This week, we’re once again in the thick of San Diego Comic-Con International, chatting with filmmaker Duncan Jones about his upcoming animated adaptation of Rogue Trooper, based on the iconic 2000 AD character created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. Amongst the pulsating exhibit hall, tucked inside the 2000 AD booth, we chat with Jones about his passion for Rogue Trooper, how it ties thematically into his other movies (Moon, Source Code, Warcraft), and why animation was the only medium that could satisfy his creative needs.

Also, we enlist our friend Bryan Young (of B and B Movie Reviews) to detail his excruciating saga in the infamous Hall H line and whether his nearly 48 hours of waiting resulted in a satisfying Marvel Studios presentation. You’ve undoubtedly heard horror stories, but until you’ve been inside it, you can’t understand the challenge and appeal of Hall H. We’re grateful to receive Bryan Young’s story of pure geek family.

What is the value of meat? The question rattles throughout Rogue Trooper, Moon, and Hall H. When humanity is seen as disposable by our corporate overlords, we must make ourselves impossible to ignore and flaunt a raging self-worth.

While Rogue Trooper begins its festival circuit, we await a release date. To keep up to date on the film, make sure you’re following Duncan Jones on Bluesky. Purchase Rogue Trooper comics from your local comic book shop, or find them on the 2000 AD website.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• How to Win a Marvel Studios Doctor Doom Mask and Cloak

• The Extended Bryan Young Hall H Conversation

• CBCC on The Comic Pals

• The Rogue Trooper Teaser Trailer

• Previously on CBCC: The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast

• Previously on CBCC: Ben Whatley on Judge Dee and Judge Dredd

• Matttt on Joe Matt

• Matttt on Ed Brubaker

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.

This Week's Sponsors

Glinda and the Wicked Witch finally get their romance. Vampire Snow White and Werewolf Belle must fight the evil queen, while exes-to-lovers, Sleeping Beauty and Alice, try to escape a Nightmare version of Wonderland. Kat and Phil at Lifeline Comics have been building a Kickstarter empire with their Mature Fairy Tale Universe for years…did we also mention they are queer? Well, now they are all colliding in a special Big 2-style event. Nothing will be the same. Head to Kickstarter for Fairy Tale Wars #1, which sees the popular series The Beast and Snow, Nightmare in Wonderland, and The Witches of Oz crossover for a first-of-its-kind comics event.

I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! is the wild new original graphic novel from Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard, the twisted minds behind Plastic, Vinyl, Plush, and the current hit Image book, Narco. Imagine a post-apocalyptic world where Heaven and Hell are at war, a nerd wakes up trapped in the body of a supernatural slasher, and his only allies include a roller derby angel, a possessed truck...and immortal murder chickens. Critics are already calling it wildly creative, wonderfully weird, and an absolute blast. Back the Kickstarter for an oversized deluxe hardcover, exclusive editions, art prints, and even the Murder Chickens Card Game, available only during the campaign. If you love horror, dark comedy, and comics that break every rule, head to Kickstarter and search I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! before the campaign disappears!

This August, the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special is here to make it a nuclear Summer! This 48-page Summer Special features five self-contained stories featuring Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Judge Death and Stickleback – the King of Crime! Never read 2000 AD before? This is a great way to jump on board and try out The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. With a cover by Liam Sharp and stories from a galaxy of reality-warping creators, this is all-out sci-fi with an anarchic edge. And the best news is? It’s available through Lunar – so you’ll be able to order it through your LCS! It’s the ultimate apocalyptic beach read – so make sure you pick up the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special this month!

Every comic book reader remembers the first time they encountered Bill Sienkiewicz. Whether it was in Moon Knight, The New Mutants, Elektra: Assassin, or a recent variant for Absolute Batman, Sienkiewicz’s art smacks your eyeballs and demands your attention. You probably weren’t sure about it at first, but as your eyes refused to leave, you discovered new wonders capable in this medium called comic books. Like the first time Sienkiewicz saw a Neal Adams Superman instead of a Curt Swan Superman, his art stirs discomfort in those who’ve stewed in the routine.

