Asian American Pop Culture Stands on the Shoulders of a Giant Robot
Today’s Asian American pop culture stands on the shoulders of Giant Robot, a beloved zine that published an eclectic mix of artists and subjects.
Comics
The US Military’s Secret War on Comic Books
During wartime past, even war-themed comic books designed to help the US military’s reputation were the victims of friendly fire. Ominously, that has changed.
Championing Change: Eddie Ahn’s Graphic Memoir ‘Advocate’
With his graphic memoir Advocate, Eddie Ahn invites readers to contemplate the complexities of pursuing social justice within a profit-driven world.
Books/Comics/Culture/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/History/Internet/Media/Politics/PopMatters Picks/Reviews/Technology
The Art of Psychological Warfare
From marketing manipulation to all-out psychological warfare, Stories Are Weapons clarifies how our world – and worldview – is seldom our own.
Depicting the Artistic Quest in ‘Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound’
Dave Chisholm uses creative methods for his graphic non-fiction novel about Miles Davis including gorgeous artwork to illustrate the jazz icon’s artistic quest.
Masterpiece or Mess? Reevaluating DC Comic’s ‘Doomsday Clock’
Understanding the appeal of Doomsday Clock has nothing to do with it being a good or bad comics series. The real question is: does it matter?
Chuck D’s Graphic Novel ‘Summer of Hamn’ Zeros in on “Hatriots” and More
With graphic novel Summer of Hamn, rap legend and now visual artist Chuck D has produced his second, strong, COVID-era work of art and social commentary.
Fragments of a (Diabolical) Dream: Vojtěch Mašek’s ‘The Sisters Dietl’
Reading Vojtěch Mašek’s s diabolical and superb The Sisters Dietl is like consuming a many-layered pastry laced with something hallucinogenic.
French Pop Cinema of the 1960s Brings Tintin to Life Twice Over
Tintin is one of the secret engines of 20th Century pop culture in Europe and Hollywood, as shown in these James Bond-like movies for the elementary school crowd.
Chuck D Adds Talented Visual Artist to His Resume with ‘Stewdio’
Chuck D’s style in his three-volume, Covid-era graphic novel STEWdio can be described as neo-expressionistic with images and text often intertwined like Jean-Michael Basquiat’s art.
‘The Flash’ and Its Disposable Heroes of Multiversity
The story that takes up most of The Flash’s running time is about something that never happened, and worse, the film skips over the hard part of multiversity storytelling.
Aquaman and the War Against Oceans (Excerpt)
Aquaman can be read as an allegory that responds to the climate change crisis, an era in which the oceans have become sites of warfare and mass death.