Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast

Live from HeroesCon 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina, we’re celebrating the beautiful kinship between cartoonists Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer, the industry’s most notable BFFs. Their meet-cute occurred ten years ago at HeroesCon, the most comic book comic convention in America, but it solidified during an adventure to claim a “Tiger Truck.” You can take a second to unpack that last sentence, or you can just go ahead and press play on this week’s podcast episode. We discuss how a passion for comics, Kyle’s location, and its relation to a town where Chris collects his lumber brought these friends together. Eventually, this would lead to collaboration on books such as Rock Candy Mountain, Mars Attacks, 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, and Karate Prom. They are two singular creators with the determination to do things their own way, but somehow, through the bickering, they make magic. It was a pleasure to sit across from these two while they regaled us, and a HeroesCon audience, with tales of triumph, defeat, and consternation. One’s a grump. One’s chill. One’s an optimist. One’s a realist. Who’s who might surprise you. We’re delighted to platform these comic book besties. Recently, Kyle Starks wrapped up Wrestle Heist for Image Comics, and it will land in bookstores on August 4th. He also completed Where Monsters Lie: Dead End via Kickstarter and is currently writing the Vertigo Comics series, End of Life. Follow him on BlueSky, Instagram, Patreon, and his Website. Chris Schweizer is weeks away from launching his next Kickstarter campaign for Outlaw’s Apprentice: Broken Blade, the first graphic novel in his Appalachian-inspired swashbuckling fantasy series. You can also read it on Webtoon and Patreon. Follow him on BlueSky, Instagram, and his Website. 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! This June, Top Shelf Productions is bringing you unforgettable stories from the deeply personal to the absolutely colossal. On June 2nd, discover We Are Pan, the powerful historical graphic novel from writer Andre Frattino and illustrator Yasmin Flores Montanez. Inspired by the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, the secret mission that evacuated over 14,000 Cuban children to the United States during Fidel Castro’s rise to power. Then, on June 23rd, buckle up for Minnie Pouches in the MicroRealm! From Caleb Goellner and Eric Lide comes a wildly imaginative all-ages adventure about a super-anxious super-strong girl battling pizza dinosaurs, laser robots, and floating nightmares across bizarre dimensions to rescue her pets and save her family. 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!. 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: Kyle Starks on Karate Prom Previously on CBCC: Kyle Starks on I Hate This Place Comic Book Film Club: Supergi

Friends, we’ve got a special episode for you today. Comic book icons Wendy Pini and Richard Pini join the podcast for the first time, and they hang out for a lengthy, deep dive conversation into Elfquest’s origins. Their romance began in the letters column of Silver Surfer #5 (1968), materialized as the result of a clandestine cross-country road trip, and solidified through creative collaboration, which would also challenge their partnership. Elfquest is nearly fifty years old, but it's as vibrant and relevant as ever. These comics are waiting for anyone already caught up in the Romantasy BookTok discourse. It's a profoundly philosophical work, bashing against humanity’s great worries, ready to absorb those anxieties and potentially process them toward action. However, as much as you’ll find yourself in Elfquest, you’ll discover Wendy and Richard Pini, too. Like the best stories, it’s autobiography masked as fiction. As new readers ourselves, we can guarantee Elfquest’s contemporary grip. Chief Cutter’s journey from the forest to the desert and the greater world beyond found us just when our lives were thrown in upheval. So, it was more than a pleasure to chat with Wendy Pini and Richard Pini about their great comic book saga, how it came to be, and why they continue as its shepherds. Over the last few years, Dark Horse Comics has gathered Elfquest: The Original Quest into four beautiful hardcover collections. Recently, they also published Elfquest: The Final Quest in a glorious hardcover omnibus, and Elfquest: The Hidden Years will receive a massive Gallery Edition Hardcover in July. Call your local comic shops asap. To stay abreast of everything Elfquest, make sure you’re following them on their website, Instagram, and Bluesky. This Week's Sponsors This February, Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer soars again in a brand-new story written by John Layman, the genius behind the foodie cannibal detective series Chew, and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, who drew Plastic Man: No More and has a very cool J. Bone/Darwyn Cooke style. The new series is called The Rocketeer: The Island. Our skybound hero, Cliff Secord, leads a dangerous search and rescue mission. Who’s he looking for? None other than Amelia Earhart! The first issue crashes into comic book shops on February 25th, courtesy of IDW Publishing. 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! 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 CBCC on The Beat: Why Comics Needs Its Own Criterion Closet AIPT reports on The Stacks CBCC on the Comics Matter Podcast CBCC on Escape the Mojoverse Podcast CBCC on The FAQS Project Podcast CBCC on The Pop Culture SquadCast Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England Comic Book Club: Batman: The Court of Owls at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 3/15 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

The movie-to-comic path doesn’t always work out, but IDW Publishing is quickly proving itself to be the place to run to with your adaptation. Their latest cinematic comic book sidequel, A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, features script and layouts by industry veteran Phil Hester and pencils and inks by Ryan Kelly. Hester comes from that Alex Toth/Harvey Kurtzman tradition, embracing visuals and having faith that silence can carry as much story as 200 word balloons. A Quiet Place stakes its narrative on silence. If you caught the first film in a theater, you undoubtedly remember the awkwardness of attempting popcorn consumption while Emily Blunt on screen quiveringly descends the basement stairs before OWWWWW! The nail in the foot! One may think removing audible sound from the equation would ruin the experience; however, Phil Hester did just that when he pitched his take to editors, adapting that scene specifically. The stairway nail bit, told as a comic by Phil Hester, proved undeniable. He got the gig, and then he got to work formulating his spin-off characters and plot. As the first film took inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, so does his arc, pitting a small town politician against the local fire chief. This time, they’re also sister and brother, adding a dramatic sharpness that can only cut when family is involved. Of course, what does familial pride matter when creatures are raining from the sky? Phil Hester joins the podcast for the first time this week. We discuss the challenges of adapting a cinematic concept to the comic book page, how he always embraces silence, and why Jaws is just the best damn movie ever made. A Quiet Place: Storm Warning #1 arrives in comic book shops from IDW Publishing on March 11th. It's written by Phil Hester, illustrated by Ryan Kelly, colored by Lee Loughridge, lettered and designed by Nathan Widick, and edited by Heather Antos. Make sure you’re following Phil Hester on Bluesky. 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! This February, Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer soars again in a brand-new story written by John Layman, the genius behind the foodie cannibal detective series Chew, and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, who drew Plastic Man: No More and has a very cool J. Bone/Darwyn Cooke style. The new series is called The Rocketeer: The Island. Our skybound hero, Cliff Secord, leads a dangerous search and rescue mission. Who’s he looking for? None other than Amelia Earhart! The first issue crashes into comic book shops on February 25th, courtesy of IDW Publishing. 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 CBCC on the Comics Matter Podcast AIPT reports on The Stacks Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England Comic Book Club: Batman: The Court of Owls at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM Comic Book Film Club: Blade at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 2/15 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