IS TED OK? - A Comic Review
- Dan Newland
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Release Date: February 25, 2026
Cover Price: $5.99 physical / $4.99 digital
Creator: Dave Chisholm
Publisher's Solicit:
This is a story about Ted and Sarah.
Ted, isolated and paranoid, works for a mega-corporation owned by the world’s only trillionaire. He suffers from night terrors, obsessively draws the same mysterious figures again and again, all while listening to one track of music on repeat–oh, and the only “person” he ever talks to is a stray cat. His humanity is hanging by a thread.
Sarah is a new arrival to the city, fighting her own demons, and her job is to remotely spy on Ted to ensure he doesn’t hurt anyone…or himself. When Ted’s mental state begins to crack, Sarah compassionately intervenes to help, and things go catastrophically wrong.
IS TED OK? mashes up the paranoid existentialism of SEVERANCE with the cosmic sci-fi of AKIRA while exploring what happens when the act of help goes horribly wrong. From creator Dave Chisholm (SPECTRUM, MILES DAVIS & THE SEARCH FOR THE SOUND), Is Ted OK? is a spectacularly unpredictable yarn–each successive issue shatters the scope of the previous, all without losing its core: a search for human connection in an oppressive, paranoid world.
WHAT IS IT?
IS TED OK? tells the story of two people who share an unlikely connection. They both work for the same company: a massive dystopian mega-corp called Ayn-StyneTed where Ted toils away as a graphic designer. Sarah has been assigned to watch him and other troubled employees day and night for signs of violent or self-destructive behavior. Ted is frequently angry, and has terrible dreams at night, while Sarah is starting over after an as-yet-unexplained career misstep. Eventually their narratives begin to converge, and then finally collide!
Over the last few years Chisholm has produced some astonishing work. His Miles Davis and Charlie Parker biographies are gorgeous, and recently he provided cool and trippy visuals for Rick Quinn's Spectrum. Is Ted OK? shows every sign of being another triumph.
WHAT WORKS?
There is always something special about a story that is entirely the product of one cartoonist. Chisholm took on writing, drawing, lettering and coloring chores, and has managed to give us a story that is claustrophobic, disorienting and immersive, with art that displays a jagged, neurotic edge to keep you constantly uncomfortable.
The pacing is perfect, allowing each page to slowly build tension and suspense as we proceed. At least until all hell breaks loose, and then things get messed up.
Chisholm's letter to readers at the end of issue #1 is perhaps what has me most excited. It is there he tells us that he intends "to start personal, to get communal, to get global, to get cosmic, to get existential and weird - obviously without losing the plot." Sounds like he has a plan, and I am here for it!
WHAT DOESN'T WORK?
It seems that Chisholm himself is very aware of the most glaring problem that this series has. The first half of issue #1 is a slow-burn, and the second half poses a lot of questions without giving us any answers at all. I enjoyed the issue, but I have to admit that I really have no idea what the hell is going on right now. That sort of confusion might encourage some readers to drop the book. Chisholm is asking us - trusting us - to stick with him. He's taking a risk, but if Chisholm can bring it home over the next five issues we may be in for a real treat.
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
Fans of dystopian speculative fiction should definitely pick this up, as it deals with themes of corporate control, surveillance culture and the loneliness of life in a technology-infested world. Moreover, if you are a fan of auteur comics this is a great chance to see Chisholm show off his skills.
HOW DO I BUY IT?
Click one of these:
Mad Cave Website: https://madcavestudios.com/product/is-ted-ok-issue-1/
Find a Local Comic Shop: https://www.comicshoplocator.com/
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