Yes, we're back from the San Diego Comic-Con International and we've returned with one of the wildest conversations we've had so far. Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang climax this week's episode, chatting about the new Paper Girls adaptation streaming on Amazon. However, they're not the only ones gabbing with us. We were lucky enough to chat with the entire Paper Girls cast, as well as showrunner Chris Rogers.

Our latest Creator Corner conversation was recorded in a press room, roundtable style. Imagine the podcast equivalent of speed dating, where various talent-pairs move about the room talking to one press table after the other until they land in front of us.

At our table, in addition to the Paper Girls talent, we reported alongside Popverse correspondent (and former CBCC guest) Kat Calamia and Shaunielle Stewart from cherrydavis.org.

The Interview Order:

• Camryn Jones as Tiffany Quilken & Sofia Rosinsky as Mac Coyle (Paired)

Relevant Links:

• The Anti-Nostalgia of Paper Girls by Lisa Gullickson

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Love is a trap, especially if you're Joan Peterson tumbling terrifyingly through numerous romantic scenarios in the new Image Comics series Love Everlasting. Creators Tom King and Elsa Charretier satirize and celebrate the young romance comics, once mastered by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. In the process, they savagely comment on the culture and business of love.

King and Charretier climax our San Diego Comic-Con International coverage, joining us on the show and sharing their philosophy surrounding romantic fiction and how it shapes our perception. Both bring thorough, thoughtful consideration to the characters they're exploring, while also being cautious regarding the subtext they're plunging.

Love Everlasting is a mighty swing comic, dropping its reader into a realm that masterfully balances absurdity, horror, and melodrama. King and Charretier delight in withholding a massive mythology but find confidence in their trust of us, their readers. We're patient, understanding, and eager to have this conversation. Hallmark courtship has had its day.

You can currently read Love Everlasting's first five issues via their Everlasting Productions Substack feed. However, if physical books are your jam, the first issue will make its Image Comics debut on August 10th. You should also follow Tom King on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE, and Elsa Charretier on Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE. Find her YouTube page HERE.

Today's episode is Part 4 in our #CBCCatSDCC coverage celebrating the return of the San Diego Comic-Con International.

Part one was our chat with Survival Street writers James Asmus and Jim Festante. You can listen to their episode HERE.

Part two was our convo with Matt Kindt discussing his new Flux House imprint at Dark Horse Comics. You can listen to his episode HERE.

Part three was our epic chat with Scott Snyder about his second wave of ComiXology titles: Barnstormers, Canary, and Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine. You can listen to his episode HERE.

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Scott Snyder is back on Comic Book Couples Counseling! The comic creator returns to the show for a joyfully thoughtful conversation discussing his next round of Best Jackett Press/ComiXology Originals: Barnstormers, Canary, and Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine.

In this episode, we start our conversation with the San Diego Comic-Con International and what makes this year different from any other  - besides the pandemic, obviously. Presenting your own comics to the con crowd is unique from promoting Batman or Justice League. These are Scott Snyder's babies, and there is something incredibly freeing about their Comic-Con arrival.

From there, we dig into each title, discussing how his collaborations with artists Dan Panosian, Tula Lotay, and Jamal Igle create unfettered imagination. The "Scottober" ComiXology wave is exactly what readers want someone like Scott Snyder to do with his talent, time, and opportunity. These are comics with the pedal pressed to the metal, striving to accomplish what previous efforts only scratched upon. 

Toward the conversation's end, Snyder is kind enough to reveal another project on the horizon. One, we're extremely excited to see realized, and we think you will too. Collaboration, once again, is the magic word.

The first issues of Barnstormers, Canary, and Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine are now available from ComiXology. You can also track Scott Snyder on Twitter HERE, Instagram HERE, and subscribe to his Substack HERE. Sort through his Best Jackett Press titles on their website.

You can listen to our previous Scott Snyder Creator Corner HERE.

Today's episode is Part 3 in our #CBCCatSDCC coverage celebrating the return of the San Diego Comic-Con International.

Part one was our chat with Survival Street writers James Asmus and Jim Festante. You can listen to their episode HERE.

Part two was our convo with Matt Kindt discussing his new Flux House imprint at Dark Horse Comics. You can listen to his episode HERE.

Part four arrives on Saturday, and it's a delightful chat with Love Everlasting co-creators Elsa Charretier and Tom King.

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

When is a comic no longer a comic? Matt Kindt is determined to find out with his new Dark Horse Comics imprint, Flux House. The comic creator has always strived to push the art form, but he feels he can go even crazier and further by breaking the norms. The new four-part Mind MGMT: Bootleg series, made in collaboration with artists Farel Dalrymple, Jill Thompson, David Rubín, and Matt Lesniewski, is simply stage one in what's sure to be a revolutionary play to alter comics.

In this episode, we chat with Matt Kindt about the Fluxus art movement and how it inspired him to do more with the comic book medium. We discuss the challenges of revolution within a capitalistic system and how to get around those necessary hiccups. It begins with putting your faith in the audience. They always want to go on a wild ride.

