200 episodes

Join married couple Brad and Lisa as they explore the various dynamics of comic book relationships throughout pop culture and publishing history.

Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast Brad & Lisa Gullickson

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 289 Ratings

Join married couple Brad and Lisa as they explore the various dynamics of comic book relationships throughout pop culture and publishing history.

    The Ultimate Tom King Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Interview

    The Ultimate Tom King Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Interview

    Who are we? Who do we want to be? Sometimes, the truth is a lie well told. Tom King returns to the podcast for his most in-depth conversation, breaking down the themes of his iconic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow run and why so much of his personal history wound up within it.

    Explore no further if you have not already read Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. We spoil everything. We've wanted to have this conversation with Tom King since we read the first issue, and it became utterly vital for our well-being after we read the last issue. We begin with the title and its significance at the start of the project versus its significance at the halfway point. From there, we consider Supergirl's quest alongside the vengeance-seeking Ruthye, how both characters are changed by the other, and just exactly what we're supposed to take away from that final page.

    A comic like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow doesn't come around too often. Every creator involved, from King to artist Bilquis Evely to colorist Matheus Lopes to letter Clayton Cowles, is operating at the height of their powers. It seems impossible to replicate, yet the entire team returns to comic shops this week with Helen of Wyndhorn. And yeah, we've read the first issue, and we're already in awe of what they're cooking inside this Wizard of Oz meets Conan the Barbarian tale.
    Special Bonus! Learn Tom King's Secret Comic Book Couples Counseling origin. We'll say no more here, but it's a fun tidbit for podcast trivia seekers.
    Finally, we begin our episode celebrating this year's Awesome Con experience and the first-ever CBCC panel held on March 8th at 8:30 PM in Room 206 of the Washington DC Convention Center. Our thanks to everyone who came out for our counseling session.
    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was originally published between August 2021 and April 2022. It's currently available in trade paperback from DC Comics, but a new Deluxe Hardcover edition will arrive on July 24th. Find it wherever rad books are sold.

    Continue this conversation with Tom King via Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.

    As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.




    Brad's Referral




    Lisa's Referral



    Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!

    Other Relevant Links:




    Tom King and Elsa Charretier on Love Everlasting




    Tom King and Mitch Gerads on Batman: The Brave and the Bold




    Tom King on Danger Street




    Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter




    Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

    Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY

    Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/17 at 4:00 PM for our Hellboy (2004) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

    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 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.

    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.

    • 1 hr 26 min
    The Ultimate Tyler Crook The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child Interview

    The Ultimate Tyler Crook The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child Interview

    This week's episode is the conversation we've wanted to have with Tyler Crook from the moment we first read The Lonesome Hunters. Despite already having two wonderful chats with Crook on the record, we couldn't let him rest there. After Dark Horse Comics released the second volume, The Wolf Child, we needed to go full-spoilers, and it appears Tyler Crook needed to do the same thing. We start at the end and work our way back to the beginning, picking through the comic's various themes and how they got there.

    All of that is to say that you've been warned. If you have not read The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child, please do so immediately. While not centered on a romantic couple, it's the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling comic, a place where the reader can go to find themselves as Tyler Crook has put everything of himself into it. The book's central protagonists, Howard and Lupe, are thrust onto a road with an undercurrent of magic. One has avoided it for most of their life; the other desperately clings to it in hopes of relief.

    When a comic like this one comes around, you must celebrate. The Lonesome Hutners: The Wolf Child is the purest of expressions, written, illustrated, colored, and lettered by Tyler Crook. It's a human bound in pages, and the result is something so painfully, beautifully relatable.

    Our previous conversations with Tyler Crook will contextualize some of this interview. Please hit the links to those episodes below. It's always lovely to chat with Crook. We dig as deep into The Lonesome Hunters' mythology as the artist will allow at this point. We tell him what we think the comic is about, and he encouragingly responds to those interpretations.
    The Lonesome Hunters The Wolf Child is now available from Dark Horse Comics, wherever fine comic books are sold. You can continue your conversation with Tyler Crook via his Blue Sky, Instagram, and Website. Also, you can listen to his music through his Bandcamp page (although it's also available on Spotify, Apple Music, and the like).


    As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.




    Brad's Referral




    Lisa's Referral




    Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!

    Other Relevant Links:




    Our 1st Tyler Crook Conversation




    Our 2nd Tyler Crook Conversation




    Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter




    Our Recent Appearance on My Marvelous Year (Convincible)




    Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

    Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY

    Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/17 at 4:00 PM for our Hellboy (2004) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

    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 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.

    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.

