Graphic Policy Radio

Star Wars newest animated series is both fascinating and frustrating. Dig into the Bad Batch’s big questions with guest Dr. Holly Schaeffer-Raymond. The Bad Batch reflects on the rise of fascism, biology as destiny and social programing. This episode's first 20 minutes are spoiler-free to help you decide if you want to watch. Then join us for: What the show has to say about about workers’ rights.Is Rhea Pearlman's Cid a Yoda? Why Omega is a good kid character.Can 3D animation be good, actually? Dr. Holly Schaeffer-Raymond is an adjunct professor of English who holds an MFA in Poetry and a PhD in English at Temple University, where she also teaches. She’s the author of two poetry collections, Mall is Lost and Heaven’s Wish to Destroy All Minds, and has been included in We Want It All: An Anthology of Radical Trans Poetics and The Bedfellows Little Black Book. Her writing about comics has appeared on Shelfdust, and her writing about poetry has appeared at The Poetry Project, The Volta, and elsewhere. Visit https://unwhitewashthebadbatch.carrd.co/ for perspective on white washing in the series and actions to take. Cartoon of "Sheev" is by Holly herself.

"How the carceral state seeks to manipulate and dispose of its rogues, its dregs, its captives and put them to deniable use by intelligence agencies... It would be malpractice of me, for what I cover, if I wasn't interested in that!" - Spencer Ackerman, co-writer of Waller vs Wildstorm for DC Comics and award winning national security journalist. Spencer Ackerman discusses his debut comic, a Year One look at the career of future Suicide Squad boss Amanda Waller. His miniseries, with co-writer Evan Narcisse, artist Jesús Merino and color artist Michael Atiyeh weaves together Wildstorm & DC Comics espionage lore through the lens of Cold War geopolitics--as only they can. First 43 minutes of this episode are spoiler free. Be sure to subscribe to Spencer Ackerman's newsletter https://foreverwars.ghost.io/ where he shares thoughts about this series as well as reporting and essays that "chronicle, investigate and interrogate the continuities, departures and permutations of the War on Terror." That gorgeous cover in the preview is by Jorge Fornes.

What if the attack on the US Capitol succeeded? 1/6 is a 4 part comics series written by Alan Jenkins and Gan Golan and illustrated by Will Rosado. Prof. Jenkins and Golan joined me on the podcast to talk about their comic which combines comics journalism, speculative fiction and activism. Drawing on real-life events, 1/6 travels the road that led from back-room meetings, white supremacist rallies, and the Four Seasons Landscaping parking lot to a violent attack on the Capitol that left several Americans dead and shook our nation to its core. It imagines a world in which the events of that day turned out very differently. Through a diverse cast of characters 1/6 builds towards a story of how we might organize and fight for democracy. Buy the comic AND check out their forthcoming action guide - http://onesixcomics.com/

“Being normal was never going to save me,” says Galaxy the trans space princess protagonist of GLAAD Award Nominated graphic novel Galaxy: The Pretiest Star. “That’s my 'with great power comes great responsibility' moment. That's [Galaxy's] superhero moment,” says co-creator, writer Jadzia Axelrod. Jadzia is the author of Galaxy: The Prettiest Star, a new YA graphic novel illustrated by Jess Taylor and published by DC Comics. Jadzia joins us to talk about creating this new trans (and not just metaphorically trans) superheroine, her creative process, some DC Comics queer history, why David Bowie works in a contemporary graphic novel and Hawkgirl's favorite football team. "Taylor Barzelay has the perfect life. Good looks, good grades, a starting position on the basketball team, a loving family, even an adorable corgi. Every day in Taylor’s life is perfect. And every day is torture. Taylor is actually the Galaxy Crowned, an alien princess from the planet Cyandii, and one of the few survivors of an intergalactic war. For six long, painful years, Taylor has accepted her duty to remain in hiding as a boy on Earth. That all changes when Taylor meets Metropolis girl Katherine “call me Kat” Silverberg, whose confidence is electrifying. Suddenly, Taylor no longer wants to hide, even if exposing her true identity could attract her greatest enemies. From the charming and brilliant mind behind the popular podcast The Voice of Free Planet X, Jadzia Axelrod, and with stunningly colorful artwork by Jess Taylor comes the story of a girl in hiding who must face her fears to see herself as others see her: the prettiest star."

