Supercontext: an autopsy of media

With a provocative book title, Laura Jane Grace is reclaiming a slur and repurposing it for her story of struggling with gender dysphoria and self-destructive behavior. Guest Alyson McManus helps us unpack this experience into something universal, with which we can all identify. Additional Resources: Lead Singer of Punk Band 'Against Me' Comes Out as Transgender in Rolling Stone Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace to Release Memoir 'Tranny' Later This Year Laura Jane Grace's Brutally Honest 'Tranny' Memoir: 10 Things We Learned Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace explains why she decided to title her memoir 'TRANNY.' One Year and One Million Words with Laura Jane Grace Laura Jane Grace on New Memoir, Why She's Not a Trans Spokesperson Rock's Not Dead, It's Ruled by Women: The Round-Table Conversation Beyond XX and XY: The Extraordinary Complexity of Sex Determination

Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar has developed a warm, well thought out approach to family cartoons. We look at her goals, Cartoon Network's business plans and the fight in fandom over how this show represents diverse identities. Additional Resources 'Steven Universe' creator Rebecca Sugar is a Cartoon Network trailblazer Cartoon Network's 'Steven Universe' Premieres As Its Most-Watched Series of 2013 'Steven Universe' creator on growing up, gender politics, her brother Steven Universe's frustrating schedule is crucial to its success 'Adventure Time' Writer Rebecca Sugar on 'Steven Universe,' Being Cartoon Network's First Female Show Creator And Why Pop Art Is 'Offensive' 'Leaked' Steven Universe episodes weren't leaked at all, Cartoon Network says Steven Universe Artist Quits Twitter Over Fan Harassment 'Steven Universe' fandom is melting down after bullied fanartist attempts suicide An Attempted Suicide Forced a Tumblr Community to Open Its Eyes About Bullying Why I Fell In Love With The Brilliant Steven Universe, And You Will Too 'Steven Universe's' Rebecca Sugar confirms Fluorite is a representation of a polyamorous relationship Superheroes, Steven Universe, and the Maternal Narrative

Past guest Swain Hunt (Sidebar, The Metronome) returns to discuss what makes movies hold up? We each tackle a film from the last 30 years of cinema and try to understand why they hold up for us: Bull Durham, Contact and V For Vendetta.

It's easy to connect with the symbol that is "Johnny Cash," whether you're a rebel, a wanderer, or even a Christian. But how do these contradictions come together as some kind of American identity? And how do these final recordings of a humble storyteller speak to our need for the man to come around? Additional Resources: Johnny Cash's American albums hit the heart and soul Why Johnny Cash's American Recordings Are The Perfect Epitaph To His Career Performing Songwriter – Rick Rubin How The 'American Recordings' Series Revitalized Johnny Cash's Career 'American' Remembered: Rick Rubin On Johnny Cash

After viewing the blockbuster Disney princess film Frozen with actual little kids, we look at all the cooks in this corporate cartoon kitchen. With this many people involved, how did they pull it off? And is this cartoon whitewashed? Too feminist? Not feminist enough? How is this fairy tale defining gender and ethnicity for an entire generation? Additional Resources: From the Heat of Royal Passion, Poof! It's Permafrost Disney's 'Frozen,' a Makeover of 'The Snow Queen' Is 'Frozen' a New, Bona Fide Disney Classic? Boys Don't Run Away From These Princesses Countdown to Disney "Frozen" : How one simple suggestion broke the ice on the "Snow Queen" 's decades-long story problems A spoiler-y, slightly nerdy interview about Disney's Frozen Unfreezing 'Frozen:' The making of the newest fairy tale in 3D by Disney Frozen: inside Disney's billion-dollar social media hit Michael, Peter, Chris and Jennifer Talk Frozen and It's Success Secret Phone Recording Helped Idina Menzel Land New Disney Role THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY OF FROZEN Disney's Frozen and the 'gay agenda' UNH degree played a part in Oscar-winning movie Immersed in Movies: First Look: Designing the Winter Wonderland of 'Frozen' The tech of Disney's Frozen and Get a Horse! The Scrambled Sexuality of 'Frozen's "Let It Go" Frozen lambasted as pro-gay propaganda by Christian pastor Frozen Director Now Apologizes to Parents for 'Let It Go'

