Dave Chisholm on Is Ted OK

Dave Chisholm on Is Ted OK

Author: Brad & Lisa Gullickson January 14, 2026 Duration: 1:09:52
No one makes comics like Dave Chisholm, and we don’t allow him to make one without first making a stop at the podcast. His latest, Is Ted OK?, reveals an artist pushing himself to his very limit, built on an incredible run of 2025 books, our favorite Limited Series from last year, Spectrum, and the gnarly haunted horror, Plague House. Not to forget his work on High Strangeness, which is still in process. Chisholm learns something about himself and the medium every time he steps up to his drawing board, allowing the next project to always top the last. Is Ted OK? The title answers itself, but certainly not in the way you expect. Chisholm imagines a dystopian world, where Ted drones away as a graphic designer for a megacorporation owned by the world’s first trillionaire. He’s disconnected from those around him, friendly only with a cat, and plagued by horrendous night terrors. He’s also being watched 24/7 by Sarah, another employee tasked with monitoring his suicidal and homicidal tendencies. She’s concerned, she wants to help, and her first attempt to do so makes Is Ted Ok?’s first issue climax. This week, we welcome Dave Chisholm back on the podcast. We spent six months with him last year on the show, meticulously dissecting Spectrum with his collaborator Rick Quinn. It’s fun to catch up. We discuss how his past work brought him to Is Ted OK? We talk about allowing comics to be comics and making sure that every panel carries story. In fact, we discuss how every element of a comic is a chance to carry story. FOC (Final Order Cutoff) for Is Ted OK? #1 is Monday, February 2nd. The comic will eventually be available at comic shops on February 25th, thanks to Mad Cave Studios. Make sure you get your order in, and follow Dave Chisholm on Instagram and 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! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part One) The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two) Read The Stampies on GlobalComix Previously on CBCC: Rick Quinn and Dave Chisholm on Spectrum Previously on CBCC: Dave Chisholm on Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound Comic Book Club: Black Arms to Hold You Up at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM Comic Book Film Club: The Phantom w/Billy Zane Virtual Intro at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 1/25 Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page. 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.

Ever wonder what keeps Lois Lane and Clark Kent together, or why the Joker and Harley Quinn’s dynamic is so endlessly dissected? That’s the kind of territory you’ll find in Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast. Hosted by real-life married couple Brad and Lisa Gullickson, this isn’t just a rundown of famous pairs. Instead, they use their own relationship as a lens to examine the loves, feuds, and complicated bonds that define our favorite characters. Each episode feels like a lively conversation between two passionate fans who happen to share a life, digging into the psychology, history, and narrative impact of relationships across comic book publishing and wider pop culture. You’ll hear them analyze everything from classic Golden Age partnerships to the messy modern entanglements in contemporary graphic novels, always with a mix of deep knowledge and genuine curiosity. This podcast offers a uniquely personal and thoughtful way to engage with the stories you love, moving beyond powers and plot twists to ask what these fictional connections really say about us. Tune in for a smart, often funny, and always insightful look at the heart of the narratives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Jadzia Axelrod on Justice League Dream Girls (Full Spoilers) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:32
It’s time to witness what you were previously denied as a reader. Jadzia Axelrod returns to the podcast, talking full spoilers about her new weekly DC Pride event series, Justice League: Dream Girls. Done in collaboratio…
Dave Baker and Nicole Goux on Punk n Heads [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:20
On the podcast, survival comes up a lot. Is it enough to just make it through one more day? Should we strive for more? This week, we’re pondering the artistic life alongside cartoonists Dave Baker and Nicole Goux. Their…
Daniel Freedman on Stimulus - Bonus - Jack Kirby Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:02
The phone calls could be harsh. Daniel Freedman talked to a lot of shop owners. They told him anthologies didn’t sell. He explained that Stimulus was not an anthology; it was a short story collection. They continued to e…
Todd McFarlane on Spawn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:46
Well, this is a surprise. Todd McFarlane returns to the podcast to discuss why he’s suddenly switching up the creative rosters on several Spawn universe titles. Starting with issue 376, friend of the show Matthew Rosenbe…
Amber Akin and Jimmy Gaspero on Penny and the Yeti [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:36
When mom and dad go to war, it’s the children who suffer the most. Family tension bleeds into every aspect of their lives, and frequently, they have nowhere to hide or even space to process the external and internal stri…
Kevin Alvir on Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar The Rock God Complex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:15
We’re sure you can relate to this sensation. You finish reading a comic, and as you close the back cover, you look over your shoulder. Has the creator responsible for this book been living in your home? Have they been wa…
Tiffany Babb on The Comics Staple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:18
With social media splintering and websites chasing clicks, navigating the comic book industry has never been more challenging. Tiffany Babb and The Comics Staple are here to help, hopefully. If you have any interest in c…
Christian Ward on Event Horizon Inferno [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:06
Before Christian Ward joins us for a full-spoilers conversation about Event Horizon: Inferno, we get lost in a lengthy discussion about Stephen King’s The Stand. We promise, however, that both stories tie nicely together…
Franklin Jonas and Curt Pires on Fireborn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:56
It’s a topic we discuss a lot. When you love comics, you eventually want to make them. Curt Pires heard Franklin Jonas professing his love for the medium on a podcast. Immediately, he recognized a kindred spirit. Pires i…