Every once in a while there is a story that comes across my desk that evokes a certain feeling that is truly hard to explain, but one thing I know is that I want more of it. Is Ted OK? by Dave Chisholm happens to be one of those stories. An uneasy feeling, while also gripping me to the max, with unique artwork and story that I want so much more of.
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.
The feeling that comes alive when reading Is Ted OK? was similar to that feeling evoked from watching the first season of Severance. Which is somewhat not a surprise as the comparison is used in the solicitation for the series. However, it’s not the subject or plot of Is Ted OK? you should compare, but the uneasiness and can’t-look-away feeling you get from reading this comic.
You have a character going through the motions in Ted, depressed, lonely, and just doing the job because it’s the thing he has to do. As well as the co-worker (who he doesn’t know yet) getting a second chance at this mega-corporation who just wants to help Ted, but screws it up at the same time. This company has secrets in the closet, but is so big people look the other way, but things get weird as the story progresses.
Of course, Chisholm is drawing comparisons between the fictional Ayn-Styne and the massive companies we have in the real world such as Amazon or similar billionaire run businesses. The company that we all know is too big and has too much control over us, but somehow feel like the only option to work or purchase from. Drawing from the real world to inspire this series makes for a more enjoyable and poignant read.
With an outstanding premise and story, the art could’ve been stick figures in black and I would’ve been happy. What we get is Chisholm’s quirky art style which adds to the uneasiness of the story itself. The colored pencil style coloring made for a unique visual experience that I don’t see often in comics, allowing for Is Ted OK? to standout from the crowd.
Is Ted OK? by Dave Chisholm is one of those tales which a certain feeling that is truly hard to explain from both the story and unique artwork. It’s an experience all on its own, one that I would love to come back to over and over, and is likely one of the better comics in 2026.
The collected edition of Is Ted OK? hits bookstores everywhere on September 29, 2026 and local comic shops on October 6 from Mad Cave Studios.
Is Ted OK? Vol. 1 TP Preview