    • 1 hr 24 min
    Jason Aaron on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -Return to New York

    Jason Aaron on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -Return to New York

    Some birthdays are bigger than others. To properly celebrate the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hitting their forties this year, IDW Publishing is determined to make a fuss regarding our favorite comic book siblings, including, but not limited to, inviting heavyweight scribe Jason Aaron onto their flagship title. The main monthly comic will relaunch with a new number one in July but remain faithful to IDW's continuity, all one hundred and fifty issues of it.
    This week on Comic Book Couples Counseling, Jason Aaron reveals the title of his run's first storyline, how it's layered with meaning, especially for fans of the original Mirage Studios stories, and why it was necessary to collaborate with such wickedly cool stylists like Joëlle Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Cliff Chiang, and Chris Burnham. We also discuss why he's starting his saga with four solo adventures, with each of the first four issues focusing on a specific brother, and how June's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha #1 one-shot will set the stage and tone for what's to come.

    Once upon a time, a young Jason Aaron purchased Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 and had his little mind melted. He wants to bring the same punk rock energy to his series that the original creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, brought to every one of their comics. We return to this headspace with Jason Aaron, revisit a few of our favorite Ninja Turtle comics, and speculate on what we may see on the page in the very near future.
    We've said it before, and we'll say it again: there is no better time to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. All rapidly on their way, we have a new monthly series written by Jason Aaron, another series titled TMNT: Mutant Nation, Juni Ba and Fero Pe's Nightwatcher spin-off, a Saturday Morning Adventures TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo crossover one-shot, and the artist showcase anthology, TMNT: Black, White, and Green. So, yeah, we had to take a moment and break all that down too. OH! And remember, The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution hits shops on March 6th!

    Keep your eyes glued to the IDW Publishing page as more and more Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary celebrations are revealed, and make sure to follow Jason Aaron on Twitter, Instagram, and his website.

    As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.




    Brad's Referral




    Lisa's Referral




    In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!

    Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!

    Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!

    Other Relevant Links:



    Kevin Eastman on CBCC




    TMNT x CBCC




    Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter




    Jason Aaron on comicbook.com




    Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

    Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY

    Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/17 at 4:00 PM for our Hellboy (2004) screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

    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 Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.
    Send us your Words of Affirmation

    • 54 min
    Tom Scioli on I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee

    Tom Scioli on I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee

    All biography is autobiography. Nowhere is this more evident than when discussing Tom Scioli's back-to-back books, Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics and I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee. Since his earliest works, Scioli has found himself through his reverence, study, and subversion of the King. Kirby's collaborations with Stan Lee shaped much of our current cultural imagination, and they absolutely reworked Scioli's DNA and continue to do so with each passing day.

    During our first conversation with Tom Scioli, done shortly after he completed his Jack Kirby biography, he seemed hesitant to the idea of tackling Stan Lee next. Three years later, he's done so, but he did it in an unexpected way, skipping the interior path into his subject and embracing the exterior. After all, there are so many more interviews, articles, biographies, and documentaries on Stan "The Man" Lee than Jack Kirby, and it was much easier to source the events described in I Am Stan. Hell, the appendix to the comic is almost as richly readable as the comic itself.

    I Am Stan's front cover and first two pages establish a challenging position, especially for those who've adored Stan Lee in a particular fashion for so many decades. We're grateful to have Tom Scioli on the podcast this week to discuss those opening blows and the sympathy and love he still carries for the man who many believe built Marvel Comics. We discuss how his approach to Stan Lee differed from Jack Kirby's and how both books combine to form a third narrative.

    I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee is now available from Ten Speed Press. Make sure to follow Tom Scioli on Twitter HERE, on Instagram HERE, and on Patreon HERE.

    As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.




    Brad's Referral




    Lisa's Referral




    In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!

    Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!

    Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!

    Other Relevant Links:



    Tom Scioli on Jack Kirby




    Tom Scioli on Fantastic Four: Grand Design




    Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter




    Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

    Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY

    Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/25 at 4:00 PM for our Meteor Man screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

    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 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.

    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.

