarlet Witch had to have a proper, physical crown, not a CGI halo. If Marvel was gonna go full Witch, they had to go full witch, right?
Be sure to follow Andy Park on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website. Let Michael Giacchino know how much you love Werewolf by Night this weekend via his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
Don't forget to purchase exclusive Comic Book Couples Counseling t-shirts on @elliotcomicart's TeePublic page.
And, while you're in a t-shirt buying mode, go check out our pal @ChangoATX's TeePublic page.
Also, you can find our Fantastic Fest film festival coverage over on Film School Rejects. Go give us some clicks, please.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
"You were expecting maybe the Addams Family?" After years of covering romantic love on the podcast, we're shifting gears by exploring sibling love, and we're doing that through the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo, and Raphael - the four brothers raised by their Master Splinter in the art of invisibility. Insert the obligatory, "Cowabunga!"
Our new four-part (maybe five-part, stay tuned) series begins with the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie directed by Steve Barron, written by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck, and starring Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, and a whole heap of actors, performers, and puppeteers as the brothers. When discussing the best comic book movies, the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film must be in the conversation.
However, why are we starting with the first cinematic adaptation rather than the original Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird comic books? The answer is simple. Our love affair with the Turtles began with the film, and it led us to the comics, which will be the subject of our next episode in our TMNT series.
Our love expert guiding our conversation with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be Dawn Huebner, PHD and her book "The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun with your Brothers and Sisters."
Also joining us in this week's episode is our friend and TMNT obsessive, Bryan Young, aka "The Turtle Dork." Bryan has spent a lifetime contemplating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they've had a profound impact on his person. We discuss how his relationship with these characters has evolved and what lessons they still have to teach him today.
When you're done with this episode, please follow Bryan Young's adventures on his Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Page, and Website.
Two years ago, Kevin Eastman briefly joined the podcast for a quick conversation about the Turtles. So, technically, our TMNT Counseling Sessions began there. Click HERE to listen to that classic episode.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
"You were expecting maybe the Addams Family?" After years of covering romantic love on the podcast, we're shifting gears by exploring sibling love, and we're doing that through the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo, and Raphael - the four brothers raised by their Master Splinter in the art of invisibility. Insert the obligatory, "Cowabunga!"
Our new four-part (maybe five-part, stay tuned) series begins with the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie directed by Steve Barron, written by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck, and starring Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, and a whole heap of actors, performers, and puppeteers as the brothers. When discussing the best comic book movies, the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film must be in the conversation.
However, why are we starting with the first cinematic adaptation rather than the original Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird comic books? The answer is simple. Our love affair with the Turtles began with the film, and it led us to the comics, which will be the subject of our next episode in our TMNT series.
Our love expert guiding our conversation with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be Dawn Huebner, PHD and her book "The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun with your Brothers and Sisters."
Also joining us in this week's episode is our friend and TMNT obsessive, Bryan Young, aka "The Turtle Dork." Bryan has spent a lifetime contemplating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and they've had a profound impact on his person. We discuss how his relationship with these characters has evolved and what lessons they still have to teach him today.
When you're done with this episode, please follow Bryan Young's adventures on his Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Page, and Website.
Two years ago, Kevin Eastman briefly joined the podcast for a quick conversation about the Turtles. So, technically, our TMNT Counseling Sessions began there. Click HERE to listen to that classic episode.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Geek culture? Nope. Just culture. The evidence is all around you. In this week's episode, we're joined by author Mathew Klickstein talking about his new book, See You in San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture.
Klickstein's massive tome is a beast of a feast, and one not only San Diego Comic-Con obsessives will enjoy. Inside, you'll find numerous wild characters. Yes, folks like Neil Gaiman, Kevin Smith, and Scott Aukermanare present, but wait until you meet cats like Mike Towry, Bjo Trimble, and Scott Shaw! Hovering over (or haunting) everything are titanic figures like Jack Kirby and Shel Dorf. See You in San Diego is an incredible time capsule exploring the nature of fandom and how it created a mighty need for conventions like the one held in San Diego.
See You in San Diego began its life as a podcast series co-produced and directed by Mathew Klickstein. We highly recommend giving his Comic-Con Begins a listen (you can find it HERE). In the podcast, you can hear these interviews come to life, and it works as a wonderful companion piece to the book, which tremendously expands on the audio format by providing endless photos and art pieces. Scott Shaw!'s XXX Jack Kirby homage must be seen, unless you're easily scandalized. You've been warned.
Keep track of Mathew Klickstein through his Website, and See You In Sand Diego is now available from Fantagraphics.
And, of course, you too can follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson@sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Geek culture? Nope. Just culture. The evidence is all around you. In this week's episode, we're joined by author Mathew Klickstein talking about his new book, See You in San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture.
Klickstein's massive tome is a beast of a feast, and one not only San Diego Comic-Con obsessives will enjoy. Inside, you'll find numerous wild characters. Yes, folks like Neil Gaiman, Kevin Smith, and Scott Aukermanare present, but wait until you meet cats like Mike Towry, Bjo Trimble, and Scott Shaw! Hovering over (or haunting) everything are titanic figures like Jack Kirby and Shel Dorf. See You in San Diego is an incredible time capsule exploring the nature of fandom and how it created a mighty need for conventions like the one held in San Diego.
See You in San Diego began its life as a podcast series co-produced and directed by Mathew Klickstein. We highly recommend giving his Comic-Con Begins a listen (you can find it HERE). In the podcast, you can hear these interviews come to life, and it works as a wonderful companion piece to the book, which tremendously expands on the audio format by providing endless photos and art pieces. Scott Shaw!'s XXX Jack Kirby homage must be seen, unless you're easily scandalized. You've been warned.
Keep track of Mathew Klickstein through his Website, and See You In Sand Diego is now available from Fantagraphics.
And, of course, you too can follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson@sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Episode 150! "Not an apocalypse...something far more interesting." André Lima Araújo and Brian Michael Bendis celebrate our 150th episode by providing an immensely eclectic conversation discussing their new all-ages sci-fi adventure saga, Phenomena: The Golden City of Eyes.
These two creators are two great tastes that taste great together despite their frequently contradictory points of view. As you'll hear, Araújo and Bendis see the world quite differently, but their opposing sensibilities unleash something utterly unique through the collaborative process.
Phenomena: The Golden City of Eyes is the first part of a trilogy published by Abrams ComicArts. It's a rollicking adventure set in a future where our world has...changed. Three wanderers (Bolden, Spike, and Matilde) stumble into each other and reluctantly form a bond while attempting to unravel the mystery of the titular city.
Bendis provides a bubbly, naturalistic voice to Araújo's stark yet hyper-realized illustration. You've probably experienced numerous comics from both parties, but we promise you've never seen anything from either of them like Phenomena. The comic is a heap of contradictions: joyous yet harrowing, fluffy but deadly serious. At the center, Araújo and Bendis suggest an urgent reckoning with storytelling, an art form we too often take for granted.
Phenomena: The Golden City of Eyes hits book shelves everywhere on 9/13. All you have to do is turn the cover. Panel one will ensnare your attention.
Keep up to date on all things Brian Michael Bendis by subscribing to his Substack. You can also track him down via Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.
Follow André Lima Araújo through his Website, Twitter, and Instagram.
150 episodes. After completing our first pod, we could not have imagined that this latest one would feature André Lima Araújo and Brian Michael Bendis. Ultimate Spider-Man is an essential comic in our relationship, and in many ways, this podcast would not exist without it. Crazy.
It's hard to express our gratitude to you, the listener. You've been with us for three years now. You've kept the podcast going, and the podcast has kept us going. Thank you.
And, of course, you too can follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We conclude our Angela & Sera sessions by journeying into the FUNderworld! After two tumultuous mini-series, our Hevenly warriors finally get to spend some time together...jumping through Hela's hoops and the various trials of Hel.
If these two lovers must have a climax, Angela: Queen of Hel is the best one for them. The seven-issue storyline subverts expectations and challenges the two Marvelous bounty hunters in ways unimagined after their last two quests together: Angela: Asgard's Assassin and 1602: Witch Hunter Angela.
We know they belong together, but do they know they belong together? Yes. No. It's complicated. Every relationship requires each partner to choose the other continually. It's a hard lesson but easily achievable if you follow Angela & Sera's path.
Helping us navigate Hel's complicated hold on our romantic heroes is Robin Roberts' Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams. The Good Morning America host and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee examines her history, filled with regrets and joys, and considers how those piercing moments shaped her present, giving her hope for the future.
Relevant Links:
- Angela & Sera Session 1: Asgard's Assassin
- Angela & Sera Session 2: 1602 - Witch Hunter Angela
- Loki & Loki Session: Journey Into Mystery
- Our Free Sandan Patreon Preview
- Brad's Interview with The RZA
Issues covered in this episode: Angela: Queen of Hel 1 - 7, written by Marguerite Bennett, art by Kim Jacinto, Israel Silva, and Stephanie Hans, and letters by VC's Clayton Cowls.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We conclude our San Diego Comic-Con International coverage with a massive Skybound Entertainment celebration. In part one of this week's episode, we're joined by Attack Peter, the master artist and Kaiju-wrangler, who nearly brought the house down during the Up From the Depth's: Toho's Godzilla panel. His new, titanic creation Takoro: The Last Dorok is on the verge of worldwide domination, and we already want all the toys even before his Kickstarter campaign has launched.
In this episode's second half, we chat with the crew (Jacob Navok, Jessica Woodard, and Mike Rogers) and hosts (Felicia Day and Yvette Nicole Brown) behind The Walking Dead: Last Mile, the massively interactive live event which recently launched on Facebook. Our conversation dives immediately into the philosophical and societal anxiety fueling this latest chapter in The Walking Dead franchise. It's the kind of conversation you could only have on Comic Book Couples Counseling.
This year's Comic-Con was unlike any previous SDCC, and we are thankful to take a moment and reflect on the experience. After three years away, we are overcome with gratitude regarding the new and old friends we were able to meet in person this year. We're deeply proud of the six episodes we created around the event and profoundly thankful to all of you who listened and shared them with your friends. Let's do it again next year.
Make sure to track down Attack Peter via his Twitter and Instagram. You can back Takoro: The Last Dorok on his Kickstarter page when it launches, and until then you can click the "Notify Me On Launch" function. Oh heck, just go surf his Linktre.
You can join The Walking Dead: Last Mile through their Facebook page. You can follow Felicia Day via her Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Yvette Nicole Brown via her Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Jacob Navok via his Twitter. You can follow Mike Rogers via his Twitter.
Relevant Links:
- The Anti-Nostalgia of Paper Girls by Lisa Gullickson
- Comic-Con, The Hall H Line Problem, & Black Panther by Brad Gullickson
- James Asmus & Jim Festante on Survival Street
- Matt Kindt on Flux House
- Scott Snyder on Canary, Barnstormers, & Dudley Datson
- Elsa Charretier & Tom King on Love Everlasting
- Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, & the Paper Girls Cast
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Yes, we're back from the San Diego Comic-Con International and we've returned with one of the wildest conversations we've had so far. Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang climax this week's episode, chatting about the new Paper Girls adaptation streaming on Amazon. However, they're not the only ones gabbing with us. We were lucky enough to chat with the entire Paper Girls cast, as well as showrunner Chris Rogers.
Our latest Creator Corner conversation was recorded in a press room, roundtable style. Imagine the podcast equivalent of speed dating, where various talent-pairs move about the room talking to one press table after the other until they land in front of us.
At our table, in addition to the Paper Girls talent, we reported alongside Popverse correspondent (and former CBCC guest) Kat Calamia and Shaunielle Stewart from cherrydavis.org.
The Interview Order:
- Camryn Jones as Tiffany Quilken & Sofia Rosinsky as Mac Coyle (Paired)
- Riley Lai Nelet as Erin Tieng & Fina Strazza as KJ Brandman (Paired)
- Adina Porter as Prioress
- Nate Corddry as Larry
- EP / Showrunner Chris Rogers
- Executive Producer / Creator Brian K. Vaughan & EP / Creator Cliff Chiang (Paired)
Relevant Links:
- The Anti-Nostalgia of Paper Girls by Lisa Gullickson
- Comic-Con, The Hall H Line Problem, & Black Panther by Brad Gullickson
- James Asmus & Jim Festante on Survival Street
- Matt Kindt on Flux House
- Scott Snyder on Canary, Barnstormers, & Dudley Datson
- Elsa Charretier & Tom King on Love Everlasting
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Love is a trap, especially if you're Joan Peterson tumbling terrifyingly through numerous romantic scenarios in the new Image Comics series Love Everlasting. Creators Tom King and Elsa Charretier satirize and celebrate the young romance comics, once mastered by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. In the process, they savagely comment on the culture and business of love.
King and Charretier climax our San Diego Comic-Con International coverage, joining us on the show and sharing their philosophy surrounding romantic fiction and how it shapes our perception. Both bring thorough, thoughtful consideration to the characters they're exploring, while also being cautious regarding the subtext they're plunging.
Love Everlasting is a mighty swing comic, dropping its reader into a realm that masterfully balances absurdity, horror, and melodrama. King and Charretier delight in withholding a massive mythology but find confidence in their trust of us, their readers. We're patient, understanding, and eager to have this conversation. Hallmark courtship has had its day.
You can currently read Love Everlasting's first five issues via their Everlasting Productions Substack feed. However, if physical books are your jam, the first issue will make its Image Comics debut on August 10th. You should also follow Tom King on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE, and Elsa Charretier on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE. Find her YouTube page HERE.
Today's episode is Part 4 in our #CBCCatSDCC coverage celebrating the return of the San Diego Comic-Con International.
Part one was our chat with Survival Street writers James Asmus and Jim Festante. You can listen to their episode HERE.
Part two was our convo with Matt Kindt discussing his new Flux House imprint at Dark Horse Comics. You can listen to his episode HERE.
Part three was our epic chat with Scott Snyder about his second wave of ComiXology titles: Barnstormers, Canary, and Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine. You can listen to his episode HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Scott Snyder is back on Comic Book Couples Counseling! The comic creator returns to the show for a joyfully thoughtful conversation discussing his next round of Best Jackett Press/ComiXology Originals: Barnstormers, Canary, and Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine.
In this episode, we start our conversation with the San Diego Comic-Con International and what makes this year different from any other - besides the pandemic, obviously. Presenting your own comics to the con crowd is unique from promoting Batman or Justice League. These are Scott Snyder's babies, and there is something incredibly freeing about their Comic-Con arrival.
From there, we dig into each title, discussing how his collaborations with artists Dan Panosian, Tula Lotay, and Jamal Igle create unfettered imagination. The "Scottober" ComiXology wave is exactly what readers want someone like Scott Snyder to do with his talent, time, and opportunity. These are comics with the pedal pressed to the metal, striving to accomplish what previous efforts only scratched upon.
Toward the conversation's end, Snyder is kind enough to reveal another project on the horizon. One, we're extremely excited to see realized, and we think you will too. Collaboration, once again, is the magic word.
The first issues of Barnstormers, Canary, and Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine are now available from ComiXology. You can also track Scott Snyder on Twitter HERE, Instagram HERE, and subscribe to his Substack HERE. Sort through his Best Jackett Press titles on their website.
You can listen to our previous Scott Snyder Creator Corner HERE.
Today's episode is Part 3 in our #CBCCatSDCC coverage celebrating the return of the San Diego Comic-Con International.
Part one was our chat with Survival Street writers James Asmus and Jim Festante. You can listen to their episode HERE.
Part two was our convo with Matt Kindt discussing his new Flux House imprint at Dark Horse Comics. You can listen to his episode HERE.
Part four arrives on Saturday, and it's a delightful chat with Love Everlasting co-creators Elsa Charretier and Tom King.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When is a comic no longer a comic? Matt Kindt is determined to find out with his new Dark Horse Comics imprint, Flux House. The comic creator has always strived to push the art form, but he feels he can go even crazier and further by breaking the norms. The new four-part Mind MGMT: Bootleg series, made in collaboration with artists Farel Dalrymple, Jill Thompson, David Rubín, and Matt Lesniewski, is simply stage one in what's sure to be a revolutionary play to alter comics.
In this episode, we chat with Matt Kindt about the Fluxus art movement and how it inspired him to do more with the comic book medium. We discuss the challenges of revolution within a capitalistic system and how to get around those necessary hiccups. It begins with putting your faith in the audience. They always want to go on a wild ride.
Anyone who has attended a Matt Kindt book signing knows the artist delights in modifying a mass-produced object like a comic into a unique, one-of-a-kind artifact. With Flux House, can he replicate the experience on a grander scale? Kindt is not totally sure, but he's determined to find out.
Mind MGMT: Bootleg #1 is currently on stands at your local shop. You can follow Matt Kindt through Twitter, Instagram, and his website.
Our conversation with Matt Kindt is part two in our week-long celebration building up to the return of San Diego Comic-Con International. Part one was our chat with Survival Street writers James Asmus and Jim Festante. You can listen to their episode HERE.
Part three drops this Thursday and will see Scott Snyder's return to CBCC, discussing his latest wave of Comixology creations. Part four arrives on Saturday, and it's a delightful chat with Love Everlasting co-creators Elsa Charretier and Tom King.
Follow along with our Comic-Con coverage using the hashtag #CBCCatSDCC on our Twitter and Instagram. And, please, share these episodes with your friends.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Today's episode is brought to you by the letters W-T-F? Writers James Asmus and Jim Festante join us for a very special Creator Corner to discuss their new apocalyptic puppet caper comic Survival Street, which hits shops on August 3rd. Get that banana out of your ear, because we've got something else to shove in it.
Now is a weird time to be alive. Frequently, hope seems out of reach. More and more, our neighbors appear to be strangers. If only the public access puppets of our youth could help us out now as they did back then. In Survival Street, they can, and they do!
We talk with James Asmus and Jim Festante about their deliciously demented comic book and how they managed to adhere to the morality of yesterday's famous felt edutainers while also savagely lampooning them. Survival Street has a mean bite, but it maintains a massive heart too. The combination creates a surprisingly heartfelt satire demanding attention.
From Dark Horse Comics, Survival Street #0 is currently available to read for free via Comic Book Resources. Jim Festante doesn't mess with social media, but you can find his website HERE. James Asmus can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, and at the Future Skeletons website.
Survival Street artist Abylay Kussainov is @abylaykussainov on Twitter. Colorist Ellie Wright is @elliewrightart on Twitter. Letterer Taylor Esposito is @TaylorEspo on Twitter.
Our Creator Corner conversation with James Asmus and Jim Festante officially kicks off our road to the San Diego Comic-Con International. Following right on the heels of this chat will be an in-depth discussion with Matt Kindt about his new Dark Horse Comics imprint Flux House, and following immediately after that, Scott Snyder returns to the podcast! If everything goes according to plan, we'll also be joined by Tom King and Elsa Charretier, detailing their new Image Comics series, Love Everlasting.
Much more will come once we touch down in San Diego on Tuesday. Stay up to date with everything we're doing by following #CBCCatSDCC on Twitter and Instagram.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Love doesn't come easy for Angela & Sera. After experiencing dastardly deceit and catastrophic revelation in Angela: Asgard's Assassin, Doctor Doom remakes the universe and dumps our Hevenly lovers in a Battleworld territory trapped in the Elizabethan age, Neil Gaiman's 1602.
1602: Witch Hunter Angela finds our couple serving a vengeful deity, tracking and slaying Witchbreed. However, when an even more dangerous threat appears - the Faustians - Angela & Sera hop to a new genocidal mission. In doing so, they uncover long-brewing questions about their purpose and feelings for each other.
In our second session with these two love birds, we examine their compatibility using Robin Roberts' Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams as our relationship guide. Our tribe is our vibe, but are a tribe of two enough to survive in such an antagonistic universe? We sure hope so.
