Shows
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCollin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on ThunderboltsIf 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 f...
2025-07-231h 20
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastWelcome to The Stacks: David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky
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...
2025-07-0427 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastBerkowitz Bros on The Writer, Their Aggressively Middle-Aged HeroWe 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...
2025-06-301h 03
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastScott Morse on This Ink Runs ColdA 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 K...
2025-04-031h 28
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastBen Clarkson and Matt Bors on Justice Warriors: Vote HarderHey, 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...
2024-10-151h 18
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastTiffany Babb on The Comics CourierIn 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...
2024-10-1159 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastFull-Spoilers: Nick Dragotta on Absolute BatmanIt'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...
2024-10-091h 01
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastJordan Morris on Youth GroupWe 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 16...
2024-06-121h 23
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreature from the Black Lagoon Lives! with Ram V and Dan WattersThe 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 s...
2024-05-2957 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastKyle Starks on Karate PromHe'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 sh*t out of each other phase." And how could Comic Book Couples Counseling no...
2024-05-151h 18
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastJason Aaron on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -Return to New YorkSome 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...
2024-02-2654 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastTom Scioli on I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan LeeAll 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...
2024-02-221h 08
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastScott and Emma: Dark X-Men - The ConfessionWhat'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...
2024-02-101h 27
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastTodd McFarlane: Secrets of His SuccessThe 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...
2024-02-011h 25
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastScott and Emma: New X-Men - Here Comes TomorrowToday, 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...
2024-01-261h 51
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastJadzia Axelrod on Hawkgirl: Once Upon A GalaxyRegret 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...
2024-01-161h 16
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastFlash Gordon at 90: Dan SchkadeNinety 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...
2024-01-071h 28
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastSarah Myer on Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption StoryA 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...
2023-12-221h 29
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastJoshua Williamson and Tom Reilly on Duke and GI Joe (feat. a Robert Kirkman cameo)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 na...
2023-12-181h 00
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastScott and Emma: New X-Men (5th Anniversary Spectacular)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...
2023-12-082h 18
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastBrian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev on MasterpiecePeanut 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...
2023-11-291h 24
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastTom Taylor on Titans: Beast WorldWe 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...
2023-11-2246 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastJuni Ba on Mobilis: My Life with Captain NemoDedicated 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...
2023-11-131h 19
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastJeff Smith on The Secret Origin of BoneAt 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...
2023-11-061h 26
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastKevin Eastman, Jeff Rowe, and the IDW TMNT CrewThis 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 to...
2023-10-271h 44
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastKevin Alvir on Lisa Cheese and Ghost GuitarWe 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...
2023-10-191h 17
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastDavid Dastmalchian on Count CrowleyGood 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...
2023-10-081h 04
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 93: Leon & Cody - Light Carries OnEpisode 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...
2023-09-081h 41
Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast50 Years of Red Sonja: Shannon and Luke LiebermanLet 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...
2023-07-101h 06
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastPatreon Preview: Sandman #70, plus - an AnnouncementFor 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...
2023-07-041h 14
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastGene Luen Yang on American Born ChineseIt'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...
2023-06-2248 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastKim-Joy on Turtle BreadYou 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...
2023-06-1454 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 91: Invincible & Atom Eve - Full House"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...
2023-06-062h 06
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum on Minor ThreatsWoe 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.
Mi...
2023-05-2558 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastTom King on Danger StreetOnce 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 h...
2023-05-1855 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastMitch Gerads and Tom King on Batman: The Brave and The BoldWe 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...
2023-05-1659 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastFree Comic Book Day with Jesse Lonergan and Third Eye ComicsWe 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...
2023-05-061h 47
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCollin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Star TrekCollin 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...
2023-04-241h 34
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastPatreon Preview: Matt Bors and Ben Clarkson on Justice WarriorsYou 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...
2023-04-181h 13
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 90: Invincible & Atom Eve - Reboot?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...
2023-04-101h 47
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Evan Narcisse on Milestone 30th Anniversary SpecialThirty 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...
2023-03-311h 01
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 89: Invincible & Atom Eve - Modern FamilyFew 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...
2023-03-231h 55
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastRobert Kirkman Programs Our Invincible PodcastTwenty 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...
2023-03-1348 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastThe Ultimate Do A Powerbomb! Daniel Warren Johnson InterviewFew 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...
2023-03-011h 30
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing on ClayfaceINT. 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...
2023-02-2443 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Joshua Williamson & Jamal Campbell on SupermanNothing 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...
2023-02-1859 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastDan Slott on Silver Surfer & Dawn Greenwood: A CBCC Second OpinionHang 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...
2023-02-101h 45
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 88: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- The Last RoninWe 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...
2023-02-021h 43
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClaren on Black CloakWe 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...
2023-01-151h 05
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Alex Segura on Blood Oath and The Black GhostWe 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...
