It's always a sunny day when Patrick Horvath wanders into our Love Nest. Two years after his first appearance on the podcast, he's back with another first issue, and this time, it's the sequel to the comic that made him a sensation. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring takes us back to Woodbrook, years after the events of the origina…

After half a year, our Spectrum Book Club podcast series with collaborators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm finds its ending. It's bittersweet but equally exhilarating. The sixth issue in the Mad Cave Studios series lands the thesis, connecting every reader to every creator and revealing their powers in the process. You. Yeah, you. You're probably a m…

In this week's road show episode of Off Panel, cartoonist Kazu Kibuishi, writer Ryan North, and cartoonist Lucy Knisley join the show to talk about why they love comics so much, albeit in individual segments. Up first, Kibuishi discusses the original appeal of comics, what stood out about the medium, comic strips and picture books, his reader self …

In the landmark, hologram-covered 500th episode of Off Panel, my pal Brandon Burpee returns to the show to hand out some awards and to answer questions from friends of the podcast. We discuss favorites and surprises from the first 500 episodes, the comics that aged the best and worst from the past decade, comic book crushes, advice for our previous…

Everyone has a Batman opinion. Inside your imagination is a definitive Batman: a Batman who should behave this way, and a Batman who should not behave that way. Your tight grip on your Batman is why Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's carefully considered Absolute Batman works so damn well. They fully understand and appreciate how the character has co…

Kids can take it. You can coddle them. You can protect them with everything you have, but life is not simply coming for them; it already has them. Last year, Armored, the spectacularly spooky adventure story from writer Michael Schwartz and artist Ismael Hernandez, struck a deep emotional chord in us. The series seemingly came out of nowhere and wa…

Writer/editor Alejandro Arbona joins the show to talk about his shift towards writing and his upcoming Kickstarter for his new graphic novel Lake Yellowwood Slaughter. Arbona discusses how he views himself these days, shifting how he's perceived, navigating the current publisher landscape, how he decides which projects to take on, the big things he…

With the Invincible animated series propelling more and more fans to the comic books, now is the perfect time for Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley to reteam on a new series. In a universe populated with numerous rich, wild characters, they could have revamped an infinite number of ideas. They chose Battle Beast, the white lion-like humanoid cursed wi…

Writer Jonathan Hickman joins the show to talk about this phase in his career and the varying projects he's working on. Hickman discusses his love of the World Cup, the phase he finds himself in, his current reality versus his previous one, why Imperial is a focus, his project mix, whether he has to think differently because the current market, pro…

First issues are hard. Last issues are hard. Second-to-last issues are hard. Maybe...all issues are hard? Book Club is back in session with creators Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm, discussing Spectrum #5, the penultimate issue in their brilliant Mad Cave Studios series. With the end just around the corner (the final issue arrives in shops on May 21st…

Writer/artist Sophie Campbell joins the show to talk about her career in comics and her work on the upcoming Supergirl at DC Comics. Campbell discusses her comic origins, the SCAD experience, her evolving relationship with comics, her writer/artist lean, how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became her for-hire home, the project she learned the most fro…

June. 1962. Two men do the impossible: break Out of Alcatraz. The legendary escape almost immediately caught the public's imagination, becoming fodder for TV, film, and prose. Maybe you've encountered a few of these stories; maybe you haven't. Whatever the case, you certainly have not read an interpretation like the Oni Press comic from Christopher…

Cartoonist Craig Thompson joins the show to chat about his comics career and life before diving into his upcoming graphic novel, Ginseng Roots. Thompson discusses his journeys as a creator, the people he meets, his comics connection, his lean towards black and white, his relationship with Blankets, how memoir work changes relationships, the Space D…

Surprise, friends. Grant Morrison joins the show for Superman Day! As the writer behind the seminal All-Star Superman, which observes its 20th anniversary this November, we cannot think of a better person to help us celebrate the Last Son of Krypton on his 87th birthday. Action Comics #1, featuring the first appearance of Superman by Jerry Siegel a…

The Beat's Heidi MacDonald returns to the show to chat about a particularly wild time in the comic industry. MacDonald discusses the insanity of this moment, staying on top of everything, the Diamond Comic Distributors bankruptcy mess (note: This was recorded before the final decision of who won was in), the varying players, why Diamond may have fa…

