Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast

Comics will mend your heart. That's the energy we're taking into the new year and the thought we carried as we assembled The Stampies, our end-of-the-year award show celebrating The Best Comics of 2024 - ahem - (Part One). Over the last six years, we've turned to comics to understand ourselves and the world around us better. They've guided us through tumultuous times, and we know we'll need them even more in the coming months and years. Our award show is very much OUR award show. We have peculiar tastes, and our favorite comics reflect that. Some categories stuck around from last year's ceremony, but with this episode in particular, you'll find several new ones, also. Next week's Part Two will be stacked with the more traditional Best Original Graphic Novel, Best Limited Series, Best Ongoing, etc. For The Best Comics of 2024 (Part One), we get a little more cutesy with Best New Superhero and Best Murder Mystery, plus categories like Best First Issue and Best Single Issue. As has become tradition, we've asked our friends in journalism and podcasting to name their favorite books of the year. New to our 2024 celebrations, however, we've also asked a few retailers and comic book creators to contribute their favorite books. If you want to be spoiled about who will be guest-starring in today's podcast, scroll below. Please thank them by following their work and social media handles (and letting them know how much you enjoyed their contributions to the podcast). 2024 was another banger of a year regarding comics. Highlighting our favorites was more challenging than ever. The Stampies contain sixteen categories, with a few extra surprise categories tossed in during next week's show. That's simply not enough space to name all "the best" books from the year. So, keep your eyes trained on the Comic Book Couples Counseling website. At the very end of the year, we'll unleash our massive 50 Best Comics of 2024 list. The Best Comics of 2023 (Part One) Category Timestamps:  Best Comic Book Couple - 12:14 Best Murder Mystery - 18:18 Best New Superhero - 25:54 Best Adaptation - 32:29 Best Collaboration - 40:07 Best Short Story - 47:33 Best First Issue - 56:43 Best Single Issue - 1:05:05 The Best Comics of 2023 (Part One) Guest-Stars:  Erik C. Jones (Bluesky): Manager at Four Color Fantasies. Tiffany Babb (Bluesky): Poet, Essayist, and Culture Critic. Dan Gvozden (Bluesky): Co-Host of The Amazing Spider-Talk Podcast Zack Quaintance (Bluesky): Comic Book Writer, Part-time Editor at The Beat Christian Ward (Bluesky): Batman: City of Madness, Spectregraph, Two-Face, etc. Chris Piers (Bluesky): Host of ComicTropes. David Brooke (Bluesky): Owner, Writer, Host at AIPT. Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Instagram): Writer, Producer, Host, RexCo Comics Studio. Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 1/26 at 5:00 PM for Speed Racer, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

It's easy to claim your comic as "Evil Dead for Blerds," but accomplishing the cheeky elevator pitch is far more complex. Writer J. Holtham and artist Michael Lee Harris grab their inspiration from the iconic Sam Raimi splatstick horror franchise but do so in service of an entirely different purpose. Motherfu*kin Monsters rages with a political fire, throwing their protagonist into a university setting shrouded with white faces. Their JJ eagerly wants to find his place within this system, while his family stands skeptical, waiting for it to reveal a devilish intent. Of course, JJ's kin thought metaphorically, not the literal ghouls that quickly hunger for their flesh. Our conversation with J. Holtham and Michael Lee Harris begins with their love of Evil Dead, or Evil Dead II, more specifically. We start by exploring what the film does so well, for what reason, and why they were compelled to plant their mission atop it. Motherfu*kin Monsters is one helluva ride, filled with chills and thrills, but from page one, the comic also makes its anger known. J. Holtham and Michael Lee Harris, like all The Horizon Experiment stories, speak to the moment. Our hope is everyone reading is listening to what's on the page. In addition, our discussion addresses the economic realities of comics-making and comics-shopping in 2024. The Horizon Experiment's pilot system still raises eyebrows in comic shops, but by embracing experimentation, the series removes one of the veils between creator and consumer. Honesty is the best policy, and we need to buy the comics we want to see in the world. It's cold, hard math...er, capitalism. So, remember, Motherfu*kin Monsters arrives in stores on December 18th, courtesy of Image Comics. Continue the conversation with J. Holtham by following him on Instagram. Also, follow Michael Lee Harris on Instagram. Other Relevant Links: CBCC/The Horizon Experiment: Pornsak Pichetshote and Terry Dodson on The Manchurian CBCC/The Horizon Experiment: Vita Ayala and Sklar Patridge on Finders Keepers The CBCC TeePublic Page The CBCC Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 12/15 at 4:00 PM for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

