Supercontext: an autopsy of media

This independent comedy/fantasy comic book series wasn't intended to be for kids necessarily, but because of how savvily Jeff Smith marketed his self-publishing business, it became a hit for all-ages. We discuss Bone's impact on the library market, as well as its struggles with female representation and censorship. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Out From Boneville RASL Possessions A Tale of Sand Return of The Dapper Men Raina Telgemeier The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh The Last Unicorn Additional Resources: Interview: Jeff Smith Pt. 1 AICN COMICS EXCLUSIVE! Alexandra DuPont Interviews BONE Creator Jeff Smith!! The History of BONE & Jeff Smith Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan panel votes not to ban elementary school book series Mix of tradition, fantasy comics pays off for artist The Jeff Smith Interview

This mainstream television series may be about the afterlife, but it also serves as a platform for defining our morality here in the real world. We discuss the team behind its creation and how they crafted a narrative that avoids political correctness, while teaching us about ethics and positivity in a time of political trauma. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Science... For Her! Let's Get Physics Y'all EXPERIMENTING with Megan Amram The Lifeguard They Remain The Prisoner Brooklyn 99 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Additional Resources: Kantian comedy: the philosophy of The Good Place The Complicated Morality of The Good Place The Good Place: how a sitcom made philosophy seem cool Talking to a Philosopher About 'The Good Place' The Good Psychology In 'The Good Place' How Will NBC's 'The Good Place' Tackle Religion? How 'The Good Place' Became an Antihero Antidote 'The Good Place's Optimism Is a Salve for Despair in the Trump Era 'The Good Place' Helps Normalize Interracial Relationships 'The Good Place' is The Most Woke Sitcom on TV 'The Good Place' brings representation and genius-level comedy to the small screen

This 2011 award-winning work of literary fiction has been celebrated by everyone from academics to Rolling Stone. But we look at it in light of its cultural expectations, from a "high brow" publisher, to its timidity about engaging with ethnically diverse characters. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: A Visit From the Goon Squad Burn Collector The Loom of Ruin Commonwealth Run White Jazz American Tabloid The Cold Six Thousand Additional Resources: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan – review "Goon Squad": Jennifer Egan's time-travel tour de force CS Note: Salon's site is so full of ads and video overlays that I could barely read the article as it slowed my computer to a halt. HBO Sets Pulitzer Prize Winner 'A Visit From The Goon Squad' For Series Treatment Strong, M. J. (2018). Found time: Kairos in A Visit from the Goon Squad. Critique, 59(4), 471-480. Cowart, D. (2015). Thirteen Ways of Looking: Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. Critique, 56(3), 241-254. MOLING, M. (2016). "No Future": Time, Punk Rock and Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. Arizona Quarterly, 72(1), 51. "Water, Water Everywhere," By: WHELDON, WYNN. Commentary. Nov2017, Vol. 144 Issue 4, p60-62. 3p. "Big Novelist: Jennifer Egan," By: Heller, Nathan. Rolling Stone. 5/31/2012, Issue 1158, p66-67. 2p. Bookclub-in-a-Box Discusses A Visit From The Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan, By: Godfrey, Laura; Egan, Jennifer; Herbert, Marilyn; Bookclub-in-a-Box (Firm). [England] : Bookclub-In-A-Box. 2012. eBook., Database: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)

This 1967 movie was called "the death of cinema" by its creator, and operated as a critique of both capitalism and mainstream films. We try to understand how a man as notoriously malicious as Godard was to his cast and crew, could also use this platform to argue for a better world. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Magic Christian Trouble Every Day Guido Crepax Ravenous Maximum Overdrive Jim Jarmusch Hal Hartley David Cronenberg Additional Resources: Revolution & Car Crashes: 5 Things Learned About Jean-Luc Godard's 'Weekend' From The Criterion Collection's New Release Are You in a Film or in Reality? Jean-Luc Godard's 'Weekend' Will Have You Wondering Jones, Kent. Sight & Sound. Feb2016, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p46-51. 6p. 5 Color Photographs, 5 Black and White Photographs. Flashback: Weekend – Jean-Luc Godard's assault on bourgeois values from 1967 Weekend (Jean-Luc Godard, 1967) Two Weeks with "Weekend" Breaking The Rules - The French New Wave Godard's Comic Strip Mise-en-Scène

This debut EP from a legendary Boston punk band has been held in critical reverence for over 30 years. We look to how the songs were written, recorded and distributed to try to unpack what it all does (or doesn't) mean. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Signals, Calls, and Marches Mission: Control! 24 Hour Party People The Cat and The Cobra Songs About Fucking entertainment! No Pussyfooting Larks' Tongues In Aspic Additional Resources: MISSION OF BURMA Mission of Burma Signals, Calls, and Marches SIGNALS, CALLS, AND MARCHES AllMusic Review by Mark Deming Mission of Burma: Signals, Calls, and Marches / Vs. Artist Biography by John Dougan The secret of Mission of Burma's longevity? Never having the chance to suck. Mission impossible The story behind the legend of a seminal Boston band