This week we return from San Diego Comic-Con International, and we’ve brought Bill Sienkiewicz with us. The convention premiered the trailer for his new documentary, That Polish Guy, directed by Remsy Atassi and produced by Sal Abbinanti. We were granted a sneak peek at an early edit, and it’s jammed with creators expressing their admiration for Sienkiewicz.

Sienkiewicz exploded on the scene and has continued to evolve his style to this very day. We excitedly spoke to him about his relationship with comics, how discomfort is part of the deal when it comes to a lifelong passion for comics, whether you’re on the artist’s side of things or the reader’s side, and how That Polish Guy attempts to shape his story.

In an effort to relate our San Diego Comic-Con experience beyond our own perspective, we also invited Badr Milligan, host of The Short Box, onto the show to explain the convention’s particular vibe from a newbie's viewpoint. This is a recap, not of the news and exclusives, although there’s some of that, but of the show’s emotional pull. Make sure you subscribe to The Short Box and follow Badr Milligan on Instagram and Bluesky.

To learn more about That Polish Guy and when it will be available to watch, sign up for updates on the Sienkiewicz Art website. And follow Bill Sienkiewicz on Instagram and Bluesky.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• The Extended Badr Milligan SDCC Conversation

• Previously on CBCC: Bill Sienkiewicz on Alliances: Orphans

• Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

Glinda and the Wicked Witch finally get their romance. Vampire Snow White and Werewolf Belle must fight the evil queen, while exes-to-lovers, Sleeping Beauty and Alice, try to escape a Nightmare version of Wonderland. Kat and Phil at Lifeline Comics have been building a Kickstarter empire with their Mature Fairy Tale Universe for years…did we also mention they are queer? Well, now they are all colliding in a special Big 2-style event. Nothing will be the same. Head to Kickstarter for Fairy Tale Wars #1, which sees the popular series The Beast and Snow, Nightmare in Wonderland, and The Witches of Oz crossover for a first-of-its-kind comics event.

I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! is the wild new original graphic novel from Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard, the twisted minds behind Plastic, Vinyl, Plush, and the current hit Image book, Narco. Imagine a post-apocalyptic world where Heaven and Hell are at war, a nerd wakes up trapped in the body of a supernatural slasher, and his only allies include a roller derby angel, a possessed truck...and immortal murder chickens. Critics are already calling it wildly creative, wonderfully weird, and an absolute blast. Back the Kickstarter for an oversized deluxe hardcover, exclusive editions, art prints, and even the Murder Chickens Card Game, available only during the campaign. If you love horror, dark comedy, and comics that break every rule, head to Kickstarter and search I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! before the campaign disappears!

This August, the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special is here to make it a nuclear Summer! This 48-page Summer Special features five self-contained stories featuring Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Judge Death and Stickleback – the King of Crime! Never read 2000 AD before? This is a great way to jump on board and try out The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. With a cover by Liam Sharp and stories from a galaxy of reality-warping creators, this is all-out sci-fi with an anarchic edge. And the best news is? It’s available through Lunar – so you’ll be able to order it through your LCS! It’s the ultimate apocalyptic beach read – so make sure you pick up the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special this month!

It’s never been easier to get 2000 AD: The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic in your grubby, American mitts. Stop what you’re doing. Grab your phone. Call your shop. Get your Progs and Megazines in your pullbox. If you need any more convincing than that, then Drokk, do we have an episode for you today.

As San Diego Comic-Con International begins its finale, we chat with 2000 AD Thrill-Cast hosts Michael Molcher and Chloe Maveal. We discuss 2000 AD’s relationship with America, how it shaped the entire modern comics industry, and which books you need to jam into your eyeballs immediately.

2000 AD has already had a brilliant San Diego Comic-Con with multiple panels (one hosted by us) discussing our dystopian present, teasing the upcoming Rogue Trooper movie directed by Duncan Jones, and slapping some of the prettiest produced comics in the hands of new readers who stumbled into their booth. I’m not sure we can make Judge Dredd fiction again, but 2000 AD is doing its damnedest to stimulate conversation while providing some of the wildest entertainment this medium has to offer.