Relevant Links Discussed this Week:
- Angela & Sera CBCC Session 1: Asgard's Assassin
- Norrin & Dawn CBCC Session 3: Secret Wars
- Tips and Tricks for Thriving at Comic-Con
- Our 2019 CBCC Interview with Jason Mewes
Issues covered in this episode: Marvel Comics' 1602: Witch Hunter Angela 1 - 4, written by Marguerite Bennett and Kieron Gillen, art by Stephanie Hans, Marguerite Sauvage, Irene Koh, Jordie Bellaire, Frazer Irving, Kody Chamberlain, Lee Loughridge, and Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We should all take notice when a comic like The Lonesome Hunters comes around. It is a singular creation from a singular creator. After percolating on the idea for a decade, Tyler Crook has put his entire being into the story of Howard, Lupe, the magic sword, and the magpies. You can sense tremendous consideration and emotional excavation occurring on every page of the first issue, and it excites the reader beyond the narrative experience. The Lonesome Hunters is a pure comic book, and no other medium could contain what Crook does here.
We were delighted to chat with Tyler Crook about The Lonesome Hunters and why it required him to command every avenue of its creation. Not only is Crook the writer and artist of the book, but he's also the colorist and letterer. You will not find too many other comics on the stand right now that can claim such ownership. And, as you will hear, there are creative and practical reasons why this is so.
Tyler Crook provides honest and passionate insight into his creative process. We discuss The Lonesome Hunters' visual influences and the more personal aspects that flow through the pages. We probe the thematic issues we see in the narrative and examine how isolation and loneliness permeate modern culture. We also explore why horror and fantasy are the perfect vehicles to challenge extreme emotional states.
The Lonesome Hunters #1 is currently in stores from Dark Horse Comics. Please consider subscribing to all four issues so we can ensure this story's continuation.
Be sure to continue this conversation with Tyler Crook by visiting his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.
Relevant Links Discussed This Week:
- Our 1st Angela & Sera Couples Session
- @ChangoATX's t-shirt links
- Working Methods by John Lowe (TwoMorrows)
- Todd McFarlane's Rejected GI Joe Comic
- Visit Third Eye Comics
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Nothing for Nothing! Angela and Sera are one of the most hotly requested couples from our listeners, and we're ecstatic to finally bring them into session using the Marvel Comics mini-series, Angela: Asgard's Assassin. For at least one of these Hevenly creatures, every action has a cost and every debt must be paid. Such obsession can create dangerous internal turmoil, especially after you've kidnapped your newborn sister from your parents who thought you were dead. Never mind your younger step-bro, Thor.
Angela: Asgard's Assassin is a tricky yet nifty saga featuring numerous twists and turns. Basically, it's an exceptional narrative for a title character who previously existed in an entirely different comic book publishing realm. We get into all of that, but most importantly, we examine humanity's desire for happiness and the pursuit of everlasting joy. Angela & Sera might not seem like the perfect instructors for achieving this nirvana, but you might be surprised.
Helping us navigate Angela & Sera's relationship is Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams by Good Morning America host and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Robin Roberts. Her self-help memoir explores how mood is a muscle demanding constant exercise. At first glance, the tools within her book don't seem to apply to our two Angels. However, they most certainly do. And they'll probably accomplish wonders for you as well. They're certainly helping us.
Issues covered in this episode: Angela: Asgard's Assassin 1 - 6, written by Kieron Gillen and Marguerite Bennett, penciled by Phil Jimenez and Stephanie Hans, inked by Tom Palmer, Le Beau Underwood, Scott Hanna, and Stephanie Hans, colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr, and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles. Angela was co-created by Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane and first appeared in Spawn #9.
Relevant Links Discussed This Week:
- Our Sandman Patreon Episodes
- Our Main Feed Sandman #17 Episode
- Our Loki & Loki Everything Burns Episode
- Our Saga/How to Be Sad Episodes
- Our Fantastic Four Episodes
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
With the recent Sandman trailer drop, the world seems re-energized regarding all things Dream King. We are here for it. In fact, we've been reading Neil Gaiman's epic series one issue at a time/one week at a time for more than a year now and recording our thoughts through our Patreon feed.
Our Sleepwalking Through Sandman episodes are some of our favorite conversations that we've had in the Love Nest, made all the better by our Patrons providing context and history every week. When we initially launched the show, we plopped the first episode into our main feed, and we thought it was time to give our regular audience another preview.
This Sandman #17 episode was initially recorded several months ago, but we think it's one of our best Sandman conversations. We hope you agree with us. As first-time Sandman readers, we're deeply fascinated with Morpheus' romantic relationships. You'll hear how we're struggling to comprehend his behavior toward Nada, and how this deep dive into his relationship with Calliope re-contextualizes the Dream King's actions.
We hope you enjoy this chat. Longtime CBCC listeners may have some inkling of what we sound like when we're in full-sweatpants mode, but newcomers could be a little shocked. We can get real dang silly, friends. Enjoy! And please let us know what you think of this podcast series.
Sandman #17 was published by DC Comics with a cover date of July 1990. It's written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Kelley Jones & Malcolm Jones III, lettered by Todd Klein, colored by Robbie Busch(Original) and Daniel Vozzo (Re-Color), assistant edited by Tom Peyer, edited by Karen Berger, and features a cover by Dave McKean. Created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg.
Relevant links to this week's conversation:
- Our Patreon Page
- Our First Sleepwalking Through Sandman Episode
- Our Conversation with Chris Condon about That Texas Blood
- Our Conversation with Christian Ward about Blood Stained Teeth
- The Best Comics of 2021
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Artist Jason Loo wanted to make a vampire comic and get away from superheroes. Chip Zdarsky said, "Sure, but what if the vampires were hiding in plain sight as superheroes? And what if...uh...a whole bunch of other weird stuff was involved?" The All-Nighter from ComiXology Originals is a wild comic where every issue drops another bomb that is somehow wilder than the last.
This week, Jason Loo and Chip Zdarsky join us in the Love Nest to explain why hats upon hats are a good thing, no matter what Matt Fraction says. Zdarsky and Loo discuss their latest collaboration, detailing how their vampire story swerved into something with stranger moral implications. Bloodlust, immortality, and fandom can be problematic, but um, that third hat...and the fourth hat these two creators plopped on top, oh boy, the implications suggested by The All-Nighter are beyond catastrophic. And we love them.
Paired with our recent conversation with Christian Ward about Blood Stained Teeth, our chat with Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo truly exemplifies why the vampire sub-genre maintains its bite. The undead always have more to give of themselves.
You can still technically find Chip Zdarsky on Twitter and Instagram, but if you're looking for some proper interaction, consider joining his Substack. For the cost of two coffees a month, he will accept your praise or vile. He also has a nifty website.
Jason Loo can be found on Twitter and Instagram, but his TikTok is really where it's at these days. Get on it asap.
Most importantly, go grab The All-Nighter trade paperback from Dark Horse Comics, and download issue #6 from ComiXology.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Aliens and monsters and slashers, oh my! Kyle Starks didn't want to play with any one creature feature, so he threw them all into I Hate This Place. His new kitchen sink horror comic made in collaboration with Artyom Topilin, Lee Loughridge, and Pat Brosseau is a wild, far-out terror experience that feels unlike any other project he's put out before while also remaining true to his distinct oddball voice.
Kyle Starks has wanted to tell this tale for a while, and I Hate This Place's first issue reads with an electric urgency. The story follows Gabby and Trudy as they venture into the wilderness, where Gabby's aunt has left them a ranch to watch over. But, something else watches over the ranch as well. Maybe several other something elses, actually. None good.
We were thrilled to have Starks back in our love nest, giving us all the gory details regarding I Hate This Place's creative origin and why the comic comes in two titular flavors: I Hate or F*CK This. We also get into how those two titles truly do offer two separate thematic tastes. And, yes, which you desire says a lot about you.
I Hate This Place #1 is currently available from Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics, and ready for purchase at your local comic shop. Issue #2 drops on June 22nd.
Be sure to stay up to date on all things Kyle Starks by following him on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and by visiting his Website HERE.
Other Relevant Links to this Week's Episode:
- Our Kyle Starks Old Head Interview
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
On the show this week, we welcome Stan Sakai and the creative force behind the new Netflix series Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. Yeah, we can hardly believe it, either. After decades of anticipation, Miyamoto Usagi, the classic comic book character, finally has his own show. Kinda. But don't let that "kinda" worry you. It's all good.
Adaptation is a scary concept when you love something as much as we love Usagi Yojimbo. Stan Sakai's comic is legendary. Few have ever dabbled in his world. The idea that showrunners Candie Langdale and Doug Langdale were able to play with his rabbit ronin makes us jittery. However, having watched the ten Samurai Rabbit episodes currently available, we can breathe a massive relief. This cartoon is good. Real good.
And a big reason behind why the show works so well is how it circumvents fannish nitpicks by jumping into Miyamoto Usagi's future, following his brash, teenage descendant Yuichi Usagi instead. Samurai Rabbit skews a little younger than the comics, but it's not totally absent of corpses or stakes. Also, the series cleverly challenges Miyamoto's legacy through Yuichi's idolization.
In this episode, we first chat with Stan Sakai and art director Khang Le about the thematic and artistic twists this series pulls from the Usagi Yojimbo comic book. We then chat with Candie Langdale and Doug Landale about their anxiety in adapting such a precious franchise. And, um, we might get some hints about how Samurai Rabbit encourages Stan Sakai's desire to see other creators play with his toys.
Relevant Links to this Week's Episode:
- Lisa's Comics Bookcase interview with Jadzia Axelrod & Jess Taylor
- Our Conversation with Chris Samnee & Laura Samnee
- CBCC 54: Miyamoto & Tomoe - Grasscutter
- CBCC 55: Miyamoto & Tomoe - The Mother of Mountains
- CBCC 56: Miyamoto & Tomoe - Tomoe's Story
- CBCC 57: Miyamoto & Tomoe - Senso
Be sure to stay updated on all things Stan Sakai by visiting his Twitter HERE, his Instagram HERE, and his Website HERE. You can follow Candie Langdale and Doug Langdale on their Twitter HERE, their Instagram HERE, and their Website HERE. You can follow Khang Le on his Instagram HERE and his Website HERE. Oh! And don't forget to watch Samurai Rabbit, produced by Gaumont Animation, now streaming on Netflix.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We owe our imagination to Jeff Smith. His masterpiece, Bone, shaped our inner lives, molding our philosophies as much as our creativity. It's a work so profound it's nearly impossible to consider that any future work could ever live up to its brilliance. But then we read Tuki: Fight for Fire and Tuki: Fight for Family. We now welcome these comics into our hearts, beating side by side with the Bone cousins.
Two million BCE. Multiple human species existed alongside each other. We live and breathe as a result of their struggle and collaboration. For many years, Jeff Smith percolated on this unique moment in time, and Tuki is the result.
Like Bone, it's a quest saga sitting atop an ever-growing mythology. The title character reluctantly surrounds himself with individuals in desperate need of companionship despite their fear and weary judgment of each other. Tuki is a comic speaking to our moment as much as it underscores our evolutionarily catastrophic history. You will recognize the hardship in its pages. You'll also recognize the hope.
We were more than delighted to chat with Jeff Smith about Tuki and why this narrative has haunted him for so long. We were damn giddy. We discuss Smith's obsessions, his process, his audience, and more. We celebrate where comic readers are today, where they were yesterday, and where they'll be tomorrow. Our conversation is an epic one. We know you'll enjoy it.
Relevant Links to this Week's Episode:
- Jeff Smith's Netflix Cartoon
- Our Interview with Chris Samnee & Laura Samnee
- Our Final Marko & Alana Saga Episode
- Four Color Fantasies' Charity Auction to Support the Literacy Volunteers of Winchester
- Jeff Smith's ComicsXF Interview
Be sure to stay updated on all things Jeff Smith by visiting his Twitter HERE, his Instagram HERE, and his Website HERE. You can purchase Tuki: Fight for Fire wherever fine comics are sold, or you can click HERE. Tuki: Fight for Family arrives on shelves in early July. You can pre-order a copy HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Goodbye, Marko & Alana. We're not ready. No other comic book couple has occupied as much space on our podcast as these two. Therefore, it's not terribly surprising that our final conversation discussing their epic romance is our BIGGEST EPISODE EVER!
You probably remember where you were when you first read Saga #54. And you probably remember exactly how its last few pages made you feel. Saga Volume 9 is a tough storyline to process, and we've had years to do it. We trudge through the comic, practically page-by-page, emotion-by-emotion. The conversation was...a lot, but also incredibly cathartic.
Thankfully, helping us grapple with sorrow is author Helen Russell and her book, "How to Be Sad: The Key to a Happier Life: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, by Being Sad, Better." We can't fight sadness, and it's not good or bad. It's merely essential to our human experience. Embrace it.
Issues Covered in this Episode: Saga # 49 - 54, collected in trade paperback Volume 9. They were written by Brian K. Vaughan, fully illustrated by Fiona Staples, and lettered by Fonografiks. Image Comics originally published the issues between February 2018 and July 2018.
If you require catchup on our Saga series, please listen to our previous episodes discussing Marko & Alana:
- Saga Volume 1
- Saga Volume 2
- Saga Volume 3
- Saga Volume 4
- Saga Volume 5
- Saga Volumes 6 & 7
- Saga Volume 8
Other relevant links discussed this week:
- The Saga #54 Reaction Twitter Thread
- "Why Saga #54 Hurts So Bad" by Zack Quaintance
- Grieving with Martian Manhunter
- Lisa on Capes on the Couch
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
In this week's episode, we offer a warning. The Bone Orchard Mythos from Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino represents a layer of dread not previously explored by the creators. The new shared universe from Image Comics is the first time Lemire and Sorrentino have fully plunged themselves into the horror genre.
Oh, you thought Gideon Falls was creepy? Sure, it got under your skin, but as you'll hear in our conversation with Lemire and Sorrentino, The Bone Orchard Mythos finds the collaborators daring to unleash a horror experience unlike anything else they've committed.
Your first chance to dive into The Bone Orchard Mythos arrives on May 7th, Free Comic Book Day, when Lemire and Sorrentino unveil their Prelude single issue. The next chapter, the original graphic novel The Passageway, lands in comic book shops on June 15th and in bookstores on June 21st. Next, they'll drop their Ten Thousand Black Feathers mini-series in September. And that's just the beginning.
Be sure to stay updated with Jeff Lemire by visiting his Twitter HERE, his Instagram HERE, and his Substack HERE. Track Andrea Sorrentino via his Twitter HERE and his Instagram HERE.
Other Relevant Links to this Week's Episode:
- Cherish Chen on Radiant Red
- Rantz Hoseley on Little Earthquakes
- Michael Tanner and François Vigneault on Orcs in Space
- Lisa chats with Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor about Galaxy
- Marko and Alana Saga Session #7
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When you think Saga, you think of "fun-filled" adventures, right? Oh, and tears. So many, many tears. Welcome to our penultimate episode discussing the heroically heartbreaking relationship between Marko & Alana. No other comic book couple has preoccupied as much space on our podcast as this one, and as we approach their end, we prepare to embrace our own grief as well as theirs.
Helping us grapple with sorrow is author Helen Russell and her book, "How to Be Sad: The Key to a Happier Life: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, by Being Sad, Better." Ignoring sadness is not only impossible, the attempt to do so is detrimental to our health. Marko, Alana, and Helen are here to lend aid.
Issues Covered in this Episode: Saga # 43 - 48, collected in trade paperback Volume 8. They were written by Brian K. Vaughan, fully illustrated by Fiona Staples, and lettered by Fonografiks. Image Comics originally published the issues between May 2017 and October 2017.
If you require catchup on our Saga series, please listen to our previous episodes discussing Marko & Alana:
- Saga Volume 1
- Saga Volume 2
- Saga Volume 3
- Saga Volume 4
- Saga Volume 5
- Saga Volumes 6 & 7
Other relevant links discussed this week:
- BKV Brings Saga Out West for 'Fun-Filled' Arc
- Thanos & Death & Brene Brown
- Bustle's "Why The Miscarriage in Saga is so Revolutionary"
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Breaking News! Chris Samnee and Laura Samnee join us in the love nest to discuss their new all-ages comic book series, Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters. Yeah, we're just as surprised about their appearance here as you are, but we're mostly beyond excited to have our first creative couples session with those responsible for one of our favorite comics on the stands.
Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters is a lovingly warm adventure tale set in a world of titanic beasts. With their dad missing, Rainbow and Jonna scour the land, stumbling into one danger after another. Thankfully, the littlest sister packs quite a punch.
In this week's episode, we chat with the Samnees about why this series demanded collaboration. We celebrate how Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters represents a true family project, inspired by their daughters and Chris Samnee's intense fear of birds. Yeah, we get into it.
We're honored to have Chris and Laura on Comic Book Couples Counseling, and you should feel honored too. This episode is the very first podcast Laura Samnee has ever recorded. We hope we haven't scared her off the format forever, but we think it's the start of some tremendous podcast potential.
Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters Volume 1 is currently available from Oni Press. Volume 2 will appear on comic book shelves on April 6th, and issue #9 will arrive in shops on April 20th.
The comic is written by Chris Samnee and Laura Samnee, featuring art by Chris Samnee, colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Crank! We do not give away too many spoilers beyond the premise, so venture within safely if you're new to this world. After this conversation, we're confident that you'll be as addicted to Jonna as much as we are, demanding at least a seventy-five issue run.
Be sure to continue this conversation with Chris Samnee via his Twitter and Instagram. You can also give Laura's one Instagram photo a Like by clicking HERE.
If you'd like to listen to the Ghost Cage #1 Interview with Nick Dragotta and Caleb Goellner referenced in the outro, you can do so by clicking HERE.
And here are the relevant Saga Marko & Alana links:
- Saga Volume 1
- Saga Volume 2
- Saga Volume 3
- Saga Volume 4
- Saga Volume 5
- Saga Volumes 6 & 7
Finally, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
In Saga, Marko & Alana cannot escape sadness. Rather than running, they lean into it, and by sharing their sorrow, they gain strength. Any Star Trek V: The Final Frontier fans out there? Sybok knew what was up.
We race toward Saga's halfway point and the tragic cliffhanger ending to end all tragic cliffhanger endings, which is really saying something when discussing Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' sci-fi romance masterpiece.
As we did the last episode, we consulted Helen Russell's "How to Be Sad: The Key to a Happier Life: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, by Being Sad, Better." If she can help us embrace our sadness, maybe she can help Marko & Alana through their tumultuous journey.
Issued Covered in this Episode: Saga # 31 - 42, collected in trade paperback Vols. 6 & 7. They were written by Brian K. Vaughan, fully illustrated by Fiona Staples, and lettered by Fonografiks. Image Comics originally published the issues between November 2015 and January 2017.
Previous CBCC Saga Episodes:
- Saga Volume 1
- Saga Volume 2
- Saga Volume 3
- Saga Volume 4
- Saga Volume 5
Other Relevant Links:
- Christian Holub's Entertainment Weekly Interview w/Vaughan & Staples
- Depression Textline (US): Text HOME to 741741
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Saga is back! And if Saga is back, then we better get back to investigating Marko & Alana's tumultuous, universe-threatening romance. After we finished Saga Volume 4 on the podcast two years ago, we took a break, waiting for Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples to get back into the business of publishing rad comics. It took a little longer than we expected, but the single issues are flowing again, and it's time for us to catch up.
Knowing how challenging Saga can be on our emotions, we thought the best way to approach Marko & Alana this time around was through Helen Russell's self-help book, "How to Be Sad: The Key to a Happier Life: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, by Being Sad, Better." Sadness is not something to fight but embrace. Marko, Alana, and Helen will help us realize this natural human experience.
Issued Covered in this Episode: Saga # 25 - 30, which were collected in trade paperback Vol. 5. Written by Brian K. Vaughan, fully illustrated by Fiona Staples, and lettered by Fonografiks. The issues were originally published by Image Comics between February 2015 and July 2015.