In the second part of our series on Dischord Records, we look at the politics of Washington D.C.'s music scene going into the 1990s... when art met commerce. Additional Resources: Andersen, M. and Jenkins, M. (2009). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk In The Nation's Capital, Akashic Books. Dischord on Bandcamp (Free Streaming)

In the first of our two episodes on Dischord Records we look at the punk community of Washington D.C. in the 1980s and its conflicting ethics of politics, violence and drug abuse. Follow along with the story of Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson's label until its redefining summer of 1985. Additional Resources: Dischord Records – History Thompson, S. (2001). Market Failure: Punk Economics, Early and Late. College Literature, 28(2), 48. Cuffman, T. (2015). Idle musical community: Dischord Records and anarchic DIY practice. Contemporary Justice Review, 18(1), 4. doi:10.1080/10282580.2015.1005502 Goshert, J. C. (2000). 'Punk' after the Pistols: American Music, Economics, and Politics in the 1980s and 1990s. Popular Music & Society, 24(1), 85. Doherty, B. (1997). The embarrassment of riches. (cover story). Reason, 29(4), 21. Dischord Records: Out of Step With The World Dischord Records: Doing It Wrong Andersen, M. and Jenkins, M. (2009). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk In The Nation's Capital, Akashic Books.

Hellboy's a charming, working class hero, despite being a demon's spawn. We look at how creator Mike Mignola taps into the mythic simplicity of folk tales and how Hellboy itself has become a commodified franchise.

For our first coverage of a reality television show we go from beauty to camp, to joy and grief. This show simultaneously sells branded content that somehow doesn't feel sleazy, while also providing an extraordinary platform for LGBTQ culture. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: To come.

A novel that took Stephen King 12.5 years to write is now a major franchise. But what was it like when fans (and retailers) were rabid for more? Did King have a "responsibility" to them? And why didn't he plot his fantasy world... instead of writing it by the seat of his pants? Additional Resources: Bev Vincent, The Road To The Dark Tower Rereading Stephen King week 13: The Gunslinger So, what's the deal with The Dark Tower?

All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is a film (and record) by Tim Rutili of the band Califone. We interview Tim about his experience creating a project like this in multiple media and how that changed his process going forward. Additional Resources: All My Friends Are Funeral Singers (Vimeo) All My Friends Are Funeral Singers -- Film Review IndiePix Films Launches Subscription-Streaming Service with 400-Plus International Movies Califone frontman Tim Rutili gets an on-set lesson in filmmaking Music Is Important in 'All My Friends are Funeral Singers' and One of Its Few Redeeming Qualities 'All My Friends Are Funeral Singers': Califone's life beyond Sundance Team Spirits: 'All My Friends Are Funeral Singers'

By becoming a more vulnerable frontman, Nick Cave has transformed after a major tragedy. To understand this better, we cover his latest album Skeleton Tree, the companion film One More Time With Feeling and the Bad Seeds' latest North American tour. Additional Resources: The Love and Terror of Nick Cave Nick Cave Finally Tells His Most Painful Story Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds x Hingston Studio – Skeleton Tree All Songs +1: A Devastating New Film About Nick Cave Nick Cave Talks About Living and Writing Through Grief Nick Cave Will Never Be Forgotten THE IMMENSE GRIEF OF NICK CAVE'S 'SKELETON TREE' Nick Cave financed the documentary One More Time with Feeling so that he would not have to speak with journalists about the death of his son

As part of the big four bands breaking out of the Seattle "grunge" scene in the early 1990s, Soundgarden was a combination that was not quite metal or punk. We look at why their record Badmotorfinger acts like such a strong signifier of meaning in the wake of Chris Cornell's death.

With a comparison of their staff rosters, we try imagining a television show that idolizes the White House today, the way The West Wing did in 1999. Believe it or not, Aaron Sorkin's fantasy of public service let some people admire civics again.

Donald Glover once described his FX sitcom Atlanta as "Twin Peaks for rappers." As residents of the eponymous city, we were doubtful. But this show came through with a weird, wondrous take on our local African-American culture. Special guest Swain Hunt (Sidebar, The Metronome) joins us to discuss.