This comic about archaeologists uncovering the secret history of pop culture took Warren Ellis and John Cassaday 10 years to complete. We discuss its interrogation of genre, intellectual property and history, in light of the cyclical nature of the comics industry some 20 years after the project started. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Planetary League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Nemo Trilogy StormWatch Black Summer All-Star Superman New X-Men RED Transmetropolitan Castlevania Additional Resources: WHY PLANETARY RULES THE WORLD The cynical superheroics (and hopeful humanity) of Warren Ellis' Planetary Beautiful and Unique Snowflakes: Warren Ellis' 'Planetary' 'PLANETARY': DIGGING UP THE BONES OF THE GENRE COMIC Telling Stories About Storytelling: The Metacomics of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis

This Amazon television show is about comedian Tig Notaro dealing with tragedy in her Mississippi hometown. But we discuss how its theme of demystifying the South was partially derailed by the corporate pivoting of its distributor and the sexual misconduct of some of its producers. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: One Mississippi Nanette My Dead Parents The Electric Woman Fun Home Are You My Mother? Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood Additional Resources: Review: Have You Heard the One About the Grieving Daughter? The Heartbreak Comedy of "One Mississippi" Why Tig Notaro Took on Sexual Assault in Her Amazon Series Is One Mississippi Tig Notaro's Love Letter to Her Hometown? Tig Notaro: Louis C.K.'s Forced Departure from 'One Mississippi' Was 'A Huge Relief' tig notaro and stephanie allynne's 'one mississippi' showed me the love i was feeling Why Did Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu Kill a Bunch of Alternative Comedies?

This first part in the Jerry Cornelius saga is literary science-fiction that challenges the politics of its time through transgression. But we find eerie parallels to our current zeitgeist and wonder if Cornelius is the perfect device to question our thoughts about subversion and morality. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Final Programme Casanova The Adventures of Luther Arkwright & Heart of The Empire The Prisoner The Invisibles Sebastian O. The Time Traveler's Wife Money Additional Resources: Harrison, A. (2015). "I think Tolkien was a crypto-fascist". New Statesman, 144(5272), 40-43. Moorcock's Achievement and Promise in the Jerry Cornelius Books Interview with SFWA Grand Master Michael Moorcock The Final Programme by Michael Moorcock How we met: 43. Michael Moorcock and Andrea Dworkin

This psychological thriller about an unethical photojournalist has us asking all kinds of questions. Are we complicit in the horrible narratives of the news? Do supportive families enable creative storytelling? And if the qualities of a villain are synonymous with "success" now, how do we tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Nightcrawler There Will Be Blood The Master Michael Clayton Heat Get Shorty Additional Resources: Nightcrawler: a moral dilemma of our own making 'Nightcrawler' Reminds Us That Capitalism and the Media Have Gotten Worse Dan and Tony Gilroy of 'Nightcrawler' Talk Media Ugliness In The Digital Age: Q&A 'Nightcrawler' and the new face of entitlement Rembrandt Lighting Through the Lens Glass: 'Nightcrawler' Filmmaker Dan Gilroy on Car Chases, Screenwriting, and the Internet's Latchkey Kids Oscars: Dan Gilroy Taking Creepy 'Nightcrawler' Deep Into Race With Sterling Directorial Debut "This Is a Cautionary Tale": An Interview With Dan Gilroy of 'Nightcrawler' Nightcrawler: How Dan Gilroy Made The Most Original Film Of The Year Interview: Dan Gilroy Interview: 'Nightcrawler' Director Dan Gilroy Talks Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Elswit & Sociopaths "I Did Not Want a Character With an Arc": 'Nightcrawler' Filmmaker Dan Gilroy on His Oscar Nomination, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Crime Scene Photography Riz Ahmed winning rave reviews for new film role Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Nightcrawler' Gets California Incentive Cannes: Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Nightcrawler' Sparks Bidding War Rene Russo on Nightcrawler, Career Regrets, and Not Having a Sex Scene With Jake Gyllenhaal

This deconstruction of the superhero genre was mired in legal debacles and intellectual property battles for decades before we could get a chance to read it. We look at that convoluted history, in light of Alan Moore's attempt to reimagine and criticize the themes of superhero comics. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Miracleman: A Dream of Flying Planetary Supreme: Blue Rose The Vision Understanding Comics Additional Resources: https://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2011/09/miracleman-neil-gaimans-writers.html https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/1057/miracleman-heads-court http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2004/02/last-legal-post-for-long-time.asp https://www.cbr.com/mcfarlane-responds-to-marvelman-news/ http://forbiddenplanet.blog/2009/the-mighty-moore-marathon-part-three-of-padraigs-talk-with-alan-moore/ https://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/10/17/the-original-writer-formerly-known-as-alan-moore/ https://nerdist.com/why-alan-moores-miracleman-still-matters/ https://www.tor.com/2011/10/31/the-great-alan-moore-reread-marvelman-miracleman-part-1/ https://observationdeck.kinja.com/why-marvels-miracleman-isnt-alan-moores-marvelman-1447594301 https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/69fm5n/what_are_the_best_deconstructionist_and/?st=jijj8nlu&sh=9182a032 https://web.archive.org/web/20090905013308/http://www.mania.com/alan-moore-reflects-marvelman_article_117413.html http://www.vulture.com/2014/06/miracleman-marvelman-alan-moore-comics-dream-of-flying.html