Previous CBCC Saga Episodes:
- Saga Volume 1
- Saga Volume 2
- Saga Volume 3
- Saga Volume 4
Relevant Helen Russell Links:
- Depression Textline (US): Text HOME to 741741
- Just How Bad Negative Affect Is For YOur Health Depends on Culture
- Don't Worry, Be Sad! On Cognitive, Motivational, and Interpersonal Benefits on Negative Mood
CBCC Guest Appearances:
- Talkin' Sex Criminals w/The Comics Collective
- Talkin' us w/WMQ&A
- Talkin' Best Comic Book Couples w/The Oblivion Bar
- Talkin' Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy w/Missing Frames
Lisa's YA Free Period Column:
- Tiny Dancer
Support the Must Love Dragons Kickstarter
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Battle! Action! To hear Garth Ennis explain it, these two British publications are responsible for the comic book landscape we're all living in today. Without their influence, the Briitish invasion would never have occurred in the states - no Watchmen, no Sandman, no Preacher. No, thank you.
This week, Garth Ennis joins us to discuss his upcoming Battle Action Special as well as his Hawk the Slayer sequel (wait, what? Yes!) from 2000 AD. From there, we gain a better understanding of how Garth Ennis became the writer we know him to be, and we delve into his philosophies around war fiction and how they fed his interpretation of Frank Castle, Marvel's The Punisher.
The Battle Action Special will hit comic shops in June and everywhere else in September. Hawk the Slayer #1 hits the UK in April and the US in May. You can learn more by visiting the 2000AD website.
Other Relevant Links:
- The Dolph Lundgren CBCC Interview
- Saga Volume 1
- Saga Volume 2
- Saga Volume 3
- Saga Volume 4
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Oh, Muffin Fluffer! Skottie Young joins us for a deep dive discussion about his creative process, his obsession with relationship stories, and what we can expect when I Hate Fairyland returns in July. Right now, we're witnessing a significant moment in his creative evolution. With books like Strange Academy and The Me You Love in the Dark, Skottie plunges into himself and pulls out relatable turmoil for all of us to consume. In the process, we all become better people.
Teaming up with fellow creators like Dean Rankine, Fábio Moon, and Gabriel Bá, Skottie Young is building toward I Hate Fairyland's return with his Stupid Fresh Mess Substack release, The Unbelievable, Unfortunately Mostly Unreadable and Nearly Unpublishable Untold Tales of I Hate Fairyland. By inviting others to his party, he solidifies his world as one of the greats.
After listening to the episode, you can continue the conversation through his website, his Instagram account, and Twitter feed. And you can subscribe to his Substack by clicking HERE.
Our next Couples Session begins next episode when we return to SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. We'll be covering trade paperback volumes 5 - 9. Make sure you catch up on our previous SAGA conversations:
- Saga Volume 1
- Saga Volume 2
- Saga Volume 3
- Saga Volume 4
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Five years since the first 5 Worlds published, comic creator Mark Siegel joins us to discuss the final graphic novel chapter, The Emerald Gate. These stories represent more than the epic quest they depict; they're a creative collision resulting from five artistic talents aligning in harmonious imagination. Like the characters within 5 Worlds, these collaborators were changed by the journey, and we were giddy to chat with Siegel about the impact his characters and their creation had on him and his partners.
As we've discussed recently on the show, we've connected deeply with many all-ages and young adult comics, and 5 Worlds is no different. This saga follows three adventurers as they jump planets, racing to unite sentient life across the universe before dark forces consume everything. You will find yourself within its pages.
5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate is now available from Random House Books. It's written by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel, and illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Boya Sun, and Matt Rockefeller.
Be sure to follow Mark Siegle on Twitter and on Instagram. Keep up to date on his projects by visiting his website.
Other Relevant Links:
- Lisa's AIPT Sundance 2022 Coverage
- Brad's Film School Rejects Coverage
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
This week, comic creators Rob Williams and Warwick Johnson-Cadwell join us to discuss their new contributions to The Mignolaverse, The Sword of Hyperborea and Falconspeare. They're both incredible comics, totally different from each other, but they absolutely belong together within Mike Mignola's apocalyptic landscape.
The Mignolaverse commands a very special corner within the Love Nest. Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics were the first comics Brad ever put into Lisa's hands. It was an insane, and maybe foolish, risk - what if she didn't love them? Thankfully, she said yes...they are the greatest comics ever, and their relationship continued.
It was only a matter of time before these stories were celebrated on Comic Book Couples Counseling, and we're thrilled to have this party with Rob Williams and Warwick Johnson-Cadwell in attendance. And we get the impression that they're just as thrilled to be celebrating Mike Mignola as we are.
The Sword of Hyperborea is out now from Dark Horse Comics, and Falconspeare will hit shelves on 1/25. While you wait, however, what don't you nab Johnson-Cadwell's Mr. Higgins Comes Home and Our Encounters With Evil.
If you need further convincing, read Lisa's glowing Falconspeare review over on Comics Bookcase.
And, don't forget to check out our previous conversation with Rob Williams, talking about Judge Dredd: End of Days.
Be sure to find Rob on Twitter HERE, Instagram HERE, and visit his official website HERE. And you can do the same thing for Warwick Johnson-Cadwell by smashing follow on his Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE.
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Here it is—The Best Comics of 2021 (Part Two). As far as comics were concerned, the year was simply too marvelous. We had to stretch the celebration across two episodes.
If you haven't already listened to The Best Comics of 2021 (Part One), you can find it by clicking HERE.
As with that previous episode, we invited numerous friends onto the show to help us with this party. We are humbled by their enthusiasm and their generosity. It's an honor to have them partake; please seek them out via the links below and share their good work often.
Award Category Timestamps:
- Best Cat Comic - 8:29
- Best Food Comic - 10:29
- Best Ongoing Series - 25:18
- Best Original Graphic Novel - 35:30
- Best Single Issue - 40:28
- Best Limited Series - 48:25
- Writer of the Year - 56:30
- Artist of the Year - 1:13:02
- Best Basketball Comic - 1:17:13
- Discovery of the Year - 1:19:02
Episode Cameos:
- Erin (@GirlsTalkComic1) from Girls Talk Comics
- Christian Holub (@cmholub) from Entertainment Weekly
- Connor Goldsmith (@CerebroCast) from Cerebro
- Chris Arrant (@chrisarrant) from Newsarama
- Kat Calamia (@ComicUno) from Comic Uno
- Dallas (@dallas_comics), Carol Anne Talks Comics! (@AnneComics), & Lexi Taylor (@lexilou_comics) from The Comics Collective
- Zack Quaintance (@ComicsBookcase) from Comics Bookcase
- Nathan Simmons (@whatastorynate) from AIPT
Other Relevant Links:
- Best Comics of 2021 by the Comics Bookcase Staff, including Lisa
- Film School Rejects' The 15 Best Comic Books of 2021 by Brad
- Best Comics of 2021 by The Comics Collective
- Filmspotting's Top 10 Films of 2021
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Sorting through The Best Comics of 2021 was no easy task. In an utterly bugnuts year, the medium produced numerous brilliant works. Putting our heads together, we created thirteen categories (that are very CBCC) and split them over two EPIC episodes. Welcome to Part One, the Thunderdome.
With 2021 being a banger year for comic books, we invited some friends onto the show to name their favorites. You will hear some familiar titles, but we believe you'll also encounter several discoveries. And while you're putting these comics on your to-read pile, why don't you also add these brilliant podcasters and journalists to your regular comic book consumption list.
Our hope is that these two episodes will get your new year off to a joyous start. Below you'll find timestamps for each category as well as links to these fabulous guests and their websites. Seek them out and give them some words of affirmation.
Timestamps:
- Best Digital Release - 12:15
- Best Biographical Comic - 19:34
- Best All-Ages Comic - 29:31
- Best Young Adult Comic - 36:59
- Best First Issue - 50:20
Episode Cameos:
- David Brooke (@Nosocialize) from AIPT
- Guido (@GuiAlexSan) & Rob (@RobertRibar) from Dear Watchers
- Dan Gvozden (@SupSpiderTalk) from Amazing Spider-Talk
- Jessika (@Jessikawitha) & Mike (@vansau) from Ten Cent Takes
- Sara Century (@saracentury) & S.E. Fleenor (@se_fleenor) from Bitches on Comics
Other Relevant Links:
- Best Comics of 2021 by the Comics Bookcase Staff, including Lisa
- Film School Rejects' The 15 Best Comic Books of 2021 by Brad
- Best Comics of 2021 by The Comics Collective
- Filmspotting's Top 10 Films of 2021
STAY TUNED FOR THE BEST COMICS OF 2021, PART TWO...
And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We say goodbye to 2021 with our final conversation on The Second Life of Doctor Mirage. Carmen and Hwen are GOALS; they're a high-functioning power couple that work best when they rely on each other's exceptional skills. We need more comic book couples like this one, friends. We have more to learn from them than they do from us.
And we can certainly learn more from them than we can this week's "Love Ecccchhhhhspert." Lisa is still raging against the machine in this episode. Just sit back and enjoy the boiling contempt.
Issues discussed this week: The Second Life of Doctor Mirage #10 - 18, published by Valiant Comics between September 1994 and May 1995. They’re written by Bob Layton and Jim Perham, penciled by Bernard Chang, Jordi Ensign, and Yancy Labatt, inked by Ken Branch, colored by Todd Britton, Andrew Covalt, Eric Hope, Shree Boyd, Chrysoula Artemis-Gomez, John Cebollero, Knob Row, and Mark Csaszar, and lettered by Rob Johnson, Adam Niedzwiecki, Bethanne Niedz, and Santiago Vazquez.
Listen to our previous Doctor Mirage Episodes:
- The Deathmate Crossover Event with the Ten Cent Takes podcast
- The Second Life of Doctor Mirage (Part One)
Further Reading:
- Best Comics of 2021 by the Comics Bookcase staff (including Lisa)
- Film School Rejects' The 15 Best Comic Books of 2021 by Brad
- Brad's Interview with Warren Ellis
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The Second Life of Doctor Mirage presents a rare commodity in comics, a functioning romantic couple. Carmen and Hwen are two butt-kicking parapsychologists with unique abilities that complement each other. They've experienced a lot of weirdness in their relationship, and it has prepared them for the ultimate paranormal trip - when Hwen becomes an incorporeal specter!
In this week's episode, we examine one of the most underrated couples in comics and discover heaps of inspiration for ourselves. Yes, we consult a love "expert" as usual, and they provide some surprising challenges.
Don't forget to check out our guest-spot on the Ten Cent Takes podcast, where we discuss the Image Comics/Valiant Comics crossover event, Deathmate. It's a strange dip into the 90s comics scene and provides plenty of historical context for our Doctor Mirage conversation.
Issues discussed this week: The Second Life of Doctor Mirage #1 - 9, published by Valiant Comics between November 1993 and August 1994. The comics are written by Bob Layton and Jim Perham (co-writing on #8), penciled by Bernard Chang and Mike Leeke (only on #8), inked by Ken Branch, colored by Maurice Fontenot and Mark Csaszar, and lettered by Rob Johnson, Joe Abelo, and Santiago Vazquez.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Worlds collide as Image Comics and Valiant Comics smash their ugly bits and produce DEATHMATE, the most epic crossover event in comics? Perhaps! This week, we join the Ten Cent Takes podcast to discuss this mondo bizarro mini-series that dared to shake the industry in the early nineties.
And the best bit? At the center of Deathmate is a catastrophic love affair between WildC.A.T.S.' Void and Solar: Man of the Atom. This means we get to throw The Five Love Langues into the mix in an effort to make a little more sense of this beautiful madness.
After you listen to this insane deep dive, make sure to jump on over to the Ten Cent Takes podcast and smash that subscribe button. Also, be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram. You'll want these rad folks in your lives.
Follow our podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We welcome Scott Snyder onto the show to discuss his EPIC collaboration with ComiXology as well as numerous other projects and philosophies. And, yes, we talk Batman.
Snyder has written some of our all-time favorite comic books, from The Court of Owls to American Vampire to Nocterra. If he writes a book, we buy that book. We would be thrilled to chat with him about any number of those titles, but we've caught him at an incredible turning point in his career, and dammit, we were super lucky to do so.
His three most recent comics (We Have Demons, Clear, and Night of the Ghoul) represent an incredible surge in imagination and optimism. Snyder is not only betting on himself and his partners; he's betting on you and the industry's future. Scott Snyder is a beacon of hope/faith, and it was a joy to discuss how this positive attitude pulsates through these gnarly genre mash-ups.
Make sure you jump on over to the Best Jackett Press website, where you can get the details on the eight ComiXology Originals. You can also track him down on Twitter HERE, Instagram HERE, and subscribe to his Substack HERE.
Catch up with CBCC by listening to our latest Session with Black Canary and Green Arrow.
Follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Till Death Do They Part! When it comes to Green Arrow and Black Canary - that's been there, done that. They don't let a corpse get in the way of their romance. After years of hot, steaming action and betrayal, Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance finally tie the knot. In response, every hero and villain turn out for the festivities, and a terrible and most upsetting tragedy occurs when the smoke clears.
We close out our conversation on DC Comics' sexiest couple by covering their nuptials and the 14-issue Green Arrow/Black Canary series that proceeds it. Helping us sort through the romantic turmoil is love expert Megan Lundgren and her self-help guide The Relationship Book for New Couples: Proven Strategies to Nurture Your Connection and Build a Long-Lasting Bond.
Issues discussed this week: Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special #1 and Green Arrow/Black Canary issues 1 - 14 published by DC Comics between November 2007 and January 2009. The comics are written by Judd Winick, illustrated by Amanda Conner, Cliff Chiang, Mike Norton, André Coelho, Wayne Faucher, and Rodney Ramos, Colored by Paul Mounts, Patricia Mulvihill, and David Baron, and Lettered by Ken Lopez, Pat Brosseau, Travis Lanham, Jared K. Fletcher, Steve Wands, and Sal Cipriano.
Don't forget to join our Green Arrow/Black Canary conversation from the beginning with Sessions 71 and 72:
- CBCC 71: Denny O'Neil's Justice League of America
- CBCC 72: Mike Grell's The Longbow Hunters
- CBCC 74: Kevin Smith & Phil Hester's Quiver
Also referenced in this Episode:
- Brad's "Everyone Fails in Avengers: Endgame" article for Film School Rejects
- The Ten Cent Takes Podcast
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Let's talk science fiction. And let's talk about it with Mark Waid. Wait, what? Oh yes, this episode is a very special and wild Creator Corner conversation. We sit down with the Humanoids Publisher (and writer behind Kingdom Come, Justice League: The Tower of Babel, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Black Widow - AHHHHHHH! So Many!) to discuss their new graphic novel adventure, The History of Science Fiction.
Waid considers this comic by Xavier Dollo and Djibril Morissette-Phan "the crown jewel" produced in his time as Humanoids Publisher. Why? Well, we get into it. The comic is no dusty text; it's an exciting exploration of this beautiful genre that was once considered pop culture trash. Dollo and Morissette-Phan dig into its history, making the many sci-fi creators and their creations characters within their narrative, and it's a stunning achievement.
The History of Science Fiction also serves as this beautiful excuse to talk with Waid about the genre itself. The influences it has had on him and where he considers his own work rests within it. This discussion is a new favorite (it seems like we say that every other week), and we think you'll grab a lot from it. And, yes, we do talk about Taika Waititi taking on The Incal.
The History of Science Fiction will publish on November 23rd. Pre-order your copy at your favorite comic shop, or click HERE. Mark Waid can be found on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and on his website HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous other interviews with comic book creators, including Jeffrey Brown discussing his new Batman and Robin and Howard OGN.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Author Douglas Wolk is no mere mortal. He's done what few, if any, have dared to do. Wolk read every Marvel superhero comic, all 27,000+, and compiled what he learned from this massive endeavor into his own epic tome, All of the Marvels. His book is a must-read for all comic book maniacs, and it was an absolute honor to chat with him about this grand experiment and discuss the life lessons he's learned as a result.
For many, comics appear as an impenetrable mountain. Where do you begin? Who's this character? What's this a reference toward? Wolk reveals that there is no good place to start and that embracing the not-knowing is where the true joy of the endeavor resides. Not only that, but when you read enough superhero comics, your notions of good and bad start to blur. What was once seen as dreadful becomes essential twenty years down the road. And even horrible comics contain tasty morsels.
All of the Marvels is now available wherever fine books or comics are sold. But if you need a little extra help to put a copy in your hand, you can order the book HERE.
You can find Douglas Wolk on Twitter HERE, and on Instagram HERE, and you can keep up to date on his work by visiting his Website HERE. Also, Wolk hosts the podcast Voice of Latveria, which you can find by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
After two years, we returned to the Baltimore Comic-Con and it was everything we needed it to be. We saw some friends, we met new friends. We bought some old comics, we bought some new comics. And, yeah, we stood in some lines, but as you should know, we love lines!
Not only that, we were able to meet up with comic book creators Kat Calamia and Phil Falco and talk to them in person, having just spoken to them via Zencastr, about their new Kickstarter project, Slice of Life!
In this week's episode, you'll be able to hear that conversation in full, as well as a rundown of our experience at our first-ever pandemic comic-con. Was it weird? Yeah. Was it weirder than any other con experience? Not really. We answer your questions and consider our comic-con future. And yes, there will be a comic-con future, and we're stoked about it.
Make sure you visit Kat Calamia and Phil Falco's Kickstarter page for Slice of Life. We've already backed the project (gotta get that Yuriko plush doll)! You can also find Kat on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE. You can find Phil on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE.
To stay up to date on all things Baltimore Comic-Con, hit up their website HERE. It's truly one of the best COMIC BOOK conventions around.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
With Green Arrow: Quiver, Kevin Smith and Phil Hester resurrect the Emerald Archer in a fantastical fashion, forcing Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance to stare directly into the abyss that is their relationship. This epic comic book series goes a long way in celebrating everything we love and love-to-loathe about these two characters, and it makes for one of our best couple sessions so far.
Helping us sort through the romantic turmoil is love expert Megan Lundgren and her self-help guide Relationship Book for New Couples: Proven Strategies to Nurture Your Connection and Build a Long-Lasting Bond.
Don't forget to join our Green Arrow/Black Canary conversation from the beginning with Sessions 71 and 72:
- CBCC 71: Denny O'Neil's Justice League of America
- CBCC 72: Mike Grell's The Longbow Hunters
Also, don't forget to listen to our interview with Kevin Smith's cohort Jason Mewes, recorded during the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.
Issues discussed this week: Green Arrow volume 3 issues 1 - 15, published by DC Comics between February 2001 and July 2002. They were written by Kevin Smith, penciled by Phil Hester, inked by Ande Parks, colored by Guy Major and James Sinclair, lettered by Sean Konot, and feature covers by Matt Wagner.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Neil Gaiman's Sandman is one of the most highly regarded epics in comics. It seems like everyone's already read it, but nope! Not us! Over on our Patreon, we've decided to finally tackle the DC Comics masterpiece one issue at a time. That's right, 75 issues, 75 episodes! And we want to make sure that all of our listeners get a chance to jump on board this massive adventure.
This week mark's the one-year anniversary of our Patreon feed. We're extremely proud of the community we've built around Comic Book Couples Counseling, and these folks help us keep this party going. From their brains have sprung some of our strangest ideas, and we'll be eternally grateful.
If you're intrigued by this gargantuan CBCC Sandman project, please consider supporting us by JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Sandman #1 was published by DC Comics in November 1988. The comic is written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Sam Kieth & Mike Dringenberg, lettered by Todd Klein, colored by Daniel Vozzo, assistant edited by Art Young, edited by Karen Berger, and features a cover by Dave McKean.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Martian Manhunter! The glue that holds the Justice League together! But before that can ever happen, the last Martian known as J'onn J'onzz must come to terms with his own shameful history and the horrendous loss of his beloved M'yri'ah and daughter K'hym. Helping us confront such tremendous sorrow is Dr. Katherine Shear and The Center for Complicated Grief and their article, "H.E.A.L.I.N.G. Milestones: What To Expect from Grief."
We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to partake in an epic podcast event - Unite the Seven. That's right, seven Justice League members, seven episodes. We got Martian Manhunter, but we encourage you to explore the other shows featuring unique spins on these iconic characters.