China Miéville's novel Kraken is a meandering fantasy comedy full of political themes and a love for weird monsters. How does this author manage to weave together so many themes and genres into one book? And why does he think J.R.R. Tolkien is a "wen on the arse of fantasy"? Additional Resources: Reveling in Genre: An Interview with China Miéville Kraken: China Miéville interview A Category Unto Himself: The Works of China Miéville China Miéville: My new book takes the idea of the squid cult very seriously CHINA MIÉVILLE [SCIENCE-FICTION AUTHOR] This Squidpocalypse Makes Its Own Fun: Kraken by China Miéville Tolkien - Middle Earth Meets Middle England Making Squid the Meat of a Story With "Kraken," China Miéville sinks tentacles into contemporary London

Fed up with humanity? Does it seem like everyone is an asshole lately? Macon Blair's I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore may be just the film you need to watch. But... does Netflix's distribution make it less likely that a movie like this will be seen? Additional Resources: I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore Is a Dark, Goofy Neo-Noir Murder, Nunchucks and the Trump Era: Inside 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore' The Portland-Shot I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore Won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore': Macon Blair on Trying Directing After Success in Screenwriting 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore' Is a Hilarious, Surreal Movie About Amateur Vigilantes Feeling At Home With I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE Targeting Netflix, Cannes Will Ban Streaming-Only Movies From Competition How Netflix's Content Distribution Has Changed Over The Years Netflix is playing down the significance of its first major distribution deal in China Netflix Targeting 50% of Content to Be Original Programming, CFO Says Netflix just took another step toward getting its films into theaters Netflix Keeps Buying Great Movies, So It's a Shame They're Getting Buried Netflix will start screening original films in movie theaters

David Lapham's crime comic Stray Bullets demonstrates the challenges of working independently on creative art. Why did it take almost 20 years for this book to get the attention it deserves? We look into the economics of the comics industry to find out. Additional Resources: Interview: David Lapham Talks About The Guts of STRAY BULLETS STRAY BULLETS by David Lapham 'Stray Bullets': Number One With A Lead Projectile [Opinion] The return of David Lapham's Stray Bullets gets the fanfare it deserves Hitting the target: David Lapham on 'Stray Bullets,' 'Murder Me Dead'

Paste Magazine was a victim of its time, facing a bad economy and competing pressures between physical and digital media. But what changes were its founders willing to make to keep it alive as a website? And in the process, did they betray their loyal audience? Additional Resources: Paste Magazine Is Dead Paste Magazine Freelancers Are Getting Screwed My (Re)generation: Paste's Nick Purdy on the Fall and Rise of a Music Magazine Paste Magazine Is Returning to Print Paste Magazine Returns To Print, Expands Online Coverage Dudeletter Interviews: Nick Purdy of Wild Heaven and Paste Magazine Paste Magazine Thrives Through Belt-Tightening Paste Magazine says goodbye to print More On Paste Magazine's Print-Side Demise: "We'd Been Running On Fumes For A Really Long Time, And We Ran Out Of Fumes." Paste Magazine President 'Thinking Beyond Print' With Site Relaunch Paste Succumbs to Debt, Suspends Print Magazine Paste music magazine to stop print publication New Paste TV Show Debuts Tonight! A conversation with Josh Jackson, on the eve of Paste's return to print Rockers sue over sales of memorabilia: Led Zeppelin, the Doors and other musicians say Wolfgang's Vault has no right to profit from the vintage items. Company Overview of Wolfgang's Vault LLC Will Paste pay its writers?

With the many changes to the music industry, it doesn't seem possible for a band to rise to success after their first studio album like R.E.M. did with Murmur. We look at what made this artsy, floppy, jangle rock band tick and how The Police and MTV supported their rise to popularity. Additional Resources: Bennett, L. (2013). Discourses of order and rationality: drooling R.E.M. fans as 'matter out of place'. Continuum: Journal Of Media & Cultural Studies, 27(2), 214. Parker, J. (2012). America's Rock Band. Atlantic, 309(1), 44-46. Roberts, J. (2004). Athens act on track for gold. (cover story). Music Week, (34), 9-10. Maus, F. (2006). Intimacy and Distance: On Stipe's Queerness. Journal Of Popular Music Studies, 18(2), 191. R.E.M. Announce Murmur Deluxe Edition Murmur Trestle Information and Donations 100 Best Albums of the Eighties

