There are not many opportunities like this one. Every month, we devour the latest Spectrum comic and then jump on the phone with creators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm. It's an intimate, super nerdy book club, and you're all invited. But you gotta bring your own wine. With issue four, we're more than halfway through the series, but we're just getting started regarding a thorough excavation into their creative process.

Spectrum #4 is the most dense chapter in the series so far. Multiple threads weave the narrative, and several of those introduce new concepts and characters. We travel to "The Twilight of the Gods," witnessing a massive mythology dump while our heroes Melody and Ada traverse time through song. We witness the beginning of everything and must prepare for its end.

This week's podcast starts with Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm taking ownership of the Book Club, wrestling the reins from us, and guiding us to the discussion topics they want to tackle. We discuss how the series has swerved unexpectedly, resulting in radical issues like Spectrum #4. We got tangents and anecdotes, wild theories, and sidequests.

But before all that, we must discuss our recent WonderCon excursion, offering a little recap on dollar bins and panels. The Anaheim convention rests in the shadow of Disneyland, offering a unique vibe from other comic cons. It was Lisa's first time. Will she return?

Spectrum 1 - 4 are currently available from Mad Cave Studios, and the fifth issue will arrive in shops on April 23rd. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quinn on his Website, Bluesky, and Instagram.

You wake in a hospital bed. Your hand feels heavy, there’s a ringing pain in your head. Machine parts have replaced what could not be repaired with flesh. Did the doctors save you, or strip you of your humanity? This is the question facing Adam in Futility Shapes, a one-shot comic live on Kickstarter now! Created by Edward Kane and Dave Fowler. Futility Shapes is a weird blend of The Terminator, The Machinist, and Mass Effect. What shapes you? Visit EdwardKane.net.

We're also sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Spectrum Book Club Part One

Spectrum Book Club Part Two

Spectrum Book Club Part Three

Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club

Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/13 at 5:00 PM for Robert Altman's Popeye, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

A year ago, Scott Morse found himself adrift, severed from a stable income and a defined creative path. Panic was an option. So was fear. Instead, he chose collaboration and creation. This Ink Runs Cold: Short Stories from the Space-Crime Continuum smashes two of his favorite genres between its pages. It's an anthology of one-page pulp stories written by 89 different writers, all drawn by Scott Morse and colored by José Villarrubia.

Many of these writers are seasoned comic veterans, animators, and filmmakers. The table of contents includes Mike Allred, Brian Michael Bendis, Jorge Gutierrez, Derek Kirk Kim, Dave McKean, Fábio Moon, Scott Mosier, Eric Powell, Stan Sakai, and on and on and on. Even better, for our purposes anyway, This Ink Runs Cold includes numerous comic book newcomers, including us - Brad and Lisa Gullickson!

As of this writing, This Ink Runs Cold has one week left on Kickstarter. Scott Morse and Allen Spiegel Fine Arts offer two editions: the Full-Color version featuring José Villarrubia's wizardry and the limited Black and White Noir version, showcasing Scott Morse's beautiful brushwork. Having knocked out some stretch goals, those backing the Bookplate and Noir/1-2 Punch tiers will get an extra book, The Brush-Offs. This is a 24-page bonus book featuring unused art, abandoned pages, scripts, an alternate prologue/epilogue, and an analysis of this unique writer/artist collaboration.

We're beyond honored to contribute one page to This Ink Runs Cold; we're practically in disbelief. Today's podcast is the first time we have featured a story we helped create, and it's an incredibly emotional experience. We're grateful to Scott Morse for coming on the show, explaining how This Ink Runs Cold grew from a mini-devastation, and why this intense injection of collaboration reinvigorated him.

We also had the opportunity to explain what our short story "The ADHD P.I." means to us and how it helped us process some anxiety and self-loathing. Working with one page was ridiculously challenging, and what's most exciting is seeing how 88 other writers tackled that challenge and used that finite space in infinite ways.

We also start this week's episode with our recent trip to WonderCon and an LAX nightmare we will never forget. If you're here only for the Scott Morse chatter, we won't begrudge you for skipping ahead, but you'll miss out on another outlandish story.

This Week's Sponsors:

You wake in a hospital bed. Your hand feels heavy, there’s a ringing pain in your head. Machine parts have replaced what could not be repaired with flesh. Did the doctors save you, or strip you of your humanity? This is the question facing Adam in Futility Shapes, a one-shot comic live on Kickstarter now! Created by Edward Kane and Dave Fowler. Futility Shapes is a weird blend of The Terminator, The Machinist, and Mass Effect. What shapes you? Visit EdwardKane.net

We're also sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

Plus, the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.