- Comic Book Keepers on The Flash
- First Issue Club on Aquaman
- The Oblivion Bar on Superman
- The F'N Nerds on Green Arrow
- The Short Box on Green Lantern
- The Wednesday Pull List on Batman
Issues covered in this episode: Martian Manhunter Volume 5, issues 1 - 12, published by DC Comics between February 2019 and April 2020. It’s written by Steve Orlando, illustrated by Riley Rossmo, colored by Ivan Plascencia, and lettered by Deron Bennett.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When discussing Green Arrow and Black Canary, sooner or later, you must come to The Longbow Hunters. The 1987 three-issue prestige format series from DC Comics and Mike Grell attempted to pull Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance from the fanciful world of spandex and capes and drop them into the gritty reality of Seattle Washington. No more trick arrows, no more maniacal superpowered maniacs. It's time for "unspeakable violence" from all parties.
The Longbow Hunters finds Oliver Queen facing a midlife crisis while Dinah Lance feels as self-confident as she ever has. When Ollie desires children, and Dinah pulls away, can the two recover from such opposing values? We discuss using Megan Lundgren's Relationship Book for New Couples: Proven Strategies to Nurture Your Connection and Build and Long-Lasting Bond as our self-help guide.
To play along, click on over to our Shared Values page, and explore what human values mean the most to yourself as well as your partner. Then, also consider, what values mean the most to Oliver and Dianh. Do they share enough to make this partnership work?
Comics covered in this episode: The Longbow Hunters # 1 - 3, published by DC Comics between August and October of 1987. They’re written and illustrated by Mike Grell, colored by Julia Lacquement, and lettered by Ken Bruzenak.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Some couples have bumpy starts, but Dinah Drake Lance and Oliver Queen put anyone's awkward first encounters to shame. Hailing from two separate universes and with one dead husband lying between them, Black Canary and Green Arrow require some serious me-time before securing their romantic solidarity, but that doesn't stop Ollie from making his move while poor Larry Lance is barely cold in the ground.
We begin our four-episode series investigating the Black Canary/Green Arrow romance by exploring their "meet-cute," which is anything but. Writer Denny O'Neil transformed the two golden-age backup blahs into two bronze-age must-haves, elevating their interior lives into grand adventures equally as compelling as any supervillain fist-fight.
Aiding our understanding of Dinah and Ollie's cumbersome bond is our new love expert, Megan Lundgren, and her self-help guide, Relationship Book for New Couples: Proven Strategies to Nurture Your Connection and Build a Long Lasting Bond.
Issues covered in this episode: Justice League of America 74 - 75 and 78 - 79, published by DC Comics between September 1969 - March 1970, as well as Green Lantern/Green Arrow 78 published in July of 1970.
All the comics are written by the late great Denny O’Neil, and they’re penciled by Dick Dillin and Neal Adams, inked by Sid Greene, Joe Giella, and Frank Giacoia, and lettered by John Costanza.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
August 8th, 2021, The Fantastic Four celebrated their 60th Anniversary, and we're pulling out the red carpet and setting a birthday cake ablaze in their honor. And we're not partying alone; we've invited some of our bestest comic book creator friends over to the Love Nest to help champion Marvel's First Family.
On this week's show, we have Fantastic Four: Grand Design cartoonist Tom Scioli (back on the show), Marvel's Executive Editor and Senior Vice President, Tom Brevoort, Stan and Jack comic creator Pete Doree, superstar writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson, and Extreme Carnage scribe Clay McLeod Chapman.
We love the Fantastic Four, but it was a journey to reach that love. And it was a privilege to discuss Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's milestone comic book with these creators, and they helped us better appreciate the FF's role within the industry and the culture. Send our guests some love by tracking down their work via their social media accounts
You can find Tom Brevoort on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and over on his website HERE.
Follow Clay McLeod Chapman on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and visit his website HERE.
Follow Pete Doree on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and visit his website HERE.
Daniel Warren Johnson is located on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and on his website HERE.
And make sure to follow Tom Scioli on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and on Patreon HERE.
Our CBCC Sue & Reed episodes:
1 - The Fantastic Four #1 - 6
2 - The Fantastic Four Wedding
3 - Fantastic Four: Civil War
4 - Fantastic Four: Marvel NOW!
Our two previous Fantastic Four related interviews:
1 - Tom Scioli on Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics
2 - Abraham Riesman on True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee
Finally, follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Are Scott Summers and Jean Grey of the Uncanny X-Men meant to be? Are any of us? Is true love possible? We return to the comic book couple that started it all for us, Cyclops and Marvel Girl/Phoenix as experienced in "A What If Wedding Album." Oh, and is that Wolverine waiting in the wings? You're damn right. Snikt Snikt, Bang Bang.
And if we're returning to Scott and Jean that means we must also return to Gary Chapman and The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts. We consider the Love Languages of all parties and how they push these characters to make different choices from their Marvel 616 counterparts.
The Issue Covered in the Episode: "What If..." Volume 2 No. 60, published by Marvel Comics in April 1994. The comic is written by Kurt Busiek, penciled by Ron Randall, inked by Art Nichols, colored by Bob Sharen, and lettered by Janice Chiang.
If you have not listened to our previous five episodes on Scott and Jean you can find them here:
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The Dark Phoenix Saga--> https://bit.ly/CBCCFirstEp
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X-Factor--> https://bit.ly/CBCC2ndEpisode
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The Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix--> https://bit.ly/CBCC3rdEpisode
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New X-Men--> https://bit.ly/MorrisonNewXmen
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The Wedding--> https://bit.ly/CBCCXWedding
Make sure that you read the new Roy Thomas interview discussing What If's comic book origins over at ComicsXF.
Start listening to Dear Watchers: A What If Podcast by clicking HERE.
Read Lisa Gullickson's Comics Bookcase reviews by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Are we capable of change? Kid Loki sure hopes so as Asgard explodes into flames in the climactic Journey Into Mystery storyline, "Everything Burns." While his past self literally infects his brain, taking the shape of the devilish magpie Ikol, Loki attempts to rectify his sins by making a few new ones. And in the telling, we come face to face with everything we love and hate about comics.
Helping us unpack Loki's deceptive self-loathing strategy, we're using Ellen Michaud's "Twelve Ways to Forgive Yourself for a Past Mistake" found on Prevention.com.
Issues covered in this episode: Journey into Mystery issues 642 - 645 and The Mighty Thor Volume 2, issues 18 - 22. They're scripted by Kieron Gillen and Matt Fraction, illustrated by Alan Davis, Carmine di Giandomenico, and Stephanie Hans, inked by Mark Farmer, Barry Kitson, Jay Leisten, and Hans, colored by Javier Rodriguez, Chris Sotomayor, Wil Quintana, and Hans, and lettered by VC's Joe Sabino and VC's Clayton Cowles.
We also recommend reading Kieron Gillen's Tumblr post explaining why he ended Journey Into Mystery in the manner he chose. Find it by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Beta Ray Bill’s Final Fight with the fire demon Surtr is a knockdown, dragout brawl, but it’s those brutally contemplative final pages that really left us aching. On this week’s show, we’re calling an Emergency Podcast into session, so that we can discuss Daniel Warren Johnson’s final chapter in his Beta Ray Bill mini-series. It is everything we wanted it to be, despite it not at all being what we thought it would be.
No spoilers here, but there will be plenty of spoilers found within the episode itself. After chatting with Johnson on last week’s show, we find ourselves chomping at the bit to chat with him again. And we will, someday, but today, we gotta reconcile with those last few panels. Did Beta Ray Bill achieve what he set out to achieve? And what did we learn as fans of this character?
The issue discussed this week: Beta Ray Bill No. 5 “Ardent Star: Finale,” written and illustrated by Daniel Warren Johnson, colored by Mike Spicer, and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino with Johnson additions.
If you haven’t already, please listen to our Conversation with Daniel Warren Johnson regarding the first four Beta Ray Bill issues. You can find it HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We're casting off Thor's shadow this week as we chat with Daniel Warren Johnson about Beta Ray Bill, the five-issue mini-series from Marvel Comics that reaches its epic conclusion this Wednesday. As is already well documented on this podcast, we're obsessive maniacs regarding Johnson's comics. We think Beta Ray Bill might be his finest achievement yet, which is crazy to say considering the obvious genius that is Murder Falcon and Wonder Woman: Dead Earth.
We asked Johnson to help us wade through Beta Ray Bill's tormented psychology for this week's Creator Corner conversation. The cartoonist happily obliged us as we rooted around Bill's deep-seated frustrations and complicated relationship with Lady Sif and Asgard. You might be surprised by what we uncover.
Issues discussed this week: Beta Ray Bill 1 - 4 (we're still waiting on 5), written and illustrated by Johnson, colored by Mike Spicer, and lettered by Johnson and VC's Joe Sabino.
You can listen to our Best Comics of 2020, featuring Wonder Woman: Dead Earth HERE.
You can listen to our Best Comics of 2019, featuring Murder Falcon HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Richard Donner is gone, but his films and their impact on the culture remain. We could not let his passing occur without taking a moment to celebrate the director who gave us so many incredible stories, including the film that ushered in a new era of "serious" comic book entertainment and kickstarted our current cinematic landscape, Superman: The Movie.
To help us properly honor this utterly iconic adventure, we're joined by Clark Kent obsessive Shawn Eastridge of the Missing Frames podcast. Shawn is one of the biggest Superman fans around, and a few years ago, he actually had the pleasure of interviewing Donner about the Man of Steel. He brings tremendous joy and insight into this conversation, and it was a giddy thrill to chat with him.
Please follow Missing Frames over at The Nerd Party network, and track Shawn down via his Twitter handle @YayShawndorman. And if you want to hear Shawn's conversation with Richard Donner, you can do so by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Welcome to National Lampoon's Fantastic Four, aka the rebooted Marvel NOW! For our final episode delving into the romance between Reed Richards and Sue Richards, we're going on a cosmic road trip and unpacking all sixteen issues of FF volume four. Did you think tensions were tight during Civil War? Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet.
As we've done for every FF episode, we're using Gretchen Rubin's The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How To Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) as our relationship guide. We nailed Reed & Sue's Tendencies in our first FF episode, but have they finally shifted in this final arc? Maaaaybe.
This week's episode also opens by celebrating the life and work of Richard Donner, the filmmaker who helped bring Superman, Tales from the Crypt, and the X-Men to the big screen. If you want to listen to our friend Shawn's interview with the director, hop over to the Missing Frames podcast on the Nerd Party network.
Issues covered in this episode: Fantastic Four Volume 4, issues 1 - 16, published between November 2012 and January 2014. They're written by Matt Fraction, Christopher Sebela, Karl Kesel & Lee Allred, penciled by Mark Bagley, Raffaele Ienco, & Joe Quinones, inked by Mark Farmer, Mark Morales, Andrew Hennessy, Joe Rubinstein, & Mike Allred, colored by Paul Mounts, Wil Quintana, Edgar Delgado, Rain Beredo, Guru Efx, & Laura Allred, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. Fantastic Four #4 variant cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Sometimes you gotta embrace the Loki within. This week we're playing trickster, sharing a Patreon episode in our main feed because we had too much dang fun recording it. Are you all caught up on the God of Mischief's Disney+ series? No? Well, you better get caught up as we're going full-spoilers on Episode 3, "Lamentis."
We're deeply enjoying this latest installment in the MCU, and this episode in particular truly speaks to what we do here on Comic Book Couples Counseling. We're all about relationships, and on Lamentis-1, Loki strikes up one of the most unique ones we've seen in a superhero setting.
If you enjoy this episode, please consider supporting us by joining our Patreon. We've built an incredible community of listeners over there, and at the $1 level, you will immediately have access to over 50 extra episodes. Come see what's up over at www.patreon/cbccpodcast.
After you join, you can celebrate with a mighty rendition of "Jeg Saler Min Ganger." Seriously, how in love with Tom Hiddleston were you after that drunken revalry? So in love, right?
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
And one more time with feeling: SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. Thanks to our Patrons, we've already upgraded some much-needed hardware and software. They're making this show happen at this point.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
TKO Studios is the Criterion Collection of comic books. Every release is a blind-buy, and we try not to miss a one. As such, it's an incredible delight to have Editor-In-Chief Sebastian Girner and writer/artist Juni Ba on the show this week.
TKO is making its first serious move into the Young Adult (YA) market with three new graphic novels: Djeliya, Scales and Scoundrels Book 1: Where Dragons Wander, and Scales and Scoundrels Book 2: The Festival of Life. All three are currently available, and we happily slap our CBCC seal of approval on them.
Djeliya is the result of what happens when Cartoon Network seeps into a young boy from Senegal. It's a rich, gorgeous Afro-fantasy adventure that at once feels very familiar while also operating as an entirely original creation. In the future, you'll want to claim yourself as one of Ba's first fans. Get on the ground floor of this masterpiece today.
Girner's Scales and Scoundrels collections are also fantasy quest adventures but of a totally different variety. They are the antidote to grimdark Game of Thrones wannabes. Girner and artist Galaad craft a warm, sunny saga that contains all the tropes you want from the genre but also a bright optimism sorely missing these days.
Whether you've read the comics already or not, you're going to have a good time with this week's Creator Corner conversations. These two artists are stirring quality content, and the thought they bring to their stories is incredibly inspiring.
You'll want to follow Sebastian Girner on Twitter HERE, as well as Juni Ba HERE. And, of course, purchase your copies of Djeliya and Scales and Scoundrels via TKO Studios' website HERE.
Also, if you want to own Lisa Gullickson's first published piece of art, pre-order Weapon Echh over at 100% Comics HERE. Don't miss out on this parody tribute to BWS because it's Comic Book Couples Counseling history-in-the-making.
Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We did it! 100 Episodes! And we're celebrating by smashing headfirst into the greatest fight to nearly tear the Fantastic Four apart - CIVIL WAR! Iron Man and Captain America are punching each other in the streets as Reed Richards and Sue Richards fall on opposite sides of the Superhuman Registration Act. With murderous Thor clones and Negative Zone prisons between them, how can this happily married couple ever hope to remain together? And, frankly, should they?
Our third episode exploring Reed and Sue as a couple hits DEFCON-4. To help us sort through the catastrophe, we turn to Gretchen Rubin and her self-help book, The Four Tendencies. Who's an Upholder? Who's an Obliger? Can they keep it together when their values fly in the face of each other? We get into it.
As an added 100 Episode Bonus, this week, we're also including a segment from our radical conversation with writers Josh Stafford and Howard Wong discussing their new kinda-sorta zombie series, Damned, Cursed Children. We frickin love this comic and we want all of you to love it too. Please seek it out via Source Point Press.
And before you hit play on this momentous episode, be sure to send some extra special love to Josh Cornillon, the brilliant artist who crafted our 100th Episode's show poster. Visit their website HERE. Follow them on Twitter HERE. Follow them on Instagram HERE.
The issue covered in this episode: Fantastic Four 538 - 543, written by J. Michael Straczynski and Dwayne McDuffie, penciled by Mike McKone, inked by Andy Lanning, Kris Justice, and Cam Smith, colored by Paul Mounts, lettered by Rus Wooten, and featuring covers by Adi Granov of Iron Man: Extremis fame.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The biggest event in Fantastic Four history is also the biggest event in Marvel History - the Wedding of Reed Richards & Sue Storm. Nearly every hero in Marvel Comics appears, and thanks to Doctor Doom and his emotion-manipulator, the same thing can be said for the villains. But on this week's episode, we're not discussing Fantastic Four Annual No. 3 - no, we're digging into Fantastic Four: The Wedding Anniversary Special.
This comic is an exceptional and essential read for Reed & Sue fans. The happy couple are confronted by every version of themselves throughout their timeline. In one book, we get to see them happy, sad, mad, rad, and most importantly, together. We're also using Gretchen Rubin's The Four Tendencies as our relationship guide, helping us figure out why these two are so compatible. Or not?
If you missed out on part one of our Reed & Sue chat, be sure to catch up on The Fantastic Four's original first six issues and our conversation by clicking HERE.
The issue covered in this episode: "Fantastic Four: The Wedding Special" Volume 1, No. 1, written by Karl Kesel, penciled by Drew Johnson, inked by Kesel, Drew Geraci, & Andrew Hennessy, colored by Morry Hollowell, and lettered by Dave Lanphear. Cover by Gene Ha.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The apocalypse need not be scary when you've got your Scooby gang nearby. Bubble, the new graphic novel from First Second Books began its life as a narrative podcast and now thrives within the four-color form thanks to creator Jordan Morris, his co-writer Sarah Morgan, artist Tony Cliff, and colorist Natalie Riess. The comic is a whip-smart and hilarious spin through a dystopian future where the gig economy has run amuck. Microbrewery hipsters are bad enough but toss in a few rampaging imps and their hops-hot-takes don't taste as sour as they once did.
We're downright giddy to have both Tony Cliff and Jordan Morris on this show this week. We chat about the adaptation process, but more importantly, we get into the relationships of these characters. And yeah, we force Jordan and Tony to partake in one of our relationship quizzes. And they bring their Cosmo game hard.
If you want to hear an extended cut of this interview, join our Patreon community by clicking HERE. There, Jordan and Tony discuss what they've been watching, and name their OTP comic book couples.
Bubble hits bookstores on July 13th. If you're like us, you're already buying all the First Second releases, but if you need a link for more info on where to score your copy, click HERE. You can track down Jordan via his Twitter feed HERE or his new Instagram account HERE. For all things Tony Cliff, visit his website HERE.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The Fantastic Four! The World's Greatest Comic Magazine! And are Reed Richards and Sue Storm the world's greatest comic book couple? Well, we'll just have to see about that. But, it is definitely true that we've wanted to cover these two cosmic crusaders for quite some time, and we're incredibly excited to bring them into session with this week's episode.
The Marvel Comics Universe begins with these first six issues. It's not only comic book history; it's pop culture history. Every comic book fan should put their eyes upon these stories, and don't worry; these comics are not your veggies. It's all dessert, baby!
To help us understand Reed and Sue's romance, we're returning to Gretchen Rubin and using her book, "The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How To Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too). If you want to decipher your own Tendency, you can do so by taking Rubin's quiz HERE.
Issues covered in this episode: "The Fantastic Four" Vol. 1 issues 1 - 6 penciled & plotted by Jack Kirby, written by Stan Lee, inked by George Klein, Christopher Rule, Sol Brodsky, Joe Sinnott, & Dick Ayers, colored by Stan Goldberg, and lettered by Artie Simek & John Duffy.
Listen to our FREE Patreon episode celebrating Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer by clicking HERE.
Join our Patreon & listen to Brad take The Four Tendencies quiz for the first time by clicking HERE.
Listen to our interview with Jack Kirby biographer Tom Scioli by clicking HERE.
Listen to our interview with Stan Lee biographer Abraham Riesman by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Buckle up! Alex de Campi jumps into our Creator Corner to discuss her galactic gig economy magnum opus, Full Tilt Boogie! The writer behind Dracula Motherf**ker, Bad Girls, and Archie vs. Predator (1 & 2) puts her spin on the sci-fi found family, and while you'll recognize a few of the trappings, we promise that you've never experienced a tale quite like this one. How many times do we utter the word "masterpiece" during this episode? Quite a few.
While we were reading Full Tilt Boogie, we were both overcome with "the tingles." This comic is special, and we expect it to blow up into something even grander. De Campi is already hard at work with her collaborator Eduardo Ocaña on the Full Tilt Boogie follow-up. We need it now. But first, you have to buy this comic. Full Tilt Boogie is set for release in the States on May 11th from 2000 AD.
You can find Alex de Campi on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE. You can also tack her work through her website by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson@sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Give us all the cat comics! We dig them and we crave them; they’re our catnip. That’s why we were incredibly excited to learn about the new feline adventure memoir Penny by graphic novelist and painter Karl Stevens. The comic hits shelves this May the 4th from Chronicle Books, and we’re encouraging all our listeners to snatch it up.