Swift fan organizing gets the goods! Dungeons & Dragons planned to change how independent content creators could monetize their D&D-related work, but backlash caused the Hasbro-owned company to change the controversial plan. Hear what this Gargantuan news from the world of tabletop role playing games means for comics fans and fandom at large with the TTRPG reporter who broke the story, Linda Codega. Keep up with Codega's reporting here https://gizmodo.com/author/lcodega https://twitter.com/lincodega http://lindahcodega.com/ Listen to the GP Radio guide to getting into TTRPGs - https://bit.ly/ttrpgGP

Shelfdust.com asked 150 comic book critics to list our favourite event storylines, "You know the type – something big, dramatic, crossing over a dozen different comics across the course of a few months, with everybody being effected by whatever it is that happens at the end of the story. Whether it be a Crisis or War of some kind, or just the latest in an annual routine which sees Earth invaded by some kind of bigger and badder threat than any that Earth has seen for, well, at least six months or so."- Steve Morris, founder of Shelfdust. Critic Steve Morris joins us to talk about the results of the critics poll, what makes for a great event and what even counts as an event anyway! Read the lists of top 50 comics events: https://shelfdust.com/tag/top-fifty-comic-book-events/ Support Shelfdust -https://www.patreon.com/shelfdust My essay on OMAC for Shelfdust's notorious Infinite Crisis series https://shelfdust.com/2020/10/08/infinite-crisis-with-elana-levin-who-or-what-is-omac/

Rebel organizer Charles Lenchner and Jedi Master Klaudia Amenábar return to cover the second half of Andor season 1, showrunner Tony Gilroy's revolutionary Star Wars show-- which airs, somehow on Disney+. In part 1 of my podcast's Andor coverage (listen to that episode first https://bit.ly/ComradeAndor) we joked about a Star Wars reimagining of "The Internationale". I loved the idea so much, that we made one. Original melody composed by Pierre De Geyter, Star Wars-ified lyrics by Katie Unger. Vocals by me while I was sick with COVID but didn't know it yet (hence the delayed release of this podcast and my less than polished singing). Check out Klaudia's podcast: RuPalp's Podrace: A Queer Star Wars Podcast https://rupalps-podrace-a-queer-star-wars-podcast.simplecast.com/ and find more of her writing and Star Wars resources https://linktr.ee/kaludiasays Follow Charles Lenchner on twitter (for now - https://twitter.com/clenchner )

From the sound of Mayan spoken in a Marvel movie, to the beauty of wearing a mask to breathe, Ryan Coogler’s new Black Panther movie, Wakanda Forever has a lot to say. And so does my panel of experts: Moji Alawode-El, Feminist Buzzkills Podcast https://www.aafront.org/fbklive/ Marcus Pinn, Zebras in America podcast / Pinnland Empire film blog http://www.pinnlandempire.com/ Felicia Perez, Head of Memes at TaskForce.US . https://www.feliciaperez.com/ PS there is an audio glitch when Elana is explaining Riri Williams. Elana is trying to say that in the comics the character Riri Williams was specifically designed to be a superhero.

Comrade Nemik isn't alone in developing a revolutionary analysis of the world of Star Wars. My expert guests bring a knowledge of the history of revolutions, the huge Star Wars mythos and real world activism to their analysis of the first 7 episodes of the series, Andor. "I do love when Star Wars is like, yes, I know they're Nazis, but did you know they're also the United States" - Klaudia Amenábar, RuPalp’s Podrace "Both sides are attempting to use polarization to advance their goals." - Charles Lenchner, Organizing 2.0/former political prisoner. "What is the Rebels' Ladder of Engagement?" - Elana Levin, host/ Organizing 2.0. The first approx 20 minutes of this episode are entirely spoiler-free. For Klaudia's podcasts, writing and social media https://linktr.ee/kaludiasays For an uncorrected transcript of this episode: https://share.descript.com/view/obP89Xhg4Wr For people imagining a Star Wars version of The Internationale, stay till the end.

From Bajor to the Bronx we're joined by State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a tried and true Trekkie. Serving in the New York Senate since 2010, Gustavo has beaten the odds, facing down real world Kai Winns, negotiating soil reclamator disputes and championing New York's Medicare for All bill. We talk about communities, real and fictional alike, pulling through the wreckage of colonialsm. Especially Puerto Rico and Bajor. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Rivera4TheBronx and https://twitter.com/NYSenatorRivera Donations still needed for the Puerto Rican-lead Hurricaine Fiona Community Response Fund https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fionaresponse Elana takes full responsibility for the really sloppy photoshop images.