If you listen to comic book podcasts beyond Comic Book Couples Counseling, you've probably already encountered Aubrey Sitterson. The writer has been making the rounds, discussing his radical new science fiction series Free Planet, made in collaboration with artist Jed Dougherty, colorist Vittorio Astone, letterer Taylor Esposito, and designer Mark …

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

Writer James Tynion IV and artist Michael Walsh join the show to share the story behind their upcoming Image Comics series Exquisite Corpses. They discuss their recent travel, convention experiences, the origins of Exquisite Corpses, it as a game, the book's summits, how they shaped the book, its iterative nature, the people and killers in the stor…

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

Cartoonist Zander Cannon joins the show to chat about the post-Kaijumax life and his upcoming Image Comics series, Sleep. Cannon discusses how he decides what projects to take on, the consolidation of art roles, coming off Kaijumax, losing momentum, his gap between big projects, palate cleansers, projects as business cards, the origins of Sleep, co…

If you're not reading Juni Ba comics, you're missing out on a living legend pushing the form to its extreme potential. Since Djeliya, we haven't missed a panel from the cartoonist, and we've watched him develop into an undeniable talent, producing one essential comic after another. Just when we think he can't possibly top himself (seriously, did yo…

Writer Matt Fraction joins the show to chat about the past few years of his life as a writer and storyteller. Fraction discusses what exactly happened to Matt Fraction, how we perceived creators, the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters experience, what he missed about comics, collaboration and control, what made their approach on AdventureMan the right one…

It's not about the plot. That's why Matthew Rosenberg was not worried about spoiling it all in the solicits for We're Taking Everyone Down With Us, his new Image Comics series done in collaboration with artist Stefano Landini, colorists Roman Titov and Jason Wordie, letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designer Becca Carey. For the writer, the comic…

Cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson joins the show to chat about his recent stretch on comics like Transformers and The Moon is Following Us. Johnson discusses managing the moment, physical media, the physical act of drawing, the phase he's in, original art's impact, whether Transformers has changed how he's viewed, engaging with fans, Transformers' l…

With Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums, Stan Sakai enters his forty-first year as the rabbit ronin's chronicler. Each decade represents about a year in the title character's life, which you can track if you're paying attention to the seasons surrounding Usagi's adventures. If you're paying even closer attention, you can map his footsteps across six…

Reading Judge Dredd in 2025 is a helluva thing. The gap between Anycity USA and Mega-City One shortens seemingly with every passing second, causing us to re-evaluate dystopia's purpose. A Better World, the latest 2000 AD collection from writers Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt, featuring gorgeously gnarly art from Henry Flint, Boo Cook, Jake Lynch, an…

Retailer Katie Pryde joins the show to discuss the recent annual meeting for ComicsPRO and what's happening at her comic shop in Portland, Oregon, Books with Pictures. Pryde discusses this moment in time, separating from the job, the realities of owning a comic shop, the ComicsPRO experience, the standouts of the event, how the perception of Comics…

Today's podcast with Tom King is a conversation we eagerly anticipated the moment we finished the first issue of Helen of Wyndhorn. From its earliest panels, illustrated brilliantly by Bilquis Evely, colored by Matheus Lopes, and lettered by Clayton Cowles, we knew this saga of grief, self-discovery, magic, and adventure would occupy large, permane…

Artist Klaus Janson joins the show to discuss his legendary career and his approach and viewpoints on art. Janson discusses his introspective nature, a recent gallery show that celebrated his career, where artists are these days, where they were when he first started, what the 1970s and 1980s felt like for creators, learning from collaborations, th…

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

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

Kenny Meyers joins the show to discuss his work at Sweet, a company that makes software for comics folk like Bindings, a marketing tool, Find Your Comic Shop, and the upcoming digital comic store, Sweet Shop. Meyers discusses what Sweet is exactly, his starting point for new projects, the complicated nature of his work, why he wanted to focus his s…

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

Writer/artist Tradd Moore joins the show for a sprawling chat about his life, art, and work on projects like Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise. Moore discusses being social media free, external pressures, knowing yourself, his intentional nature, whether he always wanted to make comics, going to Savannah College of Art and Design, influences, his holist…

Always challenge certainty. The moment you know, watch out. Clay McLeod Chapman arrives with another spooky story to confront your perspective, if not outright shatter it. His latest comic, Seance in the Asylum, done in collaboration with artist Leonardo Marcello Grassi, colorist Mauro Gulma, and letterer Frank Cvetkovic, propels us back into our p…