As you will hear in this conversation, Stevens looks into the mind of his adorable house cat and discovers a mind on fire. Penny may be imprisoned within her apartment walls, but there’s no containing her imagination. The world around her is a confusing and wondrous realm, and through her, we attempt some kind of understanding for our own place in it.
Stevens explains how this comic came to be and where it’s going from here. Yes, you’ve just met Penny, but hopefully, you won’t be rid of her for quite some time. Penny, like the best comic book characters, can potentially explore numerous genres and ideas, and with one sequel already in progress, we’re demanding many more to come.
Find Penny: A Graphic Memoir wherever fine comics are sold, and learn more by clicking HERE. You can find Karl Stevens on Twitter HERE, and on Instagram HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Judge Dredd, the top lawman of Mega-City One, is a fascist. He's a walking nightmare and a total badass. The 2000 AD icon is both the hero and the villain of his story. Navigating that balance is tremendously tricky, and it was an absolute pleasure to have writer Rob Williams on the show to discuss how he lives within this delicious, repulsive, and intoxicating mindscape.
Williams' latest Dredd tale, End of Days, sees Dredd facing off against the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Honestly, when Revelation is raining upon your head, would you rather have anyone else backing you up? Probably not.
We chat with Williams about how he approaches every Judge Dredd tale, and how the character might relate to a certain wannabe Captain America plaguing Disney+ these days cough cough - John Walker!
Whether you're new to Judge Dredd or not, you will not want to miss this conversation. If you are new to 2000 AD, End of Days is an excellent place to start, and you can learn more and order your copy HERE.
You can find Rob Williams on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Friendship is Magic! Well, not always. Sometimes it takes a lot of work. In this week's episode, we observe the complicated relationship between two Captain Americas, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes as seen in the Marvel Comics mini-series, Falcon and Winter Soldier.
To help us hug it out, we're using Dr. Mariso G. Franco's "How to Make Friends As An Adult" (which you can read by clicking HERE). Her article offers several key tips to keep a friendship alive, and they may also help you in a few other areas in your life as well.
Issues covered in this episode: "Falcon and Winter Soldier: Cut Off One Head," issues 1 - 5, written by Derek Landy, illustrated by Federico Vincentini, colored by Matt Milla, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
If you cannot get enough of the Sam & Bucky conversation, consider joining our Patreon, where we're currently breaking down The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney+ series episode by episode. Learn more HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We're back with the X-Treme X-Men, but this ain't the universe you remember. On Earth 12025, James Howlett (who you may know as Wolverine) fell hard for Hercules, and their love conquered dragons. As X-Treme X-Men members, they aid Dazzler in the hunt for the many evil Charles Xaviers that plague the multiverse.
Howlett and Hercules conclude our most recent X-Couple series, providing a joyous discussion that challenges our latest love experts who co-authored "The Normal Bar." Is it possible to see yourself through the eyes of your lover? We think so. We hope so.
Issues covered in this episode: "X-Treme X-Men" Volume 2, issues 6 - 11. Written by Greg Pak, penciled by Stephen Segovia, Raul Valdes, André Araújo, and Paco Diax. Inked by Dennis Crisostomo, Lorenzo Ruggiero, and Walden Wong. Colored by Jessica Kholinne, Ifansyah Noor, Sotocolor, Dan Brown, and Rachelle Rosenberg. Lettered by VC's Joe Sabino. Cover art by Kalman Andrasofszky and Stephanie Hans.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Talking The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on our Patreon was too much damn fun. We had to share this episode with the rest of you. If you dig what we're doing here, consider supporting the pod by joining our Patreon. Later this week, we'll be back with our regularly scheduled show.
We rant and rave about the first episode for our latest Comically Reel, discuss what the future might hold, and answer your Slack questions/observations.
But first, Brad must apologize to Lisa via a 16 minute SXSW conversation. This episode was a lot of fun to record, maybe even our favorite Comically Reel ep so far. We think you'll have a good time as well.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier poster art by Salvador Anguiano.
Of course, be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Mike Mignola forever altered our relationship with comics. We don't think we're alone in that matter. Clearly not--all one needs to do is look at the recent success of the "Drawing Monsters" Kickstarter. People love Mignola, and more importantly, they want to know more about him.
We return to the Creator Corner with documentarian Kevin Konrad Hanna, discussing why he and his co-director Jim Demonakos were compelled to put Mignola's saga on screen and why Kickstarter was the only means to make it happen. Full disclosure: we've already backed this film. The second we saw it hit Twitter, we were all over it. This film's success might mean more comic book documentaries of this nature, and the world needs more comic book documentaries.
Make sure to visit the "Drawing Monsters" Kickstarter page HERE. And you can find the doc on Twitter HERE. You can also track down Kevin on Twitter HERE, and Instagram HERE. If you want to keep that Drawing Monsters mania going, find Jim Demonakos on Twitter HERE, and Instagram HERE.
Of course, be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The kids are all right! The X-Men return to their melodramatic roots with Generation X Volume 2. In this week's episode, we explore young love through the adorable fumblings between Nathaniel Carver (aka Hindsight) & Benjamin Deeds (aka Morph). Is trust possible when your powers grant you intimate, invasive access into your partner's mental interior?
To help us discuss their unique romance, we're using "The Normal Bar: Where Does Your Relationship Fall?" by Chrisanna Northrup, Pepper Schwartz, and James Witte. Does analyzing your relationship by comparing it to others work?
Issues covered in this episode: "Generation X" Volume 2 issues 1 - 87 written by Christina Strain, illustrated by Amilcar Pinna, Alberto Albuquerque, Eric Koda, and Martin Morazzo, with additional inks by Roberto Poggi, colored by Felipe Sobreiro, Jay David Ramos, Chris Sotomayor, and Nolan Woodard, and featuring covers by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
You don't know Stan Lee. You only think you do. Abraham Riesman's new biography, "True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee" is the definitive biography on the man who "created the Marvel Comics Universe." Even if you're a die-hard comic book obsessive, this book will rock your understanding of Stan the Man. His story is also the story of comics as an industry. Anyone who adores this medium, not just Marvel Zombies, should dig into this book and open their mind to this incredibly complicated saga.
We're honored and delighted to have Riesman on the podcast this week. We break into the myths, the legends, and, most importantly, the passions that surround Stan Lee. We strongly encourage you to read the book, but it's not a requirement for enjoying this conversation. No doubt, however, you'll want a copy for yourself when you get done with this chat.
You can purchase "True Believer" from your favorite local bookstore. Learn more about it by clicking on the Random House website. Also, make sure to catch up on all of Riesman's adventures and endeavors HERE and follow him on Twitter HERE. You can read his original Stan Lee article for Vulture HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. SUPPORT THE PODCAT BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Ororo & Callisto - enemies turned friends turned enemies turned companions. These two warriors rage against each other time and time again, and in doing so, they discover the ties that bind them. Or are those tentacles?
X-Couple month continues as we look at these combatants as seen in the X-Treme X-Men storyline, "The Arena." To help us discuss their unique romance, we're using "The Normal Bar: Where Does Your Relationship Fall?" by Chrisanna Northrup, Pepper Schwartz, and James Witte. Does analyzing your relationship by comparing it to others work?
Those looking to explore Ororo & Callisto's relationship further should read Sara Century's excellent piece, "Storm vs. Callisto, and the Uneasy Alliance of Heroes and Villains."
Issues covered in this episode: "X-Treme X-Men" issues 36 - 39, written by Chris Claremont, penciled by Igor Kordey, and inked by Kordey, Scott Hanna, Sandy Florea, Mark McKenna, Andrew Pepoy, Norm Rapmund, and Josef Rubinstein. The colors are provided by Transparency Digital and the letters by VC’s Rus Wooten. Special shout-out to cover artist Salvador Larroca.
Order your own CBCC "Comics Are My Love Language" t-shirt from @ElliotComicArt's TeePublic Page.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We begin our latest X-Couple series with Ben Gaveedra and Julio Richter aka Shatterstar & Rictor as seen in the mini-series "Shatterstar: Reality Star." Romance is hard, fights will happen, but what occurs when temporal dimensional battles make no room for domestic bouts? Every couple needs the space to focus on their problems so they can find the necessary solutions.
Helping us guide Shatterstar & Rictor to a secure zone of conversation is "The Normal Bar: Where Does Your Relationship Fall?" by Chrisanna Northrup, Pepper Schwartz, and James Witte. The idea being that normalcy is impossible, but by exploring how other couples behave, you might find alternative options for your relationship.
Issues covered in this episode: "Shatterstar: Reality Star" issues 1 - 5, written by Tom Seeley, penciled by Carlos Villa & Gerardo Sandoval, inked by Villa & Juan Vlasco, colored by Carlos Lopez, and lettered by VC's Cory Petit.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Marc Jackson of Marc Makes Comics returns!! We discuss how his Magnum P.I. comics came to this rescue during this incredibly strange year, as well as how his SPOOKIDS comic is about to enter a grande new phase. In addition to all that rad comic chatter, we celebrate Marc's incredible hustle and gain inspiration through admiration.
Be sure to pursue the Marc Makes Comics YouTube page, and purchase a few comic books over on his Website, or buy the man a Ko-Fi and nab some Magnum P.I. comics in return. You should also stalk his Instagram and Twitter.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Oh yeah, we're also on Ko-Fi.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
WandaVision is nearly here, and in preparation, we plunge into one of our all-time favorite romance comics, "The Vision" by Tom King and Gabriel H. Walta. This comic is an absolutely crushing and compulsive read, highlighting everything we adore about our android hero and his mission to claim humanity for himself. Can we ever be more than our programming?
Helping us answer that question this week is love guru Gretchen Rubin and her book "The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent A Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun."
Who is ready to hear Lisa cry? Buckle up as we champion the greatest Marvel Comics tragedy on the stands. We root for The Vision and Virginia to make it work every time, even though, like the two narrators, we know the cataclysmic ending that awaits.
Issues covered in this episode: "The Vision" Vol. 2, issues 1 - 12, written by Tom King, illustrated by Gabriel H. Walta & Michael Walsh, colored by Jordie Bellaire, and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles.
Those looking to explore another Tom King romance, but of a very different color, should listen to our "Mister Miracle" episode from the early days of the podcast by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Happy New Year!! We're pulling out of 2020 and thrusting into 2021 by climaxing alongside "Sex Criminals" with the sixth and final volume. We began this journey over a year ago, but thankfully, Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky wrapped up their bizarre romantic crime saga so we can finish our conversation regarding this unique couple. We're selfish lovers.
Helping us provide insight into the relationship woes between Suzie & Jon is love guru Esther Perel. We dive into her podcast "Where Should We Begin?" and use her episode "You Can Be Right or You Can Be Married" to navigate the circular nature of arguments.
Issues covered this week: "Sex Criminals" issues 26 - 69, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Chip Zdarsky.
Feel free to jump back in time and enjoy our past "Sex Criminals" episodes:
Volume 1 --> http://bit.ly/CBCC29
Volume 2 & 3 --> http://bit.ly/2lFF2em
Volume 4 --> http://bit.ly/2kCMqXW
Volume 5 --> http://bit.ly/31Up8x5
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you a special bonus episode. Last month, we guested on the Ride the Omnibus podcast to celebrate #Noirvember by hittin' the books. Specifically, we discussed Darwyn Cooke's fabulous Richard Stark "Parker" adaptations.
The conversation was an absolute blast, and we felt compelled to share it with our listeners. In revisiting the chat the other night, we also thought it made a great little Christmas present. There's something delightfully melancholic about reveling in Parker's world while sleigh bells ring in your ears.
If you're not already, you should add Ride the Omnibus to your podcast feed and follow host Ariel Baska on Twitter @RuinMySky & @OmnibusRide.
If one chat wasn't enough delicious content, we're also dropping our spoiler-free review of "Wonder Woman 1984" in the back half of this episode. We recently unlocked this conversation on our Patreon feed, but just in case you didn't see it there, we're plopping it here as well.
Our other recent podcast guest-appearances:
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WSTR Galactic Public Access
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It's Canon Podcast
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Pod Wars
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My Marvelous Year
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAT BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
2020 was a wild year, to say the very least, but comic books were a saving grace. We've eagerly anticipated recording this episode as it works as an exceptional excuse to celebrate the bright outbursts of good that rattled throughout the year. What you'll find within are some returning favorite creators, but also several surprises.
Will your favorite comic appear? We hope so, but we also recognize that we're a couple of weirdos and our "Best Comics of 2020" absolutely reflects our bent nature. Selecting the winners in our eight categories was mostly harmless this year, but we struggled in a few places.
Our wish is that this episode brings a little joy to you this holiday season. Don't be shy in sharing your picks for the Best Comics of 2020. We want to hear from you, and we always crave recommendations.
The Categories + Timestamps:
Best Comic Book Movie - 9:36
Best Bootleg/Fan Comic - 18:35
Best Young Adult Graphic Novel - 24:56
Best One-Shot - 33:23
Best Ongoing Series - 43:38
Best Single Issue - 50:18
Best Collected Comic - 59:26
Best Original Graphic Novel - 1:06:27
Final Wrap-Up - 1:15:36
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The unrequited romance between Miyamoto Usagi & Tomoe Ame cannot last. Our conversation centered around Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo must end. There is no better place to conclude this epic discussion than the incredible sci-fi War of the Worlds mash-up, "Senso."
Jumping fifteen to twenty years into the future, we witness the final moments between our heroes. Will the unsaid things finally be said? If so, is it too late for Usagi & Tomoe? "Senso" is the ultimate "What-If" adventure for fans of this series, allowing Stan Sakai to tie a bow on his story in a way that the main title will no doubt never let him do.
It's also time to say goodbye to our latest love guru, Lori Tsugawa Whaley, and her book, "Let the Samurai Be Your Guide: The Seven Bushido Pathways to Personal Success." Would she consider the choices made by Miyamoto & Tomoe honorable? Do we consider them honorable?
Comics covered this week: "Usagi Yojimbo: Senso" issues 1 - 6, written, illustrated, & lettered by Stan Sakai.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
When it comes to Miyamoto Usagi & Tomoe Ame, there are things that are hidden. These unsaid feelings strike at the very core of their relationship, and in many ways, "Tomoe's Story" is Stan Sakai's final statement regarding their romance...even though we still have one more episode after this one to explore their undeniable chemistry.
Usagi Yojimbo: Book 22 operates in a very different manner than the previous storylines we've covered. There is no singular plot driving the narrative. Instead, it's a series of short stories that add up to a bittersweet send-off for the couple. Did we love it? No doubt, but with that love comes pain as well.
We attempt to navigate our feelings using Lori Tsugawa Whaley's "Let the Samurai Be Your Guide: The Seven Bushido Pathways to Personal Success." This week, it's all about integrity. How do you get it, and what do you do when you have it?
If you're looking to do a little extracurricular reading for this week's episode, we recommend delving into Mark Turetsky's excellent essay, "There Are Things That Are Hidden: Usagi Yojimbo #93" via Shelfdust.
Comics covered this week: "Usagi Yojimbo" Volume 3, issues 90 - 93, and "Usagi Yojimbo Color Special" issues 1 - 3, written, illustrated, & lettered by Stan Sakai.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Back to back, Miyamoto Usagi & Tomoe Ame must battle the Blood Princess and rescue an enslaved village in "The Mother of Mountains." The two Samurai warriors reveal the courageous core of their character time and time again within the pages of Usagi Yojimbo, and this storyline showcases how such a code is infectious to those around them, including the reader.
This week, we continue to apply Lori Tsugawa Whaley's "Let the Samurai Be Your Guide: The Seven Bushido Pathways to Personal Success" to the unrequited romance between Miyamoto & Tomoe, as well as our own relationship. How can we exemplify the Way of the Samurai in our daily lives? We attempt to figure it out.
Comics covered this week: "Usagi Yojimbo" Volume 3, issues 83 - 89, written, illustrated, & lettered by Stan Sakai.
Don't forget to watch "The Sword and The Pen" documentary short film explaining the origins of Stan Sakai on Vimeo.
You can also read Mark Turetsky's "There Are Things That Are Hidden: Usagi Yojimbo #93" via Shelfdust.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Brea Grant will not let 2020 stand in her way. In addition to writing two films, directing one, and starring in several others, Grant also recently launched a new graphic novel from Six Foot Press. "Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter" is a beautiful genre celebration purposefully linked to an extremely relatable coming-of-age saga.
We cannot think of a better way to celebrate Halloween than hanging out with Grant in the Creator Corner and discussing her compulsion to explore the legacy of a literary icon. Plus, there is some serious chatter regarding the pros and cons of Sexy vs. Stitchy Frankenstein monsters. Can you guess where Lisa falls on this matter? It's a trick question.
After listening to this episode, you'll want to continue your Brea Grant obsession by diving into her podcast, Reading Glasses. You can also check out her other Mary Shelley-related interview over at People I Think Are Cool and hear an interview earlier this year, where Grant discusses her film "Lucky" on the ITMODChatCast.
Other important links mentioned in this episode: Liz Reed of Cuddles & Rage is currently co-curating the art exhibition "Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls" at the Spoke Art gallery. Hear Brad's interview with Grant's Reading Glasses co-host, Mallory O'Meara, on the ITMODChatCast.
Don't forget; you should follow Reading Glasses on Twitter @ReadingGPodcast.
And, hey, if you want the answers to those last two Bonus Questions, you gotta join our Patreon Community.
Be sure to also follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Stan Sakai's "Usagi Yojimbo" is one of the great comic book series. Few compare, none top it. We begin our journey discussing the unrequited romance of Miyamoto Usagi and the Lady Tomoe Ame with the epic "Grasscutter" saga. Neither character meets on the page, but here is where we see them in their purest form. To see them alone is to know them together.
To help us in our quest to understand our heroes, we consult "Let the Samurai Be Your Guide: The Seven Bushido Pathways to Personal Success" by Lori Tsugawa Whaley. As we discuss in this episode, winning the internal war determines the outcome of any external challenge. Stay true to yourself, and the path will clear before you.
Comics covered this week: "Usagi Yojimbo" Volume 3, issues 13 - 22, written, illustrated, & lettered by Stan Sakai.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Surprise! Since our last episode, we launched a Patreon Page! It's been up a week, and we've been having a ton of fun with those that have already joined. However, if you don't follow us on Twitter & Instagram, we wanted to make you aware of what's been going down.
We've raised the paywall on our first episode, and dropped it into this feed, so you can give a listen to what we're doing over there. We hope you join us in this next venture in Comic Book Couples Counseling. It's an investment on your part to make sure this show keeps on chugging.
Welcome to Comically Reel, our brand-new spin-off podcast where we devour and discuss cinematic comic book adaptations. In our first episode, we travel back to a time before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where 20th Century Fox dominated the superhero market with their X-Men franchise, and we're attempting to replicate another success in Marvel's first family, The Fantastic Four.
Directed by Tim Story, "Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer" landed with a soft thud in 2007. Lisa never bothered to watch it back in the day, but ever determined to consume every single comic book movie, Brad jammed it hard into his eyeballs. Initially, he did not like it. However...
The world of pop culture changed dramatically during the last thirteen years. Lisa and Brad are different kinds of movie and comic book obsessives today. They adore the FF now more than ever, and the Silver Surfer has risen as one of their favorite comic book characters. Also, Chris Evans is full-time FLAME ON whether he's the Human Torch or Captain America. That's just a fact.
Revisiting the sequel, they were incredibly surprised by their reaction. Is it good? Bad? Underrated? Great? Join us to find out.
Also, how rad is our Jack Kirby intro music this week? That comes courtesy of Adam ILLUS Wallenta. Be sure to follow him on YouTube and Twitter. You can purchase his CDs HERE, find him on Bandcamp HERE, Spotify HERE, Apple Music HERE, and Tidal HERE.
As always you can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Anywhere & Everywhere - Hang On! Our month-long conversation surrounding Dawn Greenwood & Norrin Radd must finally come to a close with this epic discussion regarding "Silver Surfer: A Power Greater Than Cosmic." We have covered many couples on this show, but few as important to our relationship growth as these two. Grab your tissues, things get emotional this week.