Blade Maidens is a fantasy adventure romance comic starring two disaster mercenaries trying to get by. Read it online for free at https://www.blademaidens.com/ The serie's creators joined me to talk about their fantastic debut series. Also, the X-men, a little. Valentine Smith is a writer, illustrator, and comic artist. They were shaped by a love of horror movies, music, and comicbooks. Their website has the wonderful X-Men fan comics the team made prior to making their own series. http://www.valentinemsmith.com/ Zoe Tunnell is a trans, lesbian writer who previously wrote criticism and essays for sites like WWAC and ComicsXF and has transitioned (for the second time in her life!) into writing comics proper with Blade Maidens. Follow her https://twitter.com/blankzilla

DS9's Mirror Universe episodes: simultaniously campy and tragic, we love these episodes' windows into other possible Star Trek worlds. Join us as we recalibrate the transporter polarity for a journey through the looking glass. Deep Space Dive is a Star Trek Deep Space Nine podcast where we examine the serie's social and artistic themes and characters-- particularly with a queer lens. We don't do recaps, we do do spoilers. DS9 came out in the 90s, so watch then listen. Catch up on our podcast within a podcast with this playlist of Deep Space Dive episodes https://graphicpolicy.com/deep-space-dive/. This is episode 9. Got a question? Tweet at Elana - https://twitter.com/Elana_Brooklyn or email: deep space dive podcast gmail.com (no spaces).

Let's Do the Time Warp Again as we cover a classic episode of The Venture Bros animated series: Season 1 finale, Return to Spider-Skull Island, aka that Easy Rider episode. Professor Steven Attewell and I (Elana Levin) will walk you through a classic Venture Bros episode. We'll explain the film history, music and all the themes and references in this episode which draws a ton from two iconic movies that had huge subcultural impact. Also, I sing more than normal. Follow me, Elana Levin https://twitter.com/Elana_Brooklyn and my co-host, historian Steven Attewell, Phd. https://racefortheironthrone.tumblr.com/

As Neil Gaiman wrote, "The price of getting what you want is getting what you once wanted." So what of the new Netflix TV series based on the groundbreaking comics series we grew-up on, The Sandman? Join Sandman fans as we talk about the comics we loved and our thoughts about the first four episodes of the new series. The first part of the episode is spoiler-free. Apollo Gonzales is a digital strategist who advises progressive advocacy campaigns on engaging and mobilizing their communities. He sits on the board of Climate Access, a nonprofit focused on building political and public support for climate and clean energy solutions, and Our Back Yards https://ioby.org/ a nonprofit crowdfunding platform whose mission is funding community led projects. Apollo is also holds public office, and serves on city council in the small Texas town of Brookside Village. Ben Kahn is a GLAAD Award nominated writer of comics and novels. You can check out their comics including the GLAAD nominated graphic novel Renegade Rule, and the soon to be re-released in bookstores Heavenly Blues. Their debut novel, Elle Campbell Saves Their Saturday, will be out from Scholastic in Fall 2023. https://twitter.com/BenTheKahn Their podcast is Progressively Horrified https://progressivelyhorrified.transistor.fm/

Fresh perspectives on Taika Waititi's latest for Marvel. Let's see how Thor Love and Thunder applies the organizing addage: "closer to the problem = closer to the solution". Jeanne is a Queer Biracial Tongan media critic and author known for sharing her unique perspective on popular media on Twitter, guest appearances on podcasts, and arguing in bars about temporal paradoxes. https://twitter.com/fangirlJeanne. Johnnie Jae is an Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw founder, journalist, organizer, creator, and futurist empowering others to chase their passions and create for healing and revolutionary change. She is the founder of A Tribe Called Geek, an award-winning media platform for Indigenous Geek Culture and STEM, and #Indigenerds4Hope, a suicide prevention initiative designed to educate, encourage, and empower Native youth. Jae is a co-founder of Not Your Mascots and LiveIndigenousOK as well as a founding member of the Fan Organizer Coalition. Jena English is an educator/filmmaker currently teaching film and media at a girls school in Los Angeles. She is also a graphic designer and photographer. Her most recent project is Validation, a web series about the life and times of a parking attendant with a heart of gold. https://vimeo.com/showcase/8749735 PS Jean's epic Thor tread is a must-read https://twitter.com/fangirlJeanne/status/1551661323456356352