2023-01-101h 10
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastThe Best Comics of 2022 (Part Two)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...
2023-01-071h 40
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastThe Best Comics of 2022 (Part One)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...
2022-12-311h 14
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Alisa Kwitney on G.I.L.T.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...
2022-12-241h 14
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Chris Condon & Jacob Phillips on That Texas Blood'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...
2022-12-131h 18
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 87: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Archie ComicsWhen 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 ac...
2022-12-051h 36
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Alex Ross on Fantastic Four: Full CircleWe'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...
2022-11-241h 11
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Alex Ross on Fantastic Four: Full CircleWe'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...
2022-11-2427 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Luke Lieberman, Ryan Silbert, & Bill SienkiewiczStan 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 u...
2022-11-171h 01
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Dan Jurgens on The Death of SupermanThirty 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...
2022-11-0957 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 86: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -Mirage StudiosNearly 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...
2022-11-021h 46
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo on Batman/SpawnThere 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 we...
2022-10-2249 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastComic Book Couples Conning: New York Comic-Con w/Matt LesniewskiWe'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 i...
2022-10-141h 31
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastA Werewolf by Night Special Presentation: Michael Giacchino & Andy ParkWe 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...
2022-10-0557 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 85: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The 1990 Movie"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, a...
2022-09-201h 41
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Mathew Klickstein on See You in San DiegoGeek 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...
2022-09-131h 08
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Brian Michael Bendis & André Lima Araújo on Phenomena: The Golden City of EyesEpisode 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 Ab...
2022-09-061h 43
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 84: Angela & Sera - Queen of HelWe 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...
2022-08-281h 35
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Attack Peter & The Walking Dead: Last MileWe 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...
2022-08-121h 20
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, & the Paper Girls castYes, 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...
2022-08-011h 09
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Tom King and Elsa Charretier on Love EverlastingLove 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...
2022-07-2356 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Scott Snyder Returns!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 a...
2022-07-211h 17
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Matt Kindt on Flux HouseWhen 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 a...
2022-07-1954 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: James Asmus & Jim Festante on Survival StreetToday'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...
2022-07-171h 01
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 83: Angela & Sera -1602 Witch Hunter AngelaLove 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...
2022-07-121h 37
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Tyler Crook on The Lonesome HuntersWe 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...
2022-07-051h 11
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 82: Angela & Sera - Asgard’s AssassinNothing 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...
2022-06-231h 40
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastPatreon Preview: Sandman #17 - Morpheus and CalliopeWith 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...
2022-06-141h 17
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Chip Zdarsky & Jason Loo on The All-NighterArtist 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 d...
2022-06-011h 00
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Kyle Starks on I Hate This PlaceAliens 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...
2022-05-2356 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Jeff Smith on TukiWe 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 Smit...
2022-04-281h 16
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 81: Marko & Alana - Saga Volume 9Goodbye, 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.
2022-04-212h 17
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino on The Bone Orchard MythosIn 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 cha...
2022-04-081h 02
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 80: Marko & Alana - Saga Volume 8When 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...
2022-03-301h 21
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Chris Samnee & Laura Samnee on Jonna and the Unpossible MonstersBreaking 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...
2022-03-221h 03
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 79: Marko & Alana - Saga Vols. 6 & 7In 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 H...
2022-03-141h 27
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 78: Marko & Alana - Saga Vol. 5Saga 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...
2022-02-281h 18
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Garth Ennis on Battle ActionBattle! 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 p...
2022-02-1858 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Skottie Young on I Hate FairylandOh, 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 bu...
2022-02-041h 03
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCreator Corner: Mark Siegel on 5 Worlds: The Emerald GateFive 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...
2022-01-2952 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastA Mignolaverse Celebration with Rob Williams & Warwick Johnson-CadwellThis 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 c...
2022-01-211h 25
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastThe Best Comics of 2021 (Part Two)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 wor...
2022-01-131h 24
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastThe Best Comics of 2021 (Part One)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...
2022-01-1155 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 77: Carmen & Hwen - The Second Life of Doctor Mirage (Part Two)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: T...
2021-12-311h 36
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 76: Carmen & Hwen - The Second Life of Doctor Mirage (Part One)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...
2021-12-131h 38
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC Crossover: Deathmate with Ten Cent TakesWorlds 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...
2021-12-042h 08
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC Creator Corner: Scott Snyder on His ComiXology First WaveWe 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...
2021-11-251h 33
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC 75: Dinah & Ollie - Green Arrow/Black Canary WeddingTill 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...
2021-11-181h 28
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC Creator Corner: Mark Waid on The History of Science FictionLet'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...
2021-11-1143 min
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastCBCC Creator Corner: Douglas Wolk on All of the MarvelsAuthor 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...
2021-10-311h 03
Comic Book Couples Counseling PodcastComic Book Couples Conning: Baltimore Comic-Con 2021After 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...
2021-10-271h 07