Michael DeForge on Art and Organizing + Xinacthli Medical Emergency
Release Date: 12/14/2025
Science, Radical Realism, and Anarchy (with William Gillis)
The Final Straw Radio
This week, we’re sharing an interview with Will Gillis, author of the recently published book , published via where Gillis holds the position as The Voltairine de Cleyre Chair in Centrifugal Studies and technical coordinator. For the hour we talk about the so-called Science Wars of the 1990’s, debates involving scientific approaches and shared understandings of a a measurable physical reality, post-modernism, the roles leftists and anarchists played in the debates and how cults and authoritarians employ anti-realist explanations of the world to limit their subjects’ moves toward...
info_outline
Ketino of the Black Rose/Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation on Anarchism, Anti-Imperialism & Internationalism
The Final Straw Radio
This week on The Final Straw Radio, we’re featuring a conversation with our guest, Ketino, to speak about Especifist anarchism and anarchist approaches at anti-Imperialism. Ketino is a member in Florida of the Black Rose / Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation and they grew up in Cuba. You can learn more about Black Rosa, or BRRN, at Other links: Black Rose’s by CALA (member groups listed) and sibling, BRRN ICOA -- International Coordination of Organized Anarchism (including ICOA-related signatories) – South Africa CES (a project offering education in Especifismo): First up,...
info_outline
Anarchists At War in Spain, Myanmar and Rojava (with James Stout)
The Final Straw Radio
This week, an interview with James Stout on his upcoming AK Press book: , due out early January. You may recognize James as a contributor to the Cool Zone podcast (including the recent four parter, "Darién Gap: One Year Later" December 1-4th episodes, 2025), distributed by IheartMedia. For this episode, we talk about the idea of anarchist armies, discuss those three conflicts, left libertarian approaches to formalized armed resistance beyond a guerrilla unit, some of the novel technologies and international solidarities that have developed and a lot more. Other podcasts James has...
info_outline
The Political Repression and Resistance of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón, Oaxaca
The Final Straw Radio
This week, an interview we just conducted with Madeleine Wattenbarger and Axel Hernández of the Cooperativa de Periodismo in Mexico and Ambar Ruiz of Radio Zapote about the case of autonomous resistance and repression in the Mazateca community of Eloxochitlán de Flores Magón in Oaxaca, Mexico, so named for being the birthplace of the Cipriano Ricardo Flores Magón, revolutionary Mexican anarchist who was murdered by medical neglect by the US prison system in 1922 (check out our on the history). PDF (Unimposed) - pending Zine (Imposed PDF) - pending We talk about the rise to economic and...
info_outline
Black Arms To Hold You Up (with Ben Passmore)
The Final Straw Radio
In this episode, we have two segments. Ben Passmore First up, Ian talks with Philadelphia-based cartoonist Ben Passmore about his new book, . They discuss the research and making of the book, Passmores anarchism, the themes of inter-generational struggle, contextualizing history through lived experience, and the pitfalls of mythmaking. In addition, they spend some time discussing Ben's martial arts practice and the legacy of Assata Shakur in light of her recent passing. Other titles by Ben: Patreon: Instascam BluesKry: Fedbook Fumblr Mikolo Dziadok Then we’ll hear a brief...
info_outline
Leila Al-Shami with Updates from Syria + The Peoples Want
The Final Straw Radio
This week, we’re sharing a recent chat with , co-author of and host of , to give us an assessment and update on situations in Syria since our last episodes on the subject, as well as an introduction to , an initiative towards a new anti-authoritarian internationalism in which Leila is a participant. PDF (Unimposed) – pending Zine (Imposed PDF) – pending Links Our with Leila Al-Shami and Elia Ayoub Last year's interviews with a member of and another with the Leila's on a year since Assad on From The Periphery short film on The Peoples Want Interstices-Fajawat blog (with an...
info_outline
Michael DeForge on Art and Organizing + Xinacthli Medical Emergency
The Final Straw Radio
Michael DeForge This week we’re sharing Ian’s talk with cartoonist Michael DeForge about the intersection of organizing and art. The conversation touches on Michael's recent organizing efforts in solidarity with Mskwaasin Agnew, who was among those detained by Israel as part of the Flotilla to bring aid to Gaza. They also discuss the good and bad of instructive political stories and Michael shares details about his upcoming collection ("") from Drawn and Quarterly, scheduled for release in early 2026. Links: Bluesky: @michaeldeforge.bsky.social Instagram:@michaeldeforgecomics...