"I want Ms.Marvel to give us the kind of personal fuel to continue to do this work and keep our eyes on the campaigns we're trying to win." —Sabiha Basrai. Ms. Marvel, the MCU's latest on Disney+ gets a close read from our expert panel. We open with a spoiler-free pitch of why we enjoyed the show then cover the full TV series. Darakshan Raja is a Pakistani - American organizer and Bhangra DJ. She is the founding executive director of Muslims for Just Futures (MJF), a grassroots organization that builds power in Muslim communities through collective care, organizing, advocacy, and movement-building. https://twitter.com/DarakshanRaja Harini Marchadi is a college student studying biology and history. She is particularly interested in questions of nationalism in formerly colonized nations and interactions between countries affected by colonialism. https://twitter.com/harini_marchadi Sabiha Basrai is a graphic designer and social justice organizer involved with economic justice, immigrant rights, and anti-war organizing since the mid-1990s. For the last 16 years, Sabiha has been a co-owner of Design Action Collective where she works at the intersection of visual arts and activism. designaction.org Sabiha shared a list of some of her fave orgs fighting for justice here and in South East Asia. They won't all fit in my show notes so read them here: https://twitter.com/Elana_Brooklyn/status/1549938780022374400?s=20&t=n5a2G7PaqgcZbFBILt5n7w

Fish people thruples & critiques of the space prison system abound as DC's Young Justice animated series returns on HBO to conclude its 4th season. Guests that helped me cover the first half of this season have returned to update our DCAU mood boards with the Emerald Empress and some Fourth World worthy art. Dr. Khaliden Nas is a writer & researcher with a PhD in Media and Culture Studies from the University of Sussex. His work explores the realities of queer subjectivity, self-conception, otherness and the intersections of culture and identity. https://twitter.com/alsopurp Nathaniel Hubbard, or Hub, is a podcaster and writer. He is the co-host and producer of Titan Up the Defense a podcast where he and his brother cover Teen Titans and Defenders comics in chronological order. https://twitter.com/ttwasteland_ Catch up on our coverage of the first half of season 4 here https://bit.ly/YJ4Marzz PS. Dick Grayson clearly picked up all the red yarn Hub had to throw away when his Cameleon Lad conspiracy theory fell apart. But has Khaliden cooked up a whole new theory for Beast Boy's corgi? “Name a shapeshifter— that's who it is.” “Dick Grayson is no Detective Chimp” -- Hub.

NY's 1st Socialist State Senator in 100 years, get's the graphic novel treatment in Sofia Warren's new graphic memoir -- Radical: My Year With a Socialist Senator. New York, Socialism, community organizng and COMICS are near the top of my list of interests so I'm excited to have cartoonist Sofia Warren on the show to talk about her book. Reading this graphic memoir might make you feel a little more hopeful and inspired and certainly a lot more well informed about how political organizing can win change for the better at the local level -- no matter where you are. Here's Sofia's instagram https://www.instagram.com/sofiawarrenart/?hl=en And here's the Opertation Save Abortion online event July 17 I promote in my intro - https://www.aafront.org/operation-save-abortion/

DC Comics Pride Month anthology features an all ace creative team telling a story of now canonically ace Green Arrow, Connor Hawke! Artists/Writers Ro Stein and Ted Brandt join me to discuss their work. Also, for Marvel Voices Pride they’ve co-created Shela Sexton (Escapade) and Morgan Red, Marvel's newest trans woman and transmasc nb mutants respectively. We'll hear about Ted and Ro's background as artists as well as their work creating and interpretting queer characters at the big two publishers. Keep up with Ted on twitter at -- https://twitter.com/ten_bandits and Ro https://twitter.com/RoStein404 Happy pride!

Neal Adams was a giant: from his art to his fight for artists' rights we'll talk about his legacy and work. This roundtable is for Neal Adams newbies and experts alike. You'll even hear some new personal stories about Adams' unique status as The Dad of Comics. Joining me are: Bryan Stratton is a writer, digital consultant, and co-host of the Marvel by the Month podcast, which covers each month of Marvel Comics history in chronological order. https://marvelbythemonth.com/ Emily C. Martin, illustrator, comic artist, teacher, podcaster and amateur martial artist. Martin is on Patreon as megamoth as well as Twitter, and mega_moth on Instagram and co-hosts Progressively Horrified Podcast. https://progressivelyhorrified.transistor.fm/ Ramon Villalobos is a Stockton California based comic artist and host of the comics podcast Mex Flentallo.