Mutant Studies 101

Welcome back to Office Hours, students! For this session, your professors are joined by someone truly qualified to teach the class Mutant Studies 101, Dr Ramzi Fawaz (The New Mutants: Superheroes and the Radical Imagination of American Comics, Queer Forms). They discuss his work, the current state of modern comics studies, how we can imagine what the world could be through the lens of psychedelics, and generally have a great time!You can follow Dr. Fawaz's work on his website ramzifawaz.com and @nerdfromthefuture on social media. You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and Bluesky and @mutantstudiespod on Twitter and TikTok. You can find links to our show notes, citations, and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. You can follow Morgan on all platforms @beakerbarnes. As always, we'd like to thank OlliePhresh and Hayden Kierkeide for our music and graphic design, respectively.

Get ready to craft some bloodstones and summon your soulswords, students! For this lecture, your professors are deep diving into Ilyana Rasputina, aka Magik, specifically through her original 1983 miniseries.Topics of this lecture include: What does this miniseries do so well with Claremont's own tendencies? How does the allegories of this tale work in context of then and now? How has Magik changed as a character since this miniseries, and specifically after her resurrection? And how can we connect this to Twin Peaks?Content Warning: this episode contains discussions of grooming, sexual violence towards children, and removal of bodily autonomy.You can follow the show on Twitter and TikTok @mutantstudiespod and on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101. You can follow Morgan on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @beakerbarnes, and can follow Dean's film writing at deansoscarrambles.substack.com. Links to show notes, transcripts, and citations for this and all our episodes can be found at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. As always, we'd like to thank OlliePhresh for our theme music and Hayden Kierkade for our graphic design.

That's right, it's the fanfic episode! Dean is away so the mice get to play. The mice, in this instance, meaning Morgan and returning guest Eileen, finally get to talk about fanfic. What is it? We'll find out!Topics include: Some of the origins of fanfic; false reports of Dean's death; a lot of discussion about gay hockey yaoi; TWO games; some fanfiction recommendations; very tenuous connections to the X-Men; and more!You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and Bluesky and @mutant101pod on Twitter and TikTok. You can follow Morgan @beakerbarnes and our sister podcast, Anatomy of an Oscar, @anatomyofanoscar. You can find links to our show notes, citations, and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.comAs always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design.

EVERYTHING is Romantic, students! For this Valentines guest lecture, your hosts are joined by cosplayer Olivia DeFillipo (@thelibraliv) and content creator Nikhil Clayton (@NikhilClayton) to discuss one of the longest-lasting couples in X-Men: Rogue and Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit!Topics for this lecture include: How Rogue and Gambit's relationship has changed over the years, what the shifting nature of Rogue's powers mean for their relationship, how Gambit's attitude is more a front than anything else, a breakdown of Mr. and Mrs. X by Kelly Thompson (2018), what has given this couple the staying power to last this long, and how much Morgan hates bird people.You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and Bluesky and @mutant101pod on Twitter and TikTok. You can follow Morgan @beakerbarnes and our sister podcast, Anatomy of an Oscar, @anatomyofanoscar. You can find links to our show notes, citations, and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.comAs always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design.

Hear us, students! No longer are we the professors you knew, we are Academia and Unseriousness Incarnate! That's right, to kick off this new semester we are diving into arguably the most seminal text in the history of the X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga! Specifically, we will be taking a look at the story through the lens of the Monstrous Feminine and Jean Grey!Topics for this lecture include: We're back and better than ever! How this story treats the character of Jean Grey through her abuse, What to do when Claremont is Like ThatTM, and examining Jean and Scott's love life before, during, and after she becomes a monster.Content Warning: This episode contains explicit discussions of sexual assaultYou can follow Mutant Studies 101 on Twitter and TikTok @mutantstudiespod and on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101. You can find links to our show notes, transcripts, and citations at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com.As always, we'd like to thank Ollie and Hayden Kierkeide for our music and graphic design, respectively

Get ready to fall in love again and again, students! For this weeks lecture, your hosts are joined by Dr. Anna Peppard (Supersex: Sexuality, Fantasy, and the Superhero, Sequential Scholars, Oh Gosh Oh Golly Oh Wow) to discuss the ways in which romance and romance comics have changed and shaped around the character of Jennifer Walters, the Sensational She-Hulk!Topics include: A close analysis of Rainbow Rowell's She-Hulk (2022) and Sensational She-Hulk (2023), how Jennifer Walters is defined as a sexual symbol throughout history, what happened to the modern romance comic, her relationship status with Jack of Hearts, complicated female friendships, and more!Content warning: This episode contains discussions of loss bodily autonomy, sexual assault, and misogynyYou can follow the show on Twitter and TikTok @mutant101pod and on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101. You can follow Morgan on all platforms @beakerbarnes and Dean on Bluesky @deanofx. Links to show notes, transcripts, and citations can be found on our website mutantstudies101.tumblr.comAs always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design, respectively.

