Supercontext: an autopsy of media

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...

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 Tradition...

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 Gill...

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 Week...

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...

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...

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 sta...

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 "P...

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 Mulan...

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 Peop...

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 Leonar...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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 wer...

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 Ca...

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 El...

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 Me...

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...

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 So...

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...

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 Contrari...

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:...

  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 Poin...