What does it mean to love another person? With such passion must come as much pain as pleasure, and this week, we attempt to answer whether the highs make up for the inevitable lows. Using Stephanie Barron Hall's "The Enneagram in Love," we navigate the spaceways and determine exactly how Dawn complements Norrin and vice versa.
Issues covered this week: "Silver Surfer" Volume 8, issues 7 - 14, written by Dan Slott, illustrated by Michael Allred, colored by Laura Allred, and lettered by Joe Sabino.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The Silver Surfer & Dawn Greenwood have run out of space...and time. Thanks to the cruel machinations of Doctor Doom, all of reality is crumbling and it's up to this month's couple to remake the universe. Are they up to the task? Are we?
In this week's episode, we cover a lot of ground, crawling out of Galactus' planetary scraps, and entering the mind-bending trip of Dan Slott & Michael Allred's award-winning Möbius strip Silver Surfer issue. Oh! And we get the first kiss!
We're rooting for Dawn & Norrin Radd, but they have many lessons to learn about each other before they can romantically link. Thankfully, we're using Stephanie Barron Hall's "The Enneagram In Love" as our discussion & dissection tool.
Issues covered this week: "Silver Surfer" Volume 7, numbers 11 - 15, and "Silver Surfer" Volume 8, issues 1 - 6, written by Dan Slott, illustrated by Michael Allred, colored by Laura Allred, and lettered by Joe Sabino.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Galactus enters just as the romance between Dawn Greenwood & Norrin Radd, The Silver Surfer, starts to heat up. Can love blossom when Norrin suffers from such impossibly deep shame? Does it matter when a giant space god steps in for a planetary snack?
This week, we continue our passionate conversation surrounding one of our all-time favorite couples, and we use Stephanie Barron Hall's "The Enneagram in Love" as our guide. Special bonus: this self-help book also holds a secret within its creation. Whoa.
At the start of this episode, we successfully type the personalities of Dawn & Norrin with Hall's method, and it helps us navigate the confusion and pain at the center of "Silver Surfer: Worlds Apart."
Issues covered this week: "Silver Surfer" Volume 7, numbers 6 - 10, written by Dan Slott, illustrated by Michael Allred, colored by Laura Allred, and lettered by Joe Sabino.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
The Silver Surfer rides...with us as we travel across seven states on our return from Grandpa Joe's funeral. To stave off boredom, we're trapping you in the back seat of our car as we put our Norrin Radd & Dawn Greenwood through the Enneagram Personality Test to determine their types, and use "Groot" issue 3 as our narrative guide.
This is a wild episode, folks. Hosts Brad and Lisa are in full goofster mode. Prepare yourself.
"Groot" number 3 is written by Jeff Loveness, illustrated by Brian Kesinger, colored by Vero Gandini, and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry. Most importantly, it's one of two comics to feature Dawn Greenwood outside the Dan Slott & Michael Allred storyline. As such, it's essential reading for fans.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art @Karen_XmenFan.
Four Color Fantasies is an institution within the industry. They're a comic book shop with deep ties to the community, and a drive to give back to those that have supported them throughout decades of operation. This week, we're joined by comic book slingers Erik & Steve as they discuss their awesome Comic Sketch Cover Charity Auction, where every dollar earned benefits the Literacy Volunteers of Winchester, Virginia.
Honestly, as you'll hear in this episode and are already well aware of, it's fickin' weird out there. Any opportunity to revel in positivity is one worth taking. Four Color Fantasies shows us how to celebrate the art form we love while also helping those around you.
This episode is a gift. Here is your opportunity to score incredible original art from insanely talented folks like Daniel Warren Johnson, Adam Hughes, Peter Bagge, and a whole helluva lot more. Listen to the conversation, then jump on over to the Four Color Fantasies Facebook Page to place your bids. You can also hunt them down on Twitter @fcfcomics.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art @Karen_XmenFan.
Norrin Radd & Dawn Greenwood! The most anticipated couple ever tackled on the podcast. Strap in cuz we're hitting the cosmic skyways for our most epic 50th episode, and we begin our journey into the wild world of Dan Slott & Michael Allred's "Silver Surfer."
The romantic saga of Norrin & Dawn is one with deep roots to our hearts, and we've avoided covering them in the past for fear of not living up to their beautiful story. All good things come to those that wait! It's time to break down one of the most passionate comic storylines ever committed.
To help us on this trip across eternity is love guru Stephanie Barron Hall and her book "The Enneagram in Love." With her guidance, we attempt to type their personalities and highlight what each character brings to the relationship table. Of course, we turn Hall's book upon ourselves as well.
If you want to share your Eneagram types with us, don't forget to use #SurfAndTypes.
Issues covered in this episode: "Silver Surfer" Volume 7, numbers 1 - 5, plus "All-New Marvel Now Point One" No. 1, written by Dan Slott, illustrated by Michael Allred, colored by Laura Allred, and lettered by Clayton Cowles.
We also sneak in a little love for the new indies series "Adam & Eternity," written by Robert DeShaies II and illustrated by Dominic Pinto. You can purchase the first issue HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner & the Epic 50th Poster art by @Karen_XmenFan.
Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O'Connell tear through our emotions as we tackle their Eisner Award-winning "Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me." Their high school romance offers an authentically painful insight into young love with all its beauty and tragedy. It's impossible to come away from the reading experience without some sense of relatability and hope that those that read this graphic novel won't make the same mistakes you did in your formative years.
In this episode, Brad & Lisa describe their own relationships with advice columns and how Freddy's isolation leaves few options other than her anonymous emails to self-help guru Anna Vice. Sometimes, when we're in the thick of romantic despair, we don't recognize the support system already surrounding us.
This week's comic: "Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me," written by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, and published by First Second Books.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art @Karen_XmenFan.
Awesome Con refuses to let lockdown get in the way of community. The best damn comic book convention from the nation's capital invited us to lead a conversation surrounding "The Umbrella Academy," and we were happy to bring our recent "Extraordinary Relationships" insights to the table. Thank you, Dr. Roberta M. Gilbert.
We're also thrilled to have Liz Reed of Cuddles & Rage return to the podcast to aid in the discussion. We breakdown the first two volumes of Gerard Way & Gabriel Bá's comic book series using Gilbert's "Postures of Overwhelmedness," but don't worry, we get a little Netflix talk in there too.
This panel discussion is also available to watch through Leftfield Media's YouTube channel and Awesome Con's Facebook page. Give them a little love if you can. They're doing great geek work during this time of weirdness.
Be sure to follow Liz on most social medias @cuddlesandrage, and you can find "Bites of Terror" for purchase just by clicking HERE. You can also follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art @Karen_XmenFan.
The Dick Grayson & Barbara Gordon will-they/won't-they relationship ends here, and it only took another DC Crisis, sorry, we meant Convergence to make it happen. This week concludes our series on Dick & Babs by tackling the two-issue "Birds of Rage" mini-series written by Gail Simone. These conversations were a typical whirlwind of emotions, but we can happily report that we're leaving them as passionate fans of Dick & Babs romance.
Nightwing & Oracle are left to defend their Gotham City from two encroaching Thanagarian warlords. Still, if they're to have any chance at defeating the enemy, the two lovers have to come together once and for all. There is nothing like a multiverse to make our dreams come true.
Issues covered in this episode: "Convergence: Nightwing/Oracle 1 - 2, written by Gail Simone, penciled by Jan Duursema, inked by Dan Parsons, colored by Wes Dzioba, and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual. Featuring covers by Jill Thompson.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art @Karen_XmenFan.
Dick Grayson & Barbara Gordon are all grown up. The flirtations are over. It's time to get serious with the romance.
The kids they once knew are gone. Batgirl & Robin the Boy Wonder are no more. In their place are Oracle & Nightwing. Can they get over years of almosts and shouldas to reach a partnership more meaningful than friends or sidekicks? It's going to take a lot of work.
Thankfully, we have Dr. Roberta M. Gilbert aiding us as our love guru with her book "Extraordinary Relationships: A New Way of Thinking About Human Interactions." Dick & Babs have to get right with themselves if they are ever to mean anything to another person. There must be pain before there is joy.
Issues covered in this episode: "Oracle: Year One - Born of Hope" from "The Batman Chronicles" No. 5 written by John Ostrander & Kim Yale, penciled by the brilliant Brian Stelfreeze, inked by Karl Story, colored by Mark Chiarello, and lettered by John Costanza. Also, "Nightwing" Vol. 2 Annual No. 2 written by Marc Andreyko, penciled by Joe Bennett, inked by Jack Jadson, colored by Jason Wright, and lettered by Phil Balsman.
P.S. if you're curious about further exploring Kim Yale's tremendous impact on comics, please listen to her piece on NPR from 2016 by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
Tom Scioli has spent his entire career cracking the Kirby code, and his latest book is his masterpiece. "Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics" is the single most magnificent celebration of the artist who revolutionized an industry and forever altered our pop culture landscape. We're beyond thrilled to have Scioli on the show this week, discussing in great enthusiastic detail the challenges and wonders of adapting a life as immense as Jack Kirby.
Of course, we dig into the complicated relationship between Kirby and Stan Lee, but we also marvel at his romance with Roz Kirby and the many other necessary courtships made along the way. For Scioli, tackling such an icon and an idol was a glorious burden and pleasure, marking a massive turning point in his career.
Where does Scioli go from here? He's not sure, but he does offer us some tantalizing morsels that we would love to see transformed into graphic reality. Tom Scioli's Star Wars? Um, yes, please.
"Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics" is currently available for pre-order HERE or wherever fine books are sold. Be sure to follow Scioli on Instagram and Twitter, and you can find us at our usual social media haunts: @CBCCPodcast, @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Robin & Batgirl are The Dynamite Duo!! We travel back into the Bronze Age to explore the early flirtations between Batman's most magnificent sidekicks. Was it love at first sight? Were Dick Grayson & Barbara Gordon destined to end up together? We answer these questions by exploring four specific issues within the mondo bizarro anthology series "Batman Family."
We certainly could not make heads or tails out of this romance without the help of Dr. Roberta M. Gilbert and her self-help guide, "Extraordinary Relationships: A New Way of Thinking About Human Interactions." We all need to recognize the hot emotions bubbling beneath our surfaces, but maybe none more so than the Boy Wonder - scratch that - the Teen Wonder.
Issues covered in this episode: "Batman Family" #1, #11, #13, & #15. These comics were published between 1975 - 1978 and were written by Elliot S. Maggin & Bob Rozakis, penciled by Mike Grell, Don Newton, Marshall Rogers, & Lee Elias, and inked by Bob Wiacek & Joe Giella.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
We're absolutely shell-shocked to have Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, on the show this week. Learning from the lessons of Jack Kirby, Eastman and Peter Laird were determined to do right by their creations where they could, and in the process, bring on other astonishing talents to contribute to the character, vibe, and mythology of TMNT. This spirit of evolution and reinvention is not only what propelled their Turtles into mass popularity but guaranteed their longevity throughout their endless incarnations.
In this latest Creator Corner episode, we discuss Kevin's desire to have others play in his sandbox, and the core characteristics of his universe that cannot be broken when his toys are in the hands of others. Also, we get in a little chatter regarding the 30th anniversary of the 1990 movie, and how that small indie film grew out of the same unique atmosphere that birthed the original comic book.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren. You can also find Kevin on Twitter @kevineastman86, and keep your eyes peeled for "The Last Ronin," the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series from IDW Publishing.
We return to Gotham City with Batgirl & Robin! While we weren't expecting to stick with DC Comics for another round of episodes, this month, we allowed our listeners to pick our couple, and Dick & Babs were the chosen winners. What separates these two on-again/off-again lovers from most comic book couples is how they've been allowed to grow beyond their initial appearances, and as we see in "Batgirl: Year One," who they were when they first met is not who they are in today's continuity. There is great excitement in going back to their earliest days and watching their awkward relationship bloom under the gaze of their Batman daddy.
To guide our hands with Dick & Babs, we're turning to Dr. Roberta M. Gilbert and her book "Extraordinary Relationships: A New Way of Thinking About Human Interactions." We don't live our lives alone. We're surrounded by others who shape our destiny. Don't turn from them! Embrace your Bat-family!
Issues covered in this episode: "Batgirl: Year One" No. 1 - 9, written by Scott Beatty & Chuck Dixon, penciled by Marcos Martin, inked by Alvaro Lopez, lettered by Willie Schubert, and colored by Javier Rodríguez.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Is this the end of Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy? It's certainly our final conversation discussing the two love birds for a bit, and we're sad to see them go as we've fallen hard for them over these last four episodes. Have no fear though, we go out with a bang, diving deep into the controversial comics that dared to put #HarlIvy on the backburner.
The 2019/2020 mini-series, written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Adriana Melo, wreaks havoc with our emotions. One minute, we've never been happier with this ship, and the next, we're screaming in frustration and anger. That's some damn good comic book storytelling.
Thankfully, we have Lindsay King-Miller's "Ask A Queer Chick" to aid in our discussion as well as the emotional turmoil sparked by this particular mini-series. As far as couple journeys go, the trip from "Batman: The Animated Series" to these six issues was absolutely wild, and we're excited to see what's on the horizon for Harley & Ivy, and yeah, there is still a future there, folks.
Issues covered in this episode: "Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy" No. 1 - 6, written by Jody Houser, penciled by Adriana Melo, inked by Mark Morales and Wade Von Grawbadger, lettered by Gabriela Downie, and colored by Hi-Fi.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Get your motor runnin,' Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy head out on the highway, plus Catwoman! This week three's company as the Gotham City Sirens travel West to retrieve the ashes of Harley's beloved uncle and bring them back East so they can be laid to rest next to his deceased wife. The "Harley Quinn Road Trip Special," written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti, is a rollicking adventure, featuring plenty of innuendoes, but genuine affection between our trilogy of rogues.
As we venture into The New 52 era, it's exhilarating to see the #HarlIvy relationship gather serious steam, building off a deep friendship in a world populated by monsters (Joker) and dimwits (Darkwolf). To help us navigate this love on the road, we're using Lindsay King-Miller's "Ask A Queer Chick" as our relationship guide.
The comic covered in this episode: "Harley Quinn Road Trip Special" No. 1 written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti, illustrated by Bret Blevins, Moritat, Flaviano Armentaro, Pasquale Qualano, and Jed Dougherty, with additional inks by Mike Manley, colored by Paul Mounts, and lettered by Dave Sharpe.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Stephen Bissette joins us to discuss the romantic plights of Swampy & Abby, as seen in the groundbreaking series "Saga of the Swamp Thing." The artist describes the magical alchemy that occurred between him, John Totleben, and Alan Moore in 1983, and how their desire to make monster comics radically altered the landscape of the art form. More importantly, we converse on the re-creation of Abigail Arcane and her sensuous union with the plant who dreamed he was a man - "The Rites of Spring," which may just be the most erotic and romantic comic book ever produced.
For those wanting a little more context to this conversation, be sure to listen to the 34th episode of CBCC, where Brad & Lisa breakdown "The Rites of Spring" as well as Swampy & Abby's relationship in detail. Also, you can hear Brad & Steve talk about David Cronenberg's "The Brood" and the 660-page book Stephen wrote on the film over at the In the Mouth of Dorkness podcast. You should also watch the career-spanning conversation Steve had with the boys of Cartoonist Kayfabe.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren. While you're feeling social, you can find Steve on Twitter @SRBissette, and you can pre-order his Brook book from PS Publishing.
Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy hit the road, ditching Gotham for the bright lights and tight spandex of Metropolis. The girls are on the hunt for Superman but have to settle for Jimmy Olsen and Bizarro. What begins as a joyous coupling slowly drives a wedge into #HarlIvy. Can they survive an apartment's lack of sunlight and the small bother of a super-villain kidnapping? Tune in as we root for our favorite Gotham girl gang, digging into the early days of Harley Quinn's solo career.
Also, we ditch our previous love gurus Ben Schwartz and Lauren Moses for relationship columnist Lindsay King-Miller and her advice book "Ask a Queer Chick: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life for Girls Who Dig Girls." As we discover this week, there's plenty of hope for Harley & Ivy as they're presented in the "Welcome to Metropolis" story arc.
Issues covered in this episode: "Harley Quinn" No. 13 - 19, written by Karl Kesel and primarily illustrated by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson, but featuring fill-in art by Pete Woods, Phil Noto, Craig Rousseau, with guest-inks by Mark Lipka, Dan Davis, and Kesel himself. Colors provided by Alex Sinclair and Peter Pantazis, and letters by Ken Lopez and Kurt Hathaway.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
MARC Makes Comics!! This week we're delighted to invite cartoonist Marc Jackson into the Love Nest to discuss his new YouTube Channel - MARC Makes Comics - that's keeping us all sane during these weird times, as well as the various other comics projects he's willing into the universe. Our conversation is one massive celebration of the art form, digging into the myriad influences that feed Marc's work as well as his intense and inspirational hustle.
Just because we're all doing our duty to flatten the curve, doesn't mean we cannot take advantage of some serious reading time as well as promoting the artists bringing joy into the world. If you need a little respite right now, jump on over to Marc's Instagram, where he's just launched a new webcomic "Bring the Ninja," which drops every Friday. Find all his comics for purchase over at marcmakescomics.co.uk, and you can also stalk him on Twitter @MARCmakescomics.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy finally come to the Comic Book Couple Counseling Podcast! We kick off our exploration of this villainous Gotham City duo by digging into their earliest adventures, as seen in "Batman: Harley & Ivy" spearheaded by the Animated Series collaborators Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. While they are not technically lovers (yet), we do witness an intense bond between the two, which separates them from the rest of the rogues that plague Bruce Wayne's vigilante lifestyle.
Being in a couple means being partners in crime, and not acting like an A-hole. To help us understand the complicated bond between Harley & Ivy, we're using "Things You Should Already Know About Dating, You F*cking Idiot" by Ben Schwartz & Laura Moses. Sometimes commons sense isn't so common.
Issues covered in this episode: "Batman: Harley & Ivy" No 1-3 written by Dini, illustrated by Timm, inked by Shane Glines, colored by Lee Loughridge, and lettered by Tom Orzechowski.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
You're invited to our first-ever crossover event with the ITMODChatCast gang (a.k.a. our other podcast) as we delve further into the creative and romantic partnership of Liz Reed & Jimmy Reed, the fiendishly brilliant cartoonists who collaborate as Cuddles and Rage. Their new graphic novel, "Bites of Terror," hits bookstores today, and we believe you will want to devour this comic asap. Not for nothing, but both Brad and Lisa appear in some form within its ghoulish contents.
"Bites of Terror" is an anthology graphic novel that mixes the spirit of Tales from the Crypt with the tastiest of treats straight outta your kitchen. Cuddles and Rage are masters of blending the evil with the sweet, and while every story is suitable for all ages, the adults in the crowd may get an extra special snap with every delightfully demented tale.
If you want to hear part one of this conversation, do so by clicking HERE.
Be sure to follow Liz & Jimmy on most social medias @cuddlesandrage, and you can find "Bites of Terror for purchase just by clicking HERE. You can follow CBCC on Instagram & Twitter (& maybe TikTok one day) @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Rogue & Remy forever! Wedded bliss finally arrives for our happy couple, but first things first, they gotta survive the honeymoon, which includes an unwanted appearance by Deadpool. We conclude our conversation surrounding Rogue & Gambit by finishing off Kelly Thompson's run on the characters with Mr. & Mrs. X volumes one and two. We're sad to see them go, but ecstatic to finish our exploration with such an epic run of comics.
Before we get to that, though, as well as wrapping up our time with Drs. Gottman & Abrams and their self-help book "8 Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love," we want to take a few moments to acknowledge the weirdness we're all living in now by celebrating the comics and artists keeping our sanity.
All Hail:
- "You Won't Survive, Zero Adventure" & "Drawn by Memory" by Jeffery J. Manley (@manleycomics on Twitter).