Time to lock in, students! For this episode, your hosts are joined by returning guests Ollie and Emily to discuss one of the trickiest topics we've ever delved into: The court case of the International Justice Court vs. Erik Lensherr, also known as Magneto!Topics for this lecture include: A close-reading of Uncanny X-Men 200, discussing and diving deep into the (DEEPLY complicated) character of Gabrielle Haller, why we shouldn't divorce characters from their origins, and... a digression about Dale Cooper! I guess!Content Warning: This episode, by nature of the characters it discusses, deals heavily with the Holocaust and discussions of other genocides throughout history. Gabrielle Haller's story includes coercion in a catatonic state and implied sexual abuse. Additionally, Gabby is a prominent Israeli character which means discussions must inevitably turn to Israel's colonial history as well as the modern genocide of Palestinians. This podcast stands firmly with a free Palestine and believes Palestinian liberation is the only answer.You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and @mutant101pod on Twitter and TikTok. A link to transcripts, show notes, and citations for this and all our episodes can be found at mutantstudies101.tumblr.comAs always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design, respectively.

Welcome back to class students! For this lecture, your professors are joined by special guest Priya Saxena (comics editor and critic) to discuss Leah Williams and Carols Gomez's X-Terminators (2022)!Topics for this lecture include: A discussion of Laura Mulvey's "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", how comics fandom reacts to provocative works, how much fun this book is, and grappling with perception as a viewer. Content warning: This episode generally speaking discusses a lot of potentially misogynistic views on media discussion and women as sexual objects.You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and @mutant101pod on TikTok and Twitter. Links to all of our show notes and citations can be found at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com.As Always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@Olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design, respectively.

Hope you're ready to reckon, students! For this lecture, your hosts dive back into the deep mine that is Alison Blaire, the Dazzler. It's Dazzler Studies 301! This time, we're trying ton answer the question: Is Dazzler bad, actually?Topics for this episode include:Dean's adventures at Flame Con, Dazzler as a symbol for progressive or regressive politics, a close reading of Brian Johnson's essay "Dazzler, Melodrama, and Shame", how Alison is a product of Reagan-era politics, what do we do in order to reclaim our queer icons, and pop divas! Then, Dean and Morgan embark on an ambitious journey: Creating Dazzler: Sparkle, Alison's Greatest Hits Album!You can follow the show on TikTok and Twitter @mutant101pod and on Instagram @mutantstudies101. Links to our show notes, transcripts, citations, and sources can be found at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. You can follow Morgan on social media @beakerbarnes and Dean on Instagram @deancoburnld.As always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design, respectively

Dia duit, Students! On this episode, Dean gets to take a student role as Morgan flexes their knowledge of Irish post-modernism as we look at the X-Men villain Black Tom Cassidy through the lens of James Joyce's Dubliners!Topics for today's episode include: What distinguishes Joyce's writing from his contemporaries? How does one care for a homeland while also being drawn out of it? Can we relate Black Tom's power set back to his relationship to Ireland, and how much did Krakoa influence him? And Morgan stops being aloof and mysterious!Content Warning: this episode contains discussions of the Irish Civil conflict known as the troublesYou can find links and information for our show, including show notes, citations, and transcripts, at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. You can find Morgan on socials @beakerbarnes and can follow Dean's Substack at deansoscarrambles.substack.comAs always, we'd like to thank Hayden (@mcuwaititi) and Ollie (@OlliePhresh) for our graphic design and music, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once again wishing you a Happy Pride, Students! For this lecture, your hosts examine queer theory as it relates to the body and the mutant metaphor with an extremely exciting special guest: PhD in Literature and current writer for Marvel Comics Anthony Oliveira!Topics include: How do you navigate writing queerness in rooms where you aren't allowed full creative control? When does the mutant metaphor work with queerness and when does it work against it? What do two mutants, Iceman and Rogue, have that relate to queerness both literal and metaphorical? Should Rogue and Siryn kiss on the mouth? (yes) And a lot of incredible conversations surrounding Anthony's current run of Avengers Academy!Content Warnings: This episode includes difficult conversations around queerness and violence done to the LGBTQ community, including forced repression, being ostracized from family units, and the AIDS crisis. There is also a conversation around the current detention of immigrants by government agencies.You can find links for the show, including social handles, show notes, citations, and transcripts, at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. You can find Morgan on socials @beakerbarnes. You can find Anthony's work on Marvel Unlimited, at your local comic and bookstores, and on socials @meakoopa.As always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready to break the fourth wall, students! For this episode, your professors are joined by Morgan's friend and writer Jason (@simplewrites_2.0) to discuss their very complicated feelings on the Deadpool movies!Topics in this episode include: Ryan Reynolds as an auteur, the crazy journey to get these movies to the big screen Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, how do we handle art that makes us feel bad, and a tangent about Dazzler!You can find links to the show notes and transcripts for this and every episode at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. You can find Morgan @beakerbarnesWe'd like to thank Ollie (@olliphresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design, respectively Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready to go to the Great North, Students! For today's episode of MARCH MUTANT MOVIE MADNESS, your professors are joined by their friend Eileen to discuss X-Men: Origins-Wolverine, and The Wolverine!Topics for this episode include: These movies are bad, Hugh Jackman getting nominated for an Oscar and flopping, Orientalism AGAIN, fun facts about real wolverines, and a fun game!You can find links for all of our show notes and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com!As always we'd like to thank Ollie (@Olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Round One, Students! On this, the first proper episode of March Mutant Movie Madness, your professors are joined by friend Des (@movieswithdes) to discuss the first three X-Men movies!Topics for this episode include: How these movies came to be, our love affair with Scott Summers, how the Mutant Metaphor evolves over the course of these movies, a really fun game, and Morgan's hatred of James Cameron!You can find the show notes for the podcast as well as transcripts and other links at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com! You can follow Morgan on socials @beakerbarnes!As always we'd like to thank Ollie (@olliphresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back, students! We're back with season 2 of Mutant Studies 101, with the beginning of our miniseries MARCH MUTANT MOVIE MADNESS! That's right, we're talking about the movies. But before we talk about that, we wanted to have a bit of coverage around some of the difficult topics we will have to discuss regarding a few of the creatives and the extensive allegations against them.Content Warning: This episode contains discussion around authors and directors that have performed or stated harmful actions or views. A few of these discussion will surround sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia, racism, and antisemitism.You can find all of the links for the show notes and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com! as always we'd like to thank Ollie (@Olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Finals Week, Mutants! On this SEASON 1 FINALE Episode, your professors are here to talk about their single greatest passion as well as usher in the next semesters topic with a discussion of how they would bring Marvel's Merry Mutants to the big and small screen.Topics of this lecture include: The DeanMorgan X-MCU, Jack Schlossberg as the Lisan Al-Gaib, How to fix the Claremont Run, The 82nd Annual Golden Globes, and more!You can follow the podcast on Twitter and TikTok @mutant101pod and on Instagram @mutantstudies101. You can find Morgan on all those places @beakerbarnes.As always we'd like to thank Ollie (Olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome Back Students! On this episode, your hosts are back and not only are they back but they have a special guest: Our good friend Emily aka StardustEm!Topics for today's episode include: A deep Dive of Zen Wells' Hellions (2020), the nature vs nurture debate, Alex Summers' terrible horrible no good very bad days, our love of Psylocke and Greycrow, and play some of the silliest games we've ever played!Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of brainwashing and emotional manipulation, as well as discussions of the prison industrial complex. In addition, we talk a lot about Mr Sinister's past as a Nazi scientist and his unethical experiments.You can follow the podcast on Twitter and TikTok @mutant101pod and on Instagram @mutantstudies101 and Morgan on those sites @beakerbarnes. You can follow Emily on Twitter @stardustem and on TIkTok and Instagram @_stardustem!As Always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Reading, Students! This week, your professors dive into the August releases for the new X-Line, including: Exceptional X-Men 1, X-Men 2 and 3, Uncanny X-Men 1, X-Force 1, Phoenix 2, and NYX 2.Topics of this episode include: Kitty Pryde being back in Chicago and feeling it, protecting Black children, espousing the gospel of Victor LaValle's Sabretooth work, Dean crying about Cyclops, Morgan not playing about the lesbians, and Dazzler eras!You can follow the podcast on Twitter, TikTok, and now Instagram @Mutant101POD and Morgan all those same places @beakerbarnes!As always, we'd like to thank our friends Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design work, respectively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a new semester, students! Your professors are gearing up for this new era with a read-along of X-Men, Phoenix, and NYX #1!Highlights of this lecture include: Mourning the era that was while celebrating the new one, things we are excited about for this era, how we're feeling about the X-line as a whole, and who will be Marvel's first gay divorce!Content warning: some of the discussions in this episode briefly mention topics of school shootings and the dangers of young boys falling down the alt-right pipeline.You can follow Mutant Studies 101 on Twitter and TikTok @Mutant101POD and Morgan @beakerbarnes!As always we would like to thank Ollie (@olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design work, respectively Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hope you have all your memories Students! Your professors are BACK and this time they're talking about one of the great loves of their lives: Logan Wolverine and his time as the elusive Patch!Highlights of this lecture include: Examining the issues of Orientalism surrounding Wolverine, how he fits into archetypal pop culture roles in the 20th century, exploring what it means to have a Japanese writer take these Orientalist elements, and running off into the woods!Content warning: some of the discussions in this episode briefly mention topics of domestic abuse, the brutal killings of women, and a tangent about the Canadian government's treatment of First Nations people. Additionally, as stated in the episode, Orientalism is a complicated topic with no clear answers on how to handle it but often leads to the exploitation of the cultures and people it is discussing.You can follow Mutant Studies 101 on Twitter and TikTok @Mutant101POD and Morgan @beakerbarnes!As always we would like to thank Ollie (@olliephresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our music and graphic design work, respectively Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.