This eighteen-hour continuation of a beloved twenty-five year old television series evokes emotions of both love and hate. So we discuss how Mark Frost, David Lynch and Showtime made and distributed this project while adhering to the original themes of good-versus-evil and unconventional storytelling. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Twin Peaks: The Return Fortitude Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Pretty as a Picture Lost Highway Archie Additional Resources: Ma, Aliza. Film Comment. Nov/Dec2017, Vol. 53 Issue 6, p36-39. 4p. 1 Ewins, M. (2018). 2 TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN: DAVID LYNCH & MARK FROST. Sight & Sound, 28(1), 33-36. LUCCA, VIOLET, Film Comment. Nov/Dec2017, Vol. 53 Issue 6, p40-41. 2p SYME, RACHEL. New Republic. Aug/Sep2017, Vol. 248 Issue 8/9, p66-68. 3p. Twin Peaks Revival Back On for 'More Than' 9 Episodes as David Lynch, Showtime Resolve Stalemate Is Twin Peaks a movie or a TV show? The answer's more complicated than you'd think. David Lynch on Bowie and the Music that Inspired the New "Twin Peaks" 'Twin Peaks: The Return' Proves David Lynch Still Has a Woman Problem Has 'Twin Peaks' Been a Hit for Showtime? How, and why, Showtime resurrected "Twin Peaks" Was Twin Peaks: The Return Worth It for Showtime?

This treatise on climate change argues that we should just accept that our civilization is going to die. We might survive however, by remembering our cultural heritage. We discuss Scranton's experience at war, as well as the variety of reactions to his claim that we should just confront our own mortality, even when we're posting to social media. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Learning to Die in the Anthropocene Scatter, Adapt, and Remember The Better Angels of Our Nature It's a Disaster Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Melancholia Additional Resources: 28 Authors on the Books That Changed Their Lives Impurity: Two Books on the Anthropocene LEARNING TO DIE IN THE ANTHROPOCENE: INTERVIEW WITH ROY SCRANTON Ison, Ray and Shelley, Monica. "Governing in the Anthropocene: Contributions from Systems Thinking in Practice?" Whitington, Jerome. "What Does Climate Change Demand of Anthropology?" Political and Legal Anthropology Review, May 2016.

We discuss the history of this influential record in light of the band's breakup and subsequent reformation. We also examine their rhetoric of anti-capitalism in relation to the production and distribution of this album. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Shape of Punk to Come Plays Pretty For Baby The Lipstick Game Turn Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven Additional Resources: Refused New Noise Spawns Nu Shame Fauteux, B. (2012). "New Noise" versus the Old Sound: Manifestos and The Shape of Punk to Come. Popular Music & Society, 35(4), 465. doi:10.1080/03007766.2011.578523 REFUSED's 'The Shape Of Punk To Come' To Be Released As A Deluxe Edition - Apr. 7, 2010 Refused – "The Shape of Punk to Come" WHY 'THE SHAPE OF PUNK TO COME' WAS WRONG Refused is making a new album 17 years after The Shape of Punk to Come Refused Are Fucking Dead (The Last Official Press Release) REFUSED: Pop Songs for the Revolution

This 2008 military film claims to be about realism and a soldier's addiction to war. But we learn that despite writer Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow's best intentions, it doesn't accurately reflect the experience of veterans. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Hurt Locker Near Dark Blue Steel Point Break Sheriff of Babylon Pride of Baghdad The Night Porter Eat the Apple Additional Resources: Here's Why 'The Hurt Locker' Is The Worst War Movie Of All Time U.S. bomb expert says "Hurt Locker" stole his story Iraq War Vet Ordered to Pay $187,000 in Failed Lawsuit Against 'Hurt Locker' Producers The Hurt Locker: interview with Mark Boal The Hurt Locker: So Right About Men, So Wrong About Addiction What's Wrong With 'The Hurt Locker' First sight: Mark Boal Driscoll, S. (2013). The Hurt Locker (film). Salem Press Encyclopedia, TAUBIN, A. (2009). hard wired. Film Comment, 45(3), 30-35. The Iraq war -- from the troops' point of view Kathryn Bigelow

This 12-year running comedy game show features celebrities from the entertainment industry celebrating their love of cinema. But it's also a fascinating intersection between business and marijuana culture. We discuss its trajectory alongside the legalization of the drug here in parts of the United States. Check out Doug Loves Movies here. Additional Resources: Podcast Review: Doug Loves Movies Listen Up: The 20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now https://tv.avclub.com/doug-benson-is-probably-high-right-now-1798258344 Doug Benson on comedy, high concepts and Doug Loves Movies Doug Benson's Total Scam of a Life Listen Notes Talk show host's stoner dream comes true, and it's high time Doug Benson On 420 Comedy, Post-Legalization

This controversial comic series about terrorism and identity politics predicts a dystopia that not everyone is willing to agree with. We look at the angry arguments from both Howard Chaykin and his detractors about whether this is artistic expression or just shock value. And... we ask what no one else seems to address. Does Chaykin's story successfully meet its intended goal? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Divided States of Hysteria Black Kiss American Flagg The Homeland Directive Dead Babies Mr. A Additional Resources: The Divided States of Hysteria controversy, and what it means for trans characters in comics "Conversation" Sparked By Second Print Of 'Divided States Of Hysteria' Transmyscira: Why I'm Boycotting Image Comics On Free Speech, Censorship, And Howard Chaykin's Divided States Of Hysteria Howard Chaykin Responds To Controversy Image Comics & Chaykin respond to sensitivity feedback, pull THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA cover HOWARD CHAYKIN RESPONDS INTERVIEW: Howard Chaykin on 'Divided States of Hysteria' controversy There Is Absolutely No Excuse for Image Comics' Divided States of Hysteria Hate Crime Cover Let's All Calm Down Over Howard Chaykin's 'Divided States' Cover Art Swap