Other Relevant Links:

Patreon Exclusive: Read The ADHD PI Script

Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club

Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 4/13 at 5:00 PM for Robert Altman's Popeye, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

If you're not reading Juni Ba comics, you're missing out on a living legend pushing the form to its extreme potential. Since Djeliya, we haven't missed a panel from the cartoonist, and we've watched him develop into an undeniable talent, producing one essential comic after another. Just when we think he can't possibly top himself (seriously, did you read Mobilis: My Life with Captain Nemo and The Boy Wonder?), he drops Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch, his sequel to the Image Comics anthology series. It's a radical, rageful commentary on the world we're all trapped on, but it contains profound joy through its creation.

THIS. IS. COMICS.

Today's podcast is a thorough conversation with Juni Ba about Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch. Why did he adopt a new aesthetic for this series? Is it too hopeless to be considered dystopian? What does Britney Spears have to do with Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch? We dig in and chow down.

The first issue of Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch is now available wherever rad comics are sold. The second issue will arrive on April 2nd. We're begging you not to let this series, destined for legendary status, slip through your fingers. Be sure to continue this conversation with Juni Ba by visiting his Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter.

This week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Juni Ba on CBCC: Djeliya

Juni Ba on CBCC: Mobilis

Juni Ba on CBCC: Nightwatcher

This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter

Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club

Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

It's not about the plot. That's why Matthew Rosenberg was not worried about spoiling it all in the solicits for We're Taking Everyone Down With Us, his new Image Comics series done in collaboration with artist Stefano Landini, colorists Roman Titov and Jason Wordie, letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designer Becca Carey. For the writer, the comic is everything surrounding the narrative: character, emotion, theme, style, etc. AKA, the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling comic.

The first issue of the new sci-fi spy thriller releases this Wednesday (March 26th) and celebrates numerous influences, but it's sharpened into something extraordinarily fresh. The tropes will be familiar to any James Bond obsessive, but We're Taking Everyone Down With Us shifts the perspective from problematic double o to the child of one of his greatest mad scientist rivals.

Thirteen-year-old Annalise merely wants more time with her father, but he's too busy plotting earthly destruction in his lab. So, she's stuck with her robot babysitters. We're Taking Everyone Down With Us starts with a bang, and it reveals a whole new world to the child, and that revelation will become quite the problem for any wannabe James Bond lurking in the plot.

Matthew Rosenberg makes his CBCC podcast debut, and we're eager to discuss the inspirations behind We're Taking Everyone Down With Us and his relationship with super spy melodrama. We also discuss the personal saga behind the story, our frustration with spoiler culture, and why no artistic expression feels as good as comic book collaboration.

Stay current on Matthew Rosenberg by following his Substack, Podcast, Bluesky, and Instagram.

This week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

We Should Improve Society Somewhat by Matt Bors

How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine

This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter

Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Popeye, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

With Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums, Stan Sakai enters his forty-first year as the rabbit ronin's chronicler. Each decade represents about a year in the title character's life, which you can track if you're paying attention to the seasons surrounding Usagi's adventures. If you're paying even closer attention, you can map his footsteps across sixteenth-century Japan and anticipate his next conflict or reunion, but don't worry if you lack such concentration. As you'll hear in today's episode, Sakai certainly does not.

Usagi Yojimbo Ten Thousand Plums begins with a fox spirit and her daughter struggling to survive. Sickness has taken the child, and the mother seeks help from a nearby village. They reject her despite having access to the Shogun's prized plum orchard and the healing umeboshi (pickled plums) it produces. By the time Usagi, his cousin Yukichi, and the bounty hunter Gen arrive, fury has rained down upon the town, creating a dangerous suspicion of outsiders.

With Ten Thousand Plums, Stan Sakai continues to explore the themes of deceptive appearances, selflessness, and selfishness, which he thoroughly dug into with the previous Usagi Yojimbo storyline, The Crow. We chat with Sakai about this current preoccupation, how it challenges Usagi and Yukichi, and where it could lead the cousins. No major spoilers lie within our conversation, but Stan Sakai does tease a few things that will undoubtedly spark intense curiosity for longtime Usagi Yojimbo readers. The Sword of Narukami is in play. Could another famous sword re-appear, too?