For our one-year anniversary, we look at Sir Ridley Scott's thematic threads with Alien, Prometheus and the upcoming Alien: Covenant. Is it all about commercial appeal? Or is Scott reflecting on old age, legacy and death? Additional Resources: Lodge, G. (2015). From Dystopia to Valhalla, Scott's Future Visions Endure. Variety, 329(17), 73-78. Newman, K. (2012). PROMETHEUS UNBOUND. Sight & Sound, 22(7), 28-31. Adams, T. (2016). RIDLEY ME THIS: SCOTT'S KEY ANSWERS. Variety, 333(14), 184. Return of the 'Alien' Mind Why Alien: Covenant Will Make You Reconsider Prometheus He's Not Done With Exploring the Universe 'Prometheus' Returns Ridley Scott to Outer Space

How does one man find himself at the center of modern myth making? David S. Goyer's written and directed superhero comics, films and television, but his public persona suggests something larger and more conflicted about superhero storytelling. Additional Resources: (To come)

Looking at David Bowie's final record Blackstar we ask, "Was he saying goodbye?" The public's treasure hunt for meaning in both this record's lyrics and art seems to say so. But how do people's grief for dead celebrities invite such deeply personal connections? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: How We Grieve Our Famous Dead Producer Tony Visconti Talks David Bowie and Blackstar The Inside Story of David Bowie's Stunning New Album, 'Blackstar' David Bowie: Blackstar review – a spellbinding break with his past David Bowie Allowed His Art to Deliver a Final Message New David Bowie album, inspired by Kendrick Lamar, features LCD's James Murphy David Bowie's Blackstar a nearly perfect goodbye: review Was David Bowie saying goodbye on Blackstar? The final mysteries of David Bowie's Blackstar – Elvis, Crowley and 'the villa of Ormen' David Bowie's Final Album 'Blackstar' & 'Lazarus' Video Were Goodbye Notes Bowie's Blackstar outsold classic albums in year after he died

As hacker subculture becomes more prevalent in our current events, techno-thrillers like Chuck Wendig's Zer0es portray hacking more accurately. But how does it split the difference between writing a snarky page-turner and addressing the themes of present day? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: (to come) Chuck Wendig's Zeroes: a hacker technothriller in the War Games lineage Who Hacks the Hackers? Zer0es by Chuck Wendig In 'Zeroes,' uber-snarky characters ruin a creepy and cathartic sci-fi story: book review Chuck Wendig's 'Zeroes' Is a Paranoid Techno-thriller That's Just Right for our Times The Mary Sue Interview: Chuck Wendig on New Novel Zer0es and Technology BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: "ZEROES," TO HARPER VOYAGER TerribleMinds

Comics creator Benjamin Marra is continually described as "notorious" or an "outsider artist" but we talk to him about his genuine sentimentality for these stories. In relation to the release of his work on Fantagraphics' All Time Comics, we review his body of work and why it might make us so uncomfortable. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Benjamin Marra Traditional Comics Pain Is The Best Teacher: An Interview with Night Business Creator Benjamin Marra Shiny as Hell: An Interview With Benjamin Marra Salavetz J, Drate S. Creating Comics! : 47 Master Artists Reveal The Techniques And Inspiration Behind Their Comic Genius [e-book]. Beverly, Mass: Rockport Publishers; 2010. Available from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 19, 2017.

What does Gillian Flynn and David Fincher's adaptation of her novel Gone Girl say about the state of marriage, feminism and modernity? Are you a cool girl? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: A Surprise Hit Spawns a Movie Deal Thrills, chills for Gillian Flynn in adapting 'Gone Girl' Author Gillian Flynn says filming 'Gone Girl' went much better than expected How Gillian Flynn Adapted Her Biggest Novel, "Gone Girl," Into Her First Screenplay Gone Girl Goes Grim

Together with guest Jack Bennett we compare and contrast all 3 versions of The Shining: Stephen King's novel, Stanley Kubrick's film and ABC's television mini-series. What does this horror tale of alcoholism and domestic violence say about redemption and narcissism? iTunes Direct Link Google Play Direct Link Additional Resources: Meyers, K. (1997). Frightening strikes twice. Entertainment Weekly, (374), 44. Thomson, D. (2013). Days and Nights at the Overlook. New Republic, 244(4), 56-58. Parker, J. (2010). A Killer Vacation. Atlantic, 306(1), 34-36. What Stanley Kubrick got wrong about "The Shining" Book vs. Film vs. Mini Series: The Shining What The Shining miniseries reveals about the King/Kubrick divide 'The Shining' by the numbers Is Stephen King justified in hating Kubrick's vision for The Shining?