As long-time listeners know, one of our hosts is moving across the country, and our production schedule has been disrupted. To ease the transition, this week's Supercontext is a shortened, totally subjective chat about what media we have been consuming and enjoying. If anything caught your interest, please consider buying through our Amazon links below to support the show! PROSE Newsletters: Warren Ellis, Unladylike, Hot Pod, Jim Gibbons, Ken Lowery, Live Wire Men in the Off Hours AUDIO Jimmywine Majestic Until Your Heart Stops COMICS Shiver Juni Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu The Coldest City TV Hap and Leonard Legion Halt and Catch Fire MOVIES Alien: Covenant Atomic Blonde

We look into the story behind-the-scenes of this surprisingly profound comic: from Ferris' struggle with West Nile virus, to the book's seizure en route through the Panama Canal. In addition, we discuss Ferris' theme of "personal monster dilemmas" and how the process of creating this was like melting valuable dross from gold. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters How To Be Happy You And A Bike And A Road Why Art? Escape From Special Gravity's Rainbow Additional Resources: Fantagraphics Has Surprise Hit in Debut 'My Favorite Thing is Monsters' Bankrupt Shipping Company Causing Woes for Publishers Emil Ferris: 'I didn't want to be a woman – being a monster was the best solution' The Emil Ferris Interview: Monsters, Art and Stories (Part 2) The Bite That Changed My Life My Favorite Thing is Monsters Author Talks 2017's Buzziest Graphic Novel The Holocaust, Art, Chicago & Sickness: A 3,500-Word Interview with My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Mastermind Emil Ferris How Emil Ferris became the breakout graphic novelist of the year

This memoir by a music icon was expected to be a tell-all about scandal and betrayal. But we discuss how it's actually about defense mechanisms that give the illusion of cool confidence. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Girl in a Band 1991: The Year Punk Broke Sonic Youth The Messthetics Motherfucker The Purkinje Shift (live) Rap Damage Additional Resources: Kim Gordon's 'Girl in a Band' Mooallem, S. (2015). 60s KIM GORDON. Harper's Bazaar, 304-307. Unconventional Idol: Kim Gordon's Girl in a Band FELSENTHAL, J. (2015). ONE-WOMAN SHOW. Marie Claire (US Edition), 22(3), 226. Even Kim Gordon Doesn't Have It All Weiner, J. (2015). Kim Gordon's New Noise. Rolling Stone, (1230), 18. Why Do Women's Music Memoirs Sell So Erratically? Kim Gordon: Girl in a Band

As long-time listeners know, one of our hosts is moving across the country, and our production schedule has been disrupted. To ease the transition, this week's Supercontext is a shortened, totally subjective chat about what media we have been consuming and enjoying. If anything caught your interest, please consider buying through our Amazon links below to support the show! PROSE After The People Lights Have Gone Off The Ones That Got Away Steering the Craft My Twentieth Century Evening and Other Small Breakthroughs Commonwealth COMICS Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier (The Man On The Wall) AUDIO Mothership Connection Maggot Brain Cluster & Eno Jericho Sirens The Binge Mode podcast TV Taboo Peaky Blinders Longmire Hard Sun Puffin Rock MOVIES They Remain Coco Charlotte's Web Moana

This 2017 film, written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, is trying to be a respectful crime drama set on a Native American reservation. We discuss Sheridan's mission and choices, as well as the criticism and praise it received for its depiction. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Wind River Skinwalkers Stephen Graham Jones Longmire Additional Resources: Wind River Is an Overwritten Mystery-Thriller With a Crazily Powerful Ending The Moody, Mixed Messages of Wind River The Truth Behind This Year's Most Shocking Film, Wind River 'Wind River': Taylor Sheridan on Why He Needed to Make This Modern Western Taylor Sheridan: 'The big joke on reservations is the white guy that shows up and says: "My grandma is Cherokee"' What's So Hard About Casting Indian Actors in Indian Roles? Movie Review: Taylor Sheridan's 'Wind River' is Gripping, Realistic and Beautifully-Crafted Three Billboards, Wind River and Hollywood's Representation Problem Why do white writers keep making films about Indian Country? Sundance: Weinstein Company to No Longer Distribute Jeremy Renner's 'Wind River' Weinstein Name Stripped From 'Wind River'; Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Financiers To Pay For Oscar Campaign Taylor Sheridan Got the Weinstein Company Scrubbed From Wind River With an Ultimatum Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation

Jen Kirkman is a prolific comedian, known for her acerbic, dry wit. We look at her 2015 Netflix special and wonder what it says about mainstream lifestyles and life after forty. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine) The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion Nikki Glaser Morgan Murphy April Richardson Michelle Wolff Additional Resources: Jen Kirkman responds to Louis C.K. allegations: He's 'no longer' a friend Jen Kirkman sets the record straight on Louis CK and those sexual misconduct rumors Jen Kirkman on Election-Night Anxiety, Touring as a Woman, and Dealing With Rumors Jen Kirkman: 'Joan Rivers was my comedy mother' Jen Kirkman Talks Trump, Mental Health, and Overthinking Comedy Jen Kirkman on feminism, Hallmark Christmas movies and — yes — Louis C.K. In her first Netflix special, Jen Kirkman airs her grievances on a world gone dumb Jen Kirkman Finds Material in the Single Life in 'I'm Gonna Die Alone' I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine): An Interview with Jen Kirkman How Morrissey's Moping and the Bee Gees' Style Inspired Jen Kirkman's Standup Special

