Paranoia. Connection. Catastrophe. IS TED OK? Pushes Sci-Fi Into Uncharted Territory

A Surveillance State. A Fractured Mind. A Single Act of Empathy That Breaks the World Open.
What happens when the act of helping someone becomes the spark that unravels everything?

This February, Mad Cave Studios introduces IS TED OK?, the newest creator-owned series from award-winning cartoonist and musician Dave Chisholm (Spectrum, Miles Davis & The Search for the Sound), who writes, illustrates, and designs the series in his signature, formally inventive style. Across six oversized issues, with covers by Chisholm, and a variant Cover B by Eisner Award-winning comic book artist Christian Ward (Batman: City of Madness, Two Face, Event Horizon).

Is Ted OK? unfolds as a spectacularly unpredictable yarn—each issue widening the lens, escalating the stakes, and shattering the scope of the issue before it, all without losing its beating heart: the search for human connection in an oppressive, paranoid world.

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.

Series creator Dave Chisholm expressed his enthusiasm for the project, noting:

“I really, really can’t wait for everyone to read this book. Is Ted OK? began years ago with a handful of songs that sparked images in my head, and from that, Ted and Sarah were born. From there, the story kept snowballing: the allure and horror of a surveillance state, the threat of a mysterious dome, corporate doublespeak, violence, power, empathy, and what pushes someone toward or away from human connection. All of it fed into this strange, funny, horrifying, and deeply human sci-fi mystery. Each of the six oversized issues expands the scope and raises the stakes, and I’m beyond grateful to Mad Cave for believing in the full ambition of this project. I promise it’s going to blow your mind visually, narratively, and emotionally.”

For readers who crave high-concept sci-fi with emotional teeth. Is Ted OK? leans into the paranoia of Severance, the scale and strangeness of Akira, and the narrative daring of Mind MGMT and Department of Truth—all while grounding the story in something deeply human: the fragile, necessary search for connection in a world built to suppress it.

Is Ted OK? #1 (of 6) arrives in comic shops February 25, 2026, with FOC on February 2, 2026.

Author Profile

Al Mega: I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!