info_outline
Signal Contingency Plan (Delta Chat with Fanny and Mary)
The Final Straw Radio
This week, an interview we did with a couple of smart friends about the question: what would those of us who rely on encrypted messaging do if that service were disabled in the US. First up, all participants in this discussion agree that Signal is amazing and always getting better, so this is not a take down of that app or it’s developers. But the buds do think that the weakest point for Signal is the centralization of infrastructure with US-based companies. My friends did some thinking and research and put it into a website called and made a zine discussing it and what they consider the...
info_outline
Palestine Action Prisoner Hunger Strikes, Elbit Systems and UK Complicity In Gaza (with Francesca)
The Final Straw Radio
This week, we’re joined by , a member of who is a former prisoner herself who speaks about Palestine Action, a group proscribed in the UK as a terrorist organization at the behest of the Israeli state and Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems for their successful direct actions against Elbits war profiteering and the UK’s role in assisting the genocide in Gaza. Currently, 6 incarcerated members of Prisoners For Palestine are on an open-ended hunger strike against their conditions and the continued operation of Elbit which has garnered support from around the world. This last week,...
info_outline
Voices in Brazil for Radical Ecological Struggle (feat. Peter Gelderloos and Gah Te Iracema)
The Final Straw Radio
This week, we’re featuring three segments. Transcript PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) Peter Gelderloos of Weaving Paths to Ecological Revolution First up, you’ll hear from anarchist and author speaking about his ongoing trip to Brazil as a member of Weaving Paths to Ecological Revolution to listen to and network with indigenous, anarchist, autonomous, ecological and land reclamation projects in that country, coinciding with the COP30 UN climate conference. Article about Weaving Paths to Ecological Revolution: Article about Peters time so far in Brazil: Antimidia: ...
info_outlineMichael DeForge
This week we’re sharing Ian’s talk with cartoonist Michael DeForge about the intersection of organizing and art. The conversation touches on Michael's recent organizing efforts in solidarity with Mskwaasin Agnew, who was among those detained by Israel as part of the Flotilla to bring aid to Gaza. They also discuss the good and bad of instructive political stories and Michael shares details about his upcoming collection ("All The Cameras In My Room") from Drawn and Quarterly, scheduled for release in early 2026.
Links:
- Bluesky: @michaeldeforge.bsky.social
- Instagram:@michaeldeforgecomics
- website:michael-deforge.com
- patreon.com/cw/michaeldeforge
- https://www.noarmsinthearts.com/
Xinacthli
But first we're sharing an interview that Outlaw Podcast did with Jazz from the support crew for Xinacthli. Xinacthli is a Chicano anarchist who's been serving a 50 year sentence since 1996 for aggravated assault, and now, nearly 30 years into his sentence (22 of which have been in solitary confinement according to his support website) is suffering accumulated health issues. During a collapse of his health, he was moved to the infirmary but he's been denied any treatment, diagnosis or access to his medical care. While in infirmary, he had personal items from his cell thrown away, including his commissary card The demands for Xinacthli are simple and you can find the numbers and links in our show notes:
-
Call to put pressure for his demands on TDCJ and McCConnell unit.
-
We are asking organizations to sign our demand letter to TDCJ. Link can be found in our bio or tinyurl.com/xsupportletter
-
Join us on December 13 to protest in Austin, Texas.
-
Donate to the campaign to support legal expenses.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NO. 1: PHONE AND EMAIL BLAST
- Call the McConnell Unit to demand they give X access to commissary and his medical records IMMEDIATELY. McConnell Unit: (361) 362-2300
- Call TDCJ Health Services to demand X receive his medical records and is transfered to a hospital for treatment IMMEDIATELY.
TDCJ Health Services: (936) 437-4271- Call or email TDCJ State Classification Committee to demand they reclassify X so he can be transferred to a medical facility.
TDCJ SCC: (936) 437-6231
classify@tdcj.texas.gov
Phone blast signup: https://bit.ly/xphoneblast
If you're on instagram, you can learn more about Xinacthli's condition and how to get involved via his site @FreeXinacthliNow and if you can hear our conversation from 2024 with Xinacthli or a recording of him speaking about his arrest from 2010.
. ... . ..
Featured Track:
Slip by Autechre from Amber