- "Spookids" & "The All-New Adventures of Magnum P.I." by Marc Jackson (@Marcmakescomics)
- "Bish & Jubez" by Adam Reck (@arthurstacy)
- "Cobra II" by Teddy Goldenberg (teddygoldenberg on Instagram)
- "Rorg of the Blood Swamp" by Pat Kain (@batstains)
- "Stan & Jack" by Pete Doree (@PeteDoree)
- "Bites of Terror" by Cuddles & Rage (@cuddlesandrage)
- Art Commissions by @karen_xmenfan
Please give these folks your attention. They're kickin' butt in the field of comics.
Other issues covered in this episode: "Mr. & Mrs. X" No. 1 - 12, written Kelly Thompson, illustrated by Oscar Bazaldua, David Lopez, and Javier Pina, colored by Frank D’Armata and Nayoung Kim, and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino and Travis Lanham. Featuring stellar covers by Rachel Dodson and Terry Dodson.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Rogue & Gambit" by Kelly Thompson. This is the episode we've all been waiting to dive into. The last batch of shows have all been about context, filling out the nooks and crannies to Rogue & Remy's relationship, so we can get down to the delightfully dirty business of shipping the greatest X-Men couple. Have we gone too far? We dunno. Kelly Thompson's work on these characters have made us true believers, and we're thrilled to continue to explore their dynamic using "Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love" by Drs. Gottman and Abrams as our guide.
Issues covered in this episode: "Rogue & Gambit" No. 1 - 5, written by Kelly Thompson, illustrated by Pere Pérez, colored by Frank D'Armata, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
If you're looking for the interview Thompson did with Marvel about her 90s comic book obsession, then click HERE.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Red Alert! Red Alert! We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special mini-episode delving into this week's #NCBD release of "Giant-Size X-Men" No. 1, featuring story and art from Jonathan Hickman and Russell Dauterman. After weeks of anticipation, the comic is finally on the stands, and we couldn't wait to get our eyes upon it. Jean Grey & Emma Frost together again for the first time. Did it live up to the hype? Good question. We've got an answer.
Honestly, though, this gorgeous wordless comic is just an excuse to talk about our first X-love, Jean Grey and Scott Summers...and Logan...and Emma. It's Jott vs. Scemma: Battle Royale.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Rogue and Remy finally shed their past sins, but is that enough to bring them closer together? We delve into the two Howard Mackie mini-series from the 1990s that defined the romance of the popular X-couple. It's a lot of comics to cover, but they are essential to the conversation if we're ever to join them in the next stage of their relationship. Gambit's past refuses to stay where it belongs, and Rogue refuses to let its murky shadow get in the way of the love she so desperately wants to partake in but is still struggling to accept herself. This is a hot and heavy melodrama, and we are here for it.
Now, more than ever, we need the aid of Drs. Gottman and Abrams, and their relationship guide "Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love." What are the keys to listening? Putting judgment aside is essential. Being open and honest with who you were and who you are is crucial.
The issues covered in this episode: "Gambit" Vol. 1 No. 1 - 4, written by Howard Mackie, penciled by Lee Weeks, inked by Klaus Janson, colored by Steve Buccellato, and lettered by Richard Starkings. Also, "Rogue" Vol. 1 No. 1 - 4, written by Howard Mackie, penciled by Mike Wieringo, inked by Terry Austin and Jason Gorder, colored by Dana Moreshead, Mike Thomas, and Digital Chameleon, and lettered by Richard Starkings and Comicraft.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalkersiren.
Rogue & Remy - No More! Say it ain't so. This week, we return with another Travel Episode, recorded live from the Denver International Airport. Before we dive into the romantic plight of Rogue & Gambit, we download a little about all the rad films we saw at the Sundance Film Festival. We focus on a few flicks that we think our listeners will appreciate and want to put on their radar. After that, we dig into the 11th issue from the 5th Volume of the "Gambit" solo series. Times are rough for our couple, and it's hard to believe they will ever move beyond this stage in their relationship.
The issue covered in this episode: You guessed it, "Gambit" Vol. 5 No. 11, written by James Asmus with art by Clay Mann and Paco Madina, inks by Clay Mann, Seth Mann, Juan Vlasco, and colors by Rachelle Rosenberg.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
We're going to the chapel as we deviate just slightly from our regularly scheduled programming. As we prepare for the Sundance film festival in Park City, Utah, we've recorded an episode straight from our hotel room! And it's a conversation we probably should have had way back at the beginning of our podcast when we tackled Scott Scummers & Jean Grey. Well, better late than never. Besides, this historic wedding is a significant moment in the romance between Rogue & Remy. Will they? Won't they? Does it matter? Let's get into it.
As heard last week, we're using "8 Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love" as our relationship guide, and it came in quite handy on this episode. Trust. Boy, the X-Men sure do have issues with trust, but what about Brad & Lisa. Tune in to find out.
The issue covered in this episode: Duh! X-Men Vol. 2 No. 30, written by Fabian Nicieza with art by Andy Kubert, inks by Matt Ryan, letters by Bill Oakley, and colors by Joe Rosas.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
New Year, new X-couple! Rogue & Remy start as an impossible flirtation but eventually transform into one of the most popular pairings within the marvelous merry mutant family. Was their romance destined, or did it take a whole lot of painful communication to make it work? We begin where all stories should, in the beginning, witnessing their first awkward triflings, their first disastrous date, and the second one that sealed the deal. We dive systematically into the heyday of the 90s comic scene by hopping around a seemingly random batch of adjectiveless X-Men comics.
To aid us in our conversation, because we're no experts, are the relationship gurus Drs. John Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman, Doug Abrams, and Rachel Carlton Abrams. We found that their book "Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love" had plenty to say about the cat and mouse antics between Rogue and Gambit, and will easily serve as the backbone for this month's batch of episodes.
Issues covered in this episode: X-Men Vol. 2 No. 3 - 4, X-Men Vol. 2 No. 8, and X-Men Vol. 2 No. 24.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork and @sidewalksiren.
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon; The flames of Love extinguished, and fully past and gone... Woo-Hoo! Here we go, friends! We've made it to the end of the year!! Congratulations to all of us. As is always the case, one of our favorite aspects to the climax of any year is the assembling of Best Of lists, and we couldn't let all the others have the fun. This week, we put our brains together and determined what the greatest achievements in the four-color realm were in 2019. The task was difficult, but also incredibly fun and made for a great conversation between Brad & Lisa.
Now, some of you may want a handy guide to this week's episode. We try to remain spoiler-free, but in some cases, that was impossible. To help you out, we've listed the time stamps for each category so that you can jump ahead if need be.
The Categories are:
Best Free Comic Book Day Comic - 15:53
Best One-Shot - 21:25
Best Single Issue - 24:54
Best Comic Book TV Series - 33:33
Best Comic Book Movie - 40:07
Best Ongoing Series - 44:25
Best Graphic Novel - 47:29
Best Collected Comic - 52:19
Final Wrap-Up - 56:39
There you go. Hopefully, we don't enrage too many of you out there, but if we didn't name one of your favorite comics, then please reach out to us. We love this radical art form, and we want to read all the good comic books.
You can find us on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast. You can email us at cbccpodcast@gmail.com, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren. Thanks for sticking with us on our first year of podcasting, and we look forward to continuing the conversation in 2020. Up next, Rogue & Gambit.
All good things must come to an end. This week, we say goodbye to Alec Holland and Abigail Arcane, as well as our love guru Common and his memoir of self-reflection, "Let Love Have the Last Word." We've absolutely adored our time with these fabulous creatures, but we're excited to contemplate where they go from here. Our conversation uses The New 52 storyline "Season's End" as our backbone, and upon it, we find two very different beings than when we last discussed their relationship. In fact, one of them is not even the same lifeform as before. Whoa. New 52 gets weird, but that's how we like our Swamp Thing.
Author Charles Soule is a big-idea man, and he pits Alec and Abby against some rather epic abominations in the form of The Machine Kingdom. What hope does The Green have when competing against the cold logic of Calculus? Is there time to love when the apocalypse is on the horizon? Are Alec and Abby a forever-couple? We answer within.
Issues covered in this episode: Swamp Thing Vol. 4 numbers 35 - 40, Swamp Thing Annual No. 3, and Swamp Thing - Future's End No. 1.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
From the blossom of romance to its rot, this week, we're tackling one of the darkest moments in the relationship between Swamp Thing and Abigail Arcane - Nancy A. Collins' "Martial Problems." These final four issues in her run are fraught with emotional turmoil for both parties and left us aching with deep empathy for the guardians of the Green. The Vertigo era of the book was a time of transition, and Collins went in with a plan to revitalize the characters and concepts and left the Louisanna bog a scorched Earth!
As far as superhero breakups are concerned, few are as understandable or as strange as the one witnessed in these significant comics. Will they recover? That's a question for next week. Until then, pull up a chair, nab one of Constantine's smokes, and join us as we evaluate the end of the line for Abby and the plant which once dreamed he was Alec Holland.
Issues Covered in this episode: Swamp Thing Vol. 2 135 - 138.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
"There is no contradiction...only the pulse. The pulse within the world. Within us. Within me." In this week's episode, we finally witness the union between Abigail Arcane and Alec Holland...or, at least, the plant which once dreamed he was Alec Holland. "The Saga of the Swamp Thing" is a game-changer comic book. Not just because it's the arrival of Alan Moore upon the American comics scene, but in how it reveals the potential elevated philosophical heights of the art form. These are not your daddy's Swamp Thing comics.
Last week, we saw a couple who barely acknowledged each others' presence, but now we meet a relationship that hell itself could not tear apart. Normally, we look to our guru for guidance, but in this episode, we look to Swamp Thing to help our guru. In part two of Common's "Let Love Have the Last Word," we meet a man struggling to understand his connection with his daughter. We believe Alec & Abby have the wisdom to help their bond.
Issues covered in this episode: "Saga of the Swamp Thing" #s 28 -34, and "Swamp Thing" Annual #2.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork and @sidewalksiren.
"Deep in the bayous of Louisiana, far from civilization's grasp, a shadowed creature seen only in fleeting glimpses roils the black waters...a twisted, vegetative mockery of a man...a Swamp Thing!" As we enter the spooky Halloween season, Brad & Lisa take on their favorite monstrous couple. Dr. Alec Holland & Abigail Arcane are a tormented pair destined to defend the Earth from outside (and inside) forces, but before they ever found comfort in each other's embrace, they were lonely travelers bumping across the gothic landscape of DC Comics.
We're kicking off our latest series at the very beginning with "House of Secrets" #92 as well as issues 1-3 of "Swamp Thing," written by Len Wein and illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. We then take a big jump across the Bronze Age books to issues 11 - 13, where Wrightson departs, and Nestor Redondo joins to close out Wein's original run on the character. There may not be a lot of kissy-kissy in these early issues, but they are essential to understanding the core of Alec & Abby's relationship.
To help us through their romantic turmoil, we're relying on the expert advice of Common, and his memoir "Let Love Have the Last Word." We're sick and tired of relying on PhDs. It's time to hear what a cultural icon has to say on the matter. Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram & Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
This week we're bringing our CBCC listeners an Advanced Preview of the ITMODChatCast Interview with comic book scribe and screenwriter Joe Kelly. We had the great pleasure of hosting a special screening of his film "I Kill Giants" at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia. Based on the Image Comics graphic novel of the same name, done in collaboration with artist JM Ken Niimura, "I Kill Giants" is a fantastical exploration of grief as experienced through the eyes of a rather angry young girl. As we discuss with the author, Kelly was compelled to put this story to paper shortly after the birth of his daughter, and in the writing of the comic script, a second compulsion took over - "I Kill Giants" should be a movie as well. In a rare burst of creativity, Kelly was working on the comic and the screenplay at the very same time, but it would take years for the film to be realized. Now "I Kill Giants" is readily available to both the reader and the viewer, and while they both travel the same narrative, the two works are uniquely their own beings.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren. You can purchase the "I Kill Giants" graphic novel wherever fine comic books are sold, and you can rent the film via iTunes, Amazon, and other most respectable streaming services. Also, please follow Mr. Kelly on Twitter @JoeKellyMOA and let him know how much you appreciated his generous nature in lending us his voice.
We're back! After a whirlwind adventure in Austin, Texas for the Fantastic Fest film festival, we return to close the book on Suzie & Jon's romantic adventures. When we last left our couple, they had split for greener pastures. Volume 5 of "Sex Criminals" finds them in new relationships, but still searching for happiness while also trying to ignore the fiendish machinations of Kuber Badal. What began as a time-freezing crime spree through a rainbow of sexual kinks eventually evolved into an epic romance in which broken humans mend each other through connectivity. We're sad to see Suzie & Jon go, but are excited by the possibilities of Volume 6...if Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky can ever find the time to finish the story.
Please, follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and find the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Jon has a secret. Suzie has a problem. "Sex Criminals" Vol. 4 challenges their relationship in ways previously not seen in past volumes, and we're here to help you through this difficult time. Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky bring the epic war between cop and criminal to a boil, and we're teetering to see how this rollicking romantic adventure will reach its end. This episode offers deep conversation into how sex is managed within couples, and the psychic scars American culture thrusts upon its populace's attitude towards the biological act. As we've been doing all month long, Esther Perel's "Mating in Captivity" works as our guide through this series and offers insight into a relationship ever in transition.
Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Jon & Suzie. They have sex. And time stops. Literally. And when time stops, they rob banks...kinda. This week, we continue our conversation surrounding Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky's bestselling Image Comics series and discover a philosophical wonder we did not realize how much we needed in our lives. "Sex Criminals" is more than vagina and penis jokes; the comic is a new way of life we should all follow. Join us as we use Esther Perel's "Mating in Captivity" to understand humanity's hangups with an essential biological process, and guide our thoughts regarding a new favorite comic book couple. We're cramming two volumes of the comic into our show this week so that we can consume all available narrative before jumping ships next month.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
This week we're kicking off a new series with a kinky dash of sci-fi fantasy. "Sex Criminals" Vol. 1 by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky is an aggressively funny and bizarre saga of romance between Suzie & Jon. The sexual act can be a challenging endeavor for anyone, but how do you survive in this world when such an act can literally halt the flow of time? You rob banks! That's issue one. From there, life gets only more mad for our happy couple. Join us as we use the equally provocative "Mating in Captivity" by Esther Perel as our relationship guide.
Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you a special road trip episode recorded on Brad's epic 40th Birthday. Don't worry, our Sex Criminals series will launch next week, but due to unforeseen b-day shenanigans, we had to pull an audible with this week's enthusiastic celebration of the essential 1998 comic book movie Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, written by David S. Goyer, and directed by Stephen Norrington. Our current landscape of superhero cinema simply would not be the same without Blade and the romantic relationship between Eric & Karen...well, definitely not without Blade. What a fascinating turn of events for a character that began as an antagonist for the most famous bloodsucker in Tomb of Dracula number 10, and all but faded from memory before his big-screen debut.
You can follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren. If you want to attend really rad events like the Still Awesome film series, be sure to follow the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va @alalmowinchester.
After a year-long absence, Mary Jane Watson returns to the life of Peter Parker as a "Red-Headed Stranger." This week we conclude our Spider-Man series by exploring the diabolical nature of Dr. Alexander Avila's "LoveTypes" and how his dating system would be absolutely deadly in the hands of The Chameleon. We've deeply enjoyed discussing the romantic turmoil of Peter and M.J., and it breaks our heart to leave them apart in "Brand New Day," but we see cupid's arrow cresting the horizon. Is their love cosmically pure as the dark demon Mephisto suggested, or should Peter enjoy the many fish in the ocean? We come to a serious conclusion as we say good-bye to New York City's friendly neighborhood wall-crawler.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Back from the San Diego Comic-Con International, we're bringing you an extra special bonus episode. Partnering with the itmodchatcast podcast and Film School Rejects, we spoke to Jason Mewes about his new directorial debut "Madness in the Method" due in theaters and VOD on August 2nd. The chattier side of Jay & Silent Bob, Mewes creates a meta-comedy-commentary about his struggles with typecasting and the mad lengths he's willing to go to break free. Featuring a slew of cameos from the likes of Kevin Smith, Stan Lee, Vinnie Jones, Dean Cain, and Casper Van Dien, "Madness in the Method" is an essential watch for View Askewniverse fans. At the same time, this conversation is a delightfully nerdy one and reveals Mewes to be a comic book geek after our hearts. Much love, Jay.
Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Few comic book storylines are as controversial as "One More Day" by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada. Possibly one of the most aggressive editorial mandates in comic book publishing history, the devilish plot was concocted as a means of dissolving the marriage between Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson. Fans may have been a little miffed when they first got together back in 1987, but after several decades of wedded bliss, their matrimony was holy. So holy the dark demon Mephisto desired to shatter it for his own demented pleasure. Brad & Lisa dove deep into the heart of this epic conclusion and came away, appreciating the story much more than they anticipated. Blasphemy, you say? Well, tune in and find out what these two dorks had to say, and how Dr. Alexander Avila's "LoveTypes" prepared them for this crushing romantic dispute.
As always, follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
This week we jump into another Spider-Man comic that revisits iconic moments of continuity to deliver a deeper understanding of the relationship between Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson. Originally published in "The Sensational Spider-Man" Vol. 2 Annual #1, "To Have and To Hold" by Matt Fraction & Salvador Lorroca is one of the most beloved single issues in modern Marvel history. For a couple that has faced many insurmountable odds, "To Have and To Hold" finds Peter & M.J. at one of their lowest points following the events of "Civil War" and acts as a vow renewal of sorts right before the company editorial swings in to magically annul their marriage with the controversial "One More Day." We continue our conversation using Dr. Alexander Avila's "Lovetypes" as our relationship guide, and we discuss what keeps these two together despite a world determined to tear them apart.
Follow the podcast on Instagram & Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren. If you have any thoughts, concerns, or questions, you can also email us directly at cbccpodcast@gmail.com
Comic Khhhhhhhaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnn!!! It's that time of year again, and to celebrate Brad & Lisa have whipped up a special episode compiled of all their tips & tricks that they've learned after nine straight years of Comic-Con International: San Diego. To help in that endeavor, our hosts are joined by special guest-stars Darren Smith & Bryan Young of the In The Mouth of Dorkness podcast. Together, the team suggests a few key strategies that might aid you in acquiring tickets for next year's show as well as the nitty-gritty tactics required when you land in Comic-Con. There is no other time of year like SDCC and 2019 is shaping up to be a convention for the books. Let's party.
To follow along on these dork adventures, be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast. You should also follow our guests @TheDiscoDork & @theturtledork, and follow our hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Is love possible within the confines of the superhero lifestyle? Peter Parker may have gained new confidence when he was bitten by that radioactive spider, but he also bounced around a half dozen relationships before marrying Mary Jane Watson. What separates their relationship from other supporting players like Liz Allen, Betty Brant, and Gwen Stacy? This month, Brad & Lisa explore the unique nature of Peter & Mary Jane, and they begin their journey with the controversial 1989 original graphic novel "Parallel Lives" from writer Gerry Conway and artist Alex Saviuk. To aid in their conversation, they're using Dr. Alexander Avila's "Lovetypes: Discover Your Romantic Style And Find Your Soul Mate."
Be sure to keep up to date on all things CBCC, by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts as well @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Happy 10th Anniversary!! Brad & Lisa celebrated ten years of ghoulish wedded bliss by hitting the road @ traveling north. Why? They wanted to reconnect with nature. Stephen King's nature. Brad & Lisa traveled to Bangor, ME, and saw all the sights they've read about in books like "It," "'Salem's Lot,'" & "Cujo." This bonus episode was recorded from the road & they dish on all the gorgeous selfies they snapped along the way. Also, they dig a little bit into the classic graphic novel adaptation of "Creepshow" from Michelle Wrightson & Bernie Wrightson. Has a better comic book adaptation ever been? No.