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Scott and Emma: Dark X-Men - The Confession

    Scott and Emma: Dark X-Men - The Confession

    What's in the box!? Scott Summers invites Emma Frost into his mind palace and shows her his special black cube, constructed with a little help from his ex. Gulp. This week, we reach the halfway point in our ScEmma Counseling Session series, discussing Dark X-Men: The Confession as well as Uncanny X-Men issues 518 and 519, which mark the height of their functionality. Yup, it's the top of their hill, and we're not ready to look on the other side.
    But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, let's revel in their achievements as they recognize each other's authentic selves while casting off their conditioned selves. Namor, Tony Stark, the X-Force kill squad. Forget about them. Scott and Emma, you're two desperate, hyper-vigilant people pleasers who can forget their shady past sins and embrace their sexy present sins.
    Helping us navigate Scott and Emma's multiple psychic revelations is Dr. Nicole Lepera and her book, How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace and Heal Your Relationships. Together, we explore the seven conditioned selves, consider which apply to Scott and Emma, and wonder whether Psylocke was the right choice for Professor X's surgical assistant.
    Dark X-Men: The Confession was published by Marvel Comics in September 2009. It's written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, penciled by Bing Cansino, inked by Roland Paris, colored by Edgar Delgado and Brian Reber, and lettered by Rob Steen.
    Uncanny X-Men issues 518 and 519 were published between December of 2009 and January of 2010. They were written by Matt Fraction, penciled by Terry Dodson, inked by Rachel Dodson, colored by Justin Ponsor, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

    As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.




    Brad's Referral




    Lisa's Referral




    In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!


    Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website, shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
    Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!


    Other Relevant Links:
    ScEmma - New X-Men: The Psychic Affair Episode
    ScEmma - New X-Men: Here Comes Tomorrow Episode
    Subscribe to the Free CBCC Newsletter

    Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):


    Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY


    Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/25 at 4:00 PM for our Meteor Man screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.


    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 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.


    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.

    • 1 hr 27 min
    Todd McFarlane: Secrets of His Success

    Todd McFarlane: Secrets of His Success

    The initial mission was to create a character who would outlast him. Todd McFarlane stared down Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. He knew he had a character within him that could last beyond his own lifetime; he just had to pull him out. Spawn might not have outlived his maker yet, but he has survived and thrived these last thirty-plus years. As has Todd's action figure empire, McFarlane Toys, celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year.
    Next month, Spawn continues its record-breaking run, reaching a milestone of three hundred and fifty issues. The comic promises to answer questions that have been building for years while laying the groundwork for a Spawn Universe explosion: seven new Spawn-related titles will hit shelves throughout 2024.
    You might think Todd McFarlane would be preoccupied with everything happening in his world in 2024, but he's already scrawling out his 2025 plans. Longevity is the great, underrated value in business. As is the importance of a thick back catalog ready to exploit when the spotlight falls upon it.
    This week, Todd McFarlane returns to Comic Book Couples Counseling for the fourth time, and it's our longest and most in-depth conversation so far. We ask him about the lessons we could all learn from the four decades he's spent in the comic book trenches. While he's initially resistant to accept that there are any lessons to grab, he generously opens up and shares his various philosophies. These are the secrets to Todd's success.
    Spawn #350 arrives from Image Comics on February 21st. If you want to continue our discussion with Todd McFarlane, you can find him on Twitter and Instagram, as well as his Website. Follow McFarlane Toys through Twitter and Instagram.

    As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.




    Brad's Referral




    Lisa's Referral




    In addition, this episode is sponsored by Third Eye Comics, your friendly neighborhood comic shop with seven locations in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia area. They're your one-stop shop for all things comics, graphic novels, toys, games, records, movies & more!


    Not local but still looking for an awesome place to meet all your comic needs? They've also got an amazing website,shop.thirdeyecomics.com, where you can browse thousands of items, pre-order your new comics, and have it all sent right to your doorstep for a flat $5 shipping rate!
    Don't forget to join us for the first-ever Comic Book Couples Counseling panel on March 8th at Washington DC's Awesome Con. Room 206 at 8:30 PM!


    Other Relevant Links:


    Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo on Batman/Spawn
    Todd McFarlane at San Diego Comic-Con
    The Ten Best Spawn Comics According to Todd McFarlane
    Scott and Emma: New X-Men - Here Comes Tomorrow
    Subscribe to the FREE CBCC Newsletter


    Final Round of Plugs (PHEW)


    Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY


    Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 2/25 at 4:00 PM for our Meteor Man screening, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.


    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 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.


    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.

    • 1 hr 25 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
289 Ratings

289 Ratings

chris41626 ,

Amazing Podcast!!!

These guys (alright, guy and gal) are one of the best podcasts around. If you are a nerd and/or you have someone who’s a nerd, this is your podcast. Hands down.

sierackij ,

Best comic book podcast!

One of my single favorite comic book podcasts, Brad and Lisa do some of the very best interviews around. They also have extremely thoughtful insights on all of the books they discuss. If you like comic books, this podcast is a must follow!

Vcr514 ,

Knowledgeable and Authentic

I met these guys at a panel yesterday at Awesome Con. They were genuinely nice people. I checked out 3 of the podcasts today and I enjoyed every second of it. You know they are the real deal as soon as you hear the theme and everything they discuss. You have to check them out!

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