This graphic novel, by one of the elder statesmen of comics, pushed the medium into new formats, genres and methods of distribution. We discuss how Eisner used a very personal tragedy to create it, as well as its unique representation of Jewish American identity. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: A Contract With God The Spirit Comics and Sequential Art Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative Hubert Selby, Jr. Additional Resources: Eisner's A Contract with God Is the First Graphic Novel. By: Plummer, Marguerite R., Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2013 The 'God' father THE ANATOMY OF EXPRESSION: WILL EISNER AND 'A CONTRACT WITH GOD' Scott McCloud's Introduction to Will Eisner's A Contract With God — the Centennial Edition Royal, D. P. (2011). Sequential Sketches of Ethnic Identity: Will Eisner's "A Contract with God" as Graphic Cycle. College Literature, 38(3), 150-167.

This animated adult comedy from Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon is on a mission to violate boundaries, while indulging in themes of nihilism and toxicity. We discuss how it's written and animated, along with its representation of women and its non-unionized production team. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Rick and Morty Community Ren and Stimpy The Auteur Stella Children's Hospital T. C. Boyle Stories Additional Resources: Social Commentary in "Rick and Morty" Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland talk bringing absurd to 'Rick and Morty' Talking to Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland About Their New Adult Swim Show, 'Rick and Morty' 'Rick And Morty' Is Better When It Embraces Its Strong Women 'Rick and Morty' Creators: How Hiring Female Writers Made Season 3 the Best Yet Rick and Morty co-creator addresses toxicity among fanbase Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland on Rick and Morty, How Community Is Like Star Trek, and Puberty

The first book in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy focuses on humanity's weird relationship with nature and how we react to the unknown. We look at how VanderMeer wrote the book, the unique publishing strategy behind it and his choice to strip the characters of their identities, while still representing an all female cast. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Annihilation Area X (the collected Southern Reach Trilogy) Injection Prince of Darkness The Peripheral The Other Side of the Mountain Tainaron: Mail from Another City Pattiann Rogers works Additional Resources: Annihilation: "Weird" Nature Jeff VanderMeer: 'Power of Nature' Inspired New Sci-Fi Novel 'Annihilation' Finally, a novel about weird science that's genuinely weird The boundary-pushing fiction of Sean McDonald and his new FSG imprint, MCD From Annihilation to Acceptance: A Writer's Surreal Journey An Interview With Jeff VanderMeer: "Full Disclosure, I'm Really A Komodo Dragon" I'm Jeff VanderMeer, the author of the Southern Reach Trilogy (Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance). AMA!

This Marvel Comics storyline began in 2016 as a synergistic publishing scheme that led to the wildly successful Black Panther film. Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and artist Brian Stelfreeze tell a tale about monarchy, nationalism, revolution, diversity and the universal trope of power. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Between the World and Me Additional Resources: TA-NEHISI COATES FIGHTS THE POWER—LITERALLY—WITH BLACK PANTHER Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze is brilliant, political, and human The Return of the Black Panther Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther is a human drama about power Ta-Nehisi Coates Hopes 'Black Panther' Will Be Some Kid's 'Spider-Man' The Words that Build Wakanda: Following Ta-Nehisi Coates' BLACK PANTHER The Confused Politics Behind Marvel's Black Panther: A Brief History WAKANDA REBORN

This is Guided By Voices' 100th record (by some fuzzy math). We discuss how they create songs and what each band member contributes. We also debate the quantity over quality ethos of this prolific band... and wonder if for some listeners it's more like a religion. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: August By Cake Guided By Voices Ty Segall Fuzz Cap'n Jazz and the Kinsellas Owls Joan of Arc Additional Resources: Pitchfork review Popmatters review Flood Magazine review GUIDED BY A LOT OF VOICES: GBV MEMBERS WEIGH IN ON 'AUGUST BY CAKE' Band Q&A: Guided By Voices Life Lessons from Robert Pollard GUIDED BY VOICES: ROBERT POLLARD, WHO ARE YOU? Robert Pollard What Makes These Guided By Voices Superfans Still Love Robert Pollard After 100 Albums?

Together with guest Van Jensen, we dissect the original James Bond source material. We look at Ian Fleming's life and possible wish fulfillment, as well as how he wrote and published this post-World War II spy story. And of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't also discuss Bond's misogyny and nationalistic fantasizing. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Casino Royale (the book) Casino Royale (the film that is nuts) Casino Royale (the film that is great) Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer Cryptocracy The Leg Spook Country The Spy Who Came In From The Cold The Honourable Schoolboy The Bond Dossier The Magic Christian Additional Resources: Listen Notes Kerr, P., & Saunders, F. S. (2002). Licensed to print money. New Statesman, 131(4576), 38. Moran, C. (2013). Ian Fleming and the Public Profile of the CIA. Journal Of Cold War Studies, 15(1), 119. Bond, J. (2008). Nobody Does It Better. (cover story). In Britain, 76(2), 22. Grose, T. K. (2008). The Man With the Golden Typewriter. U.S. News & World Report, 144(13), 28. Casino Royale: 60 years old 'The name's Secretan… James Secretan': Early draft of Casino Royale reveals what Ian Fleming wanted to call his super spy Bottoms Up Bond's Women: Feminist Heroes or Mere Accessories? 5 Things I Learned About Women From The James Bond Books