What went wrong with Yahoo Screen and its investment in a sixth season of Community? We look behind the business to try to figure out how a search engine whittled away the brand loyalty of a beloved TV show. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources Community Didn't Kill Yahoo Screen - Yahoo Did Yahoo Screen Won't Say if Its Season of Community Was a Success Yahoo Loses $42 Million on 'Community,' 2 Other Original Series Why Yahoo's Foray Into Original TV Series Failed Kathy Savitt, Yahoo's Head of Media, Leaves for Movie Studio Bills, Jaguars to make history as part of free live webcast Yahoo yanks Yahoo Screen hub, scatters "original" content across sites Not Even Community Could Save Yahoo's TV Dreams

Why is Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo's ENIGMA the "lost classic" of Vertigo Comics? We talk about how this unique story asks readers to confront from their own identities. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources Unsung Masterpieces – Enigma With Peter Milligan, Duncan Fegredo, And Art Young COMICS YOU SHOULD OWN – ENIGMA WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST READ? ENIGMA: PART I BY EMILY SCOTT LIZARDS AND MOTHERS AND WELLS, OH MY: ENIGMA PART II BY EMILY SCOTT Milligan & Fegredo's Enigma Enigma by Peter Milligan & Duncan Fegredo Skreemer to X-Statix Peter Milligan The Man is No Enigma Duncan Fegredo Not Your Average Comics - Enigma Enigma - Peter Milligan & Duncan Fegredo F is for...Fegredo, Duncan Fegredo

Sicario is a 2015 action/thriller about the difference between the drug war and the "War on Drugs." We look at its complex themes and try to understand arguments about its portrayal of a strong female character, as well as life on the other side of the border. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Federal agents conduct immigration enforcement raids in at least six states Are My Methods Unsound? Why 'Sicario' Is the 'Apocalypse Now' of the Drug War Portrayal of Juárez in 'Sicario' Vexes Residents Trying to Move Past Dark Times Sicario's Dirty War on Mexican Cartels is Not Yet Reality Sicario film-makers faced demands to change female lead role to a man The Problem With 'Strong' Women Women and Hollywood Not Very Ladylike: Gender Stereotypes and How Sicario Subverts the Trope of the 'Badass Lady-Cop' SPOILER ALERT: "SICARIO" FAILS THE BECHDEL TEST…BY A LOT

Some call Pale Fire the best novel of the 20th century. So we interrogate what that means by diving into literary criticism about postmodernism, hypertextuality, authorial intent, unreliable narrators and more. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Pale Fire and the Cold War: Redefining Vladimir Nabokov's Masterpiece Shade and Shape in Pale Fire by Brian Boyd Freeing "Pale Fire" From Pale Fire Synthesizing Artistic Delight: The Lesson of Pale Fire by Brian Walter "PALE FIRE," THE POEM: DOES IT STAND ALONE AS A MASTERPIECE? In an Elaborate Spoof, Nabokov Takes Us to the Never-Never Land of Zembla Pale Fire The Novel of the Century: Nabokov's Pale Fire Walton, Jean, College Literature. Jun94, Vol. 21 Issue 2, p89. 16p.

What went wrong with comedian John Mulaney's debut sitcom? Was it network interference? Formatting? Or did the creator just take on too much? We discuss the differences between irony and sincerity in television humor to try to understand this show's cancellation. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: NBC Passes on John Mulaney's Pilot Fox Gives Series Order To John Mulaney Comedy Produced By Lorne Michaels 'Mulaney' Order Trimmed To 13 Episodes In Defense of the Multi-Camera Sitcom John Mulaney surprises us with his top 5 multi-camera sitcoms Welcome Back, John Mulaney Mulaney: Season One Ratings In Defense of Mulaney The Evolution Of The Sitcom: The Age of the Single Camera You Made It Weird: John Mulaney Returns