Following Ten Thousand Plums' first three issues, a new story entitled "Tabo" should prove to be Stan Sakai's most personal comic yet. It was written shortly after his younger brother Kenneth passed away, and Sakai kindly expands on what this tale means for him and his family. You'll hear how "Tabo" places Usagi and Yukichi on a pilgrimage in search of the miraculous goddess called "The Mother," forcing Usagi to confront his skepticism in ways he never has before.

The first issue of Usagi Yojimbo Ten Thousand Plums is now available from Dark Horse Comics and Dogu Publishing. The second issue will arrive on April 16th, and we have an exclusive preview of its first five pages on the Comic Book Couples Counseling website.

Make sure to keep up to date on all things Usagi Yojimbo by visiting Stan Sakai's website and Instagram.

This week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Stan Sakai on CBCC: Samurai Rabbit

Stan Sakai and Julie Sakai on CBCC: Ice and Snow

This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter

Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Reading Judge Dredd in 2025 is a helluva thing. The gap between Anycity USA and Mega-City One shortens seemingly with every passing second, causing us to re-evaluate dystopia's purpose. A Better World, the latest 2000 AD collection from writers Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt, featuring gorgeously gnarly art from Henry Flint, Boo Cook, Jake Lynch, and Jim Boswell, is a vicious mirror to gaze into. And anxiety rests in what to do after you pull your head away.

The story begins with Judge Maitland discovering the impossible amongst her accounts. If the Chief Justices would allow her to reallocate a few resources, say feed money into education and a few other social services, crime in Mega-City One would likely plummet. They give her a sector to manage, and her theory becomes reality. Oh, no.

Judge Dredd: A Better World knocked us flat when we first read it last year. We, and a lot of other comic lovers, ranked it as one of 2024's best stories. Now that it's properly collected, we were eager to get Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt on the podcast to break it down and challenge our understanding of Mega-City One's top cop and the people he polices.

We discuss how and why they brought Judge Maitland to her findings, how she relates heavily to Dredd, and why he responds so warmly to her. Or as warmly as Dredd possibly can. Our conversation dips into the joys of dystopia as well as the danger that can occur when folks give it a light reading. The trick being to make light readings impossible.

Follow Rob Williams on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter. Follow Arthur Wyatt on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.

Yes, this week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Rob Williams on Judge Dredd: End of Days

This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter

Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)

Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Today's podcast with Tom King is a conversation we eagerly anticipated the moment we finished the first issue of Helen of Wyndhorn. From its earliest panels, illustrated brilliantly by Bilquis Evely, colored by Matheus Lopes, and lettered by Clayton Cowles, we knew this saga of grief, self-discovery, magic, and adventure would occupy large, permanent portions of our imaginations. We merely waited for it to conclude, reveal its full magnificence, and find a proper hardcover release worthy of its contents. We then needed to dissect everything with Tom, our friend and frequent guest.

Dark Horse Comics has now collected Helen of Wyndhorn into a hefty hardback that will undoubtedly lure new readers to its sumptuous narrative, and we're ready to dive into its pages and go full-spoilers with its author. Before we even hit record, Tom King was happily pouring over this story with us, recalling his initial intentions for the tale and comparing them to his current perspective.

Helen of Wyndhorn reteams King with his Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow cohorts, but it's a saga that took almost three times as long to complete, and that effort proudly reveals itself in every line, word, and pixel. The book is often sold as "Conan the Barbarian meets The Wizard of Oz." Sure, those influences are preset, and we discuss them, but it's a book that thrives on gothic romance and real-life heartache, too.

When we first meet the title character, she's more than adrift; she's devastated and on the verge of destruction. Her father, pulp author CK Cole, is dead and gone. Her grandfather hires a governess to drag her back to his estate. What she discovers there will change everything she knows about her father as well as reality itself. And her journey toward purpose awoke something in us. Something that's evolving even as we write these words. How big or significant must an action be for it to be heroic?

To continue this conversation beyond the podcast, follow Tom King on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Tom King on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

Tom King and Ryan Sook on Black Canary: Best of the Best

Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)

Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

The horror genre occupies an important moment in our romantic relationship. We started dating nearly eighteen years ago. Our earliest outings were at the theater, watching one mediocre to terrible horror film after the other. As you'll hear in this week's episode, those violent excursions caused us to sharpen our ideas of who we are. Gosh, we sure could have used The Matron back then.

Comic creators David Bowles, Drew Edwards, and Monica Gallagher join us to discuss their new slasher comic, The Matron. It's a distinct, bloody trip across multiple generations. While it began as a thought experiment related to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it quickly transformed into a rich, thoughtful exercise in how the slasher story can contain and process profound human anxiety.

