Hosted by Charlie Bennett and Christian Sager.
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:
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:
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?