Polygon's Susana Polo joins the show to talk about the upcoming slate of comics adaptations and to highlight things in comics we didn't get to write about but would like to talk about. Polo discusses fandom, what she reps for, her coverage of comic adaptations, the shift in interest in them, how we're feeling about comic movies and shows, flaws fro…

After doing a stint on Conan the Barbarian for Marvel, Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar aimed to keep their collaboration roaring. They loved their time in Hyperborea but also wanted a realm to claim as their own and one where they could unleash their most vicious instincts. Bug Wars, their latest partnership, published at Image Comics, is the beautifu…

Writer Matthew Rosenberg returns to the show to talk about his past few years in comics. Rosenberg discusses his podcast Ideas Don't Bleed, what he gets from it, what his Substack Pro Grant ultimately allowed him to do, the power of time, figuring out what's next, work/life balance, what kind of swing guy he is, collaboration, his humor, the marria…

Time is inescapable -- as if we need to explain that to anyone living in January 2025. However, our listeners who've been paying attention to our podcast this past month know the tyrannical clock is particularly present in our imagination. This preoccupation began with this week's conversation about Ripperland with John Harris Dunning, which we rec…

Writer Kyle Higgins joins the show to talk about his career and his work on Radiant Black and The Massive-Verse. Higgins discusses the power of curiosity, how creating changes your relationship with the creation, Radiant Black as a response to his career to date, the importance of other people, his journey as a creator, the origins of Radiant Black…

They're back! Writer Rick Quinn and artist Dave Chisholm return to the podcast to discuss Spectrum #2, the second issue in their science fiction tour through an alternate musical history. As the plot reveals itself, adding new elements and several more splash pages, we dig deeper into its characters, emotions, and references. Adding this conversati…

Writer Deniz Camp joins the show to talk about his career and his current slate of projects. Camp discusses creator realities, being a Barnes and Noble kid, JLA's impact, the power of restrictions, the impact of experiencing different cultures, varied influences, what made him want to make comics, 20th Century Men's impact, working on PanelxPanel, …

In 2024, we published 58 Comic Book Couples Counseling episodes. However, that was not the total Comic Book Couples Counseling experience. Over on our Patreon, we published an additional 61 episodes, including our Married to Singlesseries, where we talk with comic book creators about their favorite single issues. In 2025, we'll make these a regular…

The writer and artist behind the recently launched The Lucky Devils, Charles Soule and Ryan Browne, join the show to talk about the year their new Image Comics series and the path to bringing it to life. Browne and Soule discuss new release anticipation, how their projects evolve, the rules of these worlds, what they learned from Eight Billion Geni…

New Year's always has us looking inward, hoping for a fresh start. Creating resolutions, however, causes too much pressure, so we prefer to announce our intentions and free ourselves from potential regret if/when we don't achieve them. Helping us through the yearly reboot process in 2025 are Chip Zdarsky and David Brothers, whose new DSTLRYcomic Ti…

Retailer Patrick Brower joins the show to talk about the year that was in his Chicago comic shop, Challengers Comics + Conversation. Brower discusses the slow open to years, the top comics of the year at Challengers, stimulating foot traffic, the year that was at Challengers, Saga's immortal nature, Absolute learnings, what else is moving the needl…

Writer Wyatt Kennedy joins the show to talk about his career and his work on the Image Comics series, Nights. Kennedy discusses managing stress, his comic origins, finding your things, influences outside of comics, figuring things out in real time, comic book rules, the origin of Nights, his artistic collaborators, the world of Nights, its season m…

We made it. Another trip around the sun. Congratulations, everyone. Let's celebrate with our final episode of the year, The Stampies: Best Comics of 2024 (Part Two). In our final episode of 2024, we name the Best Comic of 2024 as well as several other cherished awards: Best Ongoing Series, Best Limited Series, Best Relaunch, Writer of the Year, Art…

Cartoonist Guillaume Singelin joins the show to talk about one of my comics of the year, his graphic novel Frontier, and his career in comics. Singelin discusses his origins as a comic reader, France's relationship with comics, the works he originally connected with, what he originally wanted to do, his love animation, where inspiration comes from,…

Comics will mend your heart. That's the energy we're taking into the new year and the thought we carried as we assembled The Stampies, our end-of-the-year award show celebrating The Best Comics of 2024 - ahem - (Part One). Over the last six years, we've turned to comics to understand ourselves and the world around us better. They've guided us throu…