Next week, we'll return to our regularly scheduled program (& audio quality), to kickstart our new series on Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson. Be sure to follow along with the podcast on Instagram & Twitter @CBCCPodcast, & follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
This week, we close out our conversation regarding Arthur & Mera by jumping back to The New 52 with "Aquaman: Sea of Storms" written by Jeff Parker & illustrated by Paul Pelletier & friends. We find our royal couple in a period of transition, still reeling from the catastrophic events placed on them by Geoff Johns. Parker brings Aquaman back to basics, pitting the Atlantian against krackens, Hercules, high school reunions, and Swamp Thing. Arthur & Mera's relationship continues to be a push & pull between the land & the sea. Using Dr. Sue Johnson's "Love Sense" as our guide, we finally determine whether or not this couple should remain together. And yes, we talk a little about the recent revelatory events that have occurred under the stewardship of Kelly Sue DeConnick.
Follow the podcast on Instagram & Twitter @CBCCPodcast, & follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
The recently engaged Arthur & Mera attempt to bridge the divide between land & sea by establishing an Atlantian Embassy on American soil. Unfortunately, Black Manta is waiting in the wings, and he's going to destroy Aquaman's heart by slaying his new fiancee. As we begin to wind down our conversation surrounding monogamy and it's future in the life of our royal couple, Brad & Lisa tear into their romantic plight using "Aquaman Vol 1: The Drowning" and Dr. Sue Johnson's "Love Sense" as their guide. Is Arthur & Mera's relationship doomed to a fishy aroma, or will they find true happiness under the sea? Brad & Lisa think they're getting close to answering that question.
As always, follow the podcast on Instagram & Twitter @CBCCPodcast, & follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
This week we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you another special road trip edition of CBCC. While Lisa was busy bringing home the bacon, Brad ventured down to New Orleans to partake in the Overlook Film Festival where he saw a bunch of rad horror movies and spoke to several incredible filmmakers like Mick Garris and Larry Fessenden. Podcasting trapped inside a car on the freeway, Brad is joined by special guest William Dass of the In the Mouth of Dorkness and Bill & Clair's Excellent Adventures podcasts to discuss their experiences down south as well as chime in regarding the classic graphic novel adaptation of "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" written by Steve Moncuse and illustrated by Art Adams.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork, @sidewalksiren, & @WBDass. Next week, we'll return to our conversation surrounding Arthur & Mera as we discuss "Aquaman: The Drowning."
"How's it feel to be nobody's favorite super-hero?" As part of the DC Comics New 52 relaunch, the superstar comic book team of Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis attempt to explain the appeal of Aquaman to a world of haters. Arthur may have a lot to prove, but his lady love Mera needs none of surface-lover's adulations. In our second episode exploring the strong bond between Atlantis' ultimate power couple, we continue to dissect how parental attachment haunts their relationship, and we're using Dr. Sue Johnson's "Love Sense" as our scalpel.
Please follow the podcast on Instagram & Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow our hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
"When we come out of the shadows, does the darkness stay with us?" We launch our new series on Arthur Curry and Mera by diving into the original graphic novel, "Mera: Tidebreaker." Written by Danielle Paige and illustrated by Stephen Byrne, this young adult adventure kicks off a new series of DC Ink titles geared to score teen readers. Brad & Lisa discuss how these characters fare in the footsteps of "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," and how this angsty insight alters the perception of superheroes Aquaman & Mera.
As always, we have a trusty relationship guru to guide us through the plight of our lovers. This month we're using "Love Sense" from author Dr. Sue Johnson and contemplating attachment theory's effect on romance. Are we ever free from the generations that came before? Probably not.
Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork and @sidewalksiren.
"Ask the most powerful beings how the universe will end, and they will answer with two words: Thanos Wins." We conclude our discussion surrounding the Mad Titan Thanos & his lovely Mistress Death by devouring the time-traveling apocalyptic horror "Thanos Wins" written by Donny Cates, illustrated by Geoff Shaw, & colored by Antonio Fabela. Wallowing in the dark psychology of two cosmic monsters was a unique endeavor, but thankfully we had Brene Brown's "Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead" as our guide.
While we are sad to say goodbye to these waring lovers, we're also excited to remove ourselves from their painful, mad attraction as well. The conversation was rich and challenging. We are most likely never to encounter a romance quite like this one again.
Remember to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @cbccpodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
No. This is not a joke. Marvel Comics finally pits the two maddest forces in their Universe against each other - "Deadpool vs Thanos." Forced into battle against each when their beloved Mistress Death disappears from the fabric of Eternity. With the fate of everything resting in their hands, can two of the greatest comic book rip-off characters come to a meeting of the minds? Or are we all screwed?
Brad & Lisa continue their exploration of the romantic plight plaguing Thanos & Death using Brene Brown's "Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead." as their relationship guide. Somehow, this conversation actually results in one of their longest and most penetrating discussions. Our favorite couple starts as a couple of Wade Wilson haters and finds themselves swooning for the Merc With A Mouth.
Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @cbccpodcast, and follow the co-hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
This week we're bringing you a very special episode recorded live at Awesome Con 2019 in Washington D.C. Lisa and Brad took part in the annual "Writing With Purpose" panel alongside Liz Reed from Cuddles and Rage and Emily Sears of Birth. Movies. Death. The purpose was to offer inspiration and advice to fellow writers, and a platform where creative folks could gather and network.
Next week, we'll return to our regularly scheduled program as we continue the conversation surrounding the Mad Titan Thanos and Mistress Death. Until then, be sure to follow Liz @cuddlesandrage and Emily @emily_dawn on Twitter and Instagram. Of course, you can also follow the podcast @cbccpodcast and the hosts @MouthDork and @sidewalksiren.
On the eve of "Avengers: Endgame," we dig into one of the most iconic comic book events in history. "The Infinity Gauntlet," written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by George Perez and Ron Lim, was an incredibly influential book for young Brad and he's extremely eager to share it with his partner-in-crime Lisa. Does the saga still hold up? Is Mistress Death a considerate partner now that her boyfriend wields all the power of eternity? More importantly, what can Brene Brown and her book "Daring Greatly" offer this devious couple? Tune in and find out.
Don't forget to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow the hosts @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
With "Avengers: Endgame" on the horizon, Brad & Lisa wanted to celebrate the epic conclusion to the current phase of the MCU by digging into the romantic plight of The Mad Titan. We've covered a few troubled relationships in the past, but few have been as troubling or downright horrific as the coupling between Thanos and Mistress Death. Covering such an unhealthy alliance presents new challenges for the show, but thankfully we have Brene Brown's "Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead" to wade through the emotional horror.
We kick off our April couple with the origin series "Thanos Rising" by Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi. These five issues are a dark True Crime take on the universe's most feared villain and his obsessive courtship with the personification of Death. Your understanding of Thanos & Death will be forever changed, and it radically alters your understanding of "The Infinity Gauntlet."
Follow the podcast @CBCCPodcast or email us at cbccpodcast@gmail.com. You can follow the hosts @MouthDork and @sidewalksiren.
In the deepest reaches of space, young love blossoms and fades. Told via two distinct timelines, we explore the relationship between Mia & Grace as they discover their feelings for each other and are denied a proper ending by outside forces beyond their control. "On a Sunbeam" is an epic blend of science-fiction and fantasy that recalls Studio Ghibli as much as it does Ridley Scott's "Alien." Creator Tillie Walden has no desire to explain her universe or her characters; she simply drops you into the environment and expects the reader to catch up.
Brad & Lisa close out their month of exploring love beyond the heteronormative with another brilliant publication from First Second Books, and they wrap up their conversation surrounding Dr. Stan Tatkin's "Wired for Dating." They celebrate the joys of quiet love and discuss the art of fighting. Arguments will happen, so it's best to come to each conflict with empathy.
As always, follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast and follow hosts Brad & Lisa @MouthDork & @sidewalksiren.
Partners. Teammates. Lovers. On this week's episode, Brad & Lisa return to the world of superhero punch-ups with the DC Comics mini-series "Midnighter and Apollo." When one is murdered, he awakens in hell. While he battles his own personal demon, the other fights tooth and nail to gain entry to the underworld so he can rescue his love from the very real flames of damnation. No angel or demon or death will keep these two apart.
Written by Steve Orlando and illustrated by Fernando Blanco, in many ways "Midnighter and Apollo" is a rather typical superhero adventure. Yet, these two unique personalities break through the basic fisticuffs. The CBCC Dorks continue to explore relationships this month using Dr. Stan Tatkin's "Wired for Dating" and discover how we should all rely on our partners as deeply as Midnighter & Apollo.
Follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and follow the hosts @MouthDork and @Sidewalksiren.
We've all been there - the fog of infatuation. How do we know when love is true or just lustful and new? Especially at the start of our sexual maturation? We discuss the science of new love in our latest episode and we use Tee Franklin & Jenn St-Onge's beautifully refreshing "Bingo Love" for our conversational framework.
In the early 1960s, everyone expects Hazel & Mari to behave in a certain way and love a certain person. Familial and societal pressures often get the better of us, but that doesn't mean we have to deny our true selves forever. Sometimes we get a second chance. "Bingo Love" is about embracing that moment when it presents itself.
As always, you can follow the podcast on Twitter @CBCCPodcast and you can follow our co-hosts Brad & Lisa at @MouthDork & @Sidewalksiren.
This month we’re exploring romances beyond the heteronormative and we’re applying Stan Tatkin’s "Wired for Dating" to their relationship woes. We’re kicking it off with Ari and Hector from the new graphic novel from First Second Books, "Bloom" by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau.
Brad & Lisa look into the budding romance of Ari & Hector and ask the big questions, "Do relationships require hard work?" "Do we have to love ourselves before someone can love us?" "Is being happy enough of a 5-year plan?" With the help of Dr. Tatkin, we observe Ari stumble his way into a "secure-and-functioning" relationship.
As always, don't forget to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @CBCCPodcast. If you're feeling a little extra stalker-y track down the whereabouts of our hosts @MouthDork and @sidewalksiren.
The magical day has finally arrived for Bruce Wayne & Selina Kyle - they are to be joined in wedded bliss by writer Tom King and every artist under the DC Umbrella. Everyone is coming out for this big event! Are Batman & Catwoman meant to be together forever, or are these two creatures of the night destined for spinsterhood?
On our final episode discussing the relationship between The Bat & The Cat, Brad & Lisa will answer that question using "He's Just Not That Into You" as their relationship guide. Ah, and neither guru is of the same mind on this one. We're sorry to say goodbye to Gotham City, but this has been one of our favorite couples on the series so far. Lots to unpack with these two, folks.
"Mr. Unknown is Dead!" Bruce Wayne & Selina Kyle travel to Japan to recruit the pulp adventurer Mr. Unknown into the new "Batman Incorporated" crimefighting organization. Unfortunately, the devilish Lord Death Man has already struck and killed the hero. What will happen to Wayne's global security task force now!?!?
This week, Brad & Lisa continue to use "He's Just Not That Into You" to discuss the overt flirtations of Catwoman and how Batman wants none of it. Grant Morrison has big plans for Bat-continuity, but with master cheesecake illustrator Yanick Paquette on pencil duties, the sensational Scottish scribe simply wants to have fun with these slinky, sexy characters. And the more tentacles to fend off the better!
"Batman was never funny!" So says Frank Miller. Sorry, Adam West. This week, Brad & Lisa excavate one of the most celebrated comic books in pop culture history - "Batman: Year One," written by Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, and colored by Richmond Lewis. Here we see the first encounter between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle in and out of the costumes, and running parallel to their romance is the deteriorating marriage of Detective Jim Gordon and Barbara Gordon.
As they did last week, Brad & Lisa use Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo's "He's Just Not That Into You" as their relationship guide. Golly gee, are there a whole mess of folks who are not "into" each other in this classic comic. Run, Barbara, run.
February feels like the perfect month to root around in one of the most twisted and dysfunctional relationships in comics - Bruce Wayne & Selina Kyle a.k.a. Batman & Catwoman. We love seeing them together, and we hate seeing them together. To kick this month's relationship series off, we're diving deep into a "not-so-classic" issue of "The Brave and The Bold" - #197, in which the Batman & Catwoman of Earth-2 battle the terrifying formula of The Scarecrow and find love in the process. In all honesty, we loved this single issue!
To aid in our conversation surrounding Bruce & Selina, Brad & Lisa are using the bestselling relationship book "He's Just Not That Into You" by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo. After several months of questionable guides, we may have found a few tolerable gurus to lead us through the dark alleys of Gotham City.
This week Brad & Lisa are reporting to you live from Park City, Utah as they attend the Sundance Film Festival 2019. While this is not their usual comic book relationship talk, they did find a few films that CBCC listeners will definitely want to put on their radar. Without going into spoilers, Brad & Lisa discuss the Australian horror comedy "Little Monsters" as well as the beautifully melancholic "The Last Black Man in San Fransisco." What exactly makes these films necessary watches for comic book readers? Tune in and find out.
Also, Brad & Lisa may have found the perfect relationship guru as they discuss the documentary "Ask Dr. Ruth." Finally, a self-help guide that doesn't skeeze them out in the slightest. What a relief.
Next week, Brad & Lisa will fully return to the world of comic books as they launch their series on Batman & Catwoman. Stay tuned, true believers.
We close out our first month of the year with "Saga Vol. 4," which might represent a split between Marko & Alana, but certainly not the end. We look into how this volume deviates significantly from the vibe previously established by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples in the first three arcs, and how the time-jump between the last issue and the first issue of this storyline radically expands the possibilities of the series. There are several banger confrontations in this week's book, and it drags us into some tough conversations. Will Lisa want to keep pressing with these characters after reaching such an emotionally catastrophic moment that climaxes this particular story?
Let us not forget about "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." Yikes. We're still struggling to bring that relationship metaphor into the worlds of Marko & Alana, and we may be more than a little happy to say goodbye to Mr. John Gray. Finally, we reveal at the end of the episode who our next Comic Book Couple will be, and we think they will bring out the animal in all of us.
What's that old cliche? Never meet your heroes. Well, in the pivotal third volume of "Saga" from Image Comics, Marko & Alana flee to Quietus in an effort to encounter the brilliant mind that birthed the novel that originally bonded their hearts. D. Oswald Heist is everything and nothing like his dust jacket promised. This brief and bizarre relationship will not only steer their lives, but that of their daughter, their stowaway companions, and their nefarious pursuers.
Our third episode on the romantic struggle of Marko & Alana may very well be our most personal discussion yet. Hosts Brad & Lisa open up about their own disagreements and their most epic battles they've waged in their first ten years of marriage. And yes, they are still struggling to adopt the words of John Gray and the awkward metaphors of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." More importantly, though, they are finding great empathy in the science-fiction adventures of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples and are excited to continue their venture into one of today's most popular comics.
"Please. Keep reading." Indeed. In the second volume of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' "Saga" we finally learn how our lovebirds first met, and the source of their bonding. While Marko & Alana bicker in the face of a surprise visit from the in-laws, our trusty narrator also reveals all the raunchy secrets no child should know about their parents' coupling. Also, we can't forget that Marko's Ex is hot on their trail along with Prince Robot IV, The Will, and Lying Cat.
Brad & Lisa are still determined to apply the awkward teachings of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" to the proceedings, but their struggle is real. What primary emotional needs do Marko & Alana crave? Should we care? Also, Brad has a cold and he's a big baby. "FARD!"
"This is how an idea becomes real..." For the last seven years, "Saga" by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples has held the attention of all comic book fans with discernible tastes. This sweeping science-fiction fantasy romance is an epic that truly lives up to its many labels. Marko & Alana are two soldiers from opposite sides of a galactic war who get lost in each other's eyes and a beautiful baby girl is the result. "Saga" Vol. 1 is brutal, witty, profane, romantic as hell, and it's only just beginning.
Brad & Lisa are launching the new year with a 4-week long discussion on everyone's favorite sci-fi Romeo & Juliette. To assist in their conversation, they will apply John Gray's infamous "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" to analyze Marko & Alana's differing approaches to sudden conflict, child rearing in the apocalypse, and love in the time of intergalactic chaos. "It was heaven. For a while anyway..."
"Is he a master of spectacular trickery -- or is he something more? -- You will have to decide when you confront the strangest, most incredible hero to ever appear in comics!" Brad & Lisa close out 2018 with a special bonus episode focusing on one of the year's best comic books - Mister Miracle by Tom King and Mitch Gerads. This limited series was the talk of the town this past year, and for good reason.
We meet heroes Scott Free and Big Barda at a crossroads in their lives, and we cry and cheer with them as they wage war against the powers of New Genesis and Apokolips. King and Gerads use one of the most underrated power couples in comics to tell a deeply personal story that is less about continuity and meta commentary (although there is plenty of that to be found here) and more about the everyday battles we wage to find ourselves in the eyes of our partners. Darkseid is...
Beware! Team Scemma!! The Charles Xavier Institute is in total chaos. Professor X is still reeling from the psychic invasion of Cassandra Nova. The island nation of Genosha has been obliterated. Magneto is dead. Emma Frost joins the school as a bustin' loose teacher, but her real motives appear to be the total annihilation of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. The Phoenix Force is unleashed!
For their final episode dissecting the king and queen of The Uncanny X-Men, Brad and Lisa go out with a bang thanks to Grant Morrison's epic and oh-so controversial second volume of New X-Men. Cyclops and Phoenix have survived nearly forty years of emotionally devastating continuity, but they've never faced a menace quite like this Scottish comic book scribe. Is this a satisfying conclusion to their Five Love Languages breakdown of Scott and Jean, or will they be craving a sequel series for the distraught couple?
Also, learn which romance Brad and Lisa will be tackling in their next session of The Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast!
Past and future collide in "The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix" written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by Gene Ha. Just as their honeymoon is about to kick off, Jean Grey and Scott Summers are propelled 2,000 years into the future so that they can raise their techno-virus poisoned son, Nathan Christopher Charles Summers a.k.a. Baby Cable! As if that wasn't hard enough, the newlyweds must also contend with Apocalypse and Stryfe, Cable's bratty, evil decoy clone.
Hosts Brad and Lisa are happy to put the relationship bickering of "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and "X-Factor" behind them, but they still manage to dig into the conflict of Scott and Jean's contrasting parenting styles. Using "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman as a guide, Brad and Lisa analyze how Scott's hands-off approach to parenting puts his true love in a tough spot, dealing with their pre-pubescent, mutant offspring. We think Scott put it best when he said, "I'd say we had a fairly productive honeymoon." Yuck, yuck, dad jokes.
One Triumphant Return, One Diabolical Debut! In the second episode of the Comic Book Couples Counseling podcast, Brad & Lisa jump from "The Dark Phoenix Saga" to the first, official X-Men spin-off series "X-Factor." Six years have passed since the death of Jean Grey, and suddenly she's back to wreak havoc in the heart of Scott Summers. Oh, and you can't forget that Scott has married another women and they have a sweet, baby boy that will one-day grow up into the X-Force badass and general thorn in Deadpool's side, Cable.
Using Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages," Brad & Lisa attempt to work through the myriad hiccups that present themselves in the first six issues of "X-Factor." The real question is whether or not Brad will remain a virulent supporter of Cyclops after this episode because, boy on boy, does the supposed mutant leader act like quite the jerk. Maybe Marvel Girl should ditch this guy and get with Wolverine?
Face front, true believers. You are now in session with the Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast. Every episode married couple Brad and Lisa Gullickson will dig into the relationship of a famous comic book pair, analyze their behavior, and attempt to resolve any issues they may be facing. Each month will focus on a different couple, and to kick things off Brad and Lisa are exploring the king and queen of the Uncanny X-Men: Scott Summers and Jean Grey a.k.a. Cyclops and Marvel Girl.
In episode one, Brad and Lisa (with the aid of Gary Chapman's rather questionable "The Five Love Languages") explore one of the most famous story arcs in comic book history, "The Dark Phoenix Saga" written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by John Byrne. Is this a tragic tale of a stunted romance, or just a simple galactic melodrama in which Jean should ditch the zero and get with the Wolverine? After all, he is the best there is at what he does. Tune in and find out.