Special guest Cristen Conger (Unladylike, Stuff Mom Never Told You) helps us unpack the activism of musician Kathleen Hanna. After the January 2017 Women's Marches we look at Hanna's methods of protest, including Riot Grrrl, articulation and disruption. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Cyndi Lauper Denounces Madonna's Women's March Speech: "Yelling Just Jacks People Up" Julie Ruin - Be Nice at The Wrecking Ball ATL Fest 2016 Don't Need You - The Herstory of Riot Grrrl Bikini Kill in the U.K. 1993 Kathleen Hanna @ Planned Parenthood Stand Up For Women's Health Rally The Riot Grrrl Collection at the Fales Library: Collection Overview Q&A: Riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna on sexuality, marriage and music Feeling Myself: Kathleen Hanna Gets Back to Work SXSW: Kathleen Hanna in new doc 'The Punk Singer' Punk Rock-Feminist Pioneer Kathleen Hanna on Her SXSW Doc and More Fans demand an apology from Kathleen Hanna in Toronto Julie Ruin concert banner drop Kathleen Hanna on Tokenism, Therapy, and Where Riot Grrrl Went Wrong

What is pulp fiction for? We look at the first season of Sundance's rural crime noir Hap & Leonard for answers. Does this Joe R. Lansdale adaption bring something new to platonic male friendships? Or is it simply a salad mixer you can throw plot lines into? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: 'Hap And Leonard' Renewed For Season 2 At SundanceTV – Update 'Hap and Leonard': Inside TV's New Pulp Fiction Buddy-Comedy 'Hap and Leonard' EP on Adapting Joe R. Lansdale and Making Brits into Texans 'Hap And Leonard' Creator Needed To 'Burn Bridges' To Make It As A Writer Darkness on the Edge of Town

It's Inauguration Day for Donald Trump... so is a comic book about the first teenage president essential reading for American citizens now? We look at both the 1973 and 2015 versions of PREZ from DC Comics while discussing the cyclical nature of politics and satire. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Why DC's Prez Is the Best Comic You Aren't Reading How a Comic About a Teen Girl President Became the Most Scathing Satire of 2016 TCJ ARCHIVE The Joe Simon Interview Cartoonist Mark Russell on his reboot of Prez, comics' first teen president Why DC Comics' 'Prez' is essential reading for the 2016 election DC Comics skewers right-wing politics in this new comic where a teen is made president The Teens Who Would Be President: Explaining DC's 'Prez' Comic Books Lost in Transition: 2015's 'Prez' And A Robot Named Tina Polygon Explains Everything: Prez, a comic about the first US president elected by Twitter

Last year Peter Thiel secretly funded Hulk Hogan's lawsuit that destroyed Gawker. Should the wealthy be able to ruin a publication if they don't like what it has to say? We discuss the new precedent this case set between privacy and Freedom of Speech, all while tumbling down the rabbit hole of trashy media and big money. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Peter Thiel, Tech Billionaire, Reveals Secret War With Gawker Did I Kill Gawker? How Univision's purchase of Gawker could alter the future of online journalism A Huge, Huge Deal This Is Why Billionaire Peter Thiel Wants to End Gawker NICK DENTON, PETER THIEL, AND THE PLOT TO MURDER GAWKER

While Lawless is a flawed film that's not for everyone, it's still one of our favorites. We go through some personal reconciliations while reviewing how John Hillcoat, Nick Cave and others made this true myth. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: How 'Lawless' Nabbed New A-Listers Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain John Hillcoat Talks Sticking With Shia LaBeouf For 'Lawless,' How Tom Hardy Embraced His Feminine Side & More The Road Director Hillcoat's Next Project Falls Apart EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Chastain to Star in 'The Wettest County Nick Cave: 'Lawless is not so much a true story as a true myth' Nick Cave on Writing the 'Lawless' Screenplay and Compiling and Playing Its Music (Q&A) Nick Cave on Lawless, the sentimentality of sadists, and the war on drugs

Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice was embraced by some and puzzled others. But does a movie that's designed to be repeatedly re-watched automatically become a cult film? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources Inherent Vice, Thomas Pynchon - 9781594202247 What makes a cult film? NYFF 2014: 'Inherent Vice' and the contemporary cult hit Paul Thomas Anderson Wants to Adapt Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice Pynchon's Cameo, and Other Surrealities Paul Thomas Anderson's Scientology Movie and Inherent Vice Adaptation Close to Finding Financing Paul Thomas Anderson On Inherent Vice A Director Continues His Quest Joaquin Phoenix's 'Inherent Vice' Starting to Boost L.A. Production

In our 2016 holiday episode we look at the forgotten Christmas Eve tradition of telling ghost stories. M.R. James' work from over a hundred years ago best represents this Victorian trend, so in his honor we bring horror to academia and safe spaces. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: How Did Antiquarians Become Action Story Heroes? Ghost stories: why the Victorians were so spookily good at them Christmas Ghost Stories: The Ghost of Christmas Past Goes Further Back Than You Might Realize M. R. James' Ghost Stories Work Eerily Well in This Graphic Fiction Form Telling ghost stories is a lost tradition on Christmas Eve

Marvel's latest Netflix series Luke Cage incorporates ideas about diversity into the comic adaptation formula so more kids have heroes to look up to. We look at how its inclusivity and symbolism strive to achieve this forward thinking mission. iTunes direct download Google Play direct download Additional Resources: Luke Cage Comics And Race-Based Unethical Medical Experiments The Making of Luke Cage: A Hero For This Moment The Biggest Problem With Netflix's Comic-Book Shows CREATING "LUKE CAGE," THE FIRST WOKE BLACK-SUPERHERO SHOW Luke Cage producer compares Netflix's new Marvel series to The Wire Luke Cage, Mike Colter, and the "Wu-Tang-ification" of the Marvel Universe Here's how many people are watching 'Luke Cage' compared to other Netflix shows Why Netflix's Luke Cage Is the Superhero We Really Need Now Inside the making of 'Luke Cage,' Marvel's first black superhero show Why the Creator of Luke Cage Wanted to Make a "Hip-Hop Western"

In his new serialized novella Normal, Warren Ellis shows us how too much futurism can lead to "abyss gaze." Christian went to one of Ellis' few U.S. readings from the book and reports to Charlie on how social media is the new cosmic horror. And what's the difference between a foresight strategist and a strategic forecaster? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Addition Resources: Warren Ellis' Normal Brings Readers a Serialized Digital Dystopia Warren Ellis' 'Normal' is a fast-paced dystopia about a burned-out futurist Warren Ellis Is Here to Talk About His New Book Normal, Gazing into the Abyss, and the Flaw in All Things 'Internet Jesus' Warren Ellis talks about the compulsion to write Detoxing with Warren Ellis, Whose Near-Future Vision of Digital Exhaustion is Probably Already Here In Warren Ellis' New Thriller Normal, Preparing For Humanity's Downfall Has A Price: Your Sanity Fiction and Anthropology: Interviewing Warren Ellis About Normal Can Serialized Fiction Convert Binge Watchers Into Binge Readers?

Regarded as one of the best graphic novels of our time, David Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp is a story we all know in a way we've never seen before. We discuss Mazzucchelli's decision to stop doing "assembly line comics" and take control of his works' symbolism, formalism and experimentation. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: David Mazzucchelli at MoCCA Shades of Meaning Book Review | 'Asterios Polyp,' Written and Illustrated by David Mazzucchelli TCJ 300 Conversations: David Mazzucchelli & Dash Shaw Some Thoughts on Asterios Polyp Mazzuchelli's Asterios Polyp and the Fine Line Annotations for Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli

Why do we miss the "simplicity" of the 1980s? Stranger Things effortlessly weaves our nostalgia into its narrative. But is too much nostalgia a good thing? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Durham's Duffer Brothers land on Netflix NETFLIX'S "STRANGER THINGS" IS A FLAWED BUT ENTERTAINING POP CULTURE LOVE LETTER The 5 Most Feminist Moments in Netflix's Hit Summer Show Stranger Things 'Stranger Things' Ratings: Where Series Ranks Among Netflix's Most Watched Netflix's sci-fi throwback Stranger Things is yesterday's summer blockbuster today Review: Netflix's 'Stranger Things' basks in '80s nostalgia, doesn't drown in it 'Stranger Things': Shawn Levy on Directing Winona Ryder, Netflix's Viral Model Nostalgic nightmares: how Netflix made Stranger Things a watercooler smash