Make sure you hop over to 2000 AD, subscribe to the Thrill-Cast, follow Molcher on Instagram, and Maveal on Bluesky and Patreon.

Follow the Rest of Our San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Coverage

• Christopher Cantwell on Star Trek

• David Steinberger and Chip Mosher on Neon Ichiban 2.5

• Ben Wickey on More Weight

• Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction on FML

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home

• Previously on CBCC: Ben Wheatley on Judge Dredd and Judge Dee

• Previously on CBCC: Jock on How Judge Dredd Incluenced Absolute Batman

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

• Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

Something magical is happening between the first and second arcs of FML, the Dark Horse Comics series. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick is passing scripting duties to her husband, Matt Fraction. Since the book began as a melodramatic amplification of her family experience, it seems natural, but we don’t think such a regime change has ever happened before in comics. David López will remain on art, showcasing some of the most extraordinary comics skills we’ve ever encountered and pushing the medium to its very heights. However, with this shift in perspective, FML becomes a comic every reader should pull (if they weren’t already, cuz those first eight issues exemplify the power of comic books).

As San Diego Comic-Con International rages into its third day (Saturday), we chat with Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction about FML. We discuss their unique working habits, how they play off each other, and how they don’t. This all has something to do with physics and jazz, but we won’t tell you how - you’ll have to listen.

This is our second FML related episode. Make sure you listen to Kelly Sue DeConnick’s first appearance on the podcast, as that establishes how her family informs the comic. Today’s episode is one we could not have predicted when we had that first one, but we’re so excited at the direction FML has taken.

FML issues 1 - 8 are out now from Dark Horse Comics. They’re written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by David López, colored by Cris Peter, lettered by Clayton Cowles, and designed by Laurenn McCubbin. Make sure you follow Kelly Sue DeConnick on Bluesky and Instagram.

Follow the Rest of Our San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Coverage

• Christopher Cantwell on Star Trek

• David Steinberger and Chip Mosher on Neon Ichiban 2.5

• Ben Wickey on More Weight

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

• Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

Cartoonist and animator Ben Wickey spent more than a decade toiling away on More Weight. The original graphic novel is an astonishing achievement, recounting the Salem witch trials through extensive research and dusting off History’s cobwebs. Wickey re-contextualizes the events and the people, establishing how the horror stretches across time, touching upon literary giants like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as himself and every one of his readers.

We’re publishing this podcast on the eve of the Eisner Awards, held at San Diego Comic-Con International. More Weight finds itself nominated for Best Graphic Novel Album - New. Wickey stands amongst some stiff competition, but as you heard in our Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 episode, we think it’s not only worthy of that nomination, but we believe it to be one of the best comics of the twenty-first century.

More Weight is not a textbook. It’s a riveting, horrorifying, and beautifully human drama. It’s staggering to witness the thought and concern Wickey put into these characters, and his artistic depiction is simply breathtaking. Today’s podcast is one we’ve wanted to have for months. It’s a thorough conversation, exploring with Wickey why the Salem witch trials are more significant today, and it will probably remain so for as long as those living dare to dismiss it as Halloween decoration.

More Weight is available from Top Shelf Productions wherever rad comic books are sold. Follow Ben Wickey on Instagram.

Follow the Rest of our San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Coverage

• Christopher Cantwell on Star Trek

• David Steinberger and Chip Mosher on Neon Ichiban 2.5

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

• Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

The digital comics market has evolved massively in the last few years. It’s time we had a proper conversation about our relationship with it, and we’re eager to have it with Comixology veterans and Neon Ichiban founders David Steinberger and Chip Mosher. With San Diego Comic-Con International in full swing, we brought them onto the show to discuss their evolution with digital comics and what they’re delivering to readers AND collectors stumbling around the con floor.

