Exit, Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This 2018 comic series by Mark Russell and Mike Feehan reimagines the cartoon character as a gay playwright at odds with 1950s American politics. We examine Russell's writing goals while considering a critical debate about the book: is it formulaic award-bait or character-driven commentary on our present circumstances? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Exit, Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles Additional Resources: ‘The Snagglepuss Chronicles’ is the best thing you’ll read all year. Seriously. ...
info_outline
Foolish by Superchunk
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
Thank you to our Co-producer patron Kevin Wetter for selecting this week's topic! This 1994 indie rock album means a lot to its fans as proof positive that you can survive a romantic breakup. We look at the small business that drove its creation and try to put ourselves in the shoes of the listeners who cherish it. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Foolish Additional Resources: Superchunk release acoustic version of ‘Foolish’ w/ Allison Crutchfield, Owen Pallett, more Brian Paulson Studio...
info_outline
Aeon Flux
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This animated series was an MTV oddity, televised between 1991 and 1994 in a blur of non-linear, ambiguous chunks. We talk about how creator Peter Chung got this made while inserting symbolic references to the limits of 1990's storytelling. We also wonder why we're so nostalgic for a simpler time when our entertainment was more nebulous and weird. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Aeon Flux Additional Resources: Aeon Flux: All You've Ever Needed From Sci-Fi SOUND Interview with Peter Chung The Peter...
info_outline
Danny, The Champion of the World
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This 1975 children's book by Roald Dahl is about class conflict and an idealized relationship between a child and their parent. We talk about Dahl's notoriously disagreeable personality while trying to reconcile it with this genuinely joyful story. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Danny, The Champion of the World Additional Resources: Roald Dahl. By: Kelleghan, Fiona, Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2018 Danny the Champion of the World Summary & Study Guide The Ambiguities of Growing Up:...
info_outline
Spinning by Tillie Walden
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This 2017 graphic novel is a memoir about growing up, figure skating, and coming out of the closet. We talk about how Walden approached the project with guidance from her editor while we look at the comics industry as a whole and the tensions between the book market and the direct market. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Spinning Additional Resources: Tillie Walden on the Queer Characters and Emotional Turmoil of Her New Comic, I Love This Part “Everything I Had to Say about My Life Is in That...
info_outline
Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This 2018 concept album is about reckoning, celebrating, and reclaiming what it means to be American. We discuss how Monáe uses her platform to advocate for queer and black women while working with big record labels to also produce commercial success. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Dirty Computer Additional Resources: Janelle Monáe Bends More Than Gender In Two New Videos From 'Dirty Computer' Why Janelle Monae’s ‘Dirty Computer’ Film Is a Timely New Sci-Fi Masterpiece Why Janelle Monáe Put...
info_outline
Brian De Palma's Carrie
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This is a special repost of the first episode of our Patreon-only series, SuperKINGcontext. Stephen King's first novel was adapted into this 1976 cautionary movie about adolescence, bullying, and female representation by a team of middle-aged men. How does the male gaze impact this story that is so often referred to as "feminist"? Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Carrie Additional Resources: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/04/carrie-stephen-king-horror ...
info_outline
Chapo Trap House
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This political comedy podcast makes over a million dollars a year from its Patreon subscribers alone. We try to unpack how it gets made while learning more about the personal values associated with the "dirtbag left." Chapo Trap House podcast on Soundcloud Additional Resources: Meet Chapo Trap House: The Funniest and Most F**ked Up New Podcast About Media and Politics THE RADICAL CHEEK OF 'CHAPO TRAP HOUSE' Chapo Trap House are the Vulgar, Brilliant Demigods of the New Progressive Left Explaining the ‘Chapo Trap House’ Podcast to the Uninitiated Liberals are making bank on a site...
info_outline
Injection by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This 2015 comic mixes folklore and magic with science and technology. We discuss how each creator brings their own experimentation to the project, and how it's been received by the comic book industry and its more philosophical readers. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: Injection Additional Resources: Warren Ellis' Freaky Scifi Comic Series Injection Gets Optioned for TV Exclusive Interview with Injection’s Warren Ellis INTERVIEW: Warren Ellis talks about ‘Injection’ without crying AN...
info_outline
The Weird and the Eerie by Mark Fisher
Supercontext: an autopsy of media
This collection of non-fiction essays attempts to define two modes of storytelling by providing examples of each from popular culture. We talk about how Fisher's argument fits into our larger discussions of horror stories and how his definitions may be useful for considering the end of capitalism. Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store: The Weird and the Eerie Additional Resources: The Revolution Will Be Weird and Eerie Eugene Thacker – Weird, Eerie, and Monstrous: A Review of “The Weird and the...
info_outline
This 1977 record seems to mythologize a certain version of New York, so we look at how it was made to get to the core beneath its poetry, guitar solos and critical success.
Interested in the media we discussed this episode? Please support the show by purchasing it through our affiliate store:
Additional Resources:
- Television's Principles
- How Television Made ‘Marquee Moon,’ the Best Punk Guitar Album Ever
- Television’s Punk Epic “Marquee Moon,” 40 Years Later
- Invisible Hits: When Eno Met Television
- https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/punks-founding-father-richard-hell-306738.html
- Waterman, B. (2011). Television’s Marquee Moon. New York: Continuum.
- Rolling Stone. 1/7/93, Issue 647, p22.
- Lloyd, R. (2018). Everything is Combustible. Mount Desert, ME: Beech Hill Publishing Company.