One of the best horror writers of our time is experimenting with genre and structure in his new "mosaic novel" collection of stories. How does Laird Barron bring together Alaska, dogs, cosmic horror and inevitable death to make a new kind of literature? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources Laird Barron - Official Author Site They Who Dwell In The Cracks There's Always Something Worse – A Conversation With Laird Barron Look Out For … Thin Air by Michelle Paver and Swift To Chase by Laird Barron Book Review: Laird Barron – Swift To Chase (2016) On H.P Lovecraft's Heritage, the Genesis of Swift to Chase and the Importance of Not Judging your Characters, a Conversation with Laird Barron Bookshots: "Swift To Chase" by Laird Barron This Is Horror: Book Review, "Swift To Chase" by Laird Barron Review: Swift To Chase A Review of "Swift To Chase" by Laird Barron

This episode we try to understand how a television show about anti-capitalism was distributed by a corporate network. Did tapping into the "angry young man" archetype allow Mr. Robot to predict Donald Trump's presidency? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Wealth disparity, hackers and cyber threats in 'Mr. Robot' 'Mr. Robot' Creator Also Thinks It's Weird That Things In The Show Keep Coming True 'Mr. Robot' Creator on the Sony Hack, Antiheroes and the Dangers of Facebook "MR. ROBOT" AND THE ANGRY YOUNG MAN Mr. Robot creator explains why you were supposed to guess the big twist 'Mr. Robot': Creator Sam Esmail On Transitioning The Show From Feature Film To Pilot And More How the Mr. Robot Finale Tumbled Backward into Its Most Piercing Social Message Yet The Human Drama Of Hacking Fuels TV Thriller 'Mr. Robot' Mr. Robot Is the Best Hacking Show Yet—But It's Not Perfect Mr. Robot: Season One Ratings

With the release of stand up comedian Kyle Kinane's new album "Loose in Chicago," we try to understand his process of mixing "scumbag stories" with contrarian confessions. And after a recent comedy show gone sour, we wonder what kind of etiquette to expect from live audiences. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources "Is Kyle Kinane a Prick?" "Kyle Kinane on Being A Contrarian Asshole." "Comedian Kyle Kinane on Tightening Up 'Loose' Act On Latest Tour" Punk News Interviews Kyle Kinane 5 Days On The Road With Comedian Kyle Kinane

Filmmaker John Carpenter describes The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and In the Mouth of Madness as his "Apocalypse Trilogy." With the expertise of special guest Jack Bennett, we aim to find out why. It may have something to do with cosmic horror, nihilism, misanthropy and the futility of human existence. iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: Jack Bennett "The Classics: John Carpenter's 'Apocalypse Trilogy'" "Cosmic Horror in John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy" "A Slow Descent Into Madness: Revisiting John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy" No Sleep October: John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy: A Look Back

While examining Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta's sci-fi/western comic EAST OF WEST, we consider big ideas, character development and representation of diversity in storytelling. Also, with all its violence, sex and philosophy… would this make the perfect HBO series? iTunes direct link GooglePlay direct link Additional Resources: The Four Horsemen Ride In Hickman's "East of West" Hickman Points "East of West" In The Right Direction Image Expo 2013: Dragotta Heads "East of West" A Very American Apocalypse: The Politics of the End Times in "East of West" Apocalypse Later: Jonathan Hickman's brilliant 'East of West' comic is the end of the world as we know it Is it Good? "East of West Vol. 1. The Promise" Review

PJ Harvey's latest album is her interpretation of the ironies of war. So why are Washington D.C. politicians criticizing it? And how did its production in a public setting contribute to Harvey's overall artistic project? iTunes direct link Google Play direct link Additional Resources: HOPE VI "I gave a famous rock star a windshield tour of D.C. — and didn't know who she was" PJ Harvey: Recording in Progress PJ Harvey's "Recording In Progress": What To Expect Ward 7 Council Candidates Respond To PJ Harvey's New Song Q&A With PJ Harvey

Why didn't the dark Marvel superhero Netflix series "Jessica Jones" live up to our expectations? We look at the intersection of corporate entertainment, feminism and creativity to find out. Along the way we uncover the creepy secret of how your binge watching is being tracked by telephone surveillance.