Was this 1990s serial killer television drama about the end of the world? Or was it about having empathy for our fellow humans? Chris Carter (X-Files) created it after watching Se7en, but over the course of its three seasons Millennium shifted and changed, until unfortunately it was cancelled. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Millennium, The Complete Series Back To Frank Black: A Return to Chris Carter's Millennium Additional Resources: MILLENNIUM'S NIELSEN RATINGS - STATISTICAL CHARTS AND ANALYSIS TV'S BEST KEPT SECRET IMPROVES IN ITS SOPHOMORE SEASON Staring Into the Heart of Darkness CHRIS CARTER INTRODUCES US TO MILLENNIUM Back To Frank Black: A Return to Chris Carter's Millennium. Edited by Adam Chamberlain & Brian A. Dixon. Published by Fourth Horseman Press, 2013.

Michael Shea was a genre writer who combined fantasy, science fiction and horror into a unique blend of wonder and imagination. Together with our guest Robert Lamb (Stuff To Blow Your Mind), we discuss Shea's writing style and legacy. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Demiurge: The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales of Michael Shea Michael Shea listing on Amazon The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories Eight Black Offerings The Grave Stompers: Six Tales From the Southern Earth Karl Edward Wagner listing on Amazon Swords and Deviltry (The Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser) (Vol 1) The End of the Story: The Collected Fantasies, Vol. 1 (The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith) Additional Resources: www.michaelsheaauthor.com The Extra. (2009). Publishers Weekly, 256(49), 35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee5ckbUQ4jI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_FSICmPrDU

Based on a hard-boiled novel by Charles Willeford, this sweaty, sultry film has us questioning hedonism and the struggle between order and chaos. Between writer/director George Armitage, a very shirtless Alec Baldwin and killer performances by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Fred Ward... we've got plenty to talk about. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Miami Blues (the film) Miami Blues (the book) Grosse Point Blank Spartan Cast A Deadly Spell Tremors The Killing Top of the Lake Additional Resources: Interview: George Armitage Pinkerton, N. (2015). PRINCE OF PULP. Sight & Sound, 25(7), 98. Fisher, M. J. (2000). The Unlikely Father of Miami Crime Fiction. Atlantic, 285(5), 117-121. Olson, Kirby. Comedy after Postmodernism: Rereading Comedy from Edward Lear to Charles Willeford . Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University Press, 2001 When Satire Fails Miami Blues The New Cult Canon: Miami Blues Pastel Noir: George Armitage's MIAMI BLUES Miami Blues The Overlooked Sunshine Noir 'Miami Blues' Finally Hits Blu-Ray

This comic book project stitches together the most important moments from decades (and thousands of pages) of X-Men comics. We talk to cartoonist Ed Piskor about his production process, the comics market and the relevance of the X-Men's themes in the present day. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: X-Men: Grand Design Hip Hop Family Tree Wizzywig Additional Resources: The X-Men's 40-year history has just been compressed into one easy-to-read story In X-Men: Grand Design, Ed Piskor tells the superheroes' whole story Ed Piskor breaks down X-Men history with style in this Grand Design exclusive X-Men: Grand Design Wants to Save Marvel's Mutants From Themselves Chris Claremont & Ed Piskor Reflect on the Grand Design of the X-Men Legacy Cartoonist Ed Piskor on 'Hip Hop Family Tree' and the Importance of Creative Freedom

This band has been creating experimental music for 35 years. So we look at the moment when they doubled down by teaming up with musicians from Big Business. We confront our own subjectivity about music and examine how to make a living from something creative like this long-running doom machine. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: (A) Senile Animal Day Late, Dollar Short This Machine Kills Artists The Deal What One Becomes Hew Time Additional Resources: Orinda's Noise Vomitorium The Melvins: A Senile Animal Melvins (A) Senile Animal Melvins Interviews and Studio (((O))) : INTERVIEW: JARED WARREN FROM BIG BUSINESS Coady Willis of Big Business Talks What He's Learned From the Melvins

David Simon and George Pelecanos' show makes us uncomfortable about sex work. But it's to better understand capitalism. We discuss their exploration of community, corruption and the production of both this show and the labor that inspired it. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Deuce, Season One Last Exit to Brooklyn Taxi Driver American Gigolo Light Sleeper The Night Porter Additional Resources: The Deuce and the Birth of Porn 'The Deuce' Recalls Sex and Sleaze in 1970s Times Square The Deuce isn't about sex. It's about capitalism. How 'The Deuce' Predicts Modern-Day New York The Deuce: Season One Ratings