Anyone who has attended a Matt Kindt book signing knows the artist delights in modifying a mass-produced object like a comic into a unique, one-of-a-kind artifact. With Flux House, can he replicate the experience on a grander scale? Kindt is not totally sure, but he's determined to find out.

Mind MGMT: Bootleg #1 is currently on stands at your local shop. You can follow Matt Kindt through Twitter, Instagram, and his website.

Our conversation with Matt Kindt is part two in our week-long celebration building up to the return of San Diego Comic-Con International. Part one was our chat with Survival Street writers James Asmus and Jim Festante. You can listen to their episode HERE.

Part three drops this Thursday and will see Scott Snyder's return to CBCC, discussing his latest wave of Comixology creations. Part four arrives on Saturday, and it's a delightful chat with Love Everlasting co-creators Elsa Charretier and Tom King.

Follow along with our Comic-Con coverage using the hashtag #CBCCatSDCC on our Twitter and Instagram. And, please, share these episodes with your friends.

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Today's episode is brought to you by the letters W-T-F? Writers James Asmus and Jim Festante join us for a very special Creator Corner to discuss their new apocalyptic puppet caper comic Survival Street, which hits shops on August 3rd. Get that banana out of your ear, because we've got something else to shove in it.

Now is a weird time to be alive. Frequently, hope seems out of reach. More and more, our neighbors appear to be strangers. If only the public access puppets of our youth could help us out now as they did back then. In Survival Street, they can, and they do!

We talk with James Asmus and Jim Festante about their deliciously demented comic book and how they managed to adhere to the morality of yesterday's famous felt edutainers while also savagely lampooning them. Survival Street has a mean bite, but it maintains a massive heart too. The combination creates a surprisingly heartfelt satire demanding attention.

From Dark Horse Comics, Survival Street #0 is currently available to read for free via Comic Book Resources. Jim Festante doesn't mess with social media, but you can find his website HERE. James Asmus can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, and at the Future Skeletons website.

Survival Street artist Abylay Kussainov is @abylaykussainov on Twitter. Colorist Ellie Wright is @elliewrightart on Twitter. Letterer Taylor Esposito is @TaylorEspo on Twitter.

Our Creator Corner conversation with James Asmus and Jim Festante officially kicks off our road to the San Diego Comic-Con International. Following right on the heels of this chat will be an in-depth discussion with Matt Kindt about his new Dark Horse Comics imprint Flux House, and following immediately after that, Scott Snyder returns to the podcast! If everything goes according to plan, we'll also be joined by Tom King and Elsa Charretier, detailing their new Image Comics series, Love Everlasting.

Much more will come once we touch down in San Diego on Tuesday. Stay up to date with everything we're doing by following #CBCCatSDCC on Twitter and Instagram.

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Love doesn't come easy for Angela & Sera. After experiencing dastardly deceit and catastrophic revelation in Angela: Asgard's Assassin, Doctor Doom remakes the universe and dumps our Hevenly lovers in a Battleworld territory trapped in the Elizabethan age, Neil Gaiman's 1602.

1602: Witch Hunter Angela finds our couple serving a vengeful deity, tracking and slaying Witchbreed. However, when an even more dangerous threat appears - the Faustians - Angela & Sera hop to a new genocidal mission. In doing so, they uncover long-brewing questions about their purpose and feelings for each other.

In our second session with these two love birds, we examine their compatibility using Robin Roberts' Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams as our relationship guide. Our tribe is our vibe, but are a tribe of two enough to survive in such an antagonistic universe? We sure hope so.

Relevant Links Discussed this Week:

• Angela & Sera CBCC Session 1: Asgard's Assassin

Issues covered in this episode: Marvel Comics' 1602: Witch Hunter Angela 1 - 4, written by Marguerite Bennett and Kieron Gillen, art by Stephanie Hans, Marguerite Sauvage, Irene Koh, Jordie Bellaire, Frazer Irving, Kody Chamberlain, Lee Loughridge, and Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles. 

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

We should all take notice when a comic like The Lonesome Hunters comes around. It is a singular creation from a singular creator. After percolating on the idea for a decade, Tyler Crook has put his entire being into the story of Howard, Lupe, the magic sword, and the magpies. You can sense tremendous consideration and emotional excavation occurring on every page of the first issue, and it excites the reader beyond the narrative experience. The Lonesome Hunters is a pure comic book, and no other medium could contain what Crook does here.

We were delighted to chat with Tyler Crook about The Lonesome Hunters and why it required him to command every avenue of its creation. Not only is Crook the writer and artist of the book, but he's also the colorist and letterer. You will not find too many other comics on the stand right now that can claim such ownership. And, as you will hear, there are creative and practical reasons why this is so.

Tyler Crook provides honest and passionate insight into his creative process. We discuss The Lonesome Hunters' visual influences and the more personal aspects that flow through the pages. We probe the thematic issues we see in the narrative and examine how isolation and loneliness permeate modern culture. We also explore why horror and fantasy are the perfect vehicles to challenge extreme emotional states.

