SDCC Day Three: Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction on FML

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 expe