Join married couple Brad and Lisa as they explore the various dynamics of comic book relationships throughout pop culture and publishing history.
Episodes
Saturday Jul 16, 2022
Saturday Jul 16, 2022
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.
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
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.
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Monday Jul 04, 2022
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.
Thursday Jun 23, 2022
Thursday Jun 23, 2022
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.
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
Tuesday Jun 14, 2022
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.
Tuesday May 31, 2022
Tuesday May 31, 2022
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.
Sunday May 22, 2022
Sunday May 22, 2022
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:
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.
Monday May 09, 2022
Monday May 09, 2022
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.
Wednesday Apr 27, 2022
Wednesday Apr 27, 2022
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.
Wednesday Apr 20, 2022
Wednesday Apr 20, 2022
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.