We try to unpack what little is known about this author, while providing a "succinct" description of the book. Along the way we discuss the publishing industry, book awards, obscenity, themes and the mythical reputation this tome has garnered over the years. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Gravity's Rainbow Inherent Vice The Crying of Lot 49 V. American Flagg Divided States of Hysteria Casanova Satellite Sam Moby-Dick The Illuminatus! Trilogy The Kills Field Notes Additional Resources: George Plimpton on Thomas Pynchon's V. V. Squared Pynchon from A to V Duncan, J. (2013). Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Literature. Muste, J. M., & Weisenburger, S. C. (2014). Thomas Pynchon. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia. Herman, L., & Weisenburger, S. (2013). Gravity's Rainbow, Domination, and Freedom. Athens: University of Georgia Press. Pulitzer Jurors Dismayed on Pynchon Pulitzer.org Pulitzer People are no Prize Thomas Pynchon's letter to Bruce Allen L. McLaughlin, R., (2002). Unreadable Stares: Imperial Narratives and the Colonial Gaze in Gravity's Rainbow. Pynchon Notes. (50-51), pp.83–96. DOI: http://doi.org/10.16995/pn.72 Thomas Pynchon shows us how white writers can avoid appropriation Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow: The V-2 Rocket Cartel as Multinational Corporate Conspiracy Rocket Power

Does this film change the way we look at the world the same way its 1982 predecessor and Phillip K. Dick's original 1968 story did? We look at the aesthetics of this brutal dystopian vision and how it portrays women, fertility, power and agency... all while its financiers struggle with creative accounting to justify another sequel. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Blade Runner 2049 Blade Runner Fury Road Fluorescent Black (rare and way too expensive) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Additional Resources: Blade Runner 2049 director responds to critique of female characters Blade Runner 2049 Is a Worthy Heir to a Classic Sedate expectations: will Blade Runner 2049 give birth to the slow-burn blockbuster? why blade runner 2049 is a misogynistic mess Is Blade Runner 2049 sexist – or a fair depiction of a dystopian future? Blade Runner 2049 is an uneasy feminist parable about controlling the means of reproduction Blade Runner 2049 screenwriter Michael Green answers our burning questions Blade Runner 2 concept art first look 'Blade Runner 2049' Director Denis Villeneuve Says The Movie We're Getting Is The Director's Cut Dystopian Box Office Future: Why 'Blade Runner 2049' Is Hitting Turbulence With $31M+ Opening A body double, CGI skull, and secret filming sessions: Inside the yearlong process to bring this beloved character to the 'Blade Runner' sequel Behind the breathtaking visual effects of 'Blade Runner 2049' The Replicant: Inside the Dark Future of Blade Runner 2049

It's our Christmas episode and as is our tradition, we're covering a ghost story. While Deadman's comics may seem to be about an acrobat solving his own murder... we find out that it's also about censorship in the 1960s and collusion in the media industry. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Deadman: Book One Doom Patrol The Son of Satan The Devil's Rejects Think of the Children Additional Resources: Petit, Z. (2014). STUBBORN. AGGRESSIVE. POSITIVE. Print, 68(5), 18-21. How Neal Adams Plans to Bring 'Deadman' Back to Life The World's Strangest Writer: A Tribute to Arnold Drake Carmine Infantino, Reviver of Batman and Flash, Dies at 87

How do we respond to a pop music auteur who's been described as the "patron saint" of her generation? We look at her DIY production work ethic to find out. Additionally, we get very upset about how some try to sexualize, infantilize or demean her with criticism and even death threats. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Art Angels Hounds of Love To Bring You My Love Pretty Hate Machine nikki nack Additional Resources: losing people to drugs and alcohol is the worst Pop For Misfits Sound says most to Grimes Grimes In Reality Grimes Sounds Off on Sexism and Stereotypes

This Netflix program is about the early days of studying serial killers at the FBI. We look at David Fincher's meticulous storytelling here, as well as the show's attempts to disrupt the glorification of murder and the methodological portrayal of criminal profiling. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit By Reason of Insanity Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets Additional Resources: With film tax credits restored, city lands new drama from Netflix Defining deviancy: The clammy thrills of David Fincher's "Mindhunter" on Netflix Mindhunter Modeled This Character On A Female Psychologist & Living Legend Mindhunter Probes America's Obsession With Serial Killers There was a lot more CGI in Mindhunter than you'd think Mindhunter is Netflix's most binge-worthy show yet The Real FBI Agents and Serial Killers Who Inspired Netflix's Mindhunter "Mindhunter" and the Presentation of the Serial Killer in Everyday Life Nielsen Aims to Level Playing Field With New Netflix Ratings Can Criminal Profilers Really Get Inside the Head of a Killer?

In this essay, one of America's most beloved storytellers provides advice on consuming media, thinking critically about it and applying it to your own work. We get real personal while trying to figure out who our respective "muses" are. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Zen in the Art of Writing Grinderman The Art of Fiction The Courage to Create Danse Macabre Trilogy of Terror Texas Chainsaw Massacre Moana Field Notes (not a sponsor, yet, we just like them so much) Additional Resources: New Canaan Lost in the Stacks The Conversation of Civilization Ray Bradbury and Zen in the Art of Writing Researchers Study Effects of Social Media on Young Minds Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity

This 2007 thriller divides a lot of people over whether it's good or bad. We try to take a high road and instead explore what the film says about us. Is it about ordinary monsters? Addiction? Or America's guilt about its own dark side? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Mr. Brooks Seven Millennium Hannibal Field Notes (the notebooks, not a movie) Additional Resources: The Hunt For The Worst Movie Of All Time: Mr. Brooks Make It Stop: Mr. Brooks Bad Behavior Bruce A. Evans Dissects Mr. Brooks Mr. Brooks a Trilogy