The Lonesome Hunters #1 is currently in stores from Dark Horse Comics. Please consider subscribing to all four issues so we can ensure this story's continuation.

Be sure to continue this conversation with Tyler Crook by visiting his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.

Relevant Links Discussed This Week: 

• Our 1st Angela & Sera Couples Session

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Nothing for Nothing! Angela and Sera are one of the most hotly requested couples from our listeners, and we're ecstatic to finally bring them into session using the Marvel Comics mini-series, Angela: Asgard's Assassin. For at least one of these Hevenly creatures, every action has a cost and every debt must be paid. Such obsession can create dangerous internal turmoil, especially after you've kidnapped your newborn sister from your parents who thought you were dead. Never mind your younger step-bro, Thor.

Angela: Asgard's Assassin is a tricky yet nifty saga featuring numerous twists and turns. Basically, it's an exceptional narrative for a title character who previously existed in an entirely different comic book publishing realm. We get into all of that, but most importantly, we examine humanity's desire for happiness and the pursuit of everlasting joy. Angela & Sera might not seem like the perfect instructors for achieving this nirvana, but you might be surprised.

Helping us navigate Angela & Sera's relationship is Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams by Good Morning America host and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Robin Roberts. Her self-help memoir explores how mood is a muscle demanding constant exercise. At first glance, the tools within her book don't seem to apply to our two Angels. However, they most certainly do. And they'll probably accomplish wonders for you as well. They're certainly helping us.

Issues covered in this episode: Angela: Asgard's Assassin 1 - 6, written by Kieron Gillen and Marguerite Bennett, penciled by Phil Jimenez and Stephanie Hans, inked by Tom Palmer, Le Beau Underwood, Scott Hanna, and Stephanie Hans, colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr, and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles. Angela was co-created by Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane and first appeared in Spawn #9.

Relevant Links Discussed This Week: 

• Our Sandman Patreon Episodes

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

With the recent Sandman trailer drop, the world seems re-energized regarding all things Dream King. We are here for it. In fact, we've been reading Neil Gaiman's epic series one issue at a time/one week at a time for more than a year now and recording our thoughts through our Patreon feed.

Our Sleepwalking Through Sandman episodes are some of our favorite conversations that we've had in the Love Nest, made all the better by our Patrons providing context and history every week. When we initially launched the show, we plopped the first episode into our main feed, and we thought it was time to give our regular audience another preview.

This Sandman #17 episode was initially recorded several months ago, but we think it's one of our best Sandman conversations. We hope you agree with us. As first-time Sandman readers, we're deeply fascinated with Morpheus' romantic relationships. You'll hear how we're struggling to comprehend his behavior toward Nada, and how this deep dive into his relationship with Calliope re-contextualizes the Dream King's actions.

We hope you enjoy this chat. Longtime CBCC listeners may have some inkling of what we sound like when we're in full-sweatpants mode, but newcomers could be a little shocked. We can get real dang silly, friends. Enjoy! And please let us know what you think of this podcast series.

Sandman #17 was published by DC Comics with a cover date of July 1990. It's written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Kelley Jones & Malcolm Jones III, lettered by Todd Klein, colored by Robbie Busch(Original) and  Daniel Vozzo (Re-Color), assistant edited by Tom Peyer, edited by Karen Berger, and features a cover by Dave McKean. Created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg.

Relevant links to this week's conversation:

• Our Patreon Page

Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Artist Jason Loo wanted to make a vampire comic and get away from superheroes. Chip Zdarsky said, "Sure, but what if the vampires were hiding in plain sight as superheroes? And what if...uh...a whole bunch of other weird stuff was involved?" The All-Nighter from ComiXology Originals is a wild comic where every issue drops another bomb that is somehow wilder than the last.

This week, Jason Loo and Chip Zdarsky join us in the Love Nest to explain why hats upon hats are a good thing, no matter what Matt Fraction says. Zdarsky and Loo discuss their latest collaboration, detailing how their vampire story swerved into something with stranger moral implications. Bloodlust, immortality, and fandom can be problematic, but um, that third hat...and the fourth hat these two creators plopped on top, oh boy, the implications suggested by The All-Nighter are beyond catastrophic. And we love them.

Paired with our recent conversation with Christian Ward about Blood Stained Teeth, our chat with Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo truly exemplifies why the vampire sub-genre maintains its bite. The undead always have more to give of themselves. 

You can still technically find Chip Zdarsky on Twitter and Instagram, but if you're looking for some proper interaction, consider joining his Substack. For the cost of two coffees a month, he will accept your praise or vile. He also has a nifty website.

Jason Loo can be found on Twitter and Instagram, but his TikTok is really where it's at these days. Get on it asap.

Most importantly, go grab The All-Nighter trade paperback from Dark Horse Comics, and download issue #6 from ComiXology.

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

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

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

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.