They recently launched Neon Ichiban 2.5. This next chapter in their development promises huge growth to their community. Steinberger and Mosher are bringing the convention environment to their platform. Meet your favorite creator. Get a signature. Walk artist alley and discover something new. Hang out with the like-minded and get nerdy together.

Neon Ichiban 2.5 offers digital signatures, commissionable remarques, community profiles, reviews, reading lists, collections, and a whole lot more. We get into it all with David Steinberger and Chip Mosher. And we talk about why San Diego Comic-Con is still an essential place to present digital comics.

Today’s podcast is Part Two in our San Diego Comic-Con coverage. Make sure you listen to Part One with Christopher Cantwell, all about IDW Publishing’s upcoming Star Trek relaunch (speaking of fandom and community). Visit Neon Ichiban, browse around, and follow them on their socials (Instagram and Bluesky).

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

• Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

Today, we’re bringing San Diego Comic-Con International to you, our beautiful listeners. Writer Christopher Cantwellreturns to the show for a boisterous Star Trek celebration. On September 23rd, IDW Publishing is relaunching its Star Trek line. Cantwell spearheads the main ongoing series alongside his artist collaborator, Dennis Menheere. We’ve been given a sneak peek, and consider their phasers set to stun cuz - We. Are. Stunned.

Years after the Star Trek: Picard finale, Seven of Nine now captains the Enterprise-G. Her crew includes several legacy characters. Picard’s kid. LaForge’s kid. Worf’s kid. Not to forget some characters familiar to those who’ve been reading the IDW comics and several new folks, too. This book is more forward-looking than backward-looking, as all good Trek should be.

Most excitingly, Cantwell and Menheere are free to make COMICS within the Star Trek franchise. In the past, likeness has been the predominant factor when crafting brand comics. Dennis Menheere lets loose with his cartooning, embracing shapes and lines that communicate emotion and thought. They're not just assembled to please entertainment lawyers.

These characters look like who they should look like, but more importantly, they feel like they should. Cantwell, Menheere, and the whole IDW crew seemingly have learned all the right lessons from Absolute Batman’s success. Let’s tell stories that only comics can tell. Let’s engage with this medium’s tools.

This episode is the first of five episodes coming at ya this weekend. Be on the lookout for one new Comic Book Couples Counseling episode for every day of San Diego Comic-Con International. It's a lot, but you're gonna have fun whether you're here in California or not.

As we said, Star Trek #1 arrives in comic shops on September 23rd. Final Order Cutoff (FOC) is August 17th. It’s written by Christopher Cantwell, illustrated and colored by Dennis Menheere, and lettered by Jodie Troutman. Make sure you’re following Christopher Cantwell on Bluesky.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook on Out of Alcatraz

• Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on The Forever Home

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

• Comic Book Film Club: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 8/9 at 5:00 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

The grownups killed the world. To escape destruction, Henry built The Forever Home. Inside, his family enjoys existence, protected by the poisonous elements outside. One catch: their time is compressed. For every twenty minutes they live, one hour outside passes. Nothing should ever cross the threshold.

Writer Christian Ward is having a moment. He’s about to launch his new artworld horror, The Patron. Event Horizon: Inferno currently rages on the stands, with the previous Event Horizon: Dark Descent premiering as a trade paperback next week at San Diego Comic-Con International. And, this fall, courtesy of Oni Press, he launches maybe his most personal and mature work yet, The Forever Home.

The Forever Home is his Cocaine Bear. The premise alone should hook you, and once you crack its pages, the comic delivers on its promise. It’s always a joy to have Christian Ward on the podcast. He’s a theme-forward storyteller, and as such, the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling guest. We get into it!

First, we discuss why this year’s San Diego Comic-Con is such a critical moment in his career. We look at the road behind him and the road ahead. We talk about The Forever Home’s dystopian present, the family tragedy bubbling within, and how it confronts tribalism.