It belongs in a museum? On this week's podcast, we chat with friends and collaborators Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridgeabout their new comic, Finders Keepers, and why they were compelled to tell a "reverse Indiana Jones." Like the other comics in The Horizon Experiment, Finders Keepers flips a classic genre trope on its head and knocks the dust and cobwebs from a well-trodden idea. The hook is powerfully compelling, but as you read through the one-shot, the reader also begins to understand there is much more to the concept below that initial subversive thrill. Robbing from colonizers and returning artifacts to their culture and context, but doing so with all the trappings of a great Indiana Jones story requires a deft hand with multiple genres. Given The Horizon Experiment's pilot program, Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge must also establish the concept and offer a grand promise of the story's possible future in just a few short pages. However, this challenge is not really different from any other comic book gig. The Horizon Experiment is merely more honest about these commercial practicalities. This week, we dig into all the demands of an Indiana Jones riff. We discuss with Vita Ayala and Skylar Patridge their collaborative process, the thrill of museum heists, and the difficulties of loving classic Hollywood adventure. FOC for Finders Keepers is TODAY (12/9), but the issue will arrive in comic book shops on January 15th. Continue this conversation by following Vita Ayala on Bluesky and their website. And follow Skylar Patridge on Bluesky, Instagram, and their website. Other Relevant Links: CBCC/The Horizon Experiment: Pornsak Pichetshote and Terry Dodson on The Manchurian The CBCC TeePublic Page The CBCC Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide Brad on the 2000AD Thrill-Cast Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

After working through most of the Teen Titans, author Kami Garcia and artist Gabriel Picolo have finally reached the Tamaranean superhero, Starfire. Their latest collaboration finds Kori struggling to find her place amongst her peers while her sister Kira thrives in the environment. Kori strives for the stars above, but feels trapped in her Summer job and her body, especially after her Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) diagnosis. On this week's podcast, we chat with bestselling author Kami Garcia about Teen Titans: Starfire, how she found herself in the character, and why that allowed her to embrace her past and present self. Famously, Garcia began her writing career as a dare from her students, picking up the pen and proving to them (and herself) that she could tell a darn good story. We discuss the details of that dare, how her teaching life factors into her writing life, and why young adult fiction often becomes necessary all-ages fiction. Teen Titans: Starfire is now available wherever good comics are sold. You should follow Kami Garcia on Instagram, Bluesky, and her website. However, before we dive into our Teen Titans conversations, we discuss the impending holiday season and the gift-giving stress that comes with it. We believe wholeheartedly that there is a comic for everyone in your life, and the trick is figuring out what that comic is. In an effort to help you and us, we've assembled our annual Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide. We discuss our philosophy around comic book gift-giving and a few of our favorite items from the list. Other Relevant Links: The CBCC TeePublic Page The CBCC Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

We don't know how to feel about violence as sports entertainment, but we cannot deny how much we love stories that center their emotional conflicts inside a ring. With their new series, Black Canary: Best of the Best, Tom King and Ryan Sook join the long tradition of tearing into internal torment by subjecting protagonists to regulated gladiatorial combat. Dinah Lance versus Lady Shiva, let's get ready to rumble. The first issue of the new series arrives in stores Wednesday (11/27). We won't spoil it here, but those pages will reveal some of the motivations for why Dinah, the second-best fighter in the DC universe, would subject herself to the fists of the single-best fighter. It has something to do with the first woman to don the Black Canary mantle - her mother. Yup, this is a Tom King comic, so you know Black Canary: Best of the Best must feature a twisty, prickly core relationship. This week's episode explores why the ring is such a compelling story engine. We discuss how Tom King was initially enticed to place Black Canary alongside other brutal fictional bouts like Rocky, Raging Bull, The Set-Up, The Big Blow, and yeah, Best of the Best. Ryan Sook takes us through his process of understanding the physicality of boxing, wrestling, and MMA while contemplating their bloody nature. And why has it taken King so long to tackle the mother/daughter dynamic? To continue this conversation, follow Tom King on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram. Follow Ryan Sook on Instagram. Other Relevant Links: The CBCC TeePublic Page Tom King on CBCC: All In Special and Wonder Woman Tom King on CBCC: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow - Full Spoilers Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY Watch the latest episode of The B&B Show, where Brad and Bryan Review the Hottest Cinematic Releases. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.