David Byrne's self-titled album is a personal moment in his creative history, but do his lyrics have meaning? Or do they simply dredge up emotions for the listener? Also, how does an album that's this diverse have such a white, middle class identity associated with it? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: David Byrne (1994) self-titled How Music Works David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant Owls The Lounge Lizards Additional Resources: David Byrne Needs to Open Up Again 1994 - David Byrne (from the Talking Heads website) David Byrne's head is talking on his wry, dreamy new album

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's novel about the comedy of Armageddon seems to be the very definition of "twee." We try to unpack what that concept means and how it contributes to the authors' humanist message. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch Cat's Cradle Breakfast of Champions Galapagos Guards! Guards! Additional Resources: The Twee Revolution Good Omens: How Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett wrote a book Humorous Humanist Armageddon: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens What I'm Reading: Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

This television show may be an adaptation of a superhero property, but it's unlike anything we've seen before. It takes the collage aesthetics from unusual comic books and turns them into Noah Hawley's kaleidoscope of mental illness, 60s futurism and a good old fashioned love story. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Legion, Season One A Scanner, Darkly X-Men Legacy Additional Resources: Legion tells a human story without giving up its superpowers Legion, FX's new superhero show, is a landmark production in more ways than one The Cast of Legion Lied to Star Dan Stevens to Make the Show Better How David Bowie Inspired Aubrey Plaza's Gender-Bending Legion Character Why the production designer of new TV series Legion has a dream job 'Legion': Noah Hawley and Dan Stevens Unpack the Finale, Tease Season 2 John Landgraf Talks 'Legion' On FX & Changing Marketplace; Slams Silicon Valley TV pilot shoots in Vancouver grew nearly 70% since last year

Grant Morrison says this 2002 comic book with Chris Weston, Gary Erskine and Matt Hollingsworth is an inoculation against the nasty horror of the world through depravity, pornography and depression. We interrogate whether that theme works in the end product and if the sexual violence within is problematic. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Filth Nameless The Invisibles Book One (or the Ominbus if you're freaky) The Soft Machine (The Cut-up Trilogy) Nova Express (The Cut-up Trilogy) The Ticket That Exploded (The Cut-up Trilogy) Black Kiss Additional Resources: Duffy, D. (2017). The Filth. Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Literature We Don't Need Another Hero; We Need Garbagemen In Grant Morrison's The Filth The Function of the Filth WHAT IS THE FILTH ? FILTH PLUS FILTH PLUS - The Questions The Function of the Filth – Preview #1 The Function of the Filth – Preview #2 The Function of the Filth – Preview #3 The Function of the Filth – Preview #4

David Simon and Ed Burns produced what is heralded as one of the most authentic depictions of the Iraq War, based on Evan Wright's embedded reporting. We look at how it navigates between journalism and drama to keep us from forgetting the story of soldiers on the ground. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Generation Kill Sheriff of Babylon Pride of Baghdad The Short-Timers (crazy rare and way too expensive) Additional Resources: 'Generation Kill' Captures War's Lulls and Horrors After Iraq, the Marines of 'Generation Kill' Regret Nothing Situation Normal The Men Behind Generation Kill

Writer/director Robin Hardy describes The Wicker Tree as a companion piece to 1973's The Wicker Man. We dig into just how this film got made. Was it a spiteful response to the American remake? Or a continuation for a deeper purpose? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Wicker Man The Wicker Tree The Sacrament The Leftovers Additional Resources: The Lambton Worm, and the 'Wicker Man' Sequel That Almost Was Robin Hardy Starts Crowdfunding For The Wrath Of The Gods WICKER MAN DIRECTOR ROBIN HARDY ON THE WICKER TREE AND WHAT COMES NEXT The Wicker Man director Robin Hardy dies Wicker Man sequel revisits original's murky territory Interview With Robin Hardy, Director of The Wicker Man and The Wicker Tree

Killer Mike and El-P call their latest record the album of their careers. How does it straddle crass humor, transgression and political activism? And if you are "the jewel," how does their music fit into your community? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 2 Run the Jewels 3 Meow the Jewels The New Pneumonia Blues Additional Resources: Run the Jewels Announce RTJ3, Share New Song "Legend Has It" El-P on Run the Jewels 3 and That Apocalypse He's Been Warning Us About Meet the Other Duo Behind Run the Jewels

We turn to David Harper (Off Panel, SKTCHD) and Augie De Blieck, Jr. (Pipeline Comics) for expertise on what's going on in comics news. Are the struggles of this niche industry indicative of something broader going on in our media? Is news a trustworthy advocate that can help us make informed decisions? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Understanding Comics Additional Resources: Off Panel Pipeline CBR Newsarama The Beat (Heidi MacDonald) Bleeding Cool The Comics Reporter (Tom Spurgeon) Den of Geek Gizmodo/io9 Paste The Outhouse The Comics Journal Ars Technica

This comic book from two of Europe's most legendary creators both presents and parodies white male themes in the 20th century. So what makes it compelling today? Should we embrace or reject its existentialism? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Madwoman of the Sacred Heart Sabbath's Theater Consider the Lobster and Other Essays Additional Resources: Alejandro Jodorowsky's dance on the edge of meaning Publishers Weekly review Beguiling Books and Art review A Dude, Abiding review The Comics Journal review