The Forever Home #1 arrives in shops on September 9th. It’s written by Christian Ward, illustrated by Sammi Kivelä, colored by Jason Wordie, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website and following him on Blue Sky and Instagram.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Dan Schkade on Lavender Jack

• Previously on CBCC: Christian Ward on Event Horizon: Inferno

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

We are the choices we make. Good guy? Bad guy? We decide that every day until our last day. On this week's podcast, we’re exploring how heroism and villainism mingle in Lavender Jack, the pulp adventure from cartoonist Dan Schkade. We’re considering when to swim with society and when to swim against it, and how comic book vigilante justice too often forgets its own messaging.

Lavender Jack, originally published on Webtoon, is where Schkade cracked the comic strip medium, preparing him to take over Flash Gordon, where he now lives daily. We discuss why these pulp adventurers appeal so profoundly to him, and how their tales can be told with a contemporary bite.

It’s the perfect discussion to prepare us for next week’s plunge into San Diego Comic-Con, where we’ll be moderating three panels and attempting to interview all the comic book celebrity guests. We’re in plug-goblin-mode during the intro, barely containing our excitement for the year’s biggest comic book event. If you thought our July 2026 coverage was already intense, oh boy, strap in.

Lavender Jack is written, illustrated, and lettered by Dan Schkade. It’s colored by Jenn Manley Lee. Volume One is currently available from Dark Horse Comics, and you can expect Volume 2 on September 29th. Make sure you’re following Dan Schkade on Instagram and Bluesky.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Dan Schkade on Flash Gordon

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

What happens when the love of your life is buried on the other side of the country, and you’re a ghost who can’t leave your grave? That’s the beautifully haunting setup of Till Death, a new romantic horror-comedy from Michael Schwartz, Rachael Schaefer, and artist Gaia Cardinali now on Kickstarter from Clover Press! Vivian has waited decades for her husband to join her in the afterlife. But when she discovers he’s been buried across the country, she makes a deal with Mack, a man whose near-death experience allows him to see ghosts. We’ve read Till Death, and we absolutely loved it. It's a bold, original four-color romance, fitting snugly inside comics' most unsung genre. Till Death is on Kickstarter now. Visit the campaign and make your pledge today!

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

Witnessing adaptation is one of our great pleasures. How does one transform an audio medium into a visual one? How will the podcast World Beyond Number, from Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson, expand into The Wizard, The Witch, and The Wild One, courtesy of comic storytellers Jadzia Axelrod and Sarah Webb? When the chance to ponder the thought arose with some of those involved, we jumped at it.

There are only days left ot support Worlds Beyond Wonder: The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One via Kickstarter. As of this writing, it’s already reached over $1.8 million. The book is happening and will be published through Skybound Entertainment. Join the party in confidence.

We spoke with Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, and Lou Wilson about their love of comics and the delight they’ve discovered in watching Jadzia Axelrod and Sarah Webb bring their story to this medium. We relish the love evident in their play, found in every Worlds Beyond Number episode. We discuss nerdom not as a monolith, but as an endless pebbly beach.

This episode was a fantastic surprise, but not as big a surprise as the email we recently received that threw our lives into turmoil (which is the topic of today’s introduction). Friends, we’ve been through it. Thank goodness for our comic book pals.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Jadzia Axelrod on Justice League Dream Girls

• Comic Book Film Club: Punisher: War Zone at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 7/12 at 5:00 PM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.

If you are a fan of the legendary artwork of Michael Turner, you need to check out The DC Art of Michael Turner on Kickstarter from Clover Press and Aspen Comics. This oversized deluxe hardcover celebrates Turner’s unforgettable takes on Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, The Flash, the Justice League, and more, all packed into a massive 200-plus-page coffee-table art book. And if you back the Kickstarter, you can get exclusive editions and extras you can't find in stores, including slipcases, sketchbook editions, portfolios, and more. Michael Turner’s art defined an era of comics — and this is his definitive collection. Visit Kickstarter and search “The DC Art of Michael Turner” before the campaign ends on July 9th.

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!

No hard sell required with this one. Operation: Iron Coffin #1 is in shops today, courtesy of IDW Publishing. It’s concocted by our new favorite comic book dynamic duo, Kenny Porter and Tyrell Cannon (with letterer Shawn Lee). In its pages, you’ll see Bram Stoker’s Dracula working for the Allies during World War II. Like a bomb, he’s dropped from a plane upon a secret Nazi gold train. He lands in the caboose. He proceeds to slaughter his way toward the engine. Many losers are torn limb from limb.

