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