Fifty years after her great-great-grandmother slaughtered her way into infamy, Roz desperately wants to find space on this planet away from her family's murderous past. Mostly in the arms of her girlfriend, Samantha. However, as winter sweeps across the Texas town of Ascuas, celebrations centered around the original Matron's killings begin. As do a new set of killings.

The Matron allowed us to discover our history with the slasher and our love for it. While these musings tend to occur around the Halloween season, the first two months of 2025 have proved to be the perfect moment to seek solace in characters like The Matron, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and other masked maniacs.

The Matron is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. As of this writing, they have sixteen days left on the campaign. CLICK HERE to explore this unique slasher further. You can follow David Bowles on Instagram. You can follow Drew Edwards on Instagram. You can follow Monica Gallagher on Instagram.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)

Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man

Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

We try not to gatekeep. We try to resist nostalgia, but on some days, we feel the purest expression possible in comics can only occur through monthly serialization. Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm return to the podcast for the third month, discussing Spectrum #3, the latest entry in their magical, sci-fi tour through an alternate musical history.

As you'll hear Rick Quinn say at some point in our conversation, Spectrum #3 is not their "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Hey Jude." It's twenty-two pages; it's their three-minute pop song, and nothing is more simplistically significant than a three-minute pop song. Lives are often altered within those beautiful constraints.

We're halfway through the Mad Cave Studios series and our monthly Book Club discussion of it. Feel free to jump on board here, but also, catching up won't take you long. Find the links to those conversations below.

Spectrum #3 introduces more characters and artistic mediums for our heroes and readers to consider. Last month, we explored how fine art interacts with music, and now, through the character of Walton Naves, we look at photography's relationship to sound. What separates the "click" from the picture triggered by it?

As always, Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm are more than willing to travel deep with us into Spectrum. This time, they're packing their own notes! We discuss how the third issue still reveals their discovery of the material and how next month's comic will show them confidently accepting its mission. Between the pages, lives were literally born, and perspectives radically transformed. Can you find the page created between childlessness and fatherhood? Just look for signs of exhaustion and obsessive detail.

Spectrum 1 - 3 are currently available from Mad Cave Studios, and the fourth issue will arrive in shops on March 19th. Make sure you're following Dave Chisholm on his Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky. And follow Rick Quinn on his Website, Bluesky, and Instagram.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Spectrum Book Club Part One

Spectrum Book Club Part Two

Ask Your Spectrum Book Club Questions

Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man

Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

They couldn't let go. Thomas Jane and Mike Carey resurrect The Lycan, a comics project languishing for over fifteen years. Jane and screenwriter David James Kelly initiated the concept and hired Carey to write the script. An artist was also hired. That artist disappeared. An opportunity arose years later, and a new artist, Diego Yapur, finally materialized this ruthless tale of adventure and horror.

The North Sea. 1797. A ship shatters on the shore of a Scottish isle. The hunters within spill upon the sand, encountering a Red Coat regiment and a Convent-turned-Fortress. The three factions mistrust each other but must find unity if they're to defend themselves from a hirsute plague.

The Lycan recalls the gnarliest stories in the best comic book anthologies: Twisted Tales, Creepy, Vault of Horror, etc. Yet, it's given the space that writers like Bruce Jones were never afforded. Thomas Jane and Mike Carey are confident storytellers who've spent a lifetime consuming this beautiful medium and know they can let the title and the many engaging characters below it do the work.

The beast is coming, but in The Lycan #1, the horror explored is utterly, painfully human. With the French Revolution on the horizon, paranoia grips everyone, and the faith carried by pirates, soldiers, and nuns is challenged and found fractured. How can they possibly fight their doggie dinner destiny?

The Lycan allows our podcast conversation with Thomas Jane and Mike Carey to travel into various caves and crannies. We dig into their passion for the comic book medium and how it differs from movies (The Punisher) and novels (The Girl With All The Gifts). We discuss the comic's complicated origin and the challenge of collaboration, as well as the powerful, relatable themes at this book's center. Fear, paranoia, and faith - who needs a werewolf to do you in?

The Lycan #1 is now available on ComiXology but will eventually see physical release through Ablaze. Continue this conversation with Thomas Jane by following him on Instagram. And follow Mike Carey on Twitter.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Married to Singles: Michael Schwartz on Darkhold: Iron Man

Spectrum Book Club with Dave Chisholm and Rick Quinn

The CBCC Newsletter - Our Psychic Rapport

Support Your Local Comic Shop: Episode 1 - Four Color Fantasies in Winchester, Virginia

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Josie and the Pussycats, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

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Continue your 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.