Folks have already compared its action to John Wick, but it’s more like Game of Death smashed with Snowpiercer. As Dracula works his bloody way down the train, new foes present themselves, boss-level style, and each one represents a different mindset or philosophy. Porter and Cannon excel in the excessive bodily harm, but simmering beneath the violence is a powerful reckoning with the human experience and the darkest depths our species can plunge.

In the last few years, we’ve spent a lot of time pondering vampires, mortals, and their relationship to the soul. How fun to have Kenny Porter and Tyrell Cannon on the podcast this week to discuss bloodsuckers, human monsters, evil, and capital E Evil. This is a full-spoilers conversation about Operation: Iron Coffin #1. Be warned. However, this is kind of an unspoilable book. Nothing we say in this podcast can rob the comic of its visual might. So, listen based on your own spoiler sensitivity. But, seriously, you should just grab the comic the next time you’re in the shop.

Follow Kenny Porter on Instagram and Bluesky. Follow Tyrell Cannon on Instagram and Bluesky.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

• Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel

• Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics

• Previously on CBCC: Julio Anta and Daniel Irizarri on Beast of Borikén

• Previously on CBCC: Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones on Dracula: The Brides

• Comic Book Film Club: Punisher: War Zone at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia on 7/12 at 5:00 PM. Co-Sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

• Comic Book Club: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 8/2 at 3:30 PM

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.

This Week's Sponsors

The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

The charming town of Orchard has everything you could ever need: walkable streets, friendly residents, and no escape. But why would you want to leave? The world outside is a nuclear wasteland! It's much better to stay in the warm confines of Orchard and ignore the deep secrets it holds. After all, it's a safe place to live. Free on Webtoon, Winston Gambro’s A Safe Place to Live is the dystopian horror comic you’ve been waiting for. It’s Severance meets Archie. Support human-made art!.

If you are a fan of the legendary artwork of Michael Turner, you need to check out The DC Art of Michael Turner on Kickstarter from Clover Press and Aspen Comics. This oversized deluxe hardcover celebrates Turner’s unforgettable takes on Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, The Flash, the Justice League, and more, all packed into a massive 200-plus-page coffee-table art book. And if you back the Kickstarter, you can get exclusive editions and extras you can't find in stores, including slipcases, sketchbook editions, portfolios, and more. Michael Turner’s art defined an era of comics — and this is his definitive collection. Visit Kickstarter and search “The DC Art of Michael Turner” before the campaign ends on July 9th.

Third Eye Comics is opening its biggest store ever: Third Eye 97, a 10,000-square-foot comic, game, and collectibles mega-store inside a former Walmart in Glen Burnie, Maryland, with the doors opening July 25th. Grand opening month goes huge with a Rob Liefeld signing at the new flagship on July 31st, the legend behind Youngblood, Deadpool, and Cable, live and in person. Can't make it to Maryland? The entire Third Eye world ships to your door at thirdeyecomics.com: new releases, back issues, games, and exclusives, sent anywhere with Third Eye Ships. See Third Eye's massive inventory while watching THE STACKS and then order those same books your favorite creators talk about online! Use codeword: STACKSORDIE for 15% off your order!

The Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Va is not only unlike any theater in America; it’s unlike any Alamo Drafthouse. It’s a franchise. In fact, it’s the first Alamo Drafthouse location outside of Texas. On July 5th, their Film Club is celebrating America’s 250th with the 85th Anniversary of the Greatest Movie Ever Made, Citizen Kane! They’ll have an encore screening of Kane on Wednesday, July 8th, too. Film Club is great, but so is their Psycho Cinema series hosted by Faye. On July 14th, they’re screening truly one of the best bad movies of all time, Samurai Cop. Golly, have you even lived until you’ve seen Samurai Cop on the big screen? I think not. Get your tickets today!