The Visual Medium Has a Message
How does the medium in which an image is rendered, its materiality, shape our perception of the subject matter?
Albums: What a Concept!
Long-playing records ushered in the era of the soundtrack, but they also made room for something else—the concept album.
The Late-Night Circuit: Why Do Politicians Do It?
With a captive audience of millions and a relaxed atmosphere, the late-night talk show offers a good opportunity to make policy discussions more memorable.
The Feminist Art Roots of Fan-Made Videos
Though vidding is now generally a part of online culture, it originated in the grassroots editing efforts of female television fans.
Introducing Our Visual Literacy Column, “Learning to Look”
Developing visual literacy skills unlocks a means of understanding and engaging with the world that cannot be replaced by any text.
Whatever Happened To The Male Movie Fan?
In the early days of the film industry, the fanzone was full of men and boys. Then the studios chased them all away.
In the Gutters of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman
Gaiman’s stories echo with narratives from the Western canon, taken from folktales and communal memory, displaced into something that feels fresh.
Teaching Comics: A Syllabus
So you want to teach The Sandman? Or William Blake? Or Art Spiegelman’s Maus? A guide to using comics and graphic novels in the classroom.
The Rise and Fall of “True Crime” Radio Dramas
Depictions of poor, non-white victims and informants led working-class and rural listeners to turn against the genre.
Roger Ebert vs. Video Games
The film critic’s unconsidered observation about Doom touched off a firestorm that